Spiritual Self-Examination
Test yourselves.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Many professed believers go through life with an indifferent attitude toward their sins. Yet the Lord tells His people to examine their lives each time they come to His table (1 Cor 11:28). And the apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor 13:5). If you do this regularly and with a positive attitude, you will make sure your inner motives and desires are set toward pleasing God, even though you often fail Him (see Rom 7:14-25).
MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 256). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.
Lessons Learned: Ultimately salvation and living the christian life are heart issues. Only you and God know if Christ is genuinely in you, and if your faith and obedience truly come from your heart. Outsiders may observe your testimony, they may "inspect your spiritual fruit", because often that reflects what is in your heart, but only you can really "test yourself" and know if you are living for God, or living for yourself.
Applications: Examine yourself and your motives. Do you have genuine faith in Christ? Are you living a life of obedience? Are you obedient because you love God and want to please Him? When you sin, do you struggle against it and does it grieve you (Rom 7:7-25)? Does the Holy Spirit dwell in your heart (1 Cor 3:16), and are you striving with His help towards sanctification? Or, "are you disqualified" (2 Cor 13:5; 1 Cor 9:27)? Test yourself and be right with God now, so that when you are tested by God in judgement, you will not be disqualified and condemned.
Prayer Subjects: Pray for a right heart in all matters. Pray that my motive would always be to please God, not to please myself, or to show off in front of others. Pray that I would lead a life of humble self-examination and self-confrontation, seeking the Holy Spirit's help against sin and towards sanctification.
Listen to this entry
2 Corinthians 13:5
Many professed believers go through life with an indifferent attitude toward their sins. Yet the Lord tells His people to examine their lives each time they come to His table (1 Cor 11:28). And the apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor 13:5). If you do this regularly and with a positive attitude, you will make sure your inner motives and desires are set toward pleasing God, even though you often fail Him (see Rom 7:14-25).
MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 256). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.
Lessons Learned: Ultimately salvation and living the christian life are heart issues. Only you and God know if Christ is genuinely in you, and if your faith and obedience truly come from your heart. Outsiders may observe your testimony, they may "inspect your spiritual fruit", because often that reflects what is in your heart, but only you can really "test yourself" and know if you are living for God, or living for yourself.
Applications: Examine yourself and your motives. Do you have genuine faith in Christ? Are you living a life of obedience? Are you obedient because you love God and want to please Him? When you sin, do you struggle against it and does it grieve you (Rom 7:7-25)? Does the Holy Spirit dwell in your heart (1 Cor 3:16), and are you striving with His help towards sanctification? Or, "are you disqualified" (2 Cor 13:5; 1 Cor 9:27)? Test yourself and be right with God now, so that when you are tested by God in judgement, you will not be disqualified and condemned.
Prayer Subjects: Pray for a right heart in all matters. Pray that my motive would always be to please God, not to please myself, or to show off in front of others. Pray that I would lead a life of humble self-examination and self-confrontation, seeking the Holy Spirit's help against sin and towards sanctification.
Listen to this entry
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