Test Yourselves – 2 Corinthians 13:5-8

Good morning and welcome to adult Sunday school at Kootenai Community Church. I'm glad y 'all like each other. Keep it up.

Yeah, right.

Well, you're making room for others. It's a sacrifice. Let's open in prayer. Father you have told us that your spirit confirms with us that we are indeed.

Saved.

And it is your son who has done that every wit. We are in awe and thankful every day for our salvation because it had nothing to do with us. Were it had to have something to do with us. It would have never happened.

Thank you father that you took the initiative to bring us to your son and then to regenerate us. Change our hearts and cause us to be able to be saved this morning. As we look into your word it is with thankfulness and delight knowing that you will instruct us and Lord I pray that We would hear from you through your word in Jesus name this morning.

Amen. So is it okay to know you're saved? Do you know you're saved?

Positive for sure.

You know, there are those who the Canon 16 of the Council of Trent says that if you actually have the temerity.

To.

Posit that you are indeed saved that you are one of the elect. You are to be accursed. Now ain't that a catch -22? So this morning as we look into 2nd Corinthians chapter 13. I I seem to have misplaced my real Bible.

So I'm gonna be reading from an electronic one. I hope it's the same. It's not the message. It's the electronic New American Standard Bible, so I'll have to read it with a digital voice but. As we look into God's Word this morning, it's going to be at least for me.

It was just with a sense of utter relief and delight and thankfulness and awe at what he has done to transform our lives. We wouldn't have done it. We just wouldn't have the Corinthians wouldn't have done it and and there were many of them that knew that and so let's let's let's look.

At first or excuse me. I'm still in 1st Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians chapter 13. We're gonna read the whole chapter. It's a night it's a short chapter 14 verses. 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 examine yourselves is the title of mine.

I Thought I was reading the Word of God. Okay. This is the third time Paul says I am coming to you. Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. I have previously said when present the second time and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well.

That if I come again, I will not spare anyone. Since you are seeking proof of the Christ who speaks in me and who is not weak toward you. But mighty in you for he indeed was crucified because of the weakness because of weakness yet He lives because of the power of God.

For we are also for we also are weak in him yet We will live with him because of it the power of God directed toward you. Test yourselves to see if you're in the faith. Examine yourselves or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test.

But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. Now we pray to God that you do. No wrong. Not that we ourselves may appear approved but that you may do what is right. Even though we may appear unapproved for we can do nothing against the truth.

But only for the truth for we rejoice when we ourselves are weak, but you are strong this. We also pray for that you be made complete. For this reason I am writing these things while absent so that when present I need not use severity in Accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and for and not for tearing down.

Finally brethren Rejoice be made complete be comforted be like-minded live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the Saints greet you the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and The fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The Corinthians’ Demand for Proof and Paul’s Apostolic Authority

So last week we looked at the first four verses of this chapter and the Corinthians looking for Proof that Paul Was who he said he was. He said in verse 3 since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me and who is not weak towards you but mighty and you remember.

It's not wrong to seek if someone is actually Properly bringing you the Word of God. It's not wrong to do that that isn't what they were doing. The false Apostles had so discord disunity and Suspicion throughout the Corinthian Church so that Paul was being questioned his his credentials his Apostolic ministry were all being questioned and it by a people who should have known better remember we've talked about the benefit of the doubt if you know someone who has been trustworthy for decades and you hear a story about them you ought to give them the benefit of the doubt and go to them and Too many of the Corinthians didn't do that.

So Paul answers them. That Christ indeed was crucified because of weakness. But he was he lives because of the power of God and so does every believer live because of the power of God. So then in in verse 5 he comes to them with this he says test yourselves.

Testing Yourself to See Whether You Are in the Faith

To see if you are in the faith examine yourselves. Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless you indeed fail the test. Unless indeed you fail the test. So the two Greek words for test and Examine are commonly used in the New Testament to refer to the action of verifying something.

They are objective words not subjective. In this particular verse the pronouns are placed before the verbs in the Greek. For emphasis so that it actually it actually reads this way yourselves. Test to see if you are in the faith yourselves examine.

I'm not responsible to test you to see if you're in the faith. Just to make sure if you're retailing Something you claim to be the Word of God that it actually Comports to the Word of God, but it's not my responsibility to make to test your faith.

It's your responsibility to test your faith. It's mine to test mine now. Does that. Why would Paul tell them that if they couldn't be sure they were saved if they couldn't be sure. Too many Christians think that they are Christians when they are not.

The Bible speaks of many who stand before Christ and say Lord Lord did we not. And he says depart from me. I never knew you. This should be a sobering reminder that feelings. Feeling saved may not be synonymous with actually being saved.

