Examine Yourselves
By Benny D. Horn, February 3, 2002
Introduction: Last Sunday morning, I preached a message on "The Eternal Security of the Believer". I preached on how I believe if you are truly saved that you cannot lose your salvation. Last Sunday night, I preached on God’s chastisement of His children, and how as His child, you can never live a sinful life without His correcting hand in your life. Today, I want to challenge you to "examine yourselves" as Paul told the Corinthians to do. I think it is a very healthy thing for all Believers to take a good look in the mirror and ask this one question, "Do you know Jesus Christ?" The answer to that question will be the deciding factor of where you will spend eternity. Paul once said in I Corinthians 11:31, "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged."
Prayer
II Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
I. Examine yourself, whether ye be in the faith.
A. Take a self examination. Question yourself.
It isn’t wrong to question your love for Jesus. Remember His words:
John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
What are His commandments?
I John 3:23, "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment."
If Jesus asked you, "Do you love me? Have you kept my commandments?" What would your answer be?
B. Compare your faith to what the Bible says about faith.
If your faith is what saves you, do you understand what Biblical faith is?
Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Do you believe in Biblical creation or evolution.
Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Do you do what God says to do even when it makes no sense?
Hebrews 11:8, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Would you go where God says to go even when your not sure what you’ll find when you get there?
Hebrews 11:17-19, "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." Are you able to trust your loved ones to God in life, in sickness or even in death?
Hebrews 11:24-25, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." Would you give up a life of plenty for a life of suffering if God asked you to?
II. Prove it to yourself. Know without a doubt that Jesus lives in you.
A. Look for proof in your own life.
Compare the fruits in your life to those in God’s Word.
Matthew7:17, "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." If you are His tree, He will bring conviction and even chastisement in the areas that need to be pruned.
B. You should have no doubt if Jesus lives in you.
I John 2:4-6, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." If you have no convictions to live according to the teachings of Jesus, then you’re probably not saved. Of course only you and the Lord know for sure.
I John 4:20, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
If you can hate somebody and have no conviction whatever, you’re probably not saved.
III. Make sure that you are not a reprobate (counterfeit or failure). Know for sure.
A. Don’t profess with your mouth something that you have never really believed in your heart.
Titus 1:15-16, " Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." Reprobates never really repent of their sins or truly believe in their heart that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.
Roman 10:9-10, " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
II Timothy 3:2-8, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith." Reprobates have no conviction of what is right or wrong. It is of the utmost importance for the saved person to study God’s Word, so the Holy Spirit can bring conviction and repentance to his heart and life. If God’s Word brings no conviction to you for the sin in your life, you may not be saved.
Conclusion: I preached last Sunday Morning on the Baptist doctrine of "once saved, always saved", because I believe that is what the Bible teaches. Now, after examining your life, be absolutely sure that you were "once saved". Don’t stake your life on an experience of walking an isle and shaking a preacher’s hand years ago. Don’t stake your eternal destiny on your church membership, because there are going to be many church members spending eternity in the lake of fire. Yet, I believe you can know that you know that you know you are saved this morning. Base your salvation on your honest answer to this one single question: "Do you know Jesus Christ?" This doesn’t mean to know about Him but to truly know Him.
I John 5:11-13, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
Prayer
Invitation: Do you know that you have truly repented of your sins and received the Son of God into your heart. If God has spoken to your heart this morning and said, "You don’t really know me", His Spirit says "Come and settle it once and for all."
