Search Yourself

Paul ends his correspondence with the Corinthians with a personal challenge of a very serious nature. Having spent almost the entire epistle defending his apostleship and gospel, he turns the tables on his hearers.

2 Corinthians 13:5–7 (ESV)  Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.

Notice the twist in Verse 6. He says he hopes, after testing themselves, they will find out that Paul is genuine! That's a serious challenge. Paul has already told these people believers have a responsibility to judge believers (1 Cor. 4-5). But now, before they go any further testing his life and ministerial qualifications, they should first examine their own!

One of the sinful ways in which we make ourselves feel better is by condemning others. That by pointing out the flaws other people we take the attention off of what we need to change. Here Paul is as directors he can be with the Corinthians. "Test yourselves! Stop pointing out my flaws and take a good hard look at your heart before Christ."

So you said a prayer one time at the end of a service.

So you go to a building on Sunday Morning and sing and listen.

So you belong to a church and give some money now and then... 

TEST yourself.  Are you REALLY in the faith?

1 John 2:29 (ESV) everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 John 3:14 (ESV) We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

Romans 8:16 (ESV) The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Matthew 7:21 (ESV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Perhaps this is the heart of why Corinth had so many problems throughout these 2 letters Paul writes... There were some counterfeit go-through-the-motions "Christians" in the church! I recently heard about a Priest getting saved at a church after witnessing a 12 year old boy know more about the scriptures than he did after having been through seminary and in long term ministry.

This is perhaps the hardest part of Christianity. Counterfeit Christians among us. Making trouble, not serving the brotherhood, caught up in all kinds of sin and spreading it through the body. 

So test yourself. Yank the plank out of your eye and see clearly.

In the end, Paul's hope is for them to pass the test... and not for HIS sake, but for theirs! "we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed."

He's effectively saying, "Your growing in Christ is more important than my reputation or what you think of me." That is the heart of a true Shepherd. And when you find one like that... make his church your own. 

PRAYER:

Father, help me to deal with the sin in my life. Help me to continue to walk in purity and righteousness. Help me to love the brotherhood and serve the body of Christ in compassion and love.