Now Open Your Heart And Say…AHHH!

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified.”

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)

 

So, it’s a Saturday morning here at The Hughes Corporation (well my house to be exact) and I am finding myself reading one of those e-devotionals I get. The Berean Call sometimes puts stuff out that makes me get all kinds of Berean up-n-here and I just gotta dig into it. This morning’s contribution has got me in 2 Corinthians 13 and it appears as if the apostle Paul is giving those unruly Corinthians a spiritual spanking. In modern-day terms, it seems as if Paul is saying, “you better check yourself, before you wreck yourself.”

 

But that’s what self-examination is all about, isn’t it? For those of us who grew up with parents who had no problem demonstrating their authority because we were “naughty by nature”, we can understand that being disciplined means coming to terms on what isn’t acceptable behavior. Now, as easy as that was to type, I wish I could tell you that it was just that easy to live out or continue living out for that matter. I still have those moments where I find myself saying…

 

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:18-20)

 

So, it isn’t a bad thing getting to know oneself as you battle through the everyday, getting the armor chinked up, and finding your feet all muddied up. That’s what the opening verse is all about. Examining that faith you say you have so those around you can smell the sweet aroma of a Savior that they also need to be abiding in.

 

I think one of the mistakes we make in examining ourselves is in the way we compare our walk with another. Don’t get this wrong, if iron is to sharpen iron, then watching the way a brother walks is key in helping him as he helps you, but if we self-examine ourselves by going vertical and saying to God, “Please make me like Brother So-n-So” then we may have just told God that we don’t the path He has set before us. Examining ourselves means we wholeheartedly ask a Mighty God to help us understand the depths of our hearts and to be prepared to repent of whatever God makes clear to us. Once again, easier to type than to do. So, the battle rages on…

 

Or does it? Not everything has to be about the pain and agony of being a Christian soldier. In your examination do you chose to see the joy, contentment, peace, growth that God has bestowed as blessings unto you? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who said that they came to a saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ for the suffering of being of follower of His (unless you’re Brother Lawrence, you should read his book). Be mindful that self-examination is done in humility and not humiliation. El Elyon does not humiliate us, our adversary does.

 

We may all fall short of the glory of God but when Jesus said, “All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them.” (John 14:23) He didn’t say anything about failure. Au contraire, He’ll go on to encourage, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) If Jesus is in us, then what can be against us?

 

Ya see, we need to spend time in this examination so we aren’t disqualifying ourselves. We need to lean NOT on our own understanding, but in EVERY way acknowledge God and He’ll direct our paths so we don’t find ourselves returning to a life polluted by sin. And keeping in mind that “if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John1:9).

 

Ultimately, if we would judge ourselves, we wouldn’t needed to be judged and even in that our thoughts should be held captive to the obedience of Christ. Being a Christian solider is more than many of us really know, but if we’re abiding in the One who told us, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b) then we can examine ourselves, and be at peace. Amen?

 

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can e-mail at cphughes515@verizon.net.

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. –Ephesians 5:1-2