A Spiritual Check-Up

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1 Corinthians 11:28 – But let a man examine himself…


            One thing is true of most when it comes to going to the doctor – we don’t like to go. We don’t want to be preached at about our blood pressure, lack of exercise, or bad eating habits. And just like the doctor checks our vitals with a standard of measurement, so does the Lord with the absolute standard – the word of God.

            He might ask us if we have religion or a relationship. The woman at the well was prejudice because of her religion. She claimed to be right because her religion said she was right. Her pride was evident too, until the Lord revealed that her religion was never going to quench her thirsty soul. Religion is not true worship and can never satisfy, only a relationship with Jesus Christ can give us everlasting life.

            Next we need to check-up and make sure we walk in liberty instead of legalism. Many Galatians even though they were saved by grace, succumbed to a system of works after salvation. They put themselves back into bondage with deeds and rituals, instead of living for Christ out of liberty and love. If your Christian life consist of only rules and regulations you will eventually become “bitter with hard bondage” (Ex. 1:14). “Christ hath made us free” (Gal. 5:1). We should serve out of devotion, not merely duty or discipline.

            Finally, I believe the Lord would check our temperature and see if we were “cold or hot” (Rev. 3). If you are lukewarm it means you are sick, and you are making the Lord sick. Apathy and indifference will quench the fire of the Spirit of God. The fire on the altar of burnt offering was always burning, ready for a sacrifice at any time. We should be on fire for God, not cold and indifferent.

            How is your spiritual check-up? Are you a healthy Christian?