Check Up On Your Spiritual Progress - Zac Poonen
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Summary
The speaker encourages listeners to assess their spiritual progress over the last two years, comparing it to academic advancement. Key areas for improvement include purifying thoughts, increasing humility, and deepening love within one's family. He emphasizes that true Christian life requires the power of the Holy Spirit and stresses the importance of being quick to forgive and apologize, comparing this to improving one's time in a race.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
How much spiritual progress have we made?Just as children are expected to get promoted to higher classes each year, believers should ask whether their character, purity, humility, and love have progressed over the past two years.
Why the Holy Spirit is like a doveThe Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove because doves do not like noisy situations and move away when couples fight, whereas He settles where people are humble and quick to forgive.
Be merciful to others as God has been merciful to youThe biggest danger for those pursuing righteousness is becoming self-righteous pharisees, so we must be quick to apologize and show mercy to others regardless of age or status.
The path of the righteous is like the sunriseProverbs 4:18 teaches that the path of the righteous person goes brighter and brighter like the sunrise until the full day, meaning we should continually grow and not be defeated by the same old sins.Proverbs 4:18
The reason for lack of progress and Christ's message to repentThe primary reason for a lack of spiritual progress is a lack of repentance, which is echoed as Christ's message to the churches in Revelation to overcome and turn back to Him.
God's discipline as proof of His loveRevelation 3:19 shows that God rebukes and disciplines those He loves so that they will be zealous and repent rather than remaining in a wretched spiritual condition.
Aiming for zero defectJust as a car factory aims for zero defect, believers should press on to perfection and aim for one hundred percent alignment with God in every area of life.
Communing with God first thing in the morningBelievers should take a few minutes right upon waking up to speak with their heavenly father and ask for the Holy Spirit's help to stay sensitive to sin.
Taking up the cross dailyJesus commanded in Luke 9:23 that anyone coming after Him must deny himself and take up his cross every single day to break the power of self sitting on the throne of the heart.Luke 9:23
Avoiding the trap of the PhariseesWhile the Pharisees had correct doctrine and a clean external life, their hearts were full of hidden sin, warning us to examine our hidden motives, thoughts, and attitudes.Matthew 23:3
Finding grace and mercy at the throneBecause Jesus was tempted like us yet without sin, we can boldly draw near to the throne of grace to receive mercy for past failures and timely grace in our moment of temptation.
God overlooks past ignorance and calls us to repentActs 17:30 assures us that God overlooks past times of ignorance regarding the seriousness of sin, and now calls everyone to change their mind and turn around.Acts 17:30
True repentance is a change of mindRepentance means having your mind turn around and developing a deep hatred for sin in your thoughts, words, and attitudes, even if overcoming specific actions takes time.
A time of quiet prayer and forgivenessThe speaker invites the congregation to bow their heads, forgive anyone they hold grudges against, and make a firm decision to ask forgiveness from those they have hurt.
