Test Yourselves

Meditations on Second Corinthians

May 26, 2023

Test Yourselves

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.

2 Corinthians 13:5

Read: 2 Corinthians 13:5-10

The Apostle Paul was certainly willing to exercise his apostolic authority, and to command the Corinthian church to exercise church discipline. But he wanted the congregation to evaluate themselves and repent as necessary to avoid discipline.

How do we examine ourselves to see if our faith is genuine? The prophet Jeremiah called God’s people to honest self-evaluation and repentance: “Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40). Paul carried this theme over to 1 Thessalonians 5:19–22, “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. The classic admonition for this theme is from David’ psalm, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23–24).

One way to test ourself is to look at the desires of our sinful nature in Galatians 5:19-21. As we read this passage, ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine both our attitude and conduct considering “anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21)

My Takeaway: The best way to examine ourselves is to measure our life by the amount of Godly fruit in our lives. Is there love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? (Galatians 5:22-23)  

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.