A Christian Guidebook: Who Is a Christian? (7)
“But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Mark 4.20
Spiritual check-up
I had been a Christian for around a year. I was glad to be forgiven and saved, and I would even share my faith in Jesus with others.
But my walk with the Lord was going nowhere. Worse, I was allowing the culture of college to creep into my lifestyle in noticeable ways. I had no daily time with the Lord, and prayer and I were still strangers. I was slipping back and drifting away from the Lord, but I didn’t notice it.
But the friend who led me to the Lord did. Rick Duwe asked me to meet with him at the student union between classes one day. We sat across from each other as he opened his Bible to Mark 4, turned it upside down, and pushed it toward me. Then he read the parable of the soils (upside down, no less!) and briefly explained Jesus’ teaching.
He asked, “T. M., which of those soils best represents your life at this time?” That wasn’t hard. Suddenly I saw myself in an entirely different light, and the jig was up.
I answered, “The third one.”
“The one being choked off by worldly diversions, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you say that?” Rick asked. I just looked at him and said nothing, because I knew he knew.
He continued, “Which of these soils would you like to have represent your life?”
“The last,” I answered sheepishly.
“That’s great,” Rick said. “Now what do you think it’s going to take for you to get there?”
He then proceeded to review what it means to believe in Jesus and how true disciples—real Christians—want to grow in the Lord. Sometimes, Rick continued, that takes a little self-examination, “but once that’s done, we can begin to grow and become fruitful for the Lord.”
And that’s what I wanted, so Rick showed me how to make the necessary corrections that would help me to grow in learning Jesus. I’m forever grateful to him for that time of self-examination. It would take yet another serious shove from Rick to get me moving in the Lord, but that morning in the student union was the beginning of it.
Examine yourself!
Christians do not fear to examine themselves. Especially when it seems something may be lacking in our walk with and work for the Lord, we need to heed the words of the apostle Paul and do some serious soul-searching and altering of our life course (2 Cor. 13.5). Examining ourselves involves carefully considering how we use our time (Eph. 5.15-17) as well as what’s going on in our soul and our life.
We must not fear to examine ourselves nor resent when others may encourage us to do so. None of us is free from sin. All of us are susceptible to drifting from the Lord. And it’s very easy to settle into a kind of Christian comfort zone where we feel assured of our salvation but little in the way of spiritual fruit is in evidence. Faith, we remember, is expressed in evidence (Heb. 11.1), the evidence of good works for which God has saved us in the first place (Eph. 2.8-10). But if we don’t check-up on our walk with and work for the Lord from time to time, we can easily fall into a kind of stasis, going nowhere in the Lord and sharing little of His grace with the people around us.
But what should such a self-examination include?
Ask the wise
Solomon, who was wise in such matters, offers a course of self-examination that can keep us growing as disciples of the Lord, Kingdom citizens and ambassadors who are on a mission for the glory of the Lord. In Proverbs 4.20-26, Solomon outlines the crucial areas to pay attention to and to review on a regular basis:
- vv. 20-22: Make sure you are getting regular time in the Word of God, paying careful attention to God’s Word, cherishing it dearly, and allowing it to bring you to increasing levels of spiritual health.
- v. 23: Check your desires. What do your calendar and expenditures say about what you really love? Are you harboring any sinful desires? Indulging any compromises of a heart that loves God supremely? Refortify your heart through meditation and prayer, to guard it against any wicked influences.
- v. 24: Are you using your words for edification? Speaking the truth in love? Not stretching the truth or practicing deceit? Does any perversity find its way into your conversations? Recommit all your speech to being gracious and always edifying.
- v. 25: Are your goals in life what they should be, and are you working toward them diligently, not allowing any distractions to interrupt your progress?
- v. 26: What about your daily walk? Is it always with the Lord, toward the Lord, and for the Lord?
- v. 27: Is there any evil lingering in your soul? Call on the Lord to search it out and remove it (Ps. 136.23, 24).
These simple steps of self-examination can keep you walking with Lord, growing in His grace, and bearing fruit for His Kingdom and glory in all you do. Christians do not fear to examine themselves. After all, such regular self-examination may yield many excellent reasons to give praise and thanks to the Lord and rejoice in His work in our lives.
Search the Scriptures
1. How would you describe your practice of examining yourself at this time?
2. Meditate on Psalm 90.12 and Ephesians 5.15-17. How can you improve the use you make of your time?
3. Besides those Solomon outlined, what are some other areas of your life that you should examine regularly? Can you think of some Scripture to guide you in each of those areas?
Next steps—Transformation: Set a time to do a thorough self-examination. Give thanks to God for whatever He reveals to you. Make plans to improve as indicated.
T. M. Moore
Additional Resources
If you have found this study helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Three resources can help you in realizing more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God. Our books The Kingship of Jesus (click here) and What in Heaven Is Jesus Doing on Earth? (click here for the book or here for the free PDF) explain the rule of King Jesus in our lives and world. The Kingdom Turn (order the book here or the free PDF here) goes into greater detail about what it means to practice the Kingship of Jesus.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
