Tag: examine yourself
Healthy self-examination
Scripture reading for August 14: 2 Corinthians 13
“This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them–since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For He was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but in dealing with you we will live with Him by the power of God. Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” 2 Corinthians 13:1-6
Paul was writing to the Corinthian believers about church discipline of members who were living in known sin. Paul had evidently visited them before about the need to repent and the consequences of continuing in sinful relationships. In this letter, he was again warning them that they would not be spared from church discipline when he came to them in person again. Pastoral love flows to the believers through this honest communication and confrontation. God wants none to perish but all to come to godly sorrow leading to repentance and eternal life. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10) The absence of consequences to this point does not signify God’s weakness but His patience and long-suffering. Paul’s warnings were not out of weakness either, but done in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul encouraged all the Corinthian believers to do a healthy self-examination concerning their own confession of faith. Did they recognize Jesus Christ as indwelling them? Was Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior and only hope of forgiveness and eternal life? Had they humbly repented of sin and invited Christ’s Holy Spirit to live in them? If they failed this test they could quickly repent and again live by faith. Paul’s prayer and confrontation was done for their restoration, not their condemnation. He did not want to have to confront them in person but would rather rejoice with them that they had willingly responded in humility and repentance.
Has God used patience with you in dealing with besetting sins in your life? Have you experienced gentle pastoral correction or the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit prompting you to make changes? As you do a healthy self-examination today, what assurances of Christ’s pleasure and indwelling are evident?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for godly correction through the Holy Spirit and Word and through those in church leadership. Thank You for Your gentleness and drawing me to make changes. Help me to be gentle and Christ-like in dealing with those who may be going astray. Amen.
Healthy self-examination
Scripture reading for September 8th: 2nd Corinthians 13, Psalm 30, Proverbs 25
2nd Corinthians 13: 5-9 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong–not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.”
It is a hard thing to be honest with ourselves. It has been said that the kingdom of ‘self’ is highly defended territory! But Paul encourages a healthy self examination to these Corinthian believers. They are to determine if they have truly invited Jesus Christ to live in them and are living by faith in His sacrifice on the cross for their salvation. God wants us to know that we have been forgiven and healed from the ravages of selfishness and sin. He wants us restored to humble confidence in Him and His power and ability to save us. He wants us free from self-deception and dead works based on human effort that we sometimes use instead of resting in God’s grace in Christ. That’s good news from heaven for us today!
Psalm 30:2-3 “O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me. O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”
Prayer: Father God, help me today to examine myself with honesty and Truth. Show me where I am in need of repentance and restoration. Deliver me from pride in my own abilities and the deception of trying to earn my place in Your kingdom. I choose to invite Jesus Christ to live in me today and lead me in the path of grace and eternal life. Use me to share this ‘good news’ from heaven!
Proverbs 25:25 “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”
Healthy self-examination!
Scripture reading for September 8th: 2nd Kings 20, Isaiah 38-40, Psalm 68, 1st Corinthians 11
1st Corinthians 11: 27-33 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another–. .”
Paul gave some strict warnings to believers in the partaking together with one another of the Lord’s supper, Holy Communion. Paul taught that it was vitally important that each person examine his own heart and life and repent of any offenses or known sins before partaking. Failure to do this could result in serious consequences. Guilt concerning the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ would come upon those partaking in an ‘unworthy’ manner. Discerning the body of Christ could refer to the bread and remembrance of Christ’s body broken for us for our healing and deliverance from sin. It could also refer to failure to recognize our need to be right with others in Christ’s body, the Church. Healthy self-examination can keep us from sickness and even death from unworthy hearts before the sacrament.
Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew the strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Prayer: Father God, help me today and each day to examine my own heart and life and discern in a worthy manner the Body of Christ, broken for me. I want to be healthy and fully live for You. You are the One God Who alone is my Salvation and Who alone has delivered me from death and renews my strength each day. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might proclaim the mercy of Your Body and Blood.
Psalm 68:19-20 “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. (Selah) (Pause and think about that.) Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.”
A holy prophetic proclamation!
Scripture reading for September 8th: 1st Corinthians 11
Key Scriptures: 1st Corinthians 11:23-27 “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.”
Paul had been instructing the Corinthians on eating the meat of sacrifices to idols in the pagan culture of the land. Now he turns to the holy sacrament of the Lord’s supper. Paul got this instruction from the Lord, Himself, and delivered it to these believers to help them and correct their attitudes and division that was occurring in this church family. The sacrament of the Lord’s supper was a partaking of the symbols of the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood on the cross of Calvary. They were to do it in remembrance of the Lord and His final and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of mankind. They were to do it after examining their own lives and asking forgiveness and grace for any offenses against Christ’s body–the Church. They were to do it prophetically–proclaiming Christ’s death and His resurrection and promised return!
1st Corinthians 11:28-30 “Let a person examine himself, then and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for the gift of Your Son as my final and complete sacrifice for my sins as well as of those of the whole world. Help me to examine myself each time I partake to properly discern the body, Your Church, so that I am not bringing judgment on me or any others. I want to give a holy proclamation of Your death and soon return to all in the holiness You have provided by grace through faith.
1st Corinthians 11:31-32 “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
Healthy self-examination!
Scripture reading for July 20th: 1st Corinthians 11
Key scriptures for over-comers: 1st Corinthians 11:27-31 “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you has fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.”
The Corinthians were coming together for the Lord’s Supper with a variety of attitudes that were causing weakness and sickness and even death among the congregation. There were divisions, factions, a party spirit, greed, gluttony and a host of other spiritual ills and God’s judgment was taking place. Paul advised these people to take time and examine themselves and to recognize the body of Christ properly before partaking. They were to remember how Jesus administered this sacrament that represented His own broken body and shed blood, given for forgiveness of repented sin and healing for brokenness. They were to proclaim His death until He came again for the Church, His holy body!
Observations for over-comers: Regular self-examination is healthy for our souls and body and the body of Christ! Jesus is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle–made clean by faith in His sacrifice! “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)