The Marks of a Healthy Christian

/in /by

By: Brian Borgman

This year’s theme is healthy Christians. We are going to be exploring some of these themes throughout the year.

This past Sunday we started off the new year by looking at the characteristics or marks of a healthy Christian and then before the Lord’s Supper we look at what it means to be healthy in the Gospel. Here is a summary of those points. [The full sermon is available here.]

  1. A healthy Christian has a growing desire to know God in a deeper way. Phil. 3:7-11 To know the Father, the Son and the Spirit; to know is to grow in knowledge for sure, but it is to grow in personal acquaintance (experiential knowledge). (Psa. 42:1; 63:1) 
  2. A healthy Christian is rooted and grounded in the Gospel itself. A growing Christians grows in their love and understanding of the truths of the Gospel. 
  3. A healthy Christian tries to see all of life as service rendered to God – Coram Deo and wants to glorify God in all he/she does. Corporate worship is stream from which flows a life of worship. I want my life to glorify God — Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:31 
  4. A healthy Christian has communion with God with through His Word and prayer. 1 Pet. 2:1; Col. 2:6-7; 4:2; Heb. 4:16 
  5. A healthy Christian is growing in his/her understanding of God’s Word. They are growing in doctrinal knowledge and understanding. What one thing have you learned this past year? 2 Pet. 3:16 (Heb. 5:11-14) 
  6. A healthy Christian is growing in their love for their Christian brothers and sisters and deepening their bonds of relationship and service within their local church. 1 Thess. 5:11; 1 John 4:7 
  7. A healthy Christian is living out their faith in their role within their family. A mother sees herself as a Christian mother, a father, and so. They seek to fulfill those roles in ways that please God. Col. 3:18-21 
  8. A healthy Christian is serious about their witness to the lost, lost family members, friends, neighbors, the nations. Col. 4:3-6 
  9. A healthy Christian fights his sin. Col. 3:5 
  10. A healthy Christian is a growing Christian. There is naturalness to growth, sees grow into plants, children grow into adults. As Christians, born of God’s Spirit, we should be growing in these areas. 2 Pet. 1:2-8; 3:18