2 Corinthians 13:5 - Spiritual Check-Up Time
2 Cor 13:5 (NIV) Examine yourselves to see
whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do
you not realize that Christ Jesus is in
you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
INTRODUCTION
Just as we get physical check-ups, Paul
urges us to give ourselves spiritual checkups. We
should look for a growing awareness of Christ's
presence and power in our lives. Only then will we
know if we are true Christians or merely
imposters. If we're not taking active steps to grow
closer to God, we are drawing further away from
him. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
To Grow Wise, Examine Your Life
An unexamined experience is worthless.
There are people who are 50 years old who
havent truly lived 50 years. Instead, theyve
lived one year 50 times. They make the same
mistakes over and over again because they never stop
and extract the lessons. They never ask, What
happened in this last year? What can I do differently
so that I can live life better going
forward?
The Bible says you should take time to
review your life: 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 NLT).
When you examine your life experiences,
look for two things:
Look for benefits. What have you really
enjoyed in your life? Dont just say, I really
enjoyed that job. Ask, What was it about that
job that I really loved? Dont just say,
I really liked that class. Ask, What
exactly about that class did I like? Why was it so
fulfilling to me? Youll get little clues about
where you should be headed with your life.
Look for patterns. Particularly, look for
patterns in your failure. When you fail, you tend to
do it the same way every time. So, look and
ask, Where have I failed in the past? What
patterns do I keep repeating? Dont look for
patterns so you can beat yourself up but because you
want to be different.
If you ignore the mistakes of your past,
youre likely to repeat them. This was the problem
with the Israelites when Moses led them out of
Egypt. Their trip to the Promised Land should have
taken only a few weeks, but instead it took 40
years because they refused to learn from their
experiences and from the tests God put before them. Each
failed test meant one more lap around the desert.
The Bible says in Job 32:7, The longer
you live, the wiser you become (The
Message).
That verse is a possibility, not a
promise. There are people who are old and foolish.
Wisdom does not automatically come with age.
But wisdom is possible for anyone. No
matter your age, maturity comes as you let God
teach you through the everyday experiences of
life. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Let every soul carefully consider his
condition, and inquire, What is my state before God?
Let him examine closely what kind of material he
is bringing into his character-building. Is it
that which can be compared to solid timbers, or
that which can only be likened to that which is
rotten and worm-eaten? We are charged in the word
of God to "keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life." The
unconverted heart is the habitation of the evil one, and
it is filled with unholy thoughts, with evil
surmisings, envy, jealousy, falsehood, and uncontrolled
passions, with strife and confusion and every evil
work. Let each one search diligently, and
inquire, Is my heart free from all these? Let each
one closely examine himself to see whether he is
in the faith, whether the truth which he
professes to believe has been kept in the outer court,
or brought into the inner sanctuary of the
soul, that he may be sanctified thereby. The
whole heart must be entered and purified by the
searching Spirit of God. Jesus will not abide in the
soul where pride exists; and if we desire his
presence, the soul temple must be cleansed of all evil
occupants. If the door of the heart is open to Jesus,
he will come in, and his presence will expel
every unholy thought, and by faith we may hold
sweet communion with God. If Jesus abides in the
heart, we shall glorify him in our lives; for the
Christian is to let his light shine forth to the world
in good works. PH152P30.31
Fellow Christians, search carefully to
see whether the Word of God is indeed the rule
of your life. Do you take Christ with you when
you leave the place of prayer? Does your
religion stand guard at the door of your lips? Is
your heart drawn out in interest and sympathy for
those in need of help? Are you seeking earnestly
for a clearer understanding of God's will, that
you may let the light shine forth to others? Is
your speech seasoned with grace? Does your
demeanor show Christian nobility?...
Remember that you need to be braced by
constant watchfulness and prayer. So long as you look
to Christ you are safe, but the moment you
trust in yourself you are in great peril. He who
is in harmony with God will continually depend
upon Him for help. {HP 223}
PSYCHIATRIC OBSERVATION
Question: Are New Year's resolutions a
good idea if you're likely to break them?
Answer: Even if you suspect you're going
to break your New Year's resolutions, there are
some reasons to at least start out the year with
some hopeful intentions. Eagerly pursuing a
specific goal can activate your brain's pleasure
centers, giving your mood a boost, at least
temporarily. Also, if you make the same resolutions year
after year, its clear that those goals (finishing
your novel, losing 20 pounds, visiting Hawaii,
etc.) are important to you. And if you haven't
accomplished them yet, then maybe try to go after them in
a different way this year.
The argument against making resolutions
is that you may already have an effective way
of achieving your goals. You may not need an
artificial framework to set and accomplish a new set of
goals. And if you stop and think about it, you know
you can achieve goals or start working on them
at any time of year. There's nothing special
about the first of the year other than the
convenience of a new calendar. And lastly, if you break
your resolutions and have excuses or reasons why
every year, try focusing on what's keeping you
from sticking to your resolutions rather than the
resolutions themselves. Identifying your barriers may
pave the way for a big year of achievement.
[Massachusetts General Hospital Mind Mood and Memory
Newsletter 010120]
APPLICATION
GROWING UP
Check-mark the items that are true of your
relationship with God.
1. I understand God better now than when I
first stated learning about Him.
2. I genuinely enjoy being involved in
activities related to my faith.
3. God helps me love and care for people.
4. My relationships are better as a result
of my faith in God.
5. I understand Scripture better than I used
to.
6. I ask God to help me solve problems.
7. My friends and family know I'm a
Christian.
8. I take time each day to pray.
9. I know God loves me.
10. I ask God to forgive me when I do
something wrong.
11. I am honest with God about my feelings.
12. I tell people about Jesus.
13. My relationship with God deeply
influences my actions.
Now rate yourself:
6-13; Your faith is definitely growing. You
are experiencing the type of growth described in
Act.19:1-7.
3-5; Be careful that your faith is not
stagnating. Read the items you didn't checkmark, and
begin building those things into your life. Be
encouraged by Act.19:1-7.
0-2; Your faith is wilting. Water it with
the Word of God and get involved with other
Christians soon - before your faith withers. Be
challenged by Act.19:1-7. [Youth SB; p.1128]
ONE LINER
Socrates said, The unexamined life is not
worth living. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
2 Corinthians 13:5 - Spiritual Check-Up Time!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20121230-2059.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
