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Billy Sunday once said - "Some people take so many pills their joints look like ball bearings."

It’s a sick, sick world.

With such a lot of medical problems around, it is always a good idea to get a physical checkup at least a couple of times a year.

These physical checkups cost a little time and a little more inconvenience...

But if the beginnings of a dangerous illness are discovered, the cost is well worth it.

Now, something is very wrong with the world.

The Christian is supposed to have the answer to the moral plague sweeping the nations.

But something is very wrong with the average Christian church.

There is supposed to be love, but there is envying, strife and division.

There is supposed to be holiness, but there is often downright ungodliness instead.

There is supposed to be power, but there is largely only weakness and spiritual sickliness.

We are supposed to have revival, but on the whole we have still not seen any great awakening.

"My brethren, these things ought not to be."

What is wrong with the church must be the sum total of what is wrong with each individual Christian.

If men can have medical checkups for their bodies, why shouldn’t there be spiritual checkups to examine the state of our souls?

If a physician can prescribe pills for bodily ailments, does not the Master Physician have one for the diseased soul?

And of course, He does - the "Gos-pill"...which means, of course, "Good News".

However, before we can be given the Good News, we should thoroughly understand the Bad News....

Before a cure can be accepted and applied, there must be diagnosis.

To achieve this, some sort of spiritual checkup is needed.

Which is precisely what this little tract is all about.

One caution - like any checkup, this is going to cost you time and inconvenience.

However, unlike the physical checkup it may also hurt somewhat.

Of course, a sore spot shows infection present.

When you go through this remember it is designed to expose, and that exposure might hurt! Be assured however, that a little pain now may save an awful lot of trouble later. If it is any consolation before you begin, this checkup is absolutely free.

It will only cost you, of course, on diagnosis, your sin.

Of all things, you can afford to lose that, can’t you?

Nobody in their right mind wants to keep a killer cancer.

Ready?

To take this spiritual checkup you will need only pencil, paper, some time - and complete honesty. Deep breath -

Take A Seat

CASE HISTORY - For the next hour or so, let the Holy Spirit turn His searchlight on your spiritual life. Let Him probe, X-ray and test your soul! And let Him start by opening the closets of your memory.

Memory is highly efficient at remembering wrong. Although it easily forgets merely unpleasant or worthless things, it NEVER forgets unrighted SIN. Much mental illness today can be traced to GUILT never wiped from the mind by the twin tools of confession and restoration — and receiving forgiveness. Shock, drugs and other medical and psychiatric treatment may try to take guilt memories from the mind, but God’s method is the only fully effective one - FACE each wrong with its full load of guilt, admit it to God and others who are involved, as wrong, then ask and receive healing forgiveness. (Ps 32:1-5; I Jn. 1:5-9)

Use the following three lists as checkup charts to examine your life before the Lord. Take each one slowly and carefully. Check each area that is a "sore spot" and on your own paper write out what you will have to do to get it right. Confess them to the Lord one by one as He shows them to you. When you have finished, REREAD your list again, and add any others that come to mind. Don’t give in to the temptation to pass quickly over any area that hurts. Take your courage in your bare hands; face your sin. This first part will be painful. Let God furrow your heart and break up all the hardness that has formed from unconfessed sin. If tears begin to come, let them. "Godly sorrow works repentance" and tears may soften your heart for God to work with it. (2 Cor. 7:10; Ps. 38:18; 34:6, 18:51:17; Eccles. 7:3; Ps. 147:3; Ezek. 34:16; Luke 4:18)

 Memory Test

Stealing - Can you remember taking money for property that was not yours? Did you steal from neighbors, relatives, shops or stores, school or home? (Ex. 20:15; Eph. 4:28)

Cheating - Did you get anything from anyone unfairly? Does someone know or suspect that you cheated to pass an important test? Did you rob someone of their fair share of praise or pay for a job? (Jas. 5:1-4; Mal. 3:5; Deut. 24:14-15; Jer. 22:13; Job 31:13)

Lying- "Any designed form of deception for selfish reasons". If you design to make an impression contrary to the naked truth, you have lied. Have you been deceitful? (Rev. 21:8)

Slander - Speaking evil of someone. You do not have to lie to slander. Have you talked about someone behind their back in a way you would not to their face? Malicious gossip - telling the truth with intent to hurt or injure is slander. Are you guilty of backbiting or criticism? (Matt. 7:1-5; I Cor. 5:12; Col. 3:8; Matt. 5:21-24)

