Are You A Christian?

A young lady came to me recently and said, "I would like to ask your advice about something if you will be kind enough to permit me."

"Quite willingly," I answered, "What is it, and what can I do for you?"

"Well, I want to ask what you think as to giving up my position, and devoting my whole time to Christian work."

I had known this young woman for some time, and had seen her quite frequently, both in business and at prayer meetings, and as far as I could judge, she was a very nice and well-behaved young person. But something led me to say, "Before I answer your question, let me also ask one of you. Are you saved?"

"I don't know just what you mean; I'm a Christian."

"But what I want to know is whether you are saved. If you intend to engage in Christian work for others, you must first know that you yourself are saved. So I must ask again, are you saved?"

"I'm a member of the orthodox church; but, just what do you mean be your question?"

"I mean this: a Christian is one who has realized his sinful condition in God's sight and his inability to save himself, by self-improvements, by good works, or anything he can do, and therefore has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for his salvation."

But this young woman did not wish to take such a position. She was expecting to reach heaven by her good deeds, a correct life and religious ways; but, alas, she knew nothing of a lost sinner casting himself upon Jesus Christ alone for salvation. So when I quoted to her Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags", she insisted that I was calling her names. Yet she wanted to do Christian work! She wanted to teach others the way to God!

The more I talked with her, the more her condition and opposition to the truth became manifest, until, finally, I found that she refused both the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross as our substitute, and the only means of our salvation. Yet she wanted to devote all her time to Christian work!

I finally warned this nice young lady, as lovingly as I could, that she was a lost sinner on the way to perdition, though she thought herself en route to heaven, and was quite put out when I insisted she was bound in the opposite direction.

What about you, my dear reader? Are you trusting in church membership, Sunday School attendance, kind deeds, nice speeches, devotion to your church work? All these things are right in their place, but good as they may be, they do not save any one of us, for Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6). You must come just as you are, confessing your sinfulness to God, and placing all your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for your sins, that He might bring you to God.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12.

"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:4-9.