By J. Wiley Adams
Recently a friend of mine, who is a car salesman and who is a member of a popular denomination, was discussing some religious-minded friends of his with me. He seemed greatly impressed with their apparent piety and devoutness, thinking perhaps that I also would be impressed if he told me about them. In fact, he said he had known them to drive as much as fifty miles to attend a revival. “Yessiree, Mr. Adams, I tell you they are real, full-blooded Christians!”
I thought about that all the way home. Then it seemed to me there had to be a lesson in there somewhere. What is a full-blooded Christian? We hear of full-blooded dogs, cats, horses, and take great pride in their pedigrees. We sometimes say they are “registered.” Well, I have a beige-colored poodle who has “papers.” But something is wrong somewhere. The “papers” declare positively that he is a “toy poodle” but he is much closer to the next class which is a “miniature.” Now the papers from the kennel club certify him to be full-blooded in his class. But I know better than that. All you have to do is look at him. Now I like him and all that but he surely has some “off-blood” from somewhere in the past.
I read in the New Testament about how to become a Christian. We are to be born of the water and the spirit. (In. 3:3-5). We must learn from the Scriptures to establish faith (Rom. 10:17) because without it we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6). When we believe we must confess it (Rom. 10:10). To those on Pentecost who had reached that point, the command was given to “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). Those who did this were added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47). These believers were disciples of Christ and thus Christians (Acts 11:26). These Christians, set apart for the Lord’s service having been redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ were to conduct themselves in such a way that others could just look at them and see the difference between them and the world. Jesus said to them, “Ye are the light of the world” in Matthew 5:14. He then added, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
But, I tell you brethren, the way some of the so-called saints act, you would never be able to look at them and come to the conclusion that they are “full-blooded” Christians. The mark of the world is on them. There is as much darkness as there is light in their lives. John wrote to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:10b and commanded them to be faithful to death. The apostle Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to “always abound” in the work of the Lord. The same writer also commended young Timothy for his sincerity and unfeigned faith (2 Tim. 1:5).
Let us strive, brethren, to be genuine and true and always abound. Let us strive for purity and holiness in all we do. Let us be what we purpose to be. Let’s be “full-blooded” Christians.
Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 9
June 3, 1993