Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test?Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know about your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.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?Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate.
4 sermons cite this verse
… This is why Paul poses this challenge to those who claim to believe in 2 Corinthians 13.5. He says, check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when you actually are not at all? Hmm, powerful question. Reminds me of a story of a guy that needed work. He heard they were hiring down at the local zoo. And so he went and applied and said, I'd like to get a job here. They said, sorry, sir, all the positions are filled. But then the person looking at this man said, you know, you're a pretty big dude. A lot of muscle there. I'm gonna say something. I hope you're not offended. But our gorilla died the other day. And we ordered a new one. And he's on his way. But I was wondering if we made you a custom gorilla suit. Would you be willing to wear it and pretend to be a gorilla for a few days? …
… This is not, of course, to keep them out, but to bring them in through the gospel. I think every time we come to the Lord's table, we need to remember 2 Corinthians 13.5, examine yourselves whether you're in the faith. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11, I want to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ, and I'm afraid you're going to be led astray, you're going to be deceived like Eve was deceived. This is part of the reason that I think he says, be sober, and you pointed that out so strongly. Part of the soberness of pastoral ministry is you just don't take people at face value. That's short-sighted. That's superficial. We have to, in shepherding the sheep, we have to know the condition of the flock, and they have to know their true condition. It was February 9, 1969. Some of you hadn't even been born, obviously. I came to Grace Community Church on the first Sunday over in the chapel on a rainy day. …
David was much concerned to know this concerning himself: he searched himself, he examined his own heart and ways; but he did not trust to that; he was still afraid lest there might be some wicked way in him, which had escaped his notice: therefore he cries to God to search him. And his earnestness appears in the frequent repetition of the same request in different words: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. ” He was very earnest to know whether there were not some evil way or other in him, in which he went on, and did not take notice of. 1. We ought to be much concerned to know whether we do not live in a state of sin. All unregenerate men live in sin. We are born under the power and dominion of sin, are sold under sin; every unconverted sinner is a devoted servant to sin and Satan. We should look upon it as of the greatest importance to us, to know in what state we are, whether we ever had any change made in our hearts from sin to holiness, or whether we be not still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity; whether ever sin were truly mortified in us; whether we do not live in the sin of unbelief, and in the rejection of the Saviour. This is what the apostle insists upon with the Corinthians, 2 Cor. xiii. 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?” Those who entertain the opinion and hope of themselves, that they are godly, should take great care to see that their foundation be right. Those that are in doubt should not give themselves rest till the matter be resolved. …
5. It is objected, Thirdly, “One Evangelist says, ‘Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.’ The other Evangelist calls the same thing ‘good gifts;’ abundantly demonstrating that the Spirit’s way of bearing witness is by giving good gifts.” Nay, here is nothing at all about bearing witness, either in the one text or the other. Therefore till this demonstration is better demonstrated, I let it stand as it is. 6. It is objected, Fourthly, “The Scripture says, ‘The tree is known by its fruits. Prove all things. Try the spirits. Examine yourselves.’” Most true: Therefore, let every man who believes he hath the witness in himself, try whether it be of God; if the fruit follow, it is; otherwise it is not. For certainly “the tree is known by its fruit:” Hereby we prove if it be of God. “But the direct witness is never referred to in the Book of God.” Not as standing alone; not as a single witness; but as connected with the other; as giving a joint testimony; testifying with our spirit, that we are children of God. And who is able to prove, that it is not thus referred to in this very Scripture? “Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your ownselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” It is by no means clear, that they did not know this by a direct as well as a remote witness. How is it proved, that they did not know it, First, by an inward consciousness; and Then, by love, joy and peace? …