Slides: Spiritual Fitness

By David Feddes

James 4: 1-10

¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Spiritual fitness

We are spiritually fit when we are close to God and resistant to evil.

But he gives us more grace... Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:6-8)

Healthy heart

Trust in the LORD with all your heart.

Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the LORD weighs the heart.

Keep your heart on the right path.

My son, give me your heart.

(Proverbs 3:5; 4:8; 21:2; 23:19, 26)

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. (Luke 6:45)

The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart. (Luke 8:15)

New heart

Purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them… Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 11:19, 18:31)

Give me an undivided heart. (Psalm 86:11)

Spiritual fitness testing

• Are you desiring God more and more?
• Are you resisting devil, world, and flesh?
• Are you loving and caring toward others?
• Are you willing and able to forgive?
• Are you heavenly minded?
• Are you faithful in Bible intake, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines?

Spiritual fitness training

• Can athletes succeed in sports without exercise and practice?
• Can soldiers succeed in warfare without drills and training?
• Can workers succeed in their careers without studying or learning skills?
• Can a disciple succeed in godliness without spiritual disciplines?

Spiritual fitness training

The Spiritual Disciplines are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of Godliness. I’ve never known a man or woman who came to spiritual maturity except through discipline. (Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life)

Growing in godliness

Train yourself for godliness… godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Tim 6:7-8)

• Growing closer to Christ in experience
• Growing like Christ in holy character
• Growing like Christ in eternal impact