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READ: 2 Corinthians 13:5
CHALLENGE: Hold your life up to God’s Word and honestly evaluate your actions.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
- The Command We Would Rather Skip
We examine so many things every single day. You don’t have to raise your hand, but how many of you checked the stock market or your bank account today? How many looked around your house on the way out the door thinking, I’ve got to clean this mess up when I get home? How many of us checked our phones, scrolled social media, opened emails, or checked the weather? And let’s be honest, most of us examined our appearance and smell before we walked in here. Now I am glad you did! But there is one examination far more important than all of these, and that is examining your soul. Some of you might wonder, what exactly is my soul? A simple definition is this: your soul is the core of who you are, your thoughts, your emotions, your personality, and your inner consciousness.
2 Corinthians 13:5a Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith;
Why is this examination more important than all the others? Because the most dangerous thing in life is believing you’re saved when you’re not. (Analogy of life from Steve) All the things that I listed before previously like checking the stock market, the bank account, your phone, social media, open emails, the weather, all these things are dealing with your life here and now. But we have to have an eternal perspective and just think of this life has been going on for let’s say 6000 + years and your life in that chunk of time is a blade width of that. Now putting that into perspective of eternity what should we be more focused on… that little blade width or our eternal destination.
The “unsaved Christian” is something that weighs heavily on my heart. because I used to be one. I was living like a country song: raising hell on Saturday, then trying to praise God on Sunday with the same sinful lips and the possible smell of alcohol still on my breath, that’s if I even showed up to church. But I would claim I’m a Christian. So today, we’re going to let the Word of God hold up the mirror to our hearts, and we’re going to take an honest look at where we truly stand.
James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
This brings us to our next point.
- God’s Invitation to Look Within
This Command of Examine yourself is a personal invite. Not to examine your neighbor, spouse, parent, church, messed up co-worker it is personal examination You will solely have to answer for yourself. You cannot ride into heaven on someone else’s faith it has to be your own faith and salvation experience. When you do an honest examination, you most likely will conclude as Paul says in:
Romans 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
And with the understanding that in
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Now back to
2 Corinthians 13:5a Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.
This verse calls you to examine yourself, continually. This isn’t a one-and-done test. It’s not a single moment at camp or something you did at last month’s communion. It is a constant, ongoing evaluation of your heart and walk. Why? Because this is eternally serious. Your soul is far too important to leave untested. And think about this… how valuable must your soul be if Satan tirelessly pursues it, and the King of Heaven willingly laid down His life for it? Consider that… How valuable do you think your soul is? And don’t fall back on, “Well, I’ve been a Christian a long time.” The devil loves idleness, and your soul is too important to leave untested.
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Take it from a man after God’s own heart, King David Calls on the Lord and says this in
Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
The call to examine yourself isn’t to cause you to doubt but it is to reveal TRUTH. What we examine ourselves by is scripture, not our feelings.
- The Standard
People often base their salvation on things the Bible never uses as evidence. You hear it all the time: “I prayed a prayer once.” “I mean, I feel saved.” “I go to church.” “I’m better than the guy next to me.” “I serve at the soup kitchen.” “I’m a good person.” But none of those are the test Scripture gives. Our salvation is not found on our feelings or on comparing ourselves to others. It is grounded in the standard that God Himself has set. So, let’s examine ourselves by His standard.
First, the obedience test:
Do you genuinely desire to obey Jesus?
1 John 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
If you are thinking well Jesus was perfect, I can never be that. That is not what the context is meaning in these verses. John isn’t asking if you’re flawless. He’s asking if Jesus has changed the direction of your life. Perfection is not the proof of salvation BUT! a growing desire to obey is.
Early in my walk as a believer, I attended a Good Friday service. I had my little daughter and on Good Friday we as a Church take Communion. I took communion and I gave my daughter some as well. Weeks later one of the pastors gave me wise advice that Communion is not for your daughter because she hasn’t professed faith That she cannot be taking Communion. And since the Spirit is dwelling in me, as in Christ, I didn’t get all mad at him and get upset with him… no, I knew he had the best intentions for me and I told him thank you for correcting me. I sincerely long to grow in Christ, and I willing receive any biblically grounded correction that helps me walk closer with Him.
