Examine Yourselves

2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. (NKJV)  This is an important challenge for every man, woman, and child.  So I ask, when is the last time you considered whether you are truly “Born Again” (cf. John 3)?  Is the Holy Spirit living within you?  Have you truly repented of your sin and trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse your sin so that you may have eternal life.  This is such an important question that the apostle John wrote the epistle of 1 John which was dedicated to this topic according to 1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (NKJV – emphasis mine)

Here are some of the questions that can be derived from 1 John to determine if I am truly a Christian, a child of God.

1. Do I keep God’s commandments? (2:3-4; 3:24)
2. Am I burdened at keeping His commandments, including church attendance, loving my neighbor, etc.? (5:3)
3. Do I hate others rather than loving them?  (2:9; 3:14; 4:7-8; 4:20)
4. Do I practice righteousness? (2:29) The Christian life is about doing right not simply avoiding doing wrong.
5. Do I habitually sin? (3:6, 9-10; 5:18)
6. Is the Spirit of God evidenced in your life? (3:24; 4:13)
7. Do I place myself under the pastor’s teaching and listen submissively? (4:6; cf. Heb 13:17)
8. Do I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah? ( 5:1)
9. Do I love the world, it’s values, and philosophies? (2:15-17)

Though this list is surely not complete, it should be enough to allow each of to examine ourselves.  If you have any questions regarding your relationship with God more information is available at www.fbclittletonil.org or I can be contacted at pllindow@fbclittletonil.org.

This post was written as a pastor's column for the Rushville Times.

This book was a great encouragement to stand for what is right whatever the cost.

It is the biography of pastor Hsi who was saved from Confuciusism and became a great pastor.  

 During his life the Chinese could legally use opium.  The use of Opium was so great that farmers started to produce it rather than food.  It was a good money maker, but it destroyed the culture.  Hsi was pulled into this as well.  He ruined his life as a lawyer with opium. 

 He was hired because of his education to help a missionary translate and do other writing in his native tongue. In time he came to Christ.

 God used this man mightily to reach many who were entrapped in opium as he had been.  Many of these individuals also came to Christ.  He helped to start many refuges where individuals would come to get off of opium.  He made the medication that was used along with the gospel to help give them victory.

 He was a contemporary of Hudson Taylor.  It is interesting to read of their excitedly awaiting the arrival of this missionary to their home and refuge.

 If you read this book you will be challenged in how strong your faith and prayer life are.  You will also be challenged to consider how much you care for those living in bondage to sin that need to be freed through Jesus Christ.

 366 pages ,  Printed by Christian Focus Publications

In fact, I looked at a large church in our areas website today and it clearly states that "Baptism by immersion in water is what completes the newbirth."  This seems in opposition to Pauls statement in Phil. 3:9 that his righteousness is "through God by faith".  He has no confidence in the flesh.  If his confidence was in the fact that he was baptized I would think that he would have mentioned it somewhere here.   Rather in this passage he is warning us that there will be those who will add to the gospel thereby perverting it.  In fact in the book of Galatians there were those adding to the gospel and causing problems for the church and Paul emphatically stated twice in Gal. 1:8-9  "if anyone preaches any otther gospel to you than what we have preached to you let him be accursed." 

In who or what are you trusting for your salvation???