A Clay Jar

Encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:12 NIV)

Performing A Self-Examination

2 Corinthians 13:5

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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?

2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV

Self-examination can be a challenging thing to do. I am biased, generally thinking of myself in a positive light. I want to think I am doing well, which makes it a little difficult to get a true self-assessment. The good shines a bit brighter while the not-so-good tends toward getting glossed over. And there is likely nowhere this is more evident than in my spiritual life. Even if I wanted to, how does one do a self-diagnostic on their spiritual health? How can I determine if I am really in the faith?

Two Tests

While there can be many suggestions for how to do a self-examination, I would like to offer up a couple of them. First of all, is your life different than it would be if you had not come to Christ? Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the world, but rather to be transformed. We should be different than the culture around us. Consider what your life would be like if you were not a Christian. What difference has it made, other than going to church and throwing money in the plate? Things that you could do just as easily in a secular club. Has your life been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit?

The second test you might make is to look for evidence of the Holy Spirit’s working in your life. Romans 8:9 tells us that if we belong to Christ, then his Spirit dwells in us. And if the Spirit dwells within us, he will be at work. Galatians 5:22-26 identifies the fruit of the Spirit, the results of his work within us. Are you exhibiting these characteristics in increasing measure? Is the Spirit at work, producing his fruit?

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Ed Jarrett

Just an old clay jar that God continues to see fit to use in his kingdom's work. I am retired, married with 2 children, and 4 grandchildren. I have followed Jesus for many years. And I love to share what He has given me from His word.

A Note to Readers

The views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect those of any other person, group, or organization. While I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions about this post in the comments section below. I am always interested in your feedback.

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