“A man/woman must examine him/herself” 1 Corinthians 11:28.“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).Do you know someone who is good at dishing it out but is terrible at receiving it? Who is great at making fun of others but without humor and super sensitive when s/he is made fun of? Are you quick to criticize others but overly sensitive when you are put under the lens? Well, this pastor’s note meant to turn the spotlight right on you; not by me, however, but by your very own self.In both his letters to the Corinthian believers/church the Apostle Paul told them to take a close look, to examine, to test, to judge themselves and the genuineness of their faith.
- The first time was in regard to the observance of the Lord’s Supper or Communion. They had made it something that it was not, more of church potluck than a remembrance of Jesus’ death. And some were acting snobbish on top of that, lavishly indulging themselves with a select few while others went hungry. Paul reminded them that the Lord’s Supper has nothing to do with filling your stomach, but that is everything to do with a serious and genuine relationship with Christ. You don’t prepare for Communion in the kitchen but rather by examining yourself, checking on how it is between you and Christ, between you and the other members of Christ’s body, between you and your neighbor. You have to look into your own heart, at your recent behavior and decisions, your commitments, your spiritual flavor (saltiness – Matthew 5:13), your spiritual temperature (Revelation 3:15-22). The goal of this kind of self-examination is to set right whatever isn’t because Christ who died for us, the love he has shown, the mercy and grace he poured out deserves nothing less.
Obviously a good number of the Corinthian Christians were not in the habit of examining themselves like that, having a party with those they liked was much more important them. God didn’t let them slide; to him the death of his Son Jesus Christ and Christ-honoring behavior are very serious matters and he promptly and severely disciplined a number of them including with sickness and even death. Wow! That kind of seriousness might empty a church – literally.
- The second time Paul told the Corinthian Christians to examine, to test themselves was in regard to the genuineness of their faith; notice, not the sincerity of their faith but the genuineness, because you can sincerely believe something and yet be dead wrong, and what and who you believe will direct your life.
The issue here was that there have always been those who want to use God for their own ends, change the heart of the Gospel, highjack the church, and use scripture as means to support their own preferences, desires, and agendas. In order for them to be successful they have to discredit genuine leaders and examples of the faith, in this case Paul, who founded the Corinthian church, and apostolic doctrine.It seems these usurpers were having a measure of success and were leading people astray. Interestingly Paul not only defends his apostleship and the genuineness of his own faith, but he also asks the Corinthians (whom loves and deeply cares about) to examine their own faith. In a sense he asked them to do a faith quality control. The goal of this kind of self-examination is about maintaining a high standard, living and discerning out of our core beliefs, and continuing in and excelling with what is right and good.The kind of continuing self-examination the Apostle Paul encourages every believer in Christ to practice has real benefits:
- It keeps our relationship with Jesus on track and real.
- It helps us to relate to in harmony and unity with other believers and treat all people with Christlikeness.
- It enables us to grow spiritually and as a person by being brutally honest with ourselves and dealing with stuff we need to deal with.
- It helps us to maintain our core beliefs (the faith) in the middle of the pressures of life, spiritual attacks, evil, and constant changes.
Ready to turn that spotlight on yourself?To God be all glory, Pastor Hans