Hello beloved,
The above scripture is one that most of the Church today has chosen to shy away from. Instead of being taught that we should examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith, we are taught that, if at some point we asked Jesus into our hearts, we never need to test ourselves again. “Just look back at that day you said that prayer and tell the devil to stop making you feel guilty.” Beloved, I would submit to you that this is simply not true.
What the Church needs today, more than anything, is a large dose of self-examination and repentance. If the Church today would do more self-examinations and less false proclamations, we would not be in the moral down-slide we are in. What a travesty, not only that professing Christians would vote for a man like Barack Obama, but that they would vote for “the lesser of two evils” in John McCain. And where travesties, such as these, take place, you can be assured that repentance is necessary. And if we stop entertaining ourselves long enough to search our hearts, everyone in the Church of America would find something to repent of.
Can’t we just stop long enough to see that it doesn’t matter who we elect. God is going to bring His mighty hand of judgment on this nation if we don’t repent of the killing of innocent children. The Church in America is guilty of this. That means you. That means me. That means everyone professing Christ as Lord. I’ve been accused in the past of being a “one string fiddle” when it comes to me speaking against abortion. That’s fine with me as long as I am playing the same string God is playing. Let me make it real simple, if we don’t deal with the sin of abortion, God will. God is going to keep playing the same string until we get it. I just don’t understand how we can just turn a blind eye.
It is time to open our eyes, beloved. We need to wake up from our spiritual slumber, put on our big boy pants and take the battle to the streets. Why is it that we act like sugar when God has called us to act like salt? “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (Matthew 5:13)
So, in light of that, I believe that God desires that all of the Church must repent because we allow abortion in America to continue. You don’t need to examine yourselves on that. It’s right there for all to see. But, now let’s take a look at how we can do what Paul asked us to do in 2 Corinthians 3:5. Let’s look inwardly to see what controls us. Is it the Spirit or is it the flesh?
When Paul said to “examine yourselves”, in his second letter to the Corinthians, he was in the midst of rebuking them for their rebellion and immorality. And he was about to come and straighten things out. We too are called to rebuke our brothers and sisters. But, before we can do so, we must examine ourselves..
As I was reading this passage, I asked the question, “What would this examination look like?” The answer to that question seemingly resides in Romans, Galations and 1 John. Beloved, I earnestly implore you to take this test. But, first I ask that you soften your heart. It is far too easy to apply these things to someone else, but I ask that, first and foremost, you apply them to your own heart. If not, you are simply wasting your time reading this, and more importantly, you are resisting the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. So, examine yourselves beloved, to see whether you are in the faith. Shall we begin?(I suggest grabbing a pen and paper)
1. As you live your life, are you controlled by the Spirit or by the sinful nature(the flesh)?
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9)
As Christians, we would all say that the Holy Spirit lives in us. This statement is always true, yet one that can only be claimed by those who “are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit”. What is it that controls you? Are you truly controlled by the Spirit or by your own lusts? Are you building God’s Kingdom, or are you striving to build your own? Let’s look at the acts of the sinful nature, compared to the fruit of the Spirit.
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26)
After reviewing this scripture, I ask that all of you would make a list of the “acts of the sinful nature” and a list of “the fruit of the Spirit”. Be honest with yourselves. Do you truly walk in the fruit of the Spirit? Or do seek to gratify the desires of the sinful nature? Oh, beloved, please don’t let this go in one ear and out the other. Please take the time to truly examine yourselves. Your eternity just might depend on it.
Please note that possessing the fruit of the Spirit makes you no more righteous than anyone who has put their trust in Christ. Likewise, committing acts of the sinful nature make you no less righteous. There are no levels of righteousness when you are a believer. We are made righteous when we repent and trust in Jesus. You are either made righteous through faith or you are not righteous at all. And it is not our own righteousness that the Father sees, but the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, there are no levels of righteousness. Look at it this way, you are not lost because you commit acts of the flesh, but you commit acts of the flesh because you are lost. Likewise, you are not saved because you possess the fruit of the Spirit(or look like it), but you possess the fruit of the Spirit because you are saved.
After making these lists, if you found that you are, at all, led by the flesh, you must repent. Do it now, beloved! Your eternity just might depend on it.
2. Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ?
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 John 3:14)
Do you see this in your life? Do you love the brethren? It is a rarity that I see true biblical love in action, by the Church in America. What we call love is not love at all. When was the last time you loved your brother by warning him of the sin he is living in? Do you not know that, if you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, both of you will be held accountable for his sins(Ezekiel 33:8)? The problem is we tell our brothers that we love them, but won’t confront them in there sin. Proverbs 27:5 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” Beloved, hidden love is no love at all.