Second, is the Repentance Test:
Do you confess sin or hide it?
1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
These verses teach us that true Christians don’t pretend they’re sinless. They admit their sin, confess it, and trust God to forgive and cleanse them. Denying your sin is a sign of deception; confessing sin is a sign of genuine faith. Because He is Just and will forgive.
Third, the love test:
Do We Love one another as much as ourselves?
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
First, I would like to define love. Love is Christ and what is Christ the bible tells us in John 1:14 that he is full of grace and truth. If I’m going to love somebody like Jesus, I’m going to give them grace and truth. Because if you are all grace and no truth, you’ll comfort people all the way into destruction. Pastor Steve would say I’m not going to love them to death; I am going to love them to life! But if you are all truth and no grace, you’ll crush people with the very truth that was meant to set them free. Real love flows from Christ Himself. When we know Him, we come to know what true love really is. So, do you truly love the people around you? Then give them grace and truth.
Fourth, the fruit test:
Is there visible fruit in your life?
Matthew 7:16-20 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
This teaches us that you can recognize a person’s true spiritual condition by the fruit of their life, meaning the visible evidence of their heart, such as obedience, repentance, love, and godly character. Good trees produce good fruit; bad trees produce bad fruit. So, the real question is: Is there visible, godly fruit in your life?
Lastly the Fifth, Perseverance Test:
Do you continue to follow Him when things get tough?
John 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
Before this verse, Jesus had just explained that His miracles point to a deeper truth—He is the true bread from heaven, and only those who fully believe in Him receive eternal life. This required real commitment, not shallow interest, and it stirred controversy and arguments. His teaching challenged their beliefs, and instead of people changing, many simply walked away. People ultimately reject Jesus because He doesn’t fit their selfish desires… This brings us to our next point.
- Self-Deception Is Real
Self-deception is dangerous. In Matthew 7:21–23, people said, “Lord, Lord,” yet Jesus responded, “I never knew you.” A prime example is Judas in Matthew 26:17–25. As Jesus and His disciples prepared for the Passover meal, He revealed that one of them would betray Him. The disciples were shocked and each asked, “Surely You don’t mean me, Lord?” But when it came to Judas, the very one who would betray Him, said “Surely You don’t mean me, Rabbi.” That one word shows how Judas viewed Jesus. To the true disciples, He was Lord. To Judas, He was merely a teacher. And yet the other disciples still did not know who the betrayer was at the Last Supper.
Judas was close to Jesus, he walked with Him, listened to His teaching, and seemed to fit in perfectly. Yet, despite this closeness, he was lost. This shows us that outward appearances or closeness to Jesus doesn’t guarantee salvation. Even those who seem like insiders can be far from the truth. We must be careful, because it’s easy to play the part: wear the right clothes, say the right things, talk about faith, act righteously in public—but not truly live it. Do not deceive yourselves.
- The Hope
Christ wants you to know you truly are His For
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
God doesn’t want you to be guessing if we are going to make it or not, he wants true assurance which is why he gives us his word. So read it! Read it like your life depends on it!
1 Corinthians 15:2-4 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
That is the gospel! That is where you find true saving grace because it is by this gospel you are SAVED.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
What I am talking about here is not about any religion what I am talking about here is that (Hebrew word) YADAH which means “to know” I want you to know Christ. It is about that relationship. To help you to understand this a little better I’ll give you the analogy If I go to the White House I’m trying to go through the gates And I’m saying I know President Trump, I know him I know him Am I going to get in there?… No, I won’t Now if I go there to the gate I’m saying I know him and then Trump comes out and says I know Brad let him in.
I can say I know him all I want but do I truly know him as he knows me in that to know by experience not just head knowledge… For that comes by faith! God doesn’t say believe what you can prove… God says believe what I told you. For Abraham, before the law in
Genesis 15:6 Abraham believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
He heard he believed, for it is clearly Faith… plus NOTHING
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast.
