10 Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health Part 1 of 3

Transcription

1 10 Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health Part 1 of 3 We all have times when we wonder, How am I really doing spiritually? I know this has been a question I ve asked myself many times over the years. How am I really doing spiritually? Oh, I may be spiritually busy and many of us are, aren t we? But are we spiritually healthy? Well, a few years ago I read a little book entitled 10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and I really enjoyed it. In some ways it was very encouraging in some ways it gave me more confidence and assurance of my salvation that I was living the life God wanted me to live. Yet, in other ways, it was convicting as I saw evidence in my life of what we might call spiritual unhealthiness. So Because I don t believe I m alone in asking the question, How am I really doing spiritually?, and Because I so want God to be glorified through His people living spiritually healthy lives, I thought we could take the next 3 Sunday mornings to look into Scripture using the outline presented in the book 10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, to try and discover for ourselves, how spiritually healthy or unhealthy, we really are. And as we cover these 10 questions over the next 3 weeks, I encourage us to not only make note of the areas in our lives that we see as spiritually unhealthy, but to also be ready to change in light of what we see. But before we begin There are 3 important things we must realize about spiritual health: The first thing we need to understand is that in order for there to be health, of course, there first must be life. 1

2 And as we know from 1 John 5:12 (KJV) 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. So, until we come in faith to Jesus for salvation, we can t have spiritual life and therefore can t have spiritual health. That only makes sense. Dead men are not healthy men. The second thing we need to understand about spiritual health is that it involves spiritual growth. If we aren t growing we aren t healthy. Scripture tells us that as Christians, we will grow to be more and more like Jesus Christ. This is spiritual growth, and is a sign of spiritual health. Romans 8:29 (KJV) 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. The third thing we need to understand about spiritual health is that someone can be spiritually growing, and spiritually healthy without necessarily being spiritually mature. Let me try and explain the differences between growth, health, and maturity with a little illustration: Tyler, my son, is a 8 year old boy far from being physically mature. Yet, he is physically growing and is physically healthy. In a similar way, 45 year old Sally trusted Christ only 3 months ago. Yet, she is a very young Christian young in the faith, and therefore far from being spiritually mature. But, she is spiritually growing, and is therefore spiritually healthy. You see, we are all on the same path as Christians. Over-all, we are growing more and more like Jesus Christ. But where we are on that path differs. Some of us have been on the path for 60 days others of us 60 years. 2

3 And it takes time to mature. This is why we call progressive sanctification progressive. It s a process. This is normal and is why a healthy Christian is a growing Christian, and not necessarily a mature Christian yet. I hope that makes sense because, the questions we ll be looking at the next 3 weeks are not aimed at diagnosing your spiritual maturity, as much as they are geared to diagnose your spiritual health. So, whether you ve been a Christian for 90 days or 90 years you can, and should be, a spiritually healthy Christian. Let s begin. Here is the first question in diagnosing whether you re spiritually healthy Is it the pattern of your life that You are thirsting more and more for God? You see I think it s a misconception to think that once we re saved, our soul never thirsts for God again as if our thirst for God has been completely quenched at salvation. I just don t believe this to be true. and I think Don Whitney, in the book I referred to earlier, sheds some light on this, when he describes 3 kinds of spiritual thirst. He spoke of The Thirst of the Empty Soul, The Thirst of the Dry Soul, and The Thirst of the Satisfied Soul. And since only this last type, The Thirst of the Satisfied Soul is a sign of spiritual health, it s important that we differentiate it from the other two. So, let s look at these different kinds of thirsts, for a few moments. Let s first look at what I see as the first kind of spiritual thirst The Thirst of the Empty Soul. 3

4 Jesus said in John 7:38 (KJV) 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. rivers of living water Christians have within them a source of living water here referred to as rivers, and in other places referred to as a fountain. These are references to God, specifically the Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers and becomes the source of satisfaction, for their souls. But people who don t know God (aren t saved) remain thirsty, because they are lacking the thirst quenching rivers of living water. They are lacking this source of satisfaction. They are lacking the presence of God within them. Yet instead of turning to God to be satisfied, they are constantly trying to fill the emptiness they feel inside, with anything and everything else. Instead, they may chase after money, power, fame, entertainment, knowledge, comfort, or even religion to try and fill what many have described as: a God-shaped vacuum in their hearts. They re not so much thirsty for God. They re just thirsty for anything that will satisfy. But, as Augustine said, Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee. Those who remain in the world, have thirsty souls. But they re unable to find anything to satisfy this thirst. This is The Thirst of the Empty Soul. And this type of thirst, is not a sign of spiritual health, but rather a sign of spiritual death. Do you have 'the thirst of the empty soul? Is it possible that you have never tasted from the rivers of living water? If so, you need to come to the only One who can truly satisfy. You need to come to Jesus Christ today. 4

