Valerie and I were out shopping the other day, and she gave me the privilege of paying for the purchase! That day I used cash for our purchase but, when I did, I noticed that the cashier took a marker and made a mark across the bill. It made me just a little upset that the clerk would suspect me of using a fake bill. But when she saw the look on my face, she quickly explained that they were having a rash of counterfeit bills at the store, and that they were checking all cash to make sure it was the real deal.
You know, it got me to thinking; it’s important to have the real deal for money and to be the real deal as Christians! It’s getting harder and harder to tell who’s really who these days. Just like the difference between real money that’s worth something and fake money that’s worthless, there's a difference between real Christians and those who are not. It’s an important difference that will determine whether we spend an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell.
In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says:
"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me and that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart for me, ye that work iniquity.”
Jesus explained that false teachers in sheep’s clothing were as common then as counterfeit bills are today! Friends, we need to realize that Judgment Day is coming, and those who are not real deal Christians will go to an awful eternity and miss out on being with Him in heaven forever. And that's why it's important that each of us make sure that we are the real deal as Christians!
If you are not sure about the authenticity of your Christianity, the good news is that you can change all that right now. Don’t settle for anything short of the real deal; take advantage of God’s plan of salvation by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ today!
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