Vital Signs

By Elder Thomas Waters

THE TRAGEDY OF THE LOSS OF PHYSICAL LIFE

 If you were brought into a trauma center or an emergency room at a hospital, the doctors and nurses would first check your “vital signs” (that is, the 5 signs of life).  They would check your pulse, the pupils of your eyes, your breathing, your heart beat and your brain waves.  If the vital signs were not there, they would pronounce you “dead on arrival” (DOA).  Friends and family would mourn, but there is nothing the doctors or nurses can do.  They cannot create life when it is gone.

  

THE GREATER TRAGEDY OF NO SPIRITUAL LIFE

 If you claim to be a Christian, the Word of God clearly teaches that there are 5 “vital signs of true spiritual life.”  Pastors, physicians of the soul, like doctors of the body, are to examine the 'vital signs' of those who claim to have spiritual life.  Anyone who claims to be a Christian must have these 5 vital signs or else be judged 'spiritually dead'. Without the 'vital signs', any profession of life is just a sham.  Such deceived people are still spiritually dead, under the guilt of their sins, and waiting to die and enter eternity 'dead on arrival' (DOA) and face God's final judgment.

 

A QUICK REVIEW OF THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION

 The Bible teaches that all human beings are born spiritually dead and need to have spiritual life implanted within them by a new birth, supernaturally given to them from God the Holy Spirit.  Hear God's pronouncement in Ephesians 2:1-4.

 

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

 Thankfully, however, God does not leave helpless sinners in such a plight.  For Paul goes on to say,

 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

 This new life is invisible to the human eye when it comes, but it produces a new spiritual life where none was previously present.  God's Word says that this new life in God, once it is Divinely implanted within a person, is recognizable.  There are observable signs that there is now spiritual life in this formerly spiritually dead person.  We do not have to be ignorant or in the dark about such things.  God Himself wants us to be very clear so that we may be very sure about spiritual life.  Review again what His Word says about these things in  John 3:3, 5-8,16,18, 36.

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God . . . Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit . . . For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life . . .He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God . . . He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 The Gospel of John was written to explain God's way of salvation in Christ alone.  Near the end of his gospel, John wrote:

 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name  (John 20:30-31).

 He later wrote his short letter of I John to explain to those who professed to have new life in Christ how they could be sure that they indeed had true spiritual life and were not simply deluded.  He wraps up his teaching in I John 5:11-12 by saying,

 God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life . . .”

Because it is possible to be deceived by our own hearts or false teaching, Jesus warned His hearers to examine their lives.  He warned that “many” would be shocked on “that day,” meaning Judgment Day.  They would be shocked because they thought they were right with God when they were actually still alienated from God and under His judgment of eternal wrath.  They thought that profession without possession would pass.  Christ was not deceived by that which deceived them.  Hear Jesus' warning in Matthew 7:16-23,

 

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!

Jesus said that 'many' would be deceived and not recognize their true spiritual condition.  Therefore, God's Word repeatedly challenges professing Christians to make sure that their 'walk' or manner of life or lifestyle matches their 'talk' or their profession of faith.  We are to make sure that our claim  to spiritual life is more than just words.  Heed the warning in II Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?‑‑ unless indeed you are disqualified.

The following points are a brief summary of the 5 'Vital Signs' of true spiritual life.  Take a moment to pray and humble yourself before God.  Ask Him to help you face the truth about yourself.  Ask God to bear witness with your heart, whether or not, according to the Word of God, you are right with Him.  Ask Him to make the truth clear and help you not to deceive yourself.  Since Jesus warned that 'many' would be deceived, ask God to help you not to be one of the 'many'.  If you come to the conclusion that you do not have the vital signs of true spiritual life, review the material above and ask God to save you for Christ's sake.  Ask Him to give you a new nature that loves Him and hates sin.  Ask Him to cleanse you of your sins by Christ’s work and then give you Christ's record as your standing before Him.  Tell Him that you want Him to be the Lord and Master of your life.  Give Him no rest until you are assured by God's Spirit and His Word that you are indeed alive in Christ and headed for heaven. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 

THE 5 'VITAL SIGNS' OF TRUE SPIRITUAL LIFE

 

VITAL SIGN # 1 - YOU NOW OBEY GOD'S WORD & ORDER YOUR LI FE BY IT

(1 John 1:5‑6)  "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"

(1 John 2:3‑4)  "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

 

VITAL SIGN # 2 - YOU NOW TRULY LOVE CHRISTIANS

(1 John 2:9‑11)  "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  {10}  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

(1 John 3:14, 16-17, 19 )  "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death . . . Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him."

VITAL SIGN # 3 - YOU NO LONGER LOVE THIS WORLD & IT'S WAYS.

(1 John 2:15‑17)  "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.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

VITAL SIGN # 4 - YOU REPENT OF SINFUL HABITS AND PUT THEM TO DEATH.

(1 John 3:4, 6-9)  "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law . . . Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  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."

VITAL SIGN # 5 - YOU HAVE THE INWARD TESTIMONY OF THE  HOLY SPIRIT.

(1 John 4:13, 5:6, 9-13)  "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit . . . And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth . . . If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.   He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.   These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

 

 

Jesus once asked the rhetorical question,

 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  (Matthew 16:26)

 The obvious answers are, nothing and everything.  If a man owned the entire earth to give for his soul, still he could not redeem it.  Only one thing can redeem man, the blood of Jesus Christ.  All of my good works can not.  All of my religious activities can not.  All of my family’s love can not.  Only Jesus Christ.  So the obvious question to ask is, “How is it with thy soul?”  Physical health is wonderful.  All your physical vital signs may all be good.  That is great.  But how are you spiritual vital signs?  Remember what God’s word says?  “It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched (Mark 9:43).  So, how is it with thy soul, friend?  Seriously . . . how is it with thy soul?