We Must Examine Ourselves

Hey y'all! School is starting back and my kids are actually excited (we will see how long that lasts). We will have a 4th and 2nd grader this year. Praying over our time with them that they will not only learn a lot, but grow closer to the Lord during this school year. Homeschooling is hard. However, I know this is what God wants for our kids right now and I am excited to see how they will mature this year. Anyway, to the point of this post. Mark shared a video today by Matt Chandler that really got me thinking. Check the video out here. This is only a 2 minute section of his lesson but WOW...it is powerful. My question I want to address today is...do we ever examine ourselves?

Some of us might have been born into a christian family and have gone to church since in the womb. However, some reading this might not have walked into a church until their 20s, 30s, or 40s. This message is for all of us. I fear some believe that since they have been going to church once, twice, or three times a week since they could walk, that makes them a christian. I also fear some believe since they walked down the aisle, prayed a prayer, and got dunked, that they are a christian (no matter the age). However, God is very clear in His word that none of those things saves you. Christ alone saves us. 2 Corinthians 13:5 states "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" Please hear my heart here...I am not trying to say you can lose your salvation, because the scripture is clear on that. I am saying, we need to do as the Lord directs us and examine ourselves. The reason is....we might not be saved in the first place.

Wait...what? Did you just say, even though I am going to church up to 3x a week that I might not be a christian?? Yes, yes I did. Scripture tells us that we will be known by our fruit. Check out Luke 6:43-45 "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Ok, so you say I am known by my fruit...what does that mean? So glad you asked. :)

Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a clear image of what it looks like to be in Christ. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." We are bearing the good fruit of Christ when our life reflects these things. You might be thinking...."There is no way I can be like that all the time". While that may be true, it should be our goal. Obedience to the Lord should be a christian's number 1 priority. If it isn't yours, examine yourself. As Matt Chandler put it...heaven and hell hang in the balance.

To dig a little deeper 1 John 1: 5-8 is pretty eye opening "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Did you get that? If we are walking in darkness while we say we are a believer/christian we are liars! Again, this doesn't mean every time I sin I have to examine myself (not that that would be a bad thing). It does means if my walk....daily living, doesn't reflect obedience to God, then I am not in Him. If I prefer my secret or not so secret sins over obedience to God (aka the BIBLE), I am not of Him. There are too many people in my own life that I fear think they are believers but aren't. This is serious. If you think you are above examining yourself...you just might be the one who needs to do it the most.

I know this seems harsh. I know no one likes to think poorly of ourselves in this day and age as everything seems to be centered around self-esteem. Hogwash. We are sinners who desperately need a Savior and if you don't know that about yourself already, trust me. It's true. We all are. I love you too much to not tell you to seriously examine yourself. Is obedience to God your number 1 priority? If it isn't. Confess that to Him now and ask Him to make it your number 1 priority. Don't assume anything you have done in your life is going to get you into heaven. Jesus is the only way. Obedience is the automatic reaction to His amazing grace. Not that's it's easy, but it will be our desire when we are in Him. Examine yourself. I love you all. Till next time.

Check out this video Mark and I did about divorce.