Immorality- Are you guilty of stirring up desires that you could not righteously feed? In outings with the opposite sex have you failed to keep your body and mind clean and pure, and bartered your integrity for pleasure? (Matt. 5:28; Job 31:1; 2 Pet. 2:14; I Cor. 6:18)

Censoriousness- Have you spoken about others without love? Did you judge, think or say the worst thing about a person? (Jn. 7:24; I Cor. 4:1-7; Gal. 6:1)

Envy - Behind talk of other’s failures and faults usually lurks envy. Did you gossip and boast to exalt yourself at another’s expense? Does it hurt to hear certain people praised? If you have nursed this spirit of Hell, repent deeply. (Job 5:2; Prov. 14:30; 27:4; Gal 5:25)

Pride - Pretending in thought or life to be more or less than you really are. Do you pay more attention to your looks than your soul? Is there a trouble-stirring spirit in your life? These are the signs of pride. (Prov. 16:5; 12: 18; 21:4; 29:23; Tit. 3:9; I Cor. 1:26-31; 1 Pt. 5:1)

Ingratitude - How many times have others gone out of their way for you, perhaps really sacrificed to help you - and you took this all for granted? (2 Tim. 3:2; Mal. 3:8-11)

Anger - Have you been bad-tampered? Did you shrug off self-control and lose patience or gentleness with someone? (Prov. 14:29; 15:8; 21:9; 22:24; Eccl. 7:9; Eph. 4:26; Col. 3:8)

Cursing - Have you used gutter language? Swearing has no place in the life of a child of God. Never use exclamations beginning with "G", "J", or "C"; they are usually substitutes for curses against God. Have you failed to guard your speech? (Deut. 5:11; Matt. 5:33-37)

Levity - "Needless frivolity, silly talk - talking and acting like a moron". Jests that tend to undermine the sacred and precious standards of life; "Bible" jokes that make light of the Holy Word of God; unprofitable, empty and often stupid foolishness achieves nothing but a dangerous devaluation of the Christian’s word. Real humor is a gift of God, and will always edify or prepare the way for the Holy Spirit; foolish levity is sin. (Eccl. 5:3; Prov. 24:19; Eph. 5:4)

Hardness - Did you fight back, murmur or return evil for evil? Was your response to trial un-Christlike when you were wronged or hurt by someone? (Phil 2:14; I Cor. 10:10)

Habits - Have you continually overindulged natural appetites until they have grown far beyond normal? Are you a slave to food, drink or stimulants? (Phil. 3:19; Prov. 23:21; I Cor. 6:19)

Half-heartedness - Can you remember times when you deliberately shirked your full share of responsibility? Did you skip times of secret or public prayer to please yourself when you should have been meeting with God? Have you been flippant and light with Him? (Prov. 19:15; 21:5; 24:11-12; Matt 25:1-13; 25:14-30; I Thess. 5:6; Jas. 4:13-17)

Hindrance - Have you destroyed another’s confidence in you by needlessly taking up their time? Have you prevented them from doing God’s work? (Eph. 5:16)

Hypocrisy- Did the life you lived before some people make all you said of Christ and His gospel a lie? Have you said one thing and done another? Were others turned from God by your life that declared to them your hypocrisy? (Matt. 6:5-6; 7:3-5; 23:28; Rev. 3:15-16)

Broken Vows - Is there a vow you made to God that you have not kept? Did you promise Him something that you have since forgotten or gone back upon ? If it was unwise, you had better ask forgiveness and release; He expects you to keep voluntary vows! (Eccl. 5:1-6)

"I’m sorry - but it wasn’t all my fault!"

Forgive me - if I have wronged you..."

"I was wrong - but so were you!"

"Alright - I’m sorry" or "I apologize."

Full blame must be taken; the sin must be named; pride must be crucified.

Do you know the basic sin you must get right?

Have you thought through what you are to say?

Is the time convenient for the other person?

Can you be alone when you see this person?

1. "God has convicted me of something I did (have been doing) against you..."

2. "I’ve been wrong in..." (Name the basic sin - envy , pride, stubbornness, etc.)*

3. "I know I’ve wronged you in this, and I want to ask; will you forgive me?"

*(The only exception to this is a moral offense; say, "I have not set a decent standard.")