2 Corinthians 13:5-6 “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test. I hope you recognize that we have passed the test and are approved by God.”
Well….ok….some events that transpired recently got me looking at this verse again. Growing up I remember hearing several sermons on it and in my home church around the fall of my freshman year in High School we hired a new pastor. He was a great preacher and during the first year and a half at our church we experienced a serious revival. I’m not talking about the bring all your lost friends kicking and screaming type revival….for that is not true revival. I’m talking about a word from the Lord for the church….a cleaning house sort of thing. God began to move amongst our congregation and people confessed sin, made things right with fellow believers, and low and behold….people who thought they were saved years ago came marching down that isle weeping and repenting confessing that they needed Jesus! I remember being exhorted to “examine myself” to see if I was in the faith. After this happened in our church we were a different congregation! The Spirit was alive and well in our church, we experienced a love for one another that unified our hearts, our worship was moving and sincere and our hearts were palatable to the Word. Our congregation began to reach out to our community and we began to grow in record numbers. It was a sweet time in my life that I will always remember and praise His Name….I was forever changed!
Have you experienced the change that Jesus brings? Do you really know Him? Do you sense a deep burden and sorrow over your sin and a urgency to confess and repent before the Lord? Do you recognize your depravity without Him? These are things we need to ask ourselves. Upon my experience in my home church in High School and my examining myself, I am convinced that there are many who sit in our pews/seats each Sunday week after week and they are lost. Oh….they say that they ” I took care of that a long time ago” or “I prayed that prayer….” or “me and the ‘Man upstairs have an understanding”….but where is the change? The humility? The love for God and His children? The obedience to the Word of God?
I am embarking on a little study right now in I John on the Evidences of Our Faith. I will post a little everyday so join us and see what comes to light
I was going to put this on the New Life Design Facebook page but the Facebook page is down right now and my dinner is just about ready so I am heading home to eat with my Honey! I am sure you will understand! For those of you wondering, “So, is she saying her husband cooks??” The answer is a resounding YES!!! If you are wondering how I landed that….well, that was one of the things I prayed for while I was single because I hate to cook! Sorry if you are already married and you missed out on that one!! 🙂
Dana