The clear realization is that we are all sinners short of Gods glory.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
I’ve heard many times if your God is so loving and so good then why does he send people to hell. The truth is My God doesn’t send anyone to hell God loves you so much that he wants a personal relationship with each and every one of you just like he had with Adam and Eve in the garden… Where they walked with God, Oh could you imagine. God wants that back but he is a just God and he said to Adam and Eve You can do anything eat from any tree except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and when you eat from that tree you will certainly die and they ate from that tree And that’s when sin entered the world And we deal with that sin nature to this very day And that’s not what God wanted But he doesn’t change like the shifting shadows and my God Loves you So much that he provided a way out for every single person on this planet But you have to accept it And that is what I talked about by this gospel you are saved That is the only way.
- The Response
How are you going to respond to this examination and test of yourself?
Very interesting Story in United States history. In the early 1830s, a man named George Wilson was convicted of robbing a U.S. mail carrier and putting the carrier’s life in danger. At that time, this crime carried the death penalty, and Wilson was sentenced to be hanged. Wilson had friends in high places, and they pleaded on his behalf. Their request eventually reached President Andrew Jackson, who decided to show mercy. President Jackson issued George Wilson a full presidential pardon, which would completely spare him from execution. But then something unbelievable happened, George Wilson refused the pardon. He simply would not accept it. No one fully understood why. Whatever the reason, Wilson would not acknowledge the pardon or allow it to be applied. This created a legal problem no one had ever faced before: If the President pardons someone, but that person rejects the pardon, what happens? The case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Marshall delivered the Court’s decision. The Court ruled that a presidential pardon is like a legal gift and a gift must be accepted to take effect. The government cannot force mercy on someone who refuses it. Marshall wrote: A pardon is a deed. To be valid, it must be delivered and accepted. If it is rejected, the court cannot force it on the prisoner. So, because George Wilson refused to accept the pardon, the Court declared that the original sentence would stand. George Wilson was executed, not because the President failed to show mercy, but because he would not receive it.
So, after examining yourself, what will your response be to God’s mercy? Just like Wilson, every one of us is offered a pardon. God has poured out forgiveness through Jesus—full, complete, and available to all. No matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you if you come to Him in faith. The question is not whether mercy is offered… but whether you will receive it.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God has not failed to give you grace. He has already placed it in your hands. It is right there, waiting for you to accept it. Think of it like a crowded public pool, full of noise and splashing and distraction. Yet the lifeguard never loses focus. He is sharp, attentive, and ready the very moment someone cries out for help. With one call, he moves. He saves.
That is our God.
In the middle of the noise of life, your failures, your past, your fears, He is watching, ready, and willing. The moment you call out to Him in faith, He responds with mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Romans 10:9-13 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This is not some easy believism stuff. Examine yourself, do you believe a head knowledge of the scriptures or with all your innermost being. That God said it, and you believe it.
So, here’s the challenge again: hold your life up to God’s Word and honestly examine your heart. And now, what will your response be to God’s grace?
For the one who has already accepted Christ, let this be a moment of gratitude, humility, and renewed commitment. God’s grace wasn’t cheap, it cost the blood of His Son. So, walk in that grace with confidence, obedience, and joy. Don’t drift. Don’t grow numb. Let today remind you of the depth of what you’ve received, and the life God is calling you to live.
For the one who isn’t sure you’ve accepted Christ, or maybe you know you haven’t… Hear this clearly, grace is still being offered. God has not failed to extend grace to you; it’s right in front of you. Romans 6:23 says the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus… but a gift does nothing for you unless you accept it.
It’s like that sharp, ready lifeguard hears the faintest cry for help and dives in without hesitation. That’s our God. The moment you call out, the moment your heart says, “Lord, save me,” He responds with mercy, forgiveness, and a new life.
So today, no matter where you stand, whether you are confident in your salvation or painfully unsure. God is calling you to respond:
• If you are saved, reaffirm your commitment.
• If you are unsure, stop pretending and cry out to Him.
• If you know you are not saved, take hold of the gift of salvation He’s offering right now.
Don’t walk away like George Wilson, holding a pardon in his hands but refusing to receive it. Let this be the moment you truly embrace God’s mercy.
At this time, I would like to call those helping with communion to come forward.
As we come into this time of communion remember,
2 Corinthians 13:5a Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.
Final tie in with Communion…