I recently read two books that challenged and inspired me:
The first is a short book that encouraged me to live out love as described in 1 Corinthians 13, the "love chapter" of the Bible. After reading that book, I saw a video of Francis Chan and decided to read Crazy Love. It exhorted me not only to live out God's love, but also to think specifically about all of my actions (or inactions) in light of my relationship with God. I was to categorize myself as lukewarm or obsessed. While I might have argued that I was somewhere in between, Francis Chan is right that "If I stop pursuing Christ, I am letting our relationship deteriorate." The following Bible study is a compilation of Bible verses (many from the chapter "Profile of the Lukewarm" in Crazy Love) to help believers evaluate their relationship with God.
This Bible study does not teach how to be saved, it only helps to evaluate the relationship of a believer with his or her Savior. For information on how to be saved from the penalty of sin, click on one of the following links:
This Bible study was also not intended to help you assess another person's relationship with God. In order to make these evaluations, motives and attitudes need to be evaluated and each person alone can evaluate their own motives and attitudes. If you see sin in the life of another believer, deal with it biblically (Matthew 18:15-17) first considering your own sins (Matthew 7:1-5).
Feel free to print these out for yourself or others. They were made to be used (originally by me, though I like to share). However, if you claim that you wrote this or try to publish it under your name, you made need to read this evaluation again.
A personal Bible study based on portions of Crazy Love by Francis Chan
How is my relationship with God? Do I love Him completely?
Read Psalm 63:3. Do I really believe that God�s mercy is better than life? Do I live like I do?
Read Matthew 7:21. Do I think I�m going to heaven because I�m a �Christian� or do I have an active relationship with my Savior? I can�t lose my salvation (Read John 10:28-29 and 1 John 5:13). However, if I am saved, won�t I want to have a relationship with my Savior?
Read Matthew 22:37-39. Do I think that it is possible for me to love God with all my heart and soul and mind or do I believe that kind of love is just for special Christians?
Read Luke 9:57-62. Have I let God have all of me or just the part that I don�t mind Him controlling? What part of me don�t I want to let Him have?
Read Luke 14:33. Have I forsaken all for Him? Am I satisfied with giving Him less than everything? Do I think that giving Him less will satisfy Him?
Read Luke 18:21-25. Do I put a limit on how much I will do for God?
Read Luke 12:16-21. Do I feel secure because I have made plans rather than trusting God for my future?
Read James 2:17. What I am doing right now that requires faith in God? How are my actions showing my faith?
Am I more concerned with appearances than the condition of my heart?
Read Luke 18: 11-12. Do I see myself as a good person because I think I am better than others? Do I compare myself to other imperfections or Christ�s perfection?
Read Matthew 21:28-31. Do I understand that God judges actions and not outward appearance or words? Do I live knowing that He sees me heart, attitude, and motives?
Read Matthew 5:16. When people see my good deeds, do they praise us or God? If they praise us, do we point them back to Him or to we rob Him of the glory that is His?
Read Matthew 23:5-7. Do I do things for God or to be seen by others? When I am doing good, am I thinking about His pleasure or other people�s praise?
Read Matthew 23:25-28. Am I holy from the inside out or do I just appear holy on the surface? What about my motives? Are they pure?
Read Luke 6:26. Am I pleased with myself when people praise me? Do I understand that people often praise the wrong things (the outward instead of the heart)?
Read Revelation 3:1. Am I more concerned about what other Christians think or what God thinks? No matter what others might think of me, in reality am I spiritually dead or alive?
Read Matthew 10:32-33. Is my own comfort more important than sharing Christ? Is my belief strong enough to risk embarrassment?
How pure is my worship? Am I merely religious or do I truly have a relationship with my Savior?
Read Malachi 1:10. God says that giving no offering (by shutting the doors) is better than an apathetic one. Am I apathetic in my worship or do I have a sincere heart?
Read Isaiah 29:13. Do I give God worship with my lips but fail to give Him my heart? True worship is backed up with actions (Luke 6:45), so does my life prove the sincerity of my worship?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-4. Do I think that I am spiritual because I have a miraculous gift, speak well, have wonderful knowledge, or give generously? Do I see that all of these things, though good, are only for this world and will no longer be needed when Christ returns? Do I instead focus on love which will not cease at Christ�s return?
Read Galatians 5:6. Do I rely on my religion and religious traditions or rather faith which works in love? Religion means nothing in Christ, but faith and love should be the heart of my relationship with God.