John Piper came up with a 15-point test. MacArthur with an 11-point test. Others came up. I looked up all these tests. There was some and they were remarkably good. I'm not downplaying them, but it was just interesting to see so I Here's here's gonna be a 20-point list.

I Mean you all know me. I never use a sentence when a paragraph will do so. What are some of the evidences. Now, this is not to say some of these. You will do utterly. Some of these as believers. We fail again and again.

But we don't like it when we fail. We want to please the Lord and that's actually one of the tests. So what are some of the tests that the Corinthians could have applied to themselves? They repent someone who is truly saved.

Repents and believes the gospel they turn from their old ways. And they believe the scripture the gospel of the scriptures. This is the actual gospel as found in the Bible. Not something out of some other extraneous book of which there are plenty in our world today.

You can you can. I mean there's cults galore and some of them have have Co-opted the scriptures. Most of all of them have co-opted the scriptures. Let me put it that way. They all will believe false things, especially about the Lord Jesus Christ the Father and the Holy Spirit.

But some of them have their very own books incredible sections incredible large tomes that purport to be the new gospel. A True believer repents and believes this gospel the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's number one. Number two, they have a humble heart. God's Word has fallen on good ground. God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble and it is grace alone that produces salvation by faith alone.

So these are people. Saved people know that they don't deserve it. They don't walk around saying he got a bargain. We got me. The world is in such is it going to be so much better now that I'm in. And everybody that you were in with the forces, I'm sure glad he's gone.

God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble. One of the characteristics of a believer is humility. A Recognition that God alone has saved them and that they did not deserve it never did deserve it and they really believe that.

It's not just something they say. Yeah, I know I didn't deserve it. I'm pretty good though. They know they didn't deserve it. Number three, they are broken and mourn over their own sin over their sin.

They are not sinless, but when they do sin, they detest it and they seek forgiveness as first. John 1 9 commands. If you confess your sin, he is faithful to forgive your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

They detest their own personal sin. They detest it when they think about it. They it's it's Unholy to them. They're not happy with themselves when they sin unbelievers. Have various responses to sin, but they're not that they're not detestation and hatred towards it they are usually compromised and and Just defensive defending it.

Recategorizing as something else than sin. Well, that's just human nature. Yeah human nature is utterly decrepit utterly detestable. Number four there is a hunger and a discipline to read study share or teach God's Word.

There's also a corresponding ability to understand God's Word that did not exist before salvation. Don't be surprised when you when you Give some of the scripture to people who are unsaved and they don't understand it.

That's right. That's normal. They they don't it's when God changes their mind when he regenerates them so that they can begin to understand. Come out of the darkness when he translates from them from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

They begin to understand the light before neither. Did you neither? Did I it was mumbo-jumbo and It was some of it was sing-song II and nicely written and and some good history, but we didn't really believe it as the gospel.

There's a hunger to also study to actually study and understand the word and Compare and look into it. There's a there's a desire to share it. You you have something that you know others need they really do need that is the need that that is a.

That is a an example of what a believer does of how they think. Do you think that way do you want to share it? You do don't you sometimes you bite your lip don't bite your lip. Be careful and be be um, be tactical if you will, but share God's Word.

That's what believers are called to do number five. I think They obey they are obeying God's Word out of a love for Jesus. The obedience comes from a heart that seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

You read something new in the scripture. You realize you have been offending in that area and you know. You don't try to formulate a reason why you can continue doing it. You try to you go.

Really?

Wow, I've got. How am I gonna stop that? That's impossible. Yeah, you're right except for the Spirit of God accountability to others and In many ways that you can get counsel and encouragement to obey God's Word.

That obedience comes from a heart as I said that seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ,. I Believe number six. I didn't number these and I should have. They are forsaking sin and do not practice sin.

Old ways begin to pass away. New ways begin to take root. Ways of service compassion humility and love. The things that you used to like doing that are against what God commands. You no longer find joy in them.

You no longer find encouragement you no longer find delight. And the new things that you read about and you study and you see that the Lord Jesus commanded and.

That he.

Modeled that the Apostles modeled. Those are the things that begin to attract you and you want to do them. You want to live that way. That's those are evidences of belief. Modeling yourselves after the Lord Jesus Christ and as Paul said follow me as I follow him.

They are surrendering all. I think this is number seven they are surrendering all to Jesus. So as the Lord reveals things in your lives in our lives that must go We figure out how to let them go to get rid of them to stop them.

New and.

As the Lord reveals things that must come into our lives. And I'm going to name some of them love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness. Gentleness and self-control. By the way, there's no laws against them yet.

