Good morning and welcome In. Today we are going to look at a passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians, but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.
Can you imagine needing a physical exam so you could complete a job application, but when you arrive for your appointment, the doctor tells you that he will be gone for an hour for lunch and then instructs you to examine yourself? When we examine something it means to inspect very closely, or investigate and test the condition of something. Just like many of us did self tests after reading certain chapters when we were in high school, scripture teaches us to test ourselves to see if we are truly faith filled believers inside of our hearts.
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…..
How many of you like to go ice fishing? At the beginning of the season you might take an ax or hatchet with you to check the thickness of the ice before you venture out onto the lake. This is a good thing to do because if it isn’t thick enough you could fall through. We must test our hearts in the same way, like a litmus test performed upon ourselves regularly that determines our faith level.
Faith is described as “belief in God and in the doctrines or teachings of their religion”. If we really believe in God with all of our heart, true faithfulness will result in obedience to the things that Christ taught. True faith results in loyalty. Loyalty has been defined as an undying support that you always give to someone or something because of your feelings of duty and love towards them.
Like the parable of the proud Pharisee many people simply want to stand in judgment over others when the truth is they need to judge themselves. In the flesh, it’s always easier to point the finger at everybody else instead of judging the person you see in the mirror each morning. The proud Pharisee wanted to point the finger at the humble publican rather than taking a look at his own faults first.
Luke 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Lord Jesus warned about standing in judgment over others, and admonishes us to examine our own lives first.
Matthew 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Before we partake of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through Holy Communion a process of self-examination must take place in your own hearts and minds. One must recognize their own sins and misdeeds by judging themselves.
1 Corinthians 11:27-31 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
To prove means to test the truth or validity of something. Our works are the outward evidence of an inward faith. Instead of living lives of sin we are supposed to turn to Christ and walk in goodness, righteousness and truth. These are outward signs of an inner change. We prove that we are abiding in the true faith by our works, because faith without works is dead.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Galatians 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
In order to do what’s right with our lives, we must first look at ourselves.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
Haggai 1:5 – Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
Self evaluation is about accepting the truth of our sinful condition. You can never really find conversion, forgiveness and self-correction when constantly looking at others instead of yourself. Many people don’t want to look inside of their own heart because the truth is it would scare them. There’s a wretched sinful person inside each of us that needs to be suppressed and brought into subjection to the will of God. We have to look deep inside ourselves and mortify the carnal nature that each of us must fight off. Through the riches of God’s grace, we can overcome all things through the power of the Holy Spirit but we must examine the places that others can’t see. We must investigate the hidden places of our hearts, accepting the facts of what we are, and what we must change.
Each day we need to give ourselves a self test, to evaluate if we are walking in the truth of what Christ preached and what He gave His life for. This test is about self diagnosis and self examination. So before running off this morning to take a driver’s test, or a college exam, take a look in the mirror first and take the most important test of all. Are you walking in the truth of the Christian faith? Have you taken….
…….The Final Exam
Let’s think about these things for right now and Lord willing, we can talk some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.❤️
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