Examine Yourselves

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…
- 2 Corinthians 13:5

What a wonderful week of Revival Meetings that we experienced in our church and school. As we move into 2022, I know the importance of evaluating where I find myself in my walk with the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 we find the apostle Paul writing to a church that he had planted. He is issuing a pointed and passionate call to the Corinthian church, "to see whether you are in the faith.” Paul has written a letter describing what a servant of Jesus looks like. Examine means to put yourself to the test.

Now test yourself to see if you are in the faith. Paul repeats himself: “prove yourselves.” In particular, he wants them to test whether or not they are genuine followers of Jesus. Such a test indicates that you can know the answer. You do not have to wonder if you are in the faith or not, you can know. Are we producing fruit? Test yourselves.

Many want Christianity without conversion, forgiveness, and forsaking. When there is no authentic purpose behind one’s actions, he subjects himself to mere ritual without substance. Thus, to these Corinthian saints the apostle will say they must “prove” their own selves if they would have Jesus Christ resident within them, otherwise, they are fake Christians.

Paul’s words to Barnabas, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do” (Acts 15:36). Paul and Barnabas wanted to make sure that the new believers were continuing steadfast in the faith, growing in grace, and moving forward. Where do we stand? Are we prospering, or falling away? Let us “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).