Vital Signs Of A Healthy Christian Series

VITAL SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN

Philippians 2:25-30

A couple of years ago, a dear friend of mine whose wife has been battling a terminal health issue called to tell me that she had taken a turn for the worse. The hospice workers called the family in and it seemed like the end was near. I immediately went to their home and when I arrived I saw a far too familiar scene. This precious lady appeared to be mere hours away from death. She was lying flat with her head tilted back and struggling for each breath. I was certain that I heard the “death rattle”. Her vital signs were poor; her temperature was high, her blood pressure and blood oxygen levels were low, as was her heart rate. I began to share scriptures in an effort to bring the family some sense of peace in such a tragic time. We even gathered around her for a final word of prayer for her comfort and for peace and strength for the family.

About 20 minutes later, her husband bent over and kissed her on the forehead; when he did she sat straight up in the chair and her eyes opened wide. A few minutes later I told the family that I was going home and I predicted that she would be up and walking around before the night was over. Three hours later her husband called to say that she was walking around the living room and her vital signs were almost back to normal. Though a couple of months later she ultimately went home to be with the Lord, for a time, she experienced something of a “physical revival”.

Our selected text tells of a man who was at the point of death but God had mercy on him and “revived” him; his name is Epaphroditus. There are many people in our churches who are in desperate need of personal revival. However, their situation is much different than that of Epaphroditus. You see, though he was at the point of death physically, he was alive and well spiritually. In contrast, many of our brothers and sisters are perfectly healthy physically, but they are sick, some even at the point of death spiritually speaking.

- I would like to look at Paul’s biography of Epaphroditus and examine “The Vital Signs Of A Healthy Christian”.

Vital signs are clinical measurements that can indicate when something is wrong with our physical health. Once an issue is identified we can take the proper steps to address the problem with the hope that it will lead to better health. The scriptures provide us with certain signs that serve as indicators as to whether or not you are a “healthy Christian”. If the Holy Spirit reveals to you that there are any areas of concern related to your spiritual health, I pray that you will take the proper steps to address those issues before it is too late.

In this passage, Paul is writing to the Philippians from a Roman prison. The saints at Philippi were precious to him and their friendship and partnership in the Gospel ministry was a source of great joy in the midst of his suffering. This letter is a “thank you note” from Paul to his brothers and sisters in Christ. This letter also contains many exhortations, great encouragement, and much instruction concerning the Christian life.

Perhaps the most important section in this Epistle and one of the most marvelous passages in the Bible is found earlier in this chapter. In Philippians 2:5-11 Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.

Notice that Paul calls on the Saints to “have the mind of Christ”. Epaphroditus was a shining example of someone who had adopted the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. He was a messenger who came from Philippi to minister to Paul while he was imprisoned at Rome. When he arrived, he brought Paul a financial gift from the Philippian church. When he returned to the Church he carried the very letter that we are studying with him.