Jesus said in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” This is a command beloved: that we love each other as Christ has loved us. Do we really know anything about that? How far are we from this? Do you take part in all of the backbiting and gossip which has infiltrated our churches and businesses? God hates that. Have you put your desire to advance yourself, above your love for the brethren? Have you lied to a brother or sister in Christ? Have you been rude, jealous, envious or selfish with the brethren. If so, you don’t love the brethren. If so, you need to repent.
3. Do you practice righteousness?
“If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.” (1 John 2:29) “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)
Like I said before, practicing righteousness is not what makes you a Christian. It’s your Christian faith that makes you practice righteousness. The Pharisees and Judaizers practiced righteousness yet they were definitely not Christians. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and other religions practice righteousness, yet they are lost and will spend eternity in hell, unless they repent.
But, as a believer in Christ, you will seek to do that which is right. The season that this nation is in allows me an excellent illustration of this. In the upcoming election, we have two candidates, which are in moral opposition to the God of the Bible. Neither of them stand for morality. Yet, one, you could say, is more moral(or less evil) than the other. Now, there are many Christians that can see just how evil the one candidate is, and are willing to cast their vote for the lesser of two evils, hoping to keep the greater evil out of office. I won’t address the obvious lack of trust in God that this represents. Yet, I would like to address the morality, or righteousness, of this choice. Senator John McCain agrees that life begins at conception. That is a righteous truth. Yet, here is the major problem with that. Senator McCain also agrees that abortion is a good thing in the case of rape or incest. He is also a supporter of embryonic stem cell research. And he is a big supporter of Planned Parenthood. God is in direct opposition to all three of those. Yet, many Christians are going to overlook that which God hates, in order to help God out. That’s right, we are going to help God put the right guy in the White House. Beloved, that is not the way. We must stand on the Word of God. We must stand for righteousness and God will incrementally rescue this nation from the wicked.
So, that is an illustration that directly relates to the season we are in currently. But, there are other areas for self-examination. Look at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Now ask yourself the question, “Am I truly born again?”
These things are black and white, beloved. Ask yourselves, do you practice righteousness? If not, you need to repent.
4. Have you overcome the world?
“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
It certainly is not hard to elaborate on this one. The Church in America has become so inundated by the world, you can no longer tell the two apart. We do everything the world does, but we get away with it by slapping the name of Jesus on it. In doing so, we might as well be slapping Jesus Himself. How can there be a music genre called “Christian Death Metal”? Most of our music looks and sounds just like the world. The divorce rate is just as high in the Church as it is out of the Church. There is so much evidence of the Church embracing the world. Just look at the way we dress, the way we talk, the things we talk about and the list goes on and on. One of the favorite shows of Christians is American Idol. Hello! Does the name not send up a red flag?
Here’s the thing though; each of us thinks that we are exempt for some reason. We think that we are one of the few that has not become worldly. We can’t do that, beloved. Just soften your hearts. Ask yourselves a few questions: Do you dress like the world? Do you talk like the world? Do you watch worldly TV shows? Are you worldly in your business practices? Do you listen to worldly music(that can include some “Christian music”)? Have you overcome the world?
Unfortunately, we have tried to make black and white areas into gray areas. But, spend some time alone with God. Ask him to show you areas in which you have given into the world. If you are born of God, you will overcome the world. If not, you need to repent.
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” – James 4:4
Some Closing Thoughts…
Beloved, we have reviewed some scriptures which provide an excellent test to see if you are in the faith. I would ask you to entertain the though of a few more attributes I believe all Christians should possess. I believe that Christians should read their Bible daily. How can we go two weeks without getting our spiritual food, yet we can’t go four hours without eating physical food? I believe that Christians should regularly witness to the lost. If we truly believe that lost souls will spend eternity in Hell, how can we sit by and do nothing? How is your witness? Every second, two people die and walk off into eternity; either Heaven or Hell. Does that concern you. If you are truly born again, it should. Yet, it must concern you enough to do something about it. As Mark Cahill says, “If it doesn’t bother you enough to do something about it, it doesn’t bother you.”
Beloved, that concludes the exam. Now, I would ask you to answer one last question. This might be the most important question to the result of this test. Ask yourselves, “Is what I just read the truth, or is it just the ravings of a disturbed mind?” The truth is all that matters and, if what I have just told you is true, than you can’t just let it go in one ear and out the other. And you need to embrace the fact that these truths are not addressing a generic crowd. They are addressing YOU. It’s easy to say, “Man, I wish so and so would hear this…” No, beloved. This message is addressed to you. You determine whether your sorrow is worldly or godly. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Now, I would ask that you spend some alone time with God. Confession and repentance might be necessary. But, I would also recommend that you just spend some time meditating on all that Christ has done for you.
In Christian love,
Adam Tennant
