Scripture
5Examine 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. 6As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6
Observation
In an interesting connection to 1 Corinthians 13 which speaks of love being the true proof that Jesus is in you, Paul uses 2 Corinthians 13 to do this again. If Jesus Christ is “among” them then love and all its expressions will show through their interactions. Instead, what seems to be happening is they are quick to judge and examine and cancel Paul, but aren’t looking at the fruit of their own faith. He’s challenging them to stop asking others about their proofs of faith and instead to ask themselves, “Am I Really A Christian?” Just because you go to church, and know the words to the songs, and have your reserved seat it doesn’t mean your faith is genuine. Paul is saying quite clearly that there are some in the church who are disqualified. They do not have genuine faith as they are still living for their own desires and live as the world lives.
Application
I wonder how many have a sincere commitment to Churchianity but do not actually practice Christianity? We would all do well to examine ourselves and ask “Am I Really A Christian?” This is not about naval gazing, or proving how spiritual I am in a church service, but much more so about how my life is proof that Jesus is in me. Does my life look like Jesus? Does every interaction become a proof of Christ’s resurrection and restoration? It’s so easy to become an armchair Christian. Where we sit back and criticize, critique, and comment online while never actually showing the love of Jesus to the world around us. Spurgeon put it this way, “Now, ‘prove yourselves.’ Do not merely sit in your closet and look at yourselves alone, but go out into this busy world and see what kind of piety you have. Remember, many a man’s religion will stand examination that will not stand proof. We may sit at home and look at our religion, and say, ‘Well, I think this will do!’ Paul put it this way, "1If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (1 Cor. 13:1-3). James put it this way, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (Jms 1:27) No one likes to stand on the scale and look at what they actually weigh. No one likes to go to the doctors and find out about their high blood pressure and how they need to adjust their eating habits. The longer we put off our spiritual self examination the more likely we are to put up with the spiritual sickness of self-deception while simultaneously judging others for their spiritual immaturity. I fear that there will be many who die and come face to face with Jesus and find Him saying, “I never knew you” (Mt. 7:23) even though they attended church services most of their lives.
Prayer
Holy Spirit I pray that you would show me any place where my words, thoughts, or actions are grieving you. I’m standing on the scale and I’m taking an honest look. I don’t want churchianity. I want You. I want it to be obvious to everyone I interact with that You are in me and showing Your love through me. The true test of faith isn’t what happens in our church services, but what happens everywhere else. Am I building up or tearing down in my daily interactions?
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