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In that chapter that we were
reading from, the thirteenth chapter of Paul's second letter
to the Corinthians, we find in verse 5 that a command is given,
and it's in these words, examine yourselves, whether ye be in
the faith. This examination, the word itself
really means simply to put to the test. And Paul, as he writes
here in the concluding part of his epistle to the church at
Corinth, he says, examine, put to the test yourselves, whether
ye be in the faith. So it's clear from those words
that the examination that the apostle is thinking of and referring
to is an examination of themselves. And likewise, when we come to
consider these words here this evening, The examination that
we are considering is the examination with regard to ourselves. Or we could express it another
way. It's an examination with regard to our nature, with regard
to our character. And the verse goes on, we are
to prove our own selves. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates. So he's saying, just do this
examination, have this examination, experience this examination,
lest it be that you may be a Christian just in name only. You need to have that assurance
that your name is written in the very heart of God. And so
the question then becomes, is your faith, is it a scripture-based
faith? The nature that we have will
determine what type of character that we are. Have we the character
of a true biblical Christian? In other words, are we of a godly
character? Because, as Peter tells us in
2 Peter 1 and verse 4, we are partakers of the divine nature. Because we have really been born
again of the Spirit of God, we are truly godly. We don't merely
have a form of godliness. Isn't it so vital to know whether
we are saved or not, whether we truly belong to the Lord,
we are really one of his children adopted into his family, or we
are still in the kingdom of darkness and not in the kingdom of God's
grace? And yet it's possible to know
that we are saved. It's possible, in other words,
to have that assurance of salvation. That's something that can be
established. And so the purpose of this examination
that we have referred to already, examine yourselves, is to find
out whether we are indeed in the faith, whether we believe
in a saving way, because we know from the Scriptures that devils
or demons believe, but they're not saved. They don't have, they
have never experienced God's so great and so wonderful salvation. We're speaking here about the
kind of faith that is saving faith. that brings us into a
wonderful union with the Lord Jesus Christ, what the great
Prince of Preachers, C. H. Spurgeon, used to speak of
as the living, loving, lasting union that we can have simply
by faith in Jesus Christ. When the Apostle Paul was writing
to the Galatians in Galatians chapter 4, verses 19 and 20,
He said, My little children of whom I travail in birth again,
until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you
now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt. I stand in
doubt of you. When he was writing to the Ephesians,
he was praying that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith. Oh, how good and how necessary
to be in Christ. That's the little phrase that
sums it all up as to whether we're a real Christian or not.
Are we in Christ? If we're in Christ, in that union,
then we have saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when
a person possesses saving faith, When a person is saved, then
there has been what I could only describe as a marvelous, a mighty,
a miraculous work that has been wrought in their hearts by the
power of the Spirit of God. And so as we come to this examination
this evening, let's consider this this marvelous, mighty,
miraculous work that is wrought in every heart that has come
to savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to treat
it in a very, very simple way, with a very, very simple outline.