Those are the kinds of things that you seek. When when when someone else tells you that you're not practicing something. Maybe there's a resistance to it first. But as God's Word and his spirit work in your heart you begin to realize that they're correct.

You might even go to them for ways to correct it. I've told you the story about the person who gave me three pages of three pages of what was wrong with me and When I asked them be careful what you ask for.

And I asked them if they would help me correct some of my Bad behavior, and would they be willing to tell me what they thought was wrong with me, and they gave me three closely written pages. It was handwritten.

It was all handwritten. This was a long time long time ago. I mean they had typewriters, but this person was probably in a hurry to get this committed to paper before I changed my mind.

And.

At least if not all at least two pages, I knew I knew at the time. Oh, yeah, they're right. And you can't change that but the Lord Jesus Christ can the Spirit of God can. This is rent. They're surrendering all to Jesus now does that all happen at once?

You find out in one day everything that's wrong you surrender it and you're golden headed for the crown. The crowns of God. No wouldn't that be nice. But it must not be the right way or God would have done it differently this is the right way to do it a bit at a time three steps forward two steps back and Hopefully as as the ages that your age grows and your maturity grows and your love for God grows and your willingness To submit to him grows.

It's four steps forward and two back and five steps forward and one back and 17 steps forward and a half a step back and you trip back forward. Those are the good days. They passionately love Jesus and are conforming daily to the image of Jesus kind of the same thing.

Their love is evidenced by a willingness to obey what scripture commands. Next if it's eight or nine, they have a servant's heart and a love for other believers. I Have gone to different cities and and fellowship one time when I used to spend a lot of time.

This whole all needs to be taken in context when you find out I've been to Las Vegas 30 times. I Have an army surplus store and that's where the big surplus shows are. So we go to Vegas all the time and we would visit different churches and it's amazing.

You walk into a church that is preaching the Word of God and you have an instant fellowship with the you don't even know their Names, but you've got an instant fellowship. It's delightful. It's actually delightful and you get you get Exposed to all kinds of new things hopefully scriptural things but new things.

I did.

So.

They have a Heart a servant's heart and a love for other believers. They they more and more begin to delight in spending time with other believers whether it's teaching or learning or one-on-one. That is an evidence of salvation.

They separate themselves from the things of this world and do not compromise. Sometimes the separation is instantaneous and old bad habits die immediately. Sometime it is more gradual as they work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

We've talked that about that earlier as well. I don't want you to be Concerned that you haven't gotten rid of everything in your life that you know God wants you to get rid of keep at it, but recognize that that we are sinful.

Dust and it takes time to extract the. The goop that's in us and God does it in his timing in his rate, but you're willing to do it. That's an evidence of salvation. They are born again, and they show evidence of a new nature.

Do people say You're not like you used to be and it's a good everybody knows when that context it. It's a good thing. Does that ever happen to you? That's that's a good sign. That's a good sign.

And.

I'm not asking you to take these by the way. These are evidences, but let's stick. The actual Truth of Scripture is what we need to fall back on. Have you confessed your sins. Have you trusted Christ for salvation?

Those are the reasons that you're saved, but these are things that can be encouraging to us and Support that if you will so they they are born again. They begin to be different from their old selves, and it is evident to others.

Whatever the next number is they have over they overcome Satan's lies. Temptations and anything contrary to God's Word. New behaviors form that are in line with the teachings of Scripture and old behaviors.

Begin to fall away and become rare and eventually extinct. Have you noticed something about what salvation does. It doesn't just give you a new way.

Of thinking.

It causes you to have a new way of living and that is a glory to God and He delights in that. They are enduring hardships trials testings and persecutions for Jesus now that all comes differently to each of us but The difficulties that come after salvation are dealt with differently than those that came before.

Trials are seen as way. One of the ways we see trials is that they are ways to cultivate new good behaviors as the believer learns to count them all joy. Now don't seek trials they'll come to you of their own accord, but when they come a Believer learns to begin counting them all joy and the reason we can count them joy is because as we persevere through trials God gets glory and That's what that's what salvation is for is to give glory to God.

That's one of the main purposes. They are pursuing and growing in holiness the pursuit of things. Fame and fortune give way to looking for new ways to trust God and to live for him. I'm gonna mark these so I don't go back and do some over because that's my habit.

Get rich quick schemes. Stuff loses its luster. Following Christ begins to grow grow in its estimation in your life.

More and more.

They are growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. They begin to act and live more like the Savior did and Recognizing that again it is all a work of God in their lives they fear God and turn away from evil.