Read Philippians 2:5-8. Do I think that I am spiritual because of some great sacrifice I have made? My sacrifices are nothing next to His because He had so much more to sacrifice than I do.
Read Colossians 2:20-23. Is my focus on trying harder to be good or do I focus more on Him? Trying harder is often just appearing spiritual and has �no value against fleshly indulgence.�
Do I truly love others more than myself?
Read Matthew 5:43-47. Do I love others without looking for anything in return or are there strings attached? Do I love those who hate me? Do I forgive them or hold onto a grudge? Do I act on that love by doing kind things for them?
Read Luke 14:12-14. Do I do things for others only when it benefits me (by looking good, by having them �owe me��)?
Read James 1:27. Do I have a heart for the helpless, the fatherless, the widows, and the needy?
Read Matthew 25:31-46. Do I treat each person as I would Jesus? Do I really believe that �Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me�? Do I only do things for those who are easy to love and won�t embarrass me or do I help the �least of these�?
Do I give freely to others? Do I share my possessions or do they possess me?
Read Deuteronomy 15:10. Do I bemoan what I give to the Lord or do I give with an open hand?
Read 1 Chronicles 21:24. Do I offer things to God which have cost me nothing?
Read 1 Chronicles 29:14. Do I consider my belongings mine or God�s? Who makes the decision on how to use my possessions: me or God?
Read Matthew 6:20-21, 33. In what do I invest my money and time? That is where my heart is. Is my heart in God�s kingdom or my own?
Read Luke 21:1-4. Do I give God all I have or just the leftovers?
Read 1 Timothy 6:17-18. Do I focus on what my possessions can do for me or how I can use them for others?
Is sin effecting my relationship with God?
Read Romans 6:1-2. Do I continue in sin? Do I get frustrated with myself when I sin? Do I confess each sin to God? I�m dead to sin, not just the penalty of it. I will still struggle with the sin nature, but I should hate sin.
Read James 1:22-25. Am I merely convicted of my sin or do I act on that conviction by repenting (changing my behavior)?
Read James 4:17. Do I notice the good I fail to do? Do I make excuses to myself for not doing something I know that God would want me to do? Do I feel convicted about not helping those who I know are in need?
Is my focus on this short life or all of eternity?
Read Philippians 3:18-20. Do I think more on this life of the next?
Read James 1:2-4. Do I count it all joy when I am in trials? Do I realize that they are making me more like Christ? Do I then consider the trials worthwhile to reach that goal?
Read 1 John 2:28. Am I anticipating Christ�s return or will I be ashamed of my actions when He comes?
Abiding, Focusing, and Fellowshipping
Trying vs. Abiding
Read Colossians 2:20-3:4. Trying harder to do the right thing isn�t the answer. It�s still being focused on the world to which we should be dead. The answer is to set my mind on Christ. Do I focus on Him more than my service to Him?
Read John 15:1-11. In these verses, what is the secret to bearing fruit? What does it mean to abide in Him?
Read 1 John 2:3-6 and 1 John 2:24. Trying harder accomplishes nothing. The secret is abiding in Him. How do we do that? What is the proof that I am abiding in Him? Do I abide in God�s Word? Does my life show that I abide in God�s Word?
What is my focus?
Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Trials seem tough when I am going through them, but do I recognize that they are only a �light affliction� when compared with the �far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory� that is waiting for us? This life is temporal. I need to retrain my mind to think with an eternal perspective.
Read Hebrews 12:1-3. What should my focus be on? What do I personally need to put aside? What joy is set before me and what am I enduring to reach it?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:5. Do I take every thought captive to obeying Christ? My mind must be retrained and I must constantly force myself to look from His perspective.
Fellowship
Read 1 John 1:5-9. How do I stay in fellowship with God? Do I have any unconfessed sin that is keeping me from fellowshipping with God?
Read Revelation 3:20. These verses are actually written to believers, not those who still need salvation. If I want fellowship with God, what must I do? Do I let God in on my everyday life or are there parts of my life where I keep Him out? What can I do to invite Him into all areas of my life.
Read James 4:8-10. How can I get closer to God? What actions in these verses are associated with drawing near to Him? There are at least four.
Read Ephesians 5:25-27 and Titus 3:5-7. In what two ways does God cleanse us? How am I encouraging God to change me through His Word? How am I encouraging God to change me through His Spirit?
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