Tract: The Personal Spiritual Assessment

Is your Faith STRONG ENOUGH to take the Personal Spiritual ASSESSMENT?

Is your faith strong enough to do what the Bible says? “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Why? Because there are some who “profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.”

 Instructions: For each category, read both answers and choose the answer that BEST describes you. Then record the number of points you score. It’s that simple!

Category One: Belief in Jesus

 Which statement best describes your attitude toward Jesus?

1.  I believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the divine Son of God, my soul’s only hope. (1 pt)
2. I believe the Jesus is one of many ways to God. While I believe in him, it is not necessary for others to believe in him alone. (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 The Bible teaches clearly that Jesus is the ‘Christ,’ the promised Messiah that God said he would send (1 John 5:1). He is also the Son of God, or (as Christians sometimes say), ‘God in the flesh’ (John 1:1-5). Jesus made it clear: he is the only way for people to be right with God (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

Category Two: Allegiance to Jesus Christ

 Which statement best describes your allegiance?

1.  I am absolutely committed to Jesus Christ. I am determined to follow him with everything I have. Nothing is as valuable to me as he is. (1 pt)
2. While I love Jesus, I can’t say that my faith is my highest priority. Something else – family, spouse, job, hobbies, etc. – is also pretty important. (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 Jesus set the bar high. He said that he must be absolutely first in the life of those who would follow him. When someone said they would follow him after saying goodbye to their family, Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). He also said that if anyone will not renounce all that he has, he cannot be Christ’s disciple (Luke 14:33). Finally, he said that one’s love to family must be like hatred compared to their love to him (Luke 14:26).

Category Three: The Practice of Sin

 Which statement best describes your habits with sin?

1.  While I am not sinless, I put sin to death every day. I make no tolerance for it in my life, and I do not practice it. (1 pt)
2. I may not try to sin, but I still practice it. It still has strength over me. I certainly can’t say that its power has been destroyed in my life. (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 When Jesus came to earth, the angel who announced his birth said, “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” That is why everyone who is born of God does not keep on sinning (1 John 5:18). In fact, the Bible is explicitly clear: “Little children, let no one deceive you…Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (1 John 3:7-10)

 Category Four: Obedience to God

 Which statement best describes your life?

1.  While I still have far to go, I obey Jesus Christ with my actions. I not only hear the Word of God, but obey it (1 pt).
2. I may know what God wants me to do, but I don’t obey. I do my will, not his (0 pts).

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 Jesus asked his followers, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). He explained, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Obedience to God is an important way to test our faith. The Bible says, “by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3).

Category Five: Confession of Sin

 Which statement best describes how you deal with sin in your life?

1.  When I notice sin in my life, I confess it to God and others, determining to forsake it. (1 pt)
2. While I may feel bad about sin – and sometimes even confess it to God – I don’t forsake it. Somehow I find myself doing it over and over again. (0 pts)
3. I do not believe that I still sin. (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 God delights to forgive and cleanse sins. However, he says that “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). He promises that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). But he warns that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

 Category Six: Hatred of the World

 Which statement best describes your attitude?

1.  I detest the ways of this world. They are unfulfilling and fight against my soul. I feel like I am spiritually at war with the world! (1 pt)
2. The world is a nice place. I enjoy its pleasures and I feel like it is my friend. (o pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity [hostility] with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

Category Seven: Love of the Brethren

 Which statement best describes your attitude toward other Christians?

1.  I love being with other Christians. I seek out a local, Bible-believing church where I can fellowship with them. (1 pt)
2. I may have some cool Christian friends, but the church isn’t a high priority. I don’t see why it’s so important. I prefer to spend my time my own way, rather than sacrifice it to meet with God’s people. (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 Again, the Bible is clear: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14). The church is the local gathering of God’s people, and we are warned against “neglecting to meet together” (Hebrews 10:25).

Category Eight: Spiritual Mindset

 Which statement best describes your mindset?

1.  I think about spiritual things constantly. I meditate on the Bible. I look forward to the day when Jesus will come back to earth. (1 pt)
2. I normally think about physical and worldly things. My mind just doesn’t focus on spiritual things well. It is not my heart’s desire that Jesus would ‘come quickly.’ (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 The apostle Paul explained that “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6). He warned that wicked people live “with minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).

Category Nine: Discipline

 Which statement best describes your attitude toward difficulties in life?

1.  The difficulties in my life have drawn me closer to God and deepened my love for him. (1 pt)
2. The difficulties in my life have pulled me away from God. (0 pts)

 My answer: _______ # of points scored: ________

 The Bible says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Obviously, everyone in the world goes through difficult times. For Christians, that difficulty is discipline, bringing them closer to their Father, God. For the wicked, that difficulty is only punishment, and it doesn’t bring them to God. We are warned that “If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8).

 Scoring Your Assessment

 Jesus didn’t make it easy for people. He said that “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) He advised us to “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” (Matthew 7:13). He described those who enter his kingdom as engaging in violent spiritual warfare (Matthew 11:12). Certainly, then, you understand that we can’t score this assessment on a curve!

 # of points I scored throughout assessment: _______

 9 pts – Praise God! It looks like you are following Him. But don’t stop now. Be sure to continue to examine your faith, and walk with God daily.

 7-8 pts – This is deeply concerning. Read the verses that are mentioned in those categories where you didn’t score points. Are you sure that you are a Christian? Get alone with God and deal with your sins NOW. If you really are a Christian, you will “be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

 0-6 pts – What makes you think that you really are a Christian? Read the verses that are mentioned in those categories where you didn’t score points. The Bible is plain about what it means to be a Christian. By your own admission, your life doesn’t seem to be following Jesus Christ. The message for all humanity is to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).