Every beginning of the year I really try to do a “check up from the neck up.”
I look and ask myself how I can be more accountable to myself and to God?
Something else I want to focus on is being more self-sustaining and also becoming the “Sheep Dog” and stop being the “Sheeple.”
I honestly feel that now is the time for Godly Men start standing up and being just that, Godly Men.
I honestly believe God is calling out a special group of people. People that will submit and live a proper life of honor, discipline, values, and biblical character.
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
In this verse we read the words “AND HAVING DONE ALL.”
Many people look over these words. What this means is to do all you can to prepare, train, get ready, armor up, etc.
This is my goal this year and I have chosen to walk this life publicly.
How can I preach and teach something that I am not willing to do myself?
This world is beating us down. We cannot change that. But we can change ourselves. We can work to improve ourselves Spiritually, Mentally and Physically. That is my goal this year.
I know that I am sick and tired of not being empowered. Like the previous years I am going to be getting off the couch, away from the TV (and computer) and bettering myself.
I want to do more for God and for myself. I want to look in the mirror and see The Servant Warrior and not someone beat down by the world.
Let me ask you this.
When was the last time you looked in the mirror and felt good about you?
BUT… one of the very first steps is asking yourself “Who Do I Serve?
Are you born again?
We as Servant Warriors serve Jesus Christ our Lord. He is our king and He is THE King of Kings. So it is very important that not only do we know Christ as our personal Savior. But does Christ know us as one of His children?
How Do I Know I am Saved / Born Again?
Probably the most asked question I get is “ how do I know that I am saved?”
People often say…
“ I don’t FEEL like I am saved” ….
“I have not had certain experiences like other “Christians” I know.”
“ I am always sinning and I hate that I do it, but I just keep sinning.”
“ Because I sin so much, there is no way God loves me.”
In today’s world we base much of our religion on what we feel and experience vs what God’s Word states.
Why do we do this? The main reason is that we do not know God’s Word and we do not know what HE says in regards to judge our own salvation.
For the past 150 years or so emotional experience has trumped God’s Word. People today believe that THEIR opinion is just as important as or even more relevant than what God’s Word states?
Like it or not, when one is basing their salvation on experience what they are doing is leaning on their own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
This is a hard thing to do and causes us to exercise faith, not base things on what we feel.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
God’s Word is very clear that we are NOT to base our salvation on our feelings. We base our salvation on God’s Word alone.
I have spoken on Matthew 7:21-23 more than once and have pondered the terrors of those who will be rejected in that terrible day.
In fact, if you are a true bible believing Christian, Matthew 7 is one of the most frightening chapters in the entire Word of God.
Let’s look at it for a moment…
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In this verse, Jesus does not say that just a few misguided souls have a false hope of heaven.
He says MANY. He is talking to people who think that they are Christians.
Something that I want to point out here, all of what Christ said are “iniquities” are emotionally based.
In fact there are churches that base all of what they are about on these things. It is like they have never read Matthew 7. They believe that THEIR opinion is just as important as or even more relevant than what God’s Word states.
Why?
Because they base their ideas of salvation on feelings, emotions and experiences. Not on God’s Word.
So we know that MANY will be seen as workers of iniquity. In fact a few verses prior Christ clearly states that “few there be that find it” when He is speaking about the path narrow of salvation.
Matthew 7:14 because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
To be a Christian, you must REPENT of your sins and BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ and OBEY his word.
REPENT means basically saying, “I am leaving the old life behind for a new one.”
BELIEVE means believing that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose on the third day and accepting his sacrifice for you. Basically stating… I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and I am purposed to live under his commands. I am trusting Him that I am saved and I will spend eternity in Heaven with the Father. James says the devils believe and tremble, we know that the devils will not be in heaven, so this idea of “simply believing” or “easy beliefism” is not scriptural.
