(from Dr. David Jeremiah's study guide "Signs of Spiritual Life"
When a patient is brought in to a hospital emergency room unconscious, the first thing they do is check the patient for signs of life
Just as there should be signs of life if someone is physically alive, there should also be signs of spiritual life as well if that person professes to know Jesus
There should be signs of spiritual life in those who profess to know Jesus as their Savior
I’m going to go over those signs in the coming weeks but give just an overview today, drawing from a study done by David Jeremiah
Do our lives look like Jesus?
Jesus Christ was certainly recognized for the spiritual life that He demonstrated continually
Those of us who follow him should also show clear signs that we have spiritual life
It’s not just the fact that we are here today at church or we came to SS
It’s not just the fact that we are good law-abiding citizens and generally a good people
We know that anyone can attend church or be a good person and not really be a follower of Jesus
I’m going to spend some time over the next few weeks looking at what are the signs of spiritual life in you and me that say we are Christians
What does a healthy Christian life look like?
A healthy Christian has:
- Dusty Shoes: Living a Relevant Life
Dusty shoes are a sign of someone who has left the safety of home and is out in the world making a difference for Christ
Jesus demonstrated that for us. We read in:
Acts 10:38 (ESV)
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Jesus didn’t stay in an ivory tower or a beautiful sanctuary; He was out on the dusty roads of Israel
He went about doing good: preaching the gospel, healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming freedom to the captives and setting the oppressed free!
He didn’t wait for them to come to him; he went out and found them
He has asked us to do the same
John 17:18 (ESV)
18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
We are to bear the same message that Christ brought to the world
Jesus told us we are to be salt and light in the world
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth”
If someone today is described as “salt of the earth” it generally means that person is a good and decent person
But what did it mean in Jesus’ day?
Salt was preservative. They ate a lot of fish and used salt as a way to keep that fish good for days. Salt preserved the fish
So, when Jesus told us to be salt of the earth, he wanted us to have a preserving effect on the world
Well, you say we must not be doing very good, the world is getting worse every day
But think of how bad it would be if there were no Christians!
We catch a glimpse of that in the book of Revelation, when God removes all Christians from the face of the earth
Literally all hell breaks loose
Right now, the presence of God’s people on this planet and God’s HS, keep this world’s evil in check
It’ bad…, but it would be a lot worse
Jesus asked us to be salt in this world until he comes back!
Jesus also told us to be light in the world
Matthew 5:14–15 (ESV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
While Jesus was in the world, He was the light
When he left, he commissioned his disciples to take his light and spread it throughout the world
We are not light in the same way Jesus is the divine light, but as true followers of Jesus, we are reflectors of that light through the presence of the HS
In other words, we are to look like Jesus in our present world!
You and I are to invade spiritual darkness in this world with the light of Christ so that the world can see the truth
Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Secondly, a healthy Christian has:
- Worn-Out Knees: Living a Yielded Life
Jesus was a prayerful person, so should his followers
When Jesus was here, you’ll remember that he divested himself of the privileges he had in heaven
When he took on the body of a man, he had to communicate with the Father just as we do
Prayer was one of those ways that Jesus demonstrated that he was submissive to and depended on God
If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?
Prayer is where the battle of the spiritual life exists
But Jesus warned us that prayer would be an area that we could be weak in
He said the “spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”
A good prayer life is a sign that we have spiritual life
Thirdly, a healthy Christian has:
- Rolled Up Sleeves: Living an Authentic Life
Rolling up our sleeves is a phrase we often use to say we are going to work
Matthew 20:25–28 (ESV)
25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
We can’t give our lives as a ransom for many like Jesus did, but we can follow his example of service
In John 13, we see where Jesus performed the premium act of service: washing the feet of his disciples
The night He washed their feet, Jesus told his disciples that they ought to serve one another in the same way
He’s not teaching that we should start having a foot-washing service…he’s teaching about humbling ourselves to serve one another
To claim to be a servant of God and be unwilling to serve others is a travesty
Healthy Christians also have:
- Open Hands: Living a Generous Life
How can we talk about Jesus, without talking about giving?
Jesus gave himself for the sins of the whole world
In Galatians, several times Paul made it clear that it was Jesus who gave himself for our sins
Galatians 1:4 (ESV)
4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age…
Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
One of Christ’s signs of life was his death…
His death was a sign of life because he died willingly so that others might live
He laid down his life for others; he gave his life for you and me
If Jesus lived his life as a giver (and he did), then in order for us to show that we are spiritually alive in this world, we are to do the same
Jesus said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive”
One other thing: a healthy Christian has,
- Outstretched Arms: Living a Compassionate Life
Jesus felt the passion or suffering of others and responded
There are many around us who suffer: Jesus asks us to respond
Matthew 14:14 (ESV)
14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Jesus did not just feel sorry for those he encountered, he was moved to compassion…he did something about it
- When he saw the hungry, he was moved
- When he saw people with physical ailments, he was moved
- When he saw those, who were being possessed by demonic spirits, he was moved
- When he saw the masses of spiritually lost people, he was moved
One of the lessons about signs of life to draw from Jesus is that human suffering provokes compassion in those who are spiritually alive
If you are alive spiritually, if you are alive in Christ, you can’t help but be moved when you see the hurting and lost of this world!
It’s easy for us to live an insulated life in our own world where we have a roof over our heads, plenty to eat, and our needs taken care of…and fail to see the needs of others
Maybe we think that the government will take care of them
Maybe we think that they are just irresponsible people who got themselves in the shape they are in and they are just trying to take advantage of us
While it is true that there are some like that, not all are like that
When we think that way, it is a sign that there is no spiritual life in us
We should never get to the point in our life where we fail to feel anything for others
God is please when we reach out to those around us
Do what we can
Have a heart of compassion and be the heart and hands of Jesus that He has place us in this world to do
As we go through the next few weeks talking about signs of spiritual life, may God show us areas where spiritual life needs to be revitalized
You may be the only sign of Jesus’ life some people will ever see