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It’s cold.

When temperatures drop, we need to make sure necessary preparations are made. As a car owner, these include checking tire pressures, having a brush in the car to clear windshields, and ensuring the engine’s anti-freeze is at maximum. In extreme cold, water in the engine will expand as it freezes and could lead to a broken radiator or even a cracked engine block. Anti-freeze lowers the freezing point of water, preventing such catastrophic damage.

A few days ago, I checked the level of anti-freeze. It was only slightly below the maximum level – so no threat of damage. Nevertheless, I topped it up. An easy and quick task, completed in just a few minutes. Now I’m prepared for the cold – and the heat of summer since anti-freeze also acts as coolant, preventing the engine from overheating.

There’s a parallel in our lives as disciples of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” Paul writes this because the Corinthians were at risk of being deceived by false teaching. He wants them to perform a personal check-up, to make sure the levels are at maximum.

This check-up includes reflecting on what it means to be a Christian – “whether you are in the faith”. Are we committed to following Jesus or is being a Christian just a title we use?

This check-up also includes remembering who we are in Christ – realizing that Christ Jesus is in us; remembering that we are a daughter or son of the living God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, having died to self and now living for God, putting to death the old way and clothing ourselves with Christ – to use a number of New Testament images.

The important detail here is that the purpose of such a check-up isn’t to condemn us, but to show us that we need Jesus more and more. Jesus will forgive us, renew us, fill us, and equip us – he just wants willing hearts. This is why we go through a check-up. It’s a blessing!

Today, take some time to ask Jesus to shine his light into your life: where he is encouraging you as you follow him – celebrate this; where he is challenging you in your faith – listen and obey; where he is correcting you – confess the sin and ask for his strength and grace to transform you; and where he is calling you to new service, deeper prayer, greater love, more heartfelt compassion and forgiveness – take the step of faith he is asking of you.

Time for a check-up.

視頻大意翻譯(video Chinese translation):

你好，歡迎收看週三線上靈修。

天氣很冷。對溫哥華來說非常的冷。

當溫度下降時，我們要確保做好必要的準備。作為車主，這包括檢查胎壓、在車內要備有刷子來清除擋風玻璃，以及確保有最大量的發動機防凍液。在極寒冷的情況下，發動機中的水會結冰時膨脹，並可能導致散熱器損壞甚至發動機缸體破裂。防凍劑可降低水的冰點，防止這種災難性的損害。

所以，幾天前，我檢查了防凍液的量。它僅略低於最高準線-沒有損壞威脅。儘管如此，我還是把它加滿了。一項簡單快速的任務，只需幾分鐘即可完成。現在我已經做好了應對寒冷—以及炎熱夏天的準備，因為防凍液也可以起冷卻劑的作用，防止發動機過熱。

作為耶穌的門徒，我們的生活也有相似之處。哥林多後書 13：5 說：“你們總要自己省察有信心沒有．也要自己試驗．豈不知你們若不是可棄絕的、就有耶穌基督在你們心裏麼。”保羅寫這句話是因為哥林多教會有被錯誤教導欺騙的風險。他希望他們進行個人自我檢查，確保保有最高標準。這項檢查包括反思當一個基督徒意味著什麼—"你是否信。”我們是委身跟隨耶穌，還是基督徒只是我們使用的頭銜？這還包括記住在基督里我們是誰—意識到基督耶穌在我們裡面。請記住，我們是永生神的女兒或兒子，被聖靈內住，向自己死了，現在為神而活，以舊我已經處死，現在是穿戴基督—用一些新約的印象來形容。

這裡要記住的重點是，這種自我檢查的目的不是要譴責我們，而是向我們表明我們越來越需要耶穌。耶穌會饒恕我們，更新、充滿、裝備我們—他只要顆願意的心。這就是我們進行檢查的原因。這是種祝福！

今天，花點時間求耶穌將他的光照進你的生活：當你跟隨他時，在哪裡他鼓勵你—慶祝這一點; 在哪裡祂在信仰中挑戰你—聽從和服從; 在哪裡他糾正你—認罪，祈求他的力量和恩典來改變你; 在哪裡他呼召你去接受新的服事、更深的禱告、更大的愛、更衷心的同情和寬恕—採用他要求你的信心步驟。

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum