The Good Little Christian Boy

(Based on John Wesley's Sermon "The Almost Christian")

Once upon a time, there was a Good Little Christian Boy. He was born into a good family, with a father and mother who went to a good church. When the Good Little Christian was very young, he was already memorizing Bible verses, which not only got him good treats, but pats on the back from the Sunday school teachers. Unlike most of the other little children, he was very attentive in the main service, and even sat still during the pastor’s sermon.

As he grew up, the Good Little Christian Boy stayed in purity. Never once did he look at pornography, nor did he talk about girls the way the other guys in the youth group did. He didn’t date until he was 16, and even then, it was under the careful guardianship of both pairs of parents. He never touched her, kissed her, or even held her hand.

He was certainly the prime example to everyone around him. The Good Christian Boy woke up a good half-hour before everyone to say his prayers and to do his 15-minute daily devotional. Whenever there was an opportunity for a mission trip, he would be the first to sign up. He was the first one to come to youth to help set up, and the last one to leave, helping in everything he could. The youth pastor commended him, and allowed him to take a leadership position in the youth group. His pastor once said, “Now that is what a Christian ought to be like.”

Time went on, and eventually the Good Christian Boy was married to the girl he dated when he was 16 – the first and only girl he had ever dated. He continued to be a leader in his church, eventually being sent to Bible school and Seminary in order to be trained for the pastorate (everyone knew that’s what he would end up doing). Of course, he worked hard at his studies, and earned straight A’s.

Tragically, the Good Christian Boy was in a fatal car accident and ended up in Hell.

What is the difference between the Good Christian Boy and the real Christian?
“Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”

You see, the Good Christian did many good things, but he did it for the wrong reasons. He was even very sincere in serving God, but he did it because he felt he had to work up to the standard of God. Rather, the real Christian does these things, not out of a sense of duty, but because he loves his Jesus and wants to serve Him with everything he has.

Out of this love for God that takes over the real Christian’s entire being flows out a love for his neighbor unlike any other. He is willing to go the distance in humbling himself, as his Lord did, because he has such a deep seeded love in his inner man. The real Christian doesn’t just do humble things; his mind and heart are in a humble state.

Not only that, but there is a genuine faith in his God. Whatever God says, the real Christian believes. He reckons it true that he is indeed dead unto sin, and alive to Christ, whether or not the flesh and the world speak it as true. The real Christian is willing to stake his all on the word of God and walk out by faith and the indwelling life of Christ all that is written within.

There are many people who have the outer shell of the Christian life: they do the right things, stand for the right issues, say the right words, and act the right way. Yet, they are nothing but whitewashed tombs, in which is nothing but dead bodies.

How often do we even fall short of the standard of the Good Little Christian? Looking around at the church people today, it doesn’t take long to see that the majority of Christendom is far short of the lifestyle of the Good Little Christian; but turn your pointing finger towards your own heart: are you even close to the standard of the Good Little Christian?

Your knee-jerk reaction may be to say, “No, but I got Jesus!” Perhaps that is true; I am no judge of men’s souls. However, let me ask you, does your life speak of Jesus in every action and in every word, or does it speak of self? Are you wrapped up in Christ and the cross, or are you trapped by this world, the flesh, and the lies of Satan?

John Wesley speaks, “Can you cry out, ‘My God, and my All’? Do you desire nothing but Him? Are you happy in God? Is He your glory, your delight, your crown of rejoicing? … Do you love every man, even you enemies, even the enemies of God, as your own soul? … Hast thou indeed redemption through his blood, even the remission of thy sins? And doth his Spirit bear witness with thy spirit, that thou art a child of God?

“Awake, then, thou that sleepest, and call upon thy God: call in the day in which he may be found.”

I would encourage you to read his original sermon on this subject. Let the light of God shine upon your soul today, and see what is really in there.