(2Corinthians 13:5) “Examine yourselves, to
see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
There
must come a time in a believer’s life when the trial of life begins to drive
home the reality of belonging to the Christian faith. For some the realism is a
lot more severe! Just last week four Christians were martyred for their faith. Over
time many have been brutally slaughtered for their faith. This then the
ultimate test of what a person would be willing to die for. Death the last
possible sacrifice for any individual! However while we still have breath we
still live to see another day, it is this analysis I want to consider. While we
live are we living as a Christian should, are we amongst the number by deed and
not only empty words? Remember the verses of the Apostle