Ask that question to everyone in North America and you will find that most of the population are Christians. According to Statistics Canada over two-thirds claim to be affiliated with a Christian religion. Great news, right? After studying the book of 1 John , I've come to a different conclusion.
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
"So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Mathew 7:17-19)
Based on the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, does the Holy Spirit live within you?
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus did the will of His Father, are we Christ-like? Will we enter in?
In the book of 1 John we find 4 tests:
#1. Do you believe that Jesus is who the Scriptures say He is?
Believing isn't merely head knowledge.
"You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder!" (James 2:19)
Faith and belief require an action. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. He heard God's command to sacrifice his son, he believed in God's character in that God wouldn't break His promise, but make his son an heir to the promise land. And so he obeyed and would've sacrificed his only son, had God not intervened and provided a substitute. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins, then we will lay down our lives, desires, sins, pleasures for the sake of obeying and following God.
But can we believe on our own? No, we are dead in our sins. We need God to change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. As we will see with the progressing tests, salvation is a work of God. To have assurance of salvation is to recognize the transforming work of God in your life.
"So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God." (Romans 10:17)
"You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive... But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." (Matthew 13:15 & 16)
#2. Do you Love the Church?
If you truly love God, you will love those who bear His image and are being conformed into His likeness. DO you delight to be around other believers? Is it a joy to worship with them on Sundays? It's true there are some not very lovable Christians out there; we're all a work in progress. Sometimes it's easier to love an unbeliever than a brother or sister in Christ who know you well and can call out your flaws and sins. John goes deeper into what true love is:
"Don't love in word or in tounge only, but in deed and truth." (1 John 3:18)
So showing up on Suday and saying good morning does not qualify as loving the Church. Do your actions show love? What do you do to go out of your way and love someone?
Do you encourage you brothers sisters in truth? In love, truthfuly point their sin and point them to the truth of the gospel?
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16)
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
"So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Mathew 7:17-19)
Based on the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, does the Holy Spirit live within you?
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus did the will of His Father, are we Christ-like? Will we enter in?
In the book of 1 John we find 4 tests:
#1. Do you believe that Jesus is who the Scriptures say He is?
Believing isn't merely head knowledge.
"You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder!" (James 2:19)
Faith and belief require an action. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. He heard God's command to sacrifice his son, he believed in God's character in that God wouldn't break His promise, but make his son an heir to the promise land. And so he obeyed and would've sacrificed his only son, had God not intervened and provided a substitute. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins, then we will lay down our lives, desires, sins, pleasures for the sake of obeying and following God.
But can we believe on our own? No, we are dead in our sins. We need God to change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. As we will see with the progressing tests, salvation is a work of God. To have assurance of salvation is to recognize the transforming work of God in your life.
"So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God." (Romans 10:17)
"You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive... But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." (Matthew 13:15 & 16)
#2. Do you Love the Church?
If you truly love God, you will love those who bear His image and are being conformed into His likeness. DO you delight to be around other believers? Is it a joy to worship with them on Sundays? It's true there are some not very lovable Christians out there; we're all a work in progress. Sometimes it's easier to love an unbeliever than a brother or sister in Christ who know you well and can call out your flaws and sins. John goes deeper into what true love is:
"Don't love in word or in tounge only, but in deed and truth." (1 John 3:18)
So showing up on Suday and saying good morning does not qualify as loving the Church. Do your actions show love? What do you do to go out of your way and love someone?
Do you encourage you brothers sisters in truth? In love, truthfuly point their sin and point them to the truth of the gospel?
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' " (Matthew 25:35-36, 39)
Do you encourage your brothers and sisters in truth? In love, truthfully point out their sin and point the to the truth of the gospel?
Yet, we can only do this throughout the power of the Holy Spirit.
"We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)
#3. Do you walk in accordance with God's commands?
Do you walk in the light or in darkness?
"Whosoever commits in transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
"He that says, I know Him, and keeps not His commands is a liar and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4)
Do you sin? Then you break God's commands and do not know God. But wait! Once your saved you don't automatically become perfect! John says it himself:
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)
Is there a contradiction?
Two things need to be mentioned...
a) Jesus Christ has washed the believer clean. In the Father's eye we are perfectly righteous, as Jesus is, because our sin is paid for and His righteousness has been imputed to us. (1 John 1:8 & 1 John 2:1-2)
We are sinful, but Christ has paid for our sins making us spotless before Him.
b) In many Bible translations, "sinned" is read as "practicing sin". Yes, we aren't perfect, we never will be until we get to heaven, but is sinning a practice in your life? Is it something you work towards, desire, and love? Are you walking in the darkness of sin, or are you walking in light and practicing righteousness?
#4. Do you endure and overcome the world?
"Love not the world, neither the things in the world..."
This is a direct command not to crave sensual gratification, allow greedy longings of mind, or have assurance in your own resources or stability in your earthly possessions. Why? because the world will pass away and if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.
Also can you discern between good and evil spirits between truth and lies?
"Don't believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God."
There are many false prophets in the world. Satan and his followers are hard at work. They hate God , so they pretend to be of God, "angels of light", only to deceive those made in His image. Satan will twist the truth to deceive us, but if we have the Spirit of truth within us we need not worry. We are of God, Satan is of the World. In Christ, we have overcome the world, because greater is He that is in us than he that is of the world. They speak like the world, the world hears them. He that knows God hears us, and those that aren't of God don't hear/understand us. That is how we discern the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Can you make those distinctions or are you slipping into the lies and ways of the world?
Why should we examine ourselves?
So that as believers we may have joy and fellowship with God and the Church.
So that we can know we have eternal life and that we may believe on the name of the Son of God.
So that we can discern truth from error.
Those of you who find yourselves Christians, I hope this brings you great joy and causes you to worship God. Those of you who find yourselves doubting or living in sin and darkness, I pray this is a wake up call to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ.
Sincerely,
Brooke
Comments
Post a Comment