And the first one, the first head really is simply the why,
the why, W-H-Y. And I'm asking that because why
is such a miraculous work that we have just spoken of, why is
that required in our hearts? This is the why. Well, let's
think of it this way. Who are we? Who are we? We're creatures of God, made
in the image of God, made in the likeness of God according
to those opening chapters in Genesis. We are made by God and
made for God to bring praise to God. Yes, we're creatures
of God, ah, but we are fallen creatures in Adam. We are fallen
creatures in Adam. Though made by God to know God,
to hold communion with God, we are not by nature. what God made
us to be. Romans 5 sums it up, verse 12,
by one man sin entered into the world, by one man, Adam, sin
entered into the world, and death by sin. So death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned. And when did they all sin? They all sinned in Adam. But then someone might ask the
question, well, how could that be? How could we have sinned
in Adam? Sure, we weren't born then. Well,
we must know that Adam was not only accountable to God for his
own sin, but he was the representative head of all humanity. And how do we know that? because
of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, as in Adam, all die. As in Adam, all die. And then Paul picks that theme
up in Romans chapter 5 again, by the offense of one. I'm not
speaking about Adam. By the offense of one, judgment
came upon all men. So through the one representative
head, the one man Adam, we all sinned. And let's understand
that God ordained to deal with the whole human race in terms
of two individuals, two men, Adam and Christ. So we were in Adam as our representative
head, and we sinned in Adam. And what does that really mean
when you think about it? What does that mean, having sinned
in Adam? It means this. Very simply put,
that we were guilty and liable to condemnation because we sinned
in Adam. Guilty? Guilty before God? What does that mean? To be guilty
before God? It means to be guilty in the
sense of standing in the relationship to God as the judge. And He will
be the judge of this world, and everything in a holy God demands
punishment for sin, the transgression of His own holy law. And we're
sinners by nature. We're sinners by nature, so that
means we're born guilty. We're born guilty. We're liable
to punishment by nature. We're the children of wrath because
of Adam's original sin, and then we add to that all of our own
individual sins. Oh yes, we're guilty and liable
to condemnation, but then it means also that we're defiled. We're defiled in the totality
of our humanity. You see, sin has invaded every
part. and defaced the image of God
in the soul of man. Doesn't the Scripture say that
the heart is deceitful? Deceitful above all things, desperately
wicked, who can know it? Listen to the words of the Lord
Jesus as we find them there in Mark chapter 7, that which cometh
out of the man, that defileth the man for from within, for
from within, out of the heart of man. Precede evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, mischievousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from
within and defile the man. Those are the words of the Lord
Jesus. So we're preluded in our heart. That means that we have
a heart by nature that doesn't delight in God, does not want
to submit to God, but not only has our heart been affected,
our wills have been affected by sin. We become so obstinate,
we become so rebellious, our minds have been affected, we
become so carnal, so fleshly in all of our thinking, To put
it simply, we become slaves to sin in every part of our being. We're at enmity with God. You
see then why it's necessary for such a marvelous, such a mighty,
such a miraculous work to be wrought in our hearts? We're
guilty and liable for punishment. We're totally defiled in every
part. And then, when you think about
it, that means we're helpless. We're helpless to do anything
about that condition that we're born in. We can't do anything
about it ourselves. In your own strength, you can't
blot out one sin. Not one! In your own strength, with your
own effort, you cannot break one chain that binds you and
holds you in bondage to your sin. You can't even break one
link of the chain. Not one. You haven't got the
power. You haven't got the ability to
do it. You can't even do anything to merit even one blessing from
God. Never mind a multitude of blessings,
you can't even merit one. That's what we are by nature.
That's our condition. That's why as sinners we need
a gracious intervention in God's mercy and grace, that we might
be changed and that we might come to saving faith in Jesus
Christ, who is the Savior of sinners. So that's something
of the why, why it's necessary. But then I want also then to
have you think with me about the what. About the what. I told you the outline is very
simple and very plain. In what does this mighty, marvelous,
miraculous work consist? We're under condemnation. We've
seen that. But is there a place of safety?
Is there a place of security? And if there is, where is it? And how do we get into it? Well,
this work, this work centers on Jesus Christ and our union
with Him. You see, the Bible teaches a
vital living union by faith. with Jesus Christ. And that has
to be experienced. And for all who are saved and
for all who will be saved, then they have experienced and will
experience personally, individually, in time, what it is to come and
savingly believe and thus be united in this union by faith
with Jesus Christ. Let's understand the faith that
unites us to Christ. It's not some inherent ability
that we possess of ourselves. It's not that we can just make
up our minds somehow. Well, I think I'll just trust
in Christ. Oh, I'm not talking about that kind of a belief or
that kind of a trust. I'm speaking here about a Spirit-given
faith, because the Bible tells us that faith is the gift of
God. That's why I say it's a Spirit-given faith, it's a saving faith in
Christ that brings us into this saving union with Christ, to
believe savingly upon Him. And why does it all center on
Jesus Christ? It all centers on Jesus Christ
because He is unique. Now, if someone is unique, that
means that there is no one else can be compared to them. I always think it's never possible
to describe someone as being very unique. If you're unique,
then you're unique, and there's no one else can be compared with
you. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
unique. in two aspects. He's unique in His person. He's unique in His person. And
He is unique. He's unique in His work. Because
in Jesus Christ, who do we have and who do we see in Him in His
person? We see God and man. For He is very God of very God. And He is truly perfect man. He is the God-man, Christ Jesus. Oh, that's the great mystery
of godliness, isn't it? As Paul said in writing to Timothy
in 1 Timothy 3, great is the mystery of godliness. God, God
manifest in flesh. And that's who Jesus Christ is.
