Topic: Examine Yourself
Second Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test?”
The context for II Corinthians 13:5 is important. Paul came to Corinth and, as was his custom, preached the Gospel. He stayed long enough in the city to organize a church, disciple, and raise up leadership for the new congregation. After his departure from Corinth, Paul received word that there were troubles in the church. There was disorder in public worship, division, doctrinal confusion, immoral and unloving behavior, and some were calling Paul’s apostolic authority into question. Paul turned the tables of inquiry onto his accusers. Paul addressed his calling to be an apostle by reminding them of the gospel he preached while in Corinth.
Now at the close of the second letter, Paul counsels the Corinthians to examine themselves to see if their faith and their conversion were genuine. Paul had preached the Gospel message to these Corinthians as a true and genuine apostle. If his apostleship was counterfeit, then so was their faith and their conversion. Since Paul’s apostleship was genuine, so was the conversion of the Corinthians. He said, “…Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you…” The genuineness of their salvation was proof of the genuineness of Paul’s authority as an apostle.
The apostle’s counsel is wise, necessary, and must be heeded. There are lots of tests and examinations we take in our life. There are driving tests, medical tests, the Bar Exam, SATs, residency exams and college finals. Some tests are more important than others. But the one Paul exhorts us to self-examine is to see if we are genuinely converted, saved, and have Christ indwelling our hearts by faith. This is the most important exam of all. Eternity is hanging on the answer to this exam. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). First John 5:12 reminds, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Too much is riding on the results of this test for us to ignore examining our souls. Our eternal destiny is at stake. Please follow up with me if you have any questions about the assurance of your faith in Jesus.
See you Sunday!
Dr. Scott Kallem