Message
from the Monthly Flyer from August 2011
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.
Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ
is in you?; unless indeed you are disqualified. 2.Corinthians
13:5
Paul
writes to the Corinthians that they should examine themselves,
to see whether they are standing in the faith. It is not a
pleasant task to examine yourself, especially when we diligently
take a deep look into ourselves; and the Lord requires that
improvement be made of several things in our daily life.
In order to examine whether a person is still standing in
the faith, it is necessary that a past experience with God
has taken place. The actual challenge is to realise whether
spiritual progress is evident in your own life. Therefore,
it is important to pose serious and honest questions as in
the following:
• Have I grown in my prayers and studies?
• Has my worship improved?
• Am I producing spiritual fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23)?
The three questions are a very small extract from the list
of questions which Christians should ask now and again. Namely,
to be in faith means to go forward, to discover new spiritual
areas, and to be ready to change as according to God's will.
Stability comes when you bind yourself to the truth, whereby,
growth takes place through storms, changes, time, and when
you overcome different things. Examine yourself, and let Jesus
lead you as you do so. Do not look for security in the opinions
and books of others.
As a Christian, it is not necessary that we have to fail first
of all in an area of our lives, before we ask God to cleanse
our hearts and renew our spirit (see Psalm 51). We could save
ourselves a lot of trouble and many setbacks if we would allow
Jesus to use His "searchlight" in our lives; and
if we would not hinder this process of searching taking place,
just because we do not want to change. Let it be as according
to the following:
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into
him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:.."
(Eph 4:15) sw