The wicked things that used to have an attraction to them now become distasteful and and Unimportant as they seek to avoid avoid them even looking ways looking for ways to remove them from their lives that which just Distances you from God becomes distasteful to you.

That which comes in between you and your relationship to Christ and to others Becomes distasteful you begin to look for ways to work those things out. Animosities that you had towards people whether they were In your mind at least justified or not begin to lose.

Their attraction to stay you want to have you want to forgive and you want to restore relationships. Even if you can't you you want to try. They are today denying self and following Jesus daily and are not ashamed of Jesus.

They're not ashamed of him they're not afraid, you know, it's easy to speak out about him here. Because you all love him, too. I Can stand up here and pontificate till my eyeballs roll back in my head and it's there's no persecution gonna come.

Well, maybe Pat might you know. But I'll deserve it. But it's when we're out in the world that they're not you're a believer is not ashamed of Jesus. They're not ashamed of him. Life becomes a way of bringing glory to God outwardly as well as in inwardly and delightedly.

So they're ready waiting and anticipating the sudden and soon return of Jesus Christ. They recognize that Christ will return soon and they adopt a mentality of planning like they have a hundred years.

But living like they have five-tenths of a second. So you plan ahead. But you recognize that he could come any minute now. I know there's there's all kinds of good solid theological Underpinnings to this has to happen and this has to happen.

But hey, he's God he can cause things to happen. How long did it take him to speak the universe into existence? Only because he wanted to give us an example of how to live. Did he take six days? He could have done it.

All of it in us in a in a snap of time that we don't have the ability to measure. They're productive and bear much fruit by giving to Jesus their time their money and their talent. They are not lazy and they seek to be busy bringing glory to God in any way they can and There are a million billion.

I just made that number up ways to bring glory to God and You've been doing them and keep doing it keep doing it everybody has a different calling to do the things that will bring glory to God in their lives and It's amazing that God has been so creative that he could he can get glory in so many ways.

They hold to essential Christian doctrine. They determinately hold on to the great foundational doctrines of Christian theology that have been taught for thousands of years. When you find somebody who has some new novel doctrine Brothers and sisters, there's nothing new under the Sun.

I mean right ten minutes into the new church. They were coming up with false theology. Ten seconds probably. But they hold to the.

Foundational.

Tradition doctrinal doctrines. Foundational doctrines of Christian theology. The Trinity the deity of Christ the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the virgin birth the the sufficiency and truth of the scriptures.

These are not these are not Negotiable to a genuine believer. They're not negotiable. Now as I mentioned before no one will do these things perfectly. But the direction is upward and I mentioned three steps forward to every two steps back.

The faith spoken of here is not just the Subjective element of believing the gospel, but it is the objective truth of Christianity. It's interesting that I that that I was working on this this week. And I saw on one of the posts and Facebook you know that great bastion of truth.

I.

Think it was MacArthur. It was it or was it Ligonier. Is it Ligonier religion? Legion that sounds bad. I thought it was Ligonier. Okay, okay. Coming right across them. Steel bridges. It's a Ligonier any rate it might have been them.

I can't remember but the Bible is objective truth. It is objective truth. It's not subjective truth. It's verifiable objective truth. Scripture teaches that it is possible to know that one has been saved.

Paul was confident that many of the Corinthians when they tested themselves. They would indeed realize that Christ was in them for those who had been acting properly. It would be a blessing and an encouragement.

For those who had been listening to the false Apostles. It would have been a wake-up call and I mentioned earlier the Catholic Church canon number 16 of the Council of Trent says this if anyone saith.

That they will that he will for certain of an absolute and infallible. Certainty have that great gift of perseverance unto the end unless you have learned this by special revelation. Let him be anathema.

You can't know that you're gonna make it. How would you like to live like that? Well, I hope I've done enough good. Nope. Can't do it. Next question. You can't do enough good. There's no balancing a detestable evil heart.

That is bent on sin and plus we wouldn't be balancing it. Anyway, we'd be struggling and doing the wrong thing until Christ turns us. The fact is Paul and John both under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Next slide. Explained that one can know for sure. Why else would Paul encourage them to test themselves to see if there was no way to know if one were truly saved. This statement would be pointless if however, the statement is true and it is.

Then the Corinthians upon examining themselves and discovering that they were indeed a born-again would recognize that as a fruit of Paul's ministry. They were a fruit of Paul's ministry that in itself validated the Apostles work in their lives.

How can the redeemed then know that they're saved again the scripture teaches Romans 8 13 through 16. For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body you will live.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God. These are the sons of God. These are sons of God. For if you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again. But you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out Abba Father.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. Luke or 1st John 2 3 and through 6 by this we know that we have come to know him if We keep his commandments. The one who says I've come to know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar.

