If we were to be honest with ourselves, we know that as Christians, we must not pitch our tents but continue to press down the endless frontier of Christian living. But how?
Recently, I wrote a post titled 13 Questions for the New Year—a collection of 13 probing spiritual questions to wrestle through as you embark on the new year. Yet, if all we ever do is allow access to the Spirit of God once a year to probe and prod our lives, we will never change or be truly transformed into His image.
In the 1700s, a group of college students studying at Oxford University (England) gathered together and called themselves the Holy Club of Oxford. From this group came one of the best-known hymn writers (Charles Wesley) and two great evangelists who influenced the Great Awakening and helped radically change the face of Christendom at the time (George Whitefield and John Wesley).
As a group, they committed to asking themselves 21 simple but potent questions every day as a way for the Spirit to convict their lives in ANY area that didn’t measure up to the standard and perfection of Jesus.
Are you up for a challenge?
Honestly ask yourself these questions every day for the next week and before you begin, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through the process and reveal anything, no matter how small or trite, that needs to be dealt with. If you’re really bold, ask yourselves these questions daily throughout the year and see how radically God transforms your life.
Note: at the bottom of this post there is a poster version you can download and print to hang up as a reminder.
The 21 Holy Club of Oxford Questions
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am a better person than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all acts or words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence? Can I be trusted?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self -justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me each day?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to somebody else with the object of trying to win that person for Christ?
10. Am I making contacts with other people and using them for the Master’s Glory?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something for which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life? Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
19. Is there anybody whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?
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