Precious Stones (Part 1)

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:21-23

“I’m so glad I can spend part of my summer vacation here in Colorado with you, Aunt Kim!” said Zoe. Aunt Kim was lots of fun, and Zoe loved to roam around Aunt Kim’s jewelry store and look at all the beautiful gems.

The first day Zoe visited the store with her aunt, she pointed to a ring in the display case. “That’s a ruby, isn’t it?” Zoe asked “It looks like the one you gave Mom for her birthday.”

“It’s not exactly the same,” Aunt Kim replied, taking the ring out and handing it to Zoe. “Your mother’s is the real thing; this one is synthetic.”

Zoe looked at the ring carefully. “Synthetic? What does that mean?”

“Well, I guess you could call it a fake. It’s simply not a real ruby—it’s man-made,” Aunt Kim explained. “It looks a lot like a ruby, but it doesn’t cost nearly as much. Many people can’t tell the difference.”

“I can see why a lot of them would be fooled,” said Zoe as she handed the ring back to her aunt.

Aunt Kim nodded. “Yes, but a trained eye can tell it’s not the real thing.” After a moment, she asked, “Did you know that the Bible warns us not to be synthetic Christians?”

“Synthetic Christians?” Zoe repeated. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the Bible doesn’t use the word synthetic, but the concept is the same. It says some people may look like Christians, but they have no relationship with Jesus. There hasn’t been a change inside. They’re often able to fool other people—maybe even fool themselves—but in reality, they’re fakes. In the Bible, Jesus talked about people who call Him Lord but don’t really know Him at all. We can’t always tell who truly knows Jesus and who’s faking it, but God knows.”

Zoe nodded thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t mind having a synthetic ruby or other gem,” she said, “but I wouldn’t want to be a fake Christian.”

Aunt Kim shook her head. “Me neither. That’s why it’s so important to make sure we have a relationship with Jesus. Those who trust in Him are the real thing—genuine Christians.”

-Ruth I. Jay

How About You?

Are you a genuine Christian? How do you know? Do you think it’s because your parents are Christians? Or because you’re a good kid and act the way you see Christians act? Perhaps you attend church, read your Bible, behave well, and even pray. That’s great, but those things don’t make you a Christian. To be a true Christian, you need to trust Jesus as your Savior.

Today’s Key Verse:
Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good…and He knows those who trust in Him. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Be a genuine Christian