And the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word in him the love of God has truly been perfected by this. We know that we are in him. The one who says he abides in him ought himself. To walk in the same manner as he walked we model ourselves after the Lord Jesus Christ.

First John 3 14. We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. You see some of these in that list. He who does not love Abides in death. What does it mean to love the brethren?

That.

You don't cut them off in traffic. What does it mean? To love the brethren. To be gentle with them to overlook issues that they might have with you. Unless it has to do with chocolate. What else what does it mean to love the brethren?

Carry their burdens. What does that mean care about? What trials are you going through. Pray for them? I see it all the time in this church. We're moving. Can you come help us boom. 75 people show up?

Will help if you're not moving out of the county.

That's you know.

What else what are the kinds of things demonstrate love for the brethren? I would allege that our pastor our teaching elder main teaching elder the work he puts in Weekly to bring us the unadulterated Word of God.

Even stuff about Melchizedek. Who teaches about Melchizedek in 2019 and we learn something from it. We go away going. I never knew that that was awesome. Don't get a big head. I. One of those weirdos that really enjoyed Ecclesiastes.

But then there's nothing new under the Sun. Okay, first John 3 18 and 19 little children. Let us not love with word or with tongue. But what you all said but indeed in truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and we will assure our heart before him.

Faith produces. Works not works bring salvation. Salvation by grace through faith. Results in a heart that wants to work wants to do things for the glory of God and for others so that God will get glory.

First John 4 12 and 13. Did you want to say something be not hearers of the word, but be you doers of the word. See how quickly I revert back to my old King Jimmy days. No one has seen God at any time if we love one another God abides in us and his love is perfected in us by this.

We know that we abide in him and he and us because he has given us of his spirit. Now just loving other people doesn't mean God abides in you. There's a package of that that accompanies that is evident evidence of salvation.

But it's one of the evidences that you love other people. You love believers. You love people who aren't believers. You want to see them become believers? You want them to come to Christ, you know that what they have isn't is going to get them to hell.

And what you have by God's grace would lead them to salvation. First John 5 13 these things I've written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know. That you have eternal life.

God would never have written those words if we couldn't know now. Just to allow that to puff you up. That you're better than others around you that would maybe be an evidence of the opposite. But when you know that you have eternal life and you're blessed by it and odd and Terrified at the same time and Recognize that how close you came you were hanging on that spider's thread over the pit and God saved you.

That's an evidence of salvation. Any other comments about that we're gonna we're still in this verse. I'm getting really carried away here, but It was just a delightful study this week to just and to test myself and realize it.

I fall so far short. But I've got a list on my refrigerator now if it doesn't pull the whole thing over. Thus we have the situation that when most of the Corinthians tested themselves and discovered that indeed they were saved.

They would have to come to the conclusion both that the gospel they received was true. Although that would be a subjective observation a more appropriate observation would be to look to the scripture and see if what it's been said Compared with the scripture was true, and I believe many of them did that.

Nevertheless if they looked into themselves And discovered salvation the conclusion would be that Paul's message was genuine. Paul knew he would not be humiliated by command by challenging the Corinthians to do this.

Because his message was genuine and the Holy Spirit had indeed come into the lives of many in the Corinthian Church many of them. This is not a testing to see if I prayed a prayer or walked along walked an aisle or had an electric feeling at some Point this does look back towards Baptist does not look back towards baptism church attendance a somewhat moral life.

Knowing many facts about Jesus in the Bible these are not necessarily authentic marks of salvation. Even the demons believe and tremble and they are not saved and cannot be saved. In addition to this previous list MacArthur in his New Testament commentary in this on 2nd Corinthians said this first and I really abbreviated this because MacArthur Never uses a sentence when a paragraph will do either.

So if you get a chance you can just look into his commentary, but these are these are four. Four other observations about genuine salvation. First genuine faith is marked by penitence. The true faith produces an overwhelming sense of sinfulness which causes believers to mourn over their sin be humble and acknowledge and confess our Transgressions.

Those who refuse to turn from their sin give evidence that they have not experienced the transformation that takes place at salvation. Second genuine faith is marked for it is by a desire for righteousness.

True believers are marked not only by an aversion to sin. But also an attraction to righteousness. When you see righteousness and other people it's attractive to you. It's not offensive unbelievers, it's offensive because it reminds them of what they are and It should always remind us of what we were to.

Third genuine faith is marked by submission to divine authority. Sinners are rebels against God. Saints are his willing servants. Fourth. Genuine saving faith is marked by obedience. Jesus pointedly asked.