God manifest in flesh. And then I think of those words
that the Apostle Paul wrote when he was writing to the Corinthians
in his first epistle, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 30. Speaking of this very union with
Christ by faith, he said, but of him, referring to God, but
of him, and we could read God there to get the sense and the
meaning, but of God. Are ye in Christ Jesus? There's that little phrase again
that sums up a true biblical Christian in Christ, in union
with Christ, because of the uniqueness of his person. God manifest in
flesh. But he's unique further with
regard to his work. And what was his work? Let's
think of it this way. His work was the work of obedience. The work of obedience to God's
holy law. He kept God's holy law with a
perfect obedience. Every precept to the last jot
and tittle of the holy law of a holy God. He who is the God-man
Christ Jesus He performed the work of obedience to that law,
and he performed the work of obedience to that holy law unto
death. Unto death. He was obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Then I think of those
words that we find in the great high priestly prayer of the Lord
Jesus, that's given to us in John chapter 17, he expressed
it this way, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, he's praying
here to his father, remember, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them, all who will come
and trust in him. He says, I will be in this union
And so the question is in our hearts, do we know that we're
in union with Him? Because if we're in union with
Him, then He has a throne. He has a throne in that heart.
And so I have to ask the question of myself, has He a throne in
my heart? Am I in a saving union by faith
with Him? Oh, what a unique work the Savior
has done. And He did it all on behalf of
sinners. He did it all as the sinner's
substitute. I think of it often, that He
took my place. He stood in for me. He bore the
punishment that was due to me. and He bore it all as my substitute. So, He died for me. Yes, He died
for me, but He also died as me. He's my substitute in my place. Oh,
what a glorious truth this is. And then when we come with this
faith, the gift of God to just trust Him, just to rest by faith
upon Him, what we have found in His Word, that He died to
save me from my sins. He paid the penalty that was
owing to me for my sin, but He paid it in full. There was nothing
left to pay. I think on that regular to think
that He paid everything for me. He didn't leave me one little
bit still to pay to work my way to heaven. He paid it all, He
paid it all, and all to Him I owe. It's not how the hymn writer
phrases it. Sin had left a crimson stain,
but He washed it. He washed it white as snow. You see, there are really two
simple phrases that sum up the whole gospel. The glorious gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what are they? Well, let
me tell them to you. Christ alone. Christ alone meets
the need of the sinner's heart. Christ alone. I say it again, Christ alone. Then when we come to trust in
Him and only in Him, and in no thing else, and in no one else
but Him, then that means that we're no longer our own. You
remember how it was put there in 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20? What, know ye not that
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own." Why? The next verse says, for ye are
bought. Ye are bought with a price. Ye
are bought with a price. That's why when you come to be
saved, when you come to be in union with Christ, you're not
your own because you have been purchased You have become truly
and rightly and legally the property of another. Your body becomes the temple
of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, as
that verse that we have just quoted from 1 Corinthians 6 tells
us. And who has purchased us? The
Lamb of God. And what did he pay? What did
he pay with to make the purchase? His own life's blood. That's why saved sinners mean
so much to God. Because the price of their redemption
was paid by the shedding of the life's blood of the God-man,
Christ Jesus. That's why it's Christ alone.