5 Let s now look at what I see as the second kind of spiritual thirst The Thirst of the Dry Soul. We, who have come to Jesus Christ for salvation, have tasted the satisfying waters of being in the presence of God, right? But Sometimes we stop drinking from these rivers of living water, Sometimes, we begin to seek satisfaction elsewhere, Sometimes, we drink from the rivers of the world (so to speak), which will not (and cannot) truly satisfy and as a result, our souls only becomes more thirsty. This is like the nation of Israel who also sought satisfaction elsewhere: Jeremiah 2:13 (KJV) 13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. But as Christians, the gracious reality is that As we drink from what the world has to offer, we ll long to return to the satisfying rivers of living water. We ll long to return to our Savior and God. It s like years ago when my family and I were running errands in Lunenburg. I dropped my wife off at Save-Easy to pick up a couple things and I drove across the road to Tim Horton s with our 4 children. Of course, Jasmine (who was 2 years old at the time) thought we were leaving mommy for good, and began to scream in agony at the thought of losing mommy. It didn t matter what I said. And it wouldn t have mattered what anyone would have offered her nothing besides mommy would have satisfied Jasmine during that time. Well, in a similar way as Christians, after drinking from what the world has to offer for a while, we ll become very dry and unsatisfied. We ll recall the satisfaction we once had and we ll long to return. 5

6 And it wouldn t matter what anyone said, or what anyone would offer as a substitute. During that time, nothing besides God will do. But before returning to the rivers of living water, we may spend much time drinking from the rivers of the world where we only become more unsatisfied, and more thirsty. This is The Thirst of the Dry Soul. And though this is a type of thirst for God and though it is a sign of spiritual life, it is not necessarily a sign of spiritual health. Maybe this describes you this morning Maybe for some time now, you ve neglected the satisfying rivers of living water neglected your relationship with the God who saved you. Maybe you ve instead sought satisfaction elsewhere, and now have become extremely unsatisfied. Then may Psalm 35:8 (KJV) be a reminder to you this morning: 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good Return to Him this morning the only One who can truly satisfy. Let s now look at what I see as the third and final kind of spiritual thirst The Thirst of the Satisfied Soul. This is a healthy thirsting when, though already satisfied, we thirst for more of God. This is the kind of thirst every one of us ought to have. But isn t this a contradiction? How can a satisfied soul be thirsty? Doesn t what Jesus told the woman at the well contradict this? John 4:13-14 (KJV) 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 6

7 So, Jesus is saying here that those who turn to Him for salvation will be given water that shall be in them a well of water springing up into everlasting life. As I mentioned earlier, Christians have within them a source of living water, (here referred to as a well earlier referred to as rivers and a fountain). And as I said earlier, these are references to the Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers, and becomes the source of satisfaction for their souls. But Jesus is not saying that we, as Christians, will never be thirsty again just because God lives within us. No. Rather, Jesus is saying that since God lives within us, we will never be without the source of spiritual satisfaction. It is a fountain always flowing, and we have immediate access to this ultimate thirst quencher. I think of it like this: When we become a Christian, our soul s thirst is not destroyed forever. If it were, we would not long for God as we do. So, instead of removing our need for water our need for satisfaction, the fountain is placed within us so that we are never without access to it. Listen to the heart of the writer of Psalm 42 Psalm 42:1-2 (KJV) 1 As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God Listen to King David in Psalm 63:1 (KJV) 1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; Listen to what Thomas Shepard, a New England Minister, once said, There is in true grace an infinite cycle: a man by thirsting receives, and receiving thirsts for more. A. W. Tozer once prayed, O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. 7

8 All four of these men were thirsty for God. All four men had The Thirst of the Satisfied Soul. What about you? Do the words of these men describe how you sometimes feel? Is the pattern of your life that you are thirsting more for God, in this way? If so, this is a sign of more than mere spiritual life, but of spiritual health. thirsting more and more for God. Here s the 2 nd question in diagnosing whether you re spiritually healthy Is it the pattern of your life that You are governed more and more by God s Word? What do you consider valuable in your life? I m sure most of you d say that family and friends are of great importance. Most of you would also probably say that you value God above all else. But where does his Word fit in? Where does the Bible fit in? Do we think of the Bible as extremely valuable? We ought to. Consider what the Bible says about itself Matthew 4:4 (KJV) 4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Psalm 119:105 (KJV) 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 8

9 Psalm 19:7-8 (KJV) 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Taking in God s Word is profitable. This is why Peter says in 1 Peter 2:2 (KJV) 2 desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: But it s not enough just to read the Bible. It should affect what we say, how we think, and how we live. George Muller once said, The simple reading of the Word of God can become information that only passes through our minds, just as water passes through a pipe. Speaking of the Bible, Don Whitney said, If we don t absorb some of it, we ll be affected by none of it Don t take this the wrong way But, just because we are reading our Bible every morning doesn t mean we are spiritually healthy. There are unbelievers who are more devoted to reading the Bible than you or I but they re certainly not spiritually healthy. The question isn t, Am I reading the Bible? The question is, Am I reading it, understanding it, meditating on it, praying over it, and applying it to my life? Is it affecting my thoughts and decisions and the way I interact with others? These are the questions that we need to answer. 9

