"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
(2 Corinthians 13:5)
Last week's post Rejoicing in Persecution turned out to be one of the most read Monday Morning Encouragement posts on my blog, and I enjoyed reading every comment I received. I always learn from your comments. Always. One response, in particular, struck me and has stayed with me all week. It had to do with the "unChristian things" done by those who claim to be Christians. I truly appreciated this person's honest comment, and I'd like to dig a little into the Bible this morning to see what it has to say about behaving in a way contrary to what Christ teaches.
Let's start with today's opening verse:
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
(2 Corinthians 13:5)
Paul writes to the church in Corinth to deal with immorality that was not just being overlooked among the Christians there, but which was actually being accepted. The Corinthians responded by criticizing Paul. In his second letter to the Corinthians he tells them to take a closer look at themselves and make sure they are actually followers of Christ.
Self examination is a critical part of maturing as a Christian. In fact, I would go so far to say that one who is self-examining regularly is most likely quite mature in his or her Christian walk. If I want to live a life pleasing to the Lord, then I need to focus on my own actions and ask if they are exalting Him, or bringing shame to His name? And so, we should daily ask the Lord to reveal any sin in our lives that we have not addressed so that we may confess it and ask for His forgiveness. We make sure our conduct is pleasing to Him and a good witness to unbelievers. David said it well in Psalm 139:23-24;
"Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
1 John 1:9 assures us that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Once we have confessed and received forgiveness from God, then we begin again; yielding to the Holy Spirit in our attitude and asking for His help in our obedience to Christ.
Being a Christian doesn't mean we live a sinless life. No! Far from it! As long as we are in these earthly bodies we are subject to sin. However, as Paul writes in Ephesians 4:22-24:
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
This is one aspect of sanctification, "being set apart unto God". It is "growing in the Lord" or becoming "spiritually mature."
British evangelist and pastor Alan Redpath said this:
“To examine yourself, in fact, is to submit to the examination and scrutiny of Jesus Christ the Lord — and this never to fix attention on sin, but on Christ — and to ask Him to reveal that in you which grieves His Spirit; to ask Him to give you grace that it might be put away and cleansed in His precious blood.” Self examination “takes the chill away from your soul, it takes the hardness away from your heart, it takes the shadows away from your life, it sets the prisoner free.”
So, we don't focus on the sins of others. Instead, we examine our own heart and make sure we are walking in obedience to Christ. Judgment of others is God's job, and He -- the Righteous Judge -- will judge justly.
There is much, much more I could write on this subject. I hope I've covered the basics well, and I invite your comments on this topic. As I wrote earlier, I always learn from you, and I'm grateful for what you share.
Today's music video Search Me, O God/Psalm 139 is a lovely accapella version of an old hymn. It's very sweet, and reflective. It speaks to me, and I hope it will speak to you, as well.
I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.
This is really good. I see a lot of people that act like they are truly faithful and living the love of Christ and yet they do things contrary to Christ's teachings. I think that is part of being human sometimes but at the same time I agree with you and what Paul said we really need to look at not just the good things we are doing but all things we are doing. You can do something so loving in Christ's name but then slip and be angry or unforgiving of someone else. That is human nature but I think we need to forgive and see our own wrong after human nature kicks in with something or someone in our lives. Hope that makes sense. Happy Monday sweet friend.
ReplyDeleteIt makes perfect sense, Kris, and I agree. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We really do "need to look at not just the good things we are doing but all things we are doing." Yes! Satan wants us to be proud of all the "good things" we do for Christ and ignore the sin we might be committing. Have a great week! xx
DeleteWe are sinners saved by grace. Oh, the power of His love and the mercy He shows, we do not deserve any of it, but I for one am overwhelmed by His love toward His children. Sure we are going to sin . . . no one is perfect . . . except Christ, but like you said, repent and ask forgiveness, then accept that forgiveness and do better. Self examination is crucial, but we do that by letting Him in and asking Him to expose all the (excuse me) "crap" that is hiding in our soul. If we ask and truly want to grow in Him, He will show us where to begin.
ReplyDeleteNancy, your posts have become one of the things I look forward to each Monday. Thank you and God bless you.
Connie, I'm so grateful for your visits and for taking the time to share what's on your mind. I know you are a woman who truly understands and appreciates the price Jesus paid to save us and give us new life. It's so amazing. I'm so happy that you join me on Mondays. Your words always encourage me. Hugs.
DeleteSuch a beautiful and thought provoking post. I'm going to read it again in the morning when my brain is fresher. :-) I think it is so important to go to the word of God to learn how to examine ourselves. Thank you for taking the time to study this topic and write to us.
ReplyDeleteBlessings.
Betsy
Betsy, I love God's word, as I know you do, as well. Every time I dig into it I come away with a new nugget of truth, and being able to share what I've found with you and others is a gift from the Lord. This is how we truly encourage one another. Thank you for your visits, and more importantly for sharing your own insights. God bless you. xx
DeleteThank you for engaging, Arial. I needed to be reminded of this, too. It's so easy for me to compare myself to others and forget that my standard is not other people. It's Christ! Enjoy the rest of the week! xx
ReplyDeleteJust this week, I was tempted to get angry at a situation in our extended family. I felt personally attacked. But I took a deep breath, and didn't respond emotionally, and all has been cleared up. This is between two believers! We do fail, often. I like your focus on examining ourselves.
ReplyDelete