OBEY means doing what the Lord says in His Word. — belief is more than acknowledging that the doctrines of the Lord are true. You must obey His Word.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, *IF* ye continue in my word, *THEN* are ye my disciples indeed;
We are not saved by our works, but when we are saved, our life will certainly reflect that decision by our good works. James 2:17 states “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
Do you obey God’s word?
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
To be in the kingdom of God, we must trust in the Lord and obey the Word of God…nothing else even makes sense.
1. DO YOU SHOW EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE?
These are what Jonathan Edwards refers to as “holy affections.” These are ten evidences of the true believer in Jesus Christ possesses. All from these evidences are taken from the book of First John.
I have added questions to this portion and I want you to be realistically honest with yourself in this portion. You know deep within yourself if you are doing or not doing these things.
2. SUBMISSIVE RESPECT
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8)
Do you respect God? __________________
Is your opinion just as important as or even more relevant than His? __________________
Are God’s pronouncements authoritative in your life? __________________
Is Jesus Christ your Lord? __________________
3. SCRIPTURE OBEDIENCE
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:5)
Do you read the Bible daily? __________________
Do you read the Scriptures seeking to obey what you find? __________________
Are you in rebellion against God’s Word or in submission to it? __________________
Do you love the Bible? __________________
4. SOCIETAL REJECTION
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15)
Do you love the world, your money, and your possessions? __________________
Do they mean more to you than Jesus Christ and His approval? __________________
Would you be willing to give up all for Christ? __________________
5. STEADFAST FAITHFULNESS
“They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:19)
Are you faithful in regular fellowship with God’s people in a local church (if there is one in your area)? __________________
Are you able to be sparse in church attendance for weeks at a time without any real guilt about it? __________________
Do you long for fellowship with the saints? __________________
Are you faithful to God’s word? __________________
Are you faithful and stedfast in that which he has committed to your trust (spiritual gifts, resources, reading his word, etc.)? __________________
Are you steadfast year in and year out? __________________
6. SECOND COMING ANTICIPATION
“When he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3)
Are you living in the daily awareness that Jesus Christ will return for His own? __________________
Are you eagerly looking forward to His coming for you? __________________
Does your daily life reflect the fact that He may come today? __________________
Are you ready to meet Him at any time? __________________
7. SIN SENSITIVITY
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9)
Does your sin bother you? __________________
Do you wish you sinned less than you do? __________________
Are you sinning less now than when you first made a profession of faith in Christ? __________________
Do you enjoy your sin, or does it affect your happiness? __________________
Do you realize God sees all sin? __________________
8. BROTHERLY LOVE
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:14)
Do you love other believers in Jesus Christ? __________________
Do you enjoy being in their company, or would you rather be with the people of the world? __________________
Are Christians your dearest friends? __________________
9. SUPPLICATIONS ANSWERED
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22)
Do you pray? __________________
Can you point to specific answers that could have come from no one but God? _____________
Do you find yourself conversing regularly with God as a trusted friend? __________________
10. SHARP DISCERNMENT
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1)
Do you find it easy to sort out the claims of various religions? __________________
Do you see all religions as the same? __________________
Do you understand the doctrine of Christ? __________________
Do you believe Jesus Christ is God? __________________
11. SPIRIT AWARENESS
“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13)
Do you have a conscious awareness that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you? _______________
Does He teach you things from the Scriptures on a regular basis? __________________
Does the Holy Spirit convict you when you sin, or can you sin with abandon? _______________
If you have answered YES to most of the questions, you are probably a saved soul and a true child of God, but of you have answered NO, then you need to do some soul searching and ask yourself if you truly are a child of God and are you truly saved.
Being a true born again child of God means that you submit to God and His Word. You do not place yourself on the same level as God or His Son Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not the end of all things like many believe. We cannot just go on skipping our way through life now that we have our “Fire insurance.” We now have a responsibility to live for Christ.
He died for us, our lives for Him.
If you do not see Christ as your Savior, your King, your Lord, and you do not want to live for Him, then again, you need to do a check-up from the neck up and ask yourself if you are truly saved.
I hope that this study has helped you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]