For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth...Eph 5:9
Fall 2001 Volume 2, Issue 4 |
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Self-examination is a vital part of the Christian life (II Cor. 13:5). Just as many of us have yearly physical check-ups to discern the nature of our bodily health, even so the condition of our souls should be of even greater concern; this body, regardless of what we do for it, will one day return to dust, but the soul will exist forever in either heaven or hell. Thus, it behooves us to carefully monitor our spiritual lives to determine if we are indeed abiding in the faith and walking in the truth ( II Jn. 4, 9). Yet, how can I tell if I am strong or weak, growing or digressing? Just as with the physical body, there are "signs", symptoms if you will, of spiritual health or disease. Severe pain somewhere or a lump can certainly be evidence of a physical abnormality which needs attention. A healthy body is what we all strive for. Such, again, is even more important spiritually. What are some symptoms of whether or not I am a strong, healthy Christian? 1. Strong preaching does not bother me, yea, I insist upon it. Preaching, of course, is a vital part of God's plan ( I Cor. 1:21; II Tim. 4:2). The Word of God convicts (Acts 2:37; II Tim. 4:3); that is its whole purpose, because there can be no conversion if there is not first conviction. When any human being comes face to face with the Word of God, there is going to be an ugly reflection even in the best of us---because we are dealing with the perfect will of a holy, righteous God shining its light on vile human weakness. Some people, many of them so-called "faithful" Christians, cannot handle that. They do not want to hear the meat of the Word, they do not want their sins and attitudes exposed to the light, they want to be pampered, coddled, and burped. "Preach to us, preacher, not at us" is the cry of the weak Christian. Beloved, if a man is preaching the word of God in love, then it ought to bring a joy and thrill to our hearts and the harder he preaches the more we ought to love it because it is that Word, and it alone, which will cleanse our souls from sin (Jn. 15:3) and guide us to the heavenly shore (Acts 20:32). Those who complain about the strong preaching are useless to the cause of Christ, because if they can't stand it, they certainly aren't going to teach it to others. |
2. Nothing but valid providential hindrances keep me from the assemblies of the church. Of course, sitting in a church building does not make one a strong Christian anymore than the (proverbial) sitting in a hen house makes one a chicken. But it also is difficult to understand how one can be strong in the Lord, claim to love the Lord, and not want to be where He is, learn His Word, and worship Him at every possible opportunity. People that deliberately miss Bible classes and worship are not strong Christians; how can we claim to be when we put other things, our own pleasures, in front of our God? Obviously, there is such a thing as legitimate providential hindrance, and no one faults or blames the Christian who IS so hindered. But let us make sure that our "providential hindrances" ARE legitimate, and not just excuses for what we want to do. Excuses are a telling and absolute symptom of weak, Christianity. 3. My life is filled with daily Bible reading and prayer. Strong Christians draw near to God, knowing that by doing so He will draw near to them (James 4:8). The two most effective ways of drawing near to God involve communication: listening to God (through His word) and talking to God (through prayer). Strength will be the obvious result. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps" (Jer. 10:23). Thinking we can make it, day by day, without the help of our God is foolishness of the highest order. We may think that we are "strong"; what we will find is our Christianity weakening. 4. When I meet a new person, my first thought is "is this person a Christian? How can I get him/her to the Lord?" One of the truest signs of Christian growth is "less of self" and "more of Thee" with the commitment to evangelism. Christianity, of course, is a giving religion, not one that simply takes. When thinking about others becomes natural, when seeing a soul in need of Christ and not just a human being takes precedence in our relations with others, then we are moving in the right direction. There is no such thing as a strong, NON-evangelistic Christian. Day by day, week by week, we find time to try to bring others to the Lord, strengthen | |
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