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.