SCRIPTURE:
“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.
Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.
We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive.
Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.”
2 Corinthians 13:5-7
OBSERVATION:
Paul warned them once in his first letter to the church in Corinth. Stop sinful practices! You are warned! He supposedly warned them again, a second time.
Apparently that didn’t take hold with a few of them. Either they didn’t get it (though Paul’s words seem clear), or more likely, they aren’t taking Paul seriously; after all, there were “super-apostles” who spoke better, were more attractive etc, that were trash talking Paul’s supposed “authority”.
So now Paul has to drop a hard truth; is Christ really in you? Are you truly “saved” by the definition of the word? Why then, are you still struggling with the sin that Christ set you free from?
Paul tells them, test yourself to SEE if you are really in the faith. If Christ and the Holy Spirit is in you. Paul isn’t correcting them because he’s on a power trip; in fact it’s the opposite!
Test themselves if they are for real, or just players. It will make a difference when Paul arrives!
APPLICATION:
One of the things that often float through my head is the idea that we would need testing AFTER we make our commitment to follow Jesus, get baptized, and learn how to read a Bible, tithe, and do the things.
But test ourselves? Isn’t raising your hand sufficient? Aren’t we “new creations” where the old self dies and the new is come?
The real question should be; “Is my life truly DIFFERENT than it was before I chose to follow Jesus? And do people around me who knew me, do they agree?”
Not my intentions to change. Not my plans to change. Am I really IN THE FAITH.
The simplest of tests—receiving godly correction—is where Paul was getting at with the people in Corinth; and us today.
I'm human, and susceptible to being lured to the border of sin and temptation.
In my weakness, I need the strength of my Lord and Savior Jesus to lead me out of these danger zones.
But I won't be able to know what the danger zones are if I don't TEST MYSELF. Every day. Letting God's Word reveal my sinful areas and allow me to repent! Only He can! But I must submit to His testing.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, Paul called the believers then, and now, to test ourselves, and examine our lives to see if we are in the faith. We don’t want to deceive ourselves into thinking we can remain in sin and still think we are saved.
Allow Your word to check us; it might be painful and humbling, but we need the courage to face up and submit all our thoughts to Your authority and repent. Amen.
