Christian Gems – Past & Present: Diagnosis : Christian - Part 4 A physical for the spiritual BY Woodrow KROLL Wondering about your salvation? Are you in need of a spiritual checkup? The Bible has the self-diagnosis you need—consider “The 1 John Twenty.” The apostle John spells out his intentions when he tells us in the last chapter of his first letter, “I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The book of 1 John notes at least 20 specific vital signs to help you take your spiritual pulse. How healthy are you? (We’ll take 5 at a time). 16. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? (2:22-23; 5:1). For centuries leading up to Jesus’ birth, every Jew anxiously awaited ‘messiach’, the Messiah. Every Jewish mother made it her secret prayer that God would choose her to bear the Anointed One of God, the aRedeemer of Israel. The Greek word for messiah is ‘christos’ or Christ. Simeon, a devout Jew whom God had promised would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (Luke 2:26), saw baby Jesus and was immediately convinced he had seen the long-awaited Messiah. If you are convinced of the same, that’s another reason to believe you are born from above, 17. Do you exhibit “overcoming faith”? (5:4, 5). Overcoming faith is a rock-solid belief that no matter what happens today – no matter how bad your situation – victory belongs to the Lord. Christians can claim victory because Jesus said. “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 18. Do you believe the promise of God? (5:9-10, 12). The Bible is filled with promises One such promise is 1 John 5:12: “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” If you have trusted the Son of God as your Savior, you are as certain of eternal life in heaven as if you were already there. 19. Do you trust God’s Word? (5:13). The Bible is much more than a history book. The Bible is the revelation of the mind of God to the minds of men. God had a definite purpose when He revealed His mind. John wrote his gospel that the things nhe reported were “written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). God has no hidden agenda. If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, your heavenly Father wants you to be certain you are a Christian and the Bible was written to give you that certaity 20. Do you have an understanding from the Son of God? (5:20). Jesus is the way to God, He is the one truth that you can trust, and He is the eternal life that god has promised you (John 14:6). That’s the understanding you receive from Him. What if you don’t experience all of these vital signs? Does that mean there is no new life in you? No, the Lord helps us grow and mature differently. Some of your vitals may be stronger than others. Vital signs are results; they aren’t the basis for sa1vation. That’s trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection. (from The Christian Reader)
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:23:39 +0000
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