EXAMINE YOURSELVES!

EXAMINE YOURSELVES!

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)

Paul is challenging people to test whether they are genuinely in the faith.

What is a reprobate?

A reprobate is someone who is morally corrupt, unprincipled, wicked or shameless in their behaviour. We might describe such a person as a scoundrel or a rogue — someone who has little or no regard for moral standards.

The word reprobate also carries the sense of being disapproved of or failing the test and being rejected as counterfeit.

Paul gives us a very sobering instruction in Scripture: EXAMINE YOURSELVES!

Are you genuinely walking in the faith? Is Jesus Christ truly at the centre of your life? Does your conduct reflect the character of Christ? Are you living in obedience to God's Word?

Paul is challenging believers to examine their own spiritual condition rather than becoming preoccupied with judging everybody else.

This is not a time for self-deception. We need to be honest before God. Christianity is not simply about professing faith with our mouths; it is about Christ dwelling in us and our lives bearing the evidence of that relationship.

Another important consideration is the company we keep. Scripture warns us that bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33). If we continually surround ourselves with ungodly influences, wicked behaviour and false teachers, we must ask ourselves what influence they are having on our faith.

Satan does not need to destroy your faith overnight if he can gradually compromise it through the company you keep and the voices you listen to.

Come out of ungodly associations. Disengage from false teaching. Stop compromising with darkness.

Get rooted in Christ. Get established in the Word. Walk in holiness, truth and obedience.

Examine yourself. Check your own heart. Make sure you are in the faith.
Let Jesus Christ be Lord of your life!

Make sure you pass the test!

Invite Christ in to your heart.

I am the real deal. Not a fake.

What about you?

Sharon