2Co_13:5
'Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith…'
We are to examine
ourselves to what end? To KNOW whether or not we are in the FAITH. We aren't to examine ourselves to judge
whether we are good or bad. If we
examine ourselves to determine our own goodness, or badness, then we are
convincing ourselves that we can be GOOD of our own self, and if bad of our own
selves then we have the power to be good of ourselves and choose not to make
ourselves good. In TRUTH- only our
Savior, only our GOD, only the Holy Spirit can claim goodness. Jesus had this to say..
Luk_18:19 And
Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is,
God.
Why callest thou me
good? (τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν)
But the true reading
is, τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ
ἀγαθοῦ; Why askest thou me concerning the good ?
God is good, Jesus
is good because He is a God, just as the Father is a God and the Holy Spirit is
a God.
Jesus asks- Why ask
me concerning good? God is Good.
When the man called
Jesus a Good teacher he was in fact at that moment giving Him the title of God.
And Jesus was letting that man know that in calling Him good, he had to
recognize the truth. The man did NOT
argue with Jesus' reply. The man did not say that he didn't mean to call Him
'Good Master', the man knew.
In truth only God is
GOOD. Not mankind. Not since we fell
into sin. In fact all that we think might be good in us is filthy.
Isa_64:6 But
we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…
Truly we are NOT to
examine ourselves for goodness!
Act 2:38 Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40 And
with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from
this untoward generation.
Act 2:41 Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand souls.
Save yourself- how is Peter instructing others to 'save'
themselves? By REPENTING and being BAPTIZED in the name of JESUS CHRIST,
receiving the gift of the HOLY GHOST.
They weren't being
saved by BEING good, but by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and
repenting to receive Him and to receive the Holy Ghost- both OUTSIDE of self.
We do have a part to
play in our salvation and that is turning to the ONE who saves us, not turning
to ourselves.
Self-examination
truly can be a vicious trap. Looking to our own goodness will only bring us
despair or pride, both traps of Satan.
But if we 'search
for the source of our thoughts, feelings and desires' to KNOW where they are
coming from- the soul or spirit we are truly doing something profitable, not
detrimental to us. We have to get our minds OFF ourselves! More on all this as we study further by the
GRACE of God. We truly do need to know if our self-focus is to determine if God
is working in us or Satan trying to lead us down his road.
'Believers ought to
understand how the various parts of their being operate or they shall not be
able to distinguish the spiritual from the soulical. When thinking, they should
recognize the source of their thought; in feeling, they should detect the direction
from which such feeling comes; and in working, they should be clear as to what
strength they use. Only thus can they follow the spirit. We know our soul
provides us with self-consciousness. One aspect of self-consciousness is
self-examination. This is most harmful since it causes us to focus upon
ourselves and thereby enhance the growth of self life. How often
self-exaltation and pride are the consequences of such self-examination. But
there is a kind of analysis of incalculable help to the spiritual pilgrimage.
Without it we are incompetent to know who we really are and what we are
following. Harmful self-examination
revolves around one’s own success or defeat, stimulating attitudes of
self-pride or self-pity. Profitable analysis searches only the source of one’s
thought, feeling or desire.' The
Spiritual Man- by Watchman Nee
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