Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 12:1-13:14.

Before today’s post, a few personal comments. I worked extra hard to be ahead on this blog while I went on vacation so post would come up seamlessly. And they did. However, I got home and immediately got sick and then had some pretty intense stuff I had to work on and missed three days last week. Sorry about that. This week, we’re having a gospel meeting with Terry Francis at the Franklin Church in Franklin, TN (we’d love to have you come join us). Terry is staying at my house, which means I may be a bit sporadic this week as well. However, even if I can’t post, I’ll keep reading and encourage you to do the same.

Alright, on to today’s post.

We Must Examine and Test Ourselves

2 Corinthians 13:5 grabbed me this morning. The Bible often speaks of testing, tempting, refining, examining, and proving. It usually refers to it as something done to us either by God or Satan. Certainly, in the case of Satan, the testing and tempting is in order to get us to fall. With God, it is in order to refine and get us to grow. Sometimes the Bible even speaks of man testing God, that is, they don’t trust Him and so they want to force some proof from Him.

However, in 2 Corinthians 13:5, the text says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

I’m supposed to do this to myself. I’m supposed to put myself in the refining pot. I’m supposed to put myself to the test. I’m supposed to examine and see whether or not my own faith is genuine and precious. I am not to skip along assuming whatever I feel is right, but put myself to the test on it.

As I can tell, there is only one way to do that. Get in the word and see whether or not I’ll actually do what God says. That is Paul’s overarching point to the Corinthians. He has instructed them in certain things and some of them have not submitted. Some of them have continued in impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality (2 Corinthians 12:21). The test is do I follow God’s word or my own will. I can tout my own faith all day long but if I turn from God’s will when the heat goes up, my faith needs strengthening.

Here is what this means for me. First and foremost, when God’s testing and proving comes (cf. I Peter 1:6-7), I won’t wine and cry like a little baby wondering why God has forgotten me, but rather I’ll be thankful that God is helping me remove the dross and slag from my life. I won’t be upset about it. I’ll welcome it, even ask for it as David did in Psalm 139:23-24. Second, it means I won’t wait for someone else to notice my hypocrisies, insincerities, hold-ups, I’ll start examining myself to see where I fall short so I can grow.

Of course, I have to remind myself why I do this. Is it to impress God? No. Is it to earn heaven? No. Rather, it is because God’s way works. I know if I walk my own way, it will not glorify God; it will not get me closer to God. So, I test myself because I want to glorify God more than anything else.

***Question: How do you examine yourself to see if you are in the faith?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC