Examine Yourselves

Examine Yourselves (2 Cor. 13:1-6) *All verses in NKJV*

– 2 Cor. 13:1-6, This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” 2 I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare— 3 since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. 5 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. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

1. What does it say?

– Paul says this is going to be the 3rd time he is going to visit them. The first was when he planted the Corinthian church. The second was the “painful visit” that he spoke of in chapter 2. This time he hopes that they will be squared away by the time he arrives… (He connects this to Deut. 19:15.)

– Paul quotes Deut. 19:15, “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. 

– Paul is using this to say that he preached to them the truth #1. Then warned those in the church about their sins on his 2nd visit, that’s strike 2. When he arrives for the 3rd time, he warns that if they are found in their sins and disobedience, that will be the 3rd strike that condemns them.

– His heart is that they will repent! In verse 7 he will say that, “We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction… Do the right thing before we come…”

– Example: This is what good leadership is, and this is what discipline is designed to do… bring life change. Hold people accountable to the standard, discipline isn’t to punish but to educate, correct, and equip them to meet the standard going forward. Team success is the goal of leadership…

– Paul continues in verse 3 saying, “since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me,”  I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. We will show you God’s power when we show up.

– Then Paul turns the phrase on them. They are challenging Paul’s apostolic authority, and Paul instead tells them that they should be examining themselves! Put themselves to the test, not him!

– 2 Cor. 13:5-6, 5 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 [b]are disqualified (do not stand the test). 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

– Examine your faith to see if it is genuine. If you don’t recognize the evidence that Jesus is in you, and among you, then you have failed the test. You can often see it in someone’s life…

– Example: “Whataboutism”: The strategy of responding to a difficult question by making a counter accusation, meant to be a distraction for the main issue, and deflect blame on the questioner. 

– Paul is correcting their doctrine, pointing out false teachers, and rebuking them for their sin… They are like, “Oh yeah, Paul? Where’s your authority come from? What gives you the right?!”

– Paul makes the point that they should focus on if they have the credentials as Christians.

– Galatians 5:19-25, Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [d]adultery, [e]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [f]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [g]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

– Example: Whatever “tree” you are will be shown by the fruit that grows on your branches…

2. The main point: Be honest with yourselves and take inventory.

– 2 Cor. 13:5, 5 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 [b]are disqualified.

– You are accountable and responsible for you, don’t deflect, examine. 

– To be disqualified means to be disproven, failing, or having not met the standard.

– Don’t play the game of what some pastor said, or video said, etc… what does the Bible say!

– Example, Spartan Races: The metaphor of “running our race” and not becoming disqualified…

– A Spartan race is difficult, depending on your fitness level, winning is not most people’s goal, finishing well is the real “personal win.” That means doing everything you physically can and trying your best. Your time is only relevant to the last time you raced… TEST YOURSELF!

– Some sign up to run, but chose the shortest one, skip the unfun obstacles or penalties, don’t want to get muddy, but still wear that “finishers medal” proudly for their Gram post… WHY??

– See the metaphor here for your Christian faith:

– The Spartan RACE is designed to test you. If you skip the hard things and don’t want to get muddy, what did you really accomplish? You may wear the gear and look the part, but can you really say you “finished the race”?

– In your Christian walk, it is easy to look the part and show up to the race, but if you don’t fully participate, and just go through the motions, are you really saved? Who are you fooling?

– BEST OF ALL: You can be “disqualified” but still earn the medal. The race is so hard that you may not be able to meet all the requirements. Trying obstacles twice, getting help from other racers, or other things can disqualify you from winning, but you still get to finish and get the reward… like our Christian walk: we need help, and will fail, and on our own we will be disqualified from obtaining the prize (Salvation and eternal life), BUT through the power of the Holy Spirit we can run our race with endurance!!

– Hebrews 12:1-2, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

– Eph 2:4-10, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

– Romans 5:8-10, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

– The redeeming blood of Christ is the only thing that makes us qualified!

3. Application: Will you pass the test?

– We already talked about the fruits of the Spirit and the works of the flesh. What do you see evident in your day-to-day life? What else can you do?

– Psalms 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

– John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  (Read Bible, do what it says)

– James 1:22-24, But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

– Phil 3:12-14, Not that I have already attained,[c] or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

– Romans 12:1-2, I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

You must be saved!

– Acts 3:19, Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

– alter call –

– prayer –