VITAL SIGNS
January 17, 2010

 

   When we go to the doctors office they always check our vital signs in order to determine our physical condition. These vitals include our heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. These vitals are watched, monitored, measured, and corrected in order to keep us in good health. Our symptoms from our vital signs help determine our physical condition.

   As Christians, we need to check our Spiritual symptoms in order to determine our Spiritual health. Let’s look at some Spiritual vital signs to help determine if we are in good condition. 

 

BELIEVE GOD’S WORD

                                                          

   I John 5:9-12  These verses compare the witness of men with the witness of God. How much more should we believe God rather than men?

   Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18  In these and other scriptures the bible states that God cannot lie.

   John 17:17  Here we see that Jesus proclaims that God’s Word is truth.

   II Timothy 3:16; I John 5:10  If we say that we cannot believe part of God’s Word, what does that say we are doing?

 

HUNGER FOR GOD’S WORD

                                                            

   I Peter 1:23, 2:2  Just as a new born baby desires milk from it’s mother, we should desire to be fed by the “milk of the word”. If there is no desire for God’s Word then something is wrong.

   I Peter 2:3 If we have tasted the grace and goodness of God and don’t want any more from Him then we have a BIG problem with our Spirituals well-being. 

   Psalms 1:2; 19:8, 10; 119:16, 18  Consider the example of King David’s desire for the Word.

 

LOVE THE BRETHREN

 

   I John 3:14  There is little compromise with what Jesus taught about our love for each other.

   I Thessalonians 3:12; Galatians 6:10 Paul taught all the churches to love each other.

   I Peter 1:22  Peter was taught by Jesus with the other Apostles that we are to love each other.

 

OBEY GOD’S WORD 

 

   I John 2:3  John tells us that the test of knowing God is that we are obedient to His Word.

   I John 5:3-5  We know that we love Him because our obedience to Him is not grievous.

   John 14: 15, 21, 23  Jesus can’t make it any clearer, if we say we love Him we are to obey.

 

DON’T LIVE IN SIN

 

   I John 3:7-8; 5:18  These verses and others that John uses in his Epistles obviously does not infer that the Christian does not sin; he would never have written I John 1:9 if that was the case. The Christian does not continue to live a constant lifestyle of wickedness and disobedience.

   II Peter 2:7-8  God’s Word clearly teaches that sin in the believer takes God’s peace away.

   Hebrews 1: 8-9  God expects Christians to love righteousness and hate sin, not make fun of it.

  

GOOD WORKS

 

   III John 11  We are to do good because we love God and God wants to do good through us.

   John 15:5, 16; Ephesians 2:8-10  The Lord didn’t ask us but “chose and ordained” us to work.

    James 2:14-20  The plain truth is spoken by James to those who do nothing but sit in pews.