10 And it s not about quantity it s more about quality. In other words It s not about how long I ve spent reading, or how much I ve read but it s rather about how much of what I have read has penetrated my heart in such a way that it has affected the way I live. Octavius Winslow once said, Nothing perhaps more strongly indicates the tone of a believer s spirituality, than the light in which Scripture is regarded by him. Is it your desire to know what the Bible has to say about specific areas of your life? Can you recall changes in the way you think or in the way you act as a result of what you discovered in God s Word? In other words Is God s Word having any effect on you? Is it the pattern of your life, that more and more, you are governed by God s Word? If so, this is a sign that you just might be: spiritually healthy. The third, and final question today, in diagnosing whether you are spiritually healthy Is it the pattern of your life that You are more and more loving? It may be your first instinct to say Of course I m loving and Yes, I have more love for my husband now than ever. But is this the kind of love that is a mark of spiritual health? Isn t it true that many who aren t saved love in this way? And is this the same kind of love that John writes about in 1 John 4:7-8 (KJV)? 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 10

11 This is where it ll be helpful to look at what the world refers to as love, and then compare it to the kind of love the Bible talks about a kind of love that ought to be present in every Christian s life. The first kind of love I d like to look at is natural affection. 2 Timothy 3:1-3a (KJV) 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection You see It is natural for friends to love one another whether Christian or not. It is natural for a mother to love her child. To be otherwise is an exception. This is part of God s common grace to all mankind natural affection. But this in itself is neither a sign of spiritual health, nor even a sign of spiritual life. This is not the kind of love John was referring to in his letter. The second kind of love I d like to look at is selfish love. Does it make me feel good? epitomizes this kind of love. A man may say he loves a beautiful woman and will be willing to do much for her. He adores her, thinks of her constantly, and wants nothing more than her. But the truth is that he loves her only for what she brings him. Once again, all people, whether or not they are Christians, can love with this kind of selfish love. But, like natural affection, this kind of love is in itself neither a sign of spiritual health, nor even a sign of spiritual life. This, too, is not the kind of love John was referring to. The third kind of love I d like to look at is worldly love. I ll love you, as long as you love me epitomizes this kind of love. 11

12 Jesus makes it clear that this isn t the kind of love Christians are to show Luke 6:32 (KJV) 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye (or what credit is that to you)? for sinners (unsaved people) also love those that love them. Once again, all people, whether or not they re Christians, can love with this worldly love. But, like natural affection and selfish love, this kind of love is in itself neither a sign of spiritual health, nor even a sign of spiritual life. This, too, is not the kind of love John was referring to. But there is a kind of love that does point to spiritual life and health. It is what we might call Christian love, and is the love we are to have for one another that is distinguishable from any other love in the world. John 13:35 (KJV) 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Well Now that we ve seen that the love we re to have as Christians is different from all the other kinds of love, the next logical question is What does such a love look like? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (KJV) 4 Charity (or love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. How loving we are is not measured by how intense our feelings are. How loving we are is better measured by the description in these verses. You see These verses tell us that we lack love when it s common for us to lose our patience and be unkind. These verses tell us that we lack love when we re envious of the advantages and privileges of others. 12

13 These verses tell us that we lack love when we list off all the sacrifices and proofs of our love, whenever we get the chance. These verses tell us that we lack love when we aren t courteous, and when we consider ourselves and our needs above the needs of others. These verses tell us that we lack love when we re easily angered, and when we wish ill on other people. These verses tell us that we lack love when we aren t willing to confront our brothers and sisters in Christ concerning their sin when we re willing to allow them to go unwarned while they ruin their lives, their testimony, and bring shame to the name of Christ and His church. These verses tell us that we lack love when we aren t willing to bear with other people, to put up with them, to tolerate them, to endure them. And these verses also tell us that we lack love when we assume the worst of people not believing in them, not expecting them to do what s right. Let me ask you Are you often inpatient, angry, and unkind with others? Are you often envious of what others have? Do you often find yourself bragging to others about what good deeds you ve done, or boasting in what you ve done for them? Are you often putting yourself above others? Do you often find yourself unwilling to do what s right because it may not be appreciated that much, by the people you d be doing it for? Do you find yourself unwilling to tolerate people? Do you find yourself seeing the worst in people? These are signs that you lack Christian love and are signs that you are not spiritually healthy. These are signs that you need a spiritual physician. So, go to Him. Go to the Great Physician. Go to Him in prayer meet Him in His Word. Learn Christian love from the One who lived it out perfectly here on earth. 13

14 Strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ so that the joy and satisfaction you have in Him will, as John Piper often says overflow and meet the needs of others. Well, there you have it The first 3 questions in diagnosing your spiritual health. What is the diagnosis so far? Is it the pattern of your life that You are thirsting more and more for God? Is it the pattern of your life that You are governed more and more by God s Word? Is it the pattern of your life that You are more and more loving? And as I said in my opening remarks of this message I pray we d not only make note of the areas in our lives we see as spiritually unhealthy, but that we would also change in light of what we see. (Close in Prayer) 14