Christ alone. But then also we have got to
say this, yes, it's Christ alone by faith alone. By faith alone. Examine whether
you be in the faith. It's Christ alone by faith alone
that will meet your need. But then someone might say, well,
how do I know if I'm really saved? How could I? And maybe I speak
to someone this evening, I don't know, and you have many doubts
about your salvation. And you say, well, I think I've
believed right. I hope I have. But maybe there
are times when you have grave doubts and the devil comes and
he torments you. Well, it's possible to know with
an assurance that you really have this simple but saving faith
in union with Jesus Christ. And that brings me to the third
point, and it's the where. It's the where. We thought of
the why, why such a marvelous, miraculous, and mighty work was
necessary. We thought about the what. It's
all centering on Christ and our union with Him by faith. And
where are we going to find out so that we can have the real
assurance in our hearts that we really do belong to Him, that
we really are in the faith, that we really are in Christ, and
that it's well with our souls? Well, we'll discover that we
have a saving interest in Christ if we let the light of Scripture
shine upon us. This is where we'll find the
evidence as we examine whether we're in the faith. Those who
are in union with Christ, the Bible says they're a new creation
in Christ. They're a new creature in Christ.
What then does that mean? What follows on from that? There
are several things. One is You will have a new relationship
with the Word of Christ. You will have a new relationship
with the Word of Christ. Let me remind you of what we
read in John chapter 8 and verse 31. Then said Jesus to those
Jews which believed on him. And this is what he said to them. These Jews that came and said
they believed on him. ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples." There's the evidence. If ye continue
in my word, what did he mean by that? Simply, if you continue
to obey my word, if you continue to lead a life that is guided
by what God says in his word, and that you want to follow Him
as a disciple, and you do so by finding out what He's saying
in His word, and He's guiding you, and He's directing you,
and you're taking your guidance and your direction from His word. If ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples. He said to the Jews, you say
you believe in me? Well then, if you continue in
my word, in the pathway of obedience, then are ye my disciples indeed. But notice, and I think I'll
mention it just now and then come back here to John chapter
8, what the Apostle Paul, again writing to the Corinthians, said
in 1 Corinthians 15, just the opening two verses. I'll read
them to you. are saved." Let me pause there
for a moment. By which also ye are saved. Verse 1, he's been speaking about
the gospel. Which I preached unto you, he
says, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by the
which also ye are saved, if. If ye keep in memory. What does
that mean? Well, if you've got a marginal
reading in your Bible, you will be able to see that the literal
meaning and the literal translation of what is translated by those
words, if you keep in memory, you will see that it reads, if
you stand fast, if you keep in memory, if you stand fast in
what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. So he's saying again just the
same thing as we found over here in John chapter 8 and verse 31. If ye continue in my word, hold
fast to the word, then are ye my disciples indeed. You see, if you hold fast to
the word, then you will know that work of sanctification in
your heart. whereby you will be dying daily
more and more on to sin and living more and more on to God and on
to righteousness. As verse 32 of John 8 says, And
ye shall know the truth, and God's word is truth, ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. You shall know the truth. He didn't say you shall know
a truth. He says you shall know The truth,
not a truth. You will be filled with the truth,
with God's Word. You will be strengthened with
the truth, God's Word. You will be comforted with the
truth, God's Word. That's what he's saying. And
the truth shall make you free. The truth shall make you free.
Free from what? Free from your own prejudices.
Free from your own fears. The word of Christ will not cause
you to stumble, but you see, those that the Lord Jesus was
speaking to here in John chapter 8, as you read on the chapter,
you find that Christ's word, it was a stumbling block to them.
Now, they said they believed on him, but verse 33, they said,
We be Abraham's seed, and we're never in bondage to any man,
but how sayest thou ye shall be made free." You see, the Word of God was being
a stumbling block to them because they hadn't savingly believed
on Him. And He's saying, oh, you're My disciples, if you continue,
if you hold fast, you go according to My Word. You're going to be
guided by that Word day by day. And if you read right on down
to to verse 52 of that 8th chapter, you'll see that they even accused
the Lord Jesus of being a devil because of the Word, because
of the Word that He was bringing to them. So there will be the
evidence. You'll be in this new relationship
with the Word of Christ, the Word of God, the truth, if you're
really in a saving union with Christ. But then there'll be
further evidence. You'll not only be a follower
You will be a fruit-bearer. You will be a fruit-bearer. I
think of that very familiar chapter in John's Gospel, John's Gospel
chapter 15, where the Savior says, I am the true vine, and
my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. You go down
to verse 8, Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit,
so shall ye be my disciples. You see the link? See the assurance
that we can have as fruit bearers for Him? Herein is my Father
glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples.
This will give you an assurance of heart if you are bearing fruit. What kind of fruit? Well, let's
take the example of prayer. Prayer, prayer is a fruit of
God's grace. Prayer is a fruit of God's grace. And what do we find in John 15,
again, verse 7? If ye abide in me, and my words
abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done
unto you, if ye ask. if you pray. You see the link
with prayer. Prayer is a fruit of grace. As
you pray, here is another evidence that you're in Christ, that you're
in this union. This is the examination that
we're conducting, whether we're in the faith. We want that assurance
that we're saved, so that if death comes, when it comes, as
it will we know that it will be well with our souls. Yes,
there's the following according to His Word. There is the fruit
bearing, and there's the realization that you have been brought into
a new family, the family of God. Yes, the family of God. Again,
we find it set forth in Scripture so clearly and so plainly. John
13, verses 34 and 35, a new commandment, I give unto you that ye love
one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
He's speaking here about being in God's family and loving brothers
and sisters in Christ in the same family. And then the next
verse, verse 35 of John 13 says, By this, by this shall all men
know that ye are my disciples." Do you see the assurance that
it gives? The assurance that it grants?
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love
one another in the family of God. And when there is that realization,
when we come into union with Christ, Christ is our Savior,
our Lord, but He's also our elder brother. He's our elder brother. in the family of God, and all
who have come to trust in him, they're in that same family of
which he is the elder brother. And, oh, to think that we have
so many brothers and sisters in Christ in God's true family. Another evidence that we have
come to saving faith. in Jesus Christ, because we love
others who are in the family of God too, who have come to
trust in Christ just the same way that we have come if we're
trusting in Him savingly, and then having the assurance in
our hearts with the evidence that we have pointed out in those
various Scripture references just a few moments ago. So I
ask you as I close this evening, are you in Christ? Is it for
you Christ alone? By faith alone? Because the Lord
in grace and in power has done a mighty and marvelous and miraculous
work in your heart. That heart that was dead towards
God because of trespasses and sins, He has come in His quickening
power. and you have heard the gospel
message and you responded to the gospel call and you received
him by faith. You believed on him. You had
a spirit-given faith. Then you have all of the evidence
from the scriptures to give you that assurance. Yes, I do belong
to him. Yes, I am saved. Yes, I am in
Christ. I'm in that blessed union. with the Son of God by faith. If you're not, then I exhort
you to come to Christ. I would plead with you to come
to Christ. Do you hear Him call? You see, He calls. He still calls
sinners to Himself. And sinners, there are sinners
who still hear that effectual call. And they respond to it
by believing on Him. By trusting Him. By resting their
all upon Him. For He has done everything that
they need on their behalf. Everything. That's why the Bible
says, ye are complete in Him. You're complete in Him. What
a glorious truth. Doesn't that delight your soul?
Doesn't that make you glad? It doesn't make you boastful
in your own efforts. but it makes you want to boast
in the crosswork of Christ. He has done it all, and it's
by grace that we are saved through faith. May the Lord bless His
Word to all our hearts for Christ's sake. Let's bow in prayer. Our gracious God and Father in
heaven, again we come before Thee in prayer in our Savior's
name. We thank Thee for Thy Word. We thank Thee for the simplicity
of the gospel. We thank Thee for this command,
this exhortation to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. The
Lord, as Thou hast put the searchlight of Thy Word upon our hearts this
evening, we pray that we will give heed to what Thou art saying
unto us and grant that all who are here as they leave Thy house
tonight, they will They will know that it's well with their
soul. They have a saving faith in Jesus Christ and are able
to say, it is Christ alone who's met my need, and it is by faith
alone in him. Oh, take thy word, thy precious
truth, and write it upon the tables of our hearts. We ask it all in Jesus' name
and for his sake. Oh, man.
Examine Yourselves
| Sermon ID | 225252120232701 |
| Duration | 41:12 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday - PM |
| Bible Text | 2 Corinthians 13:5 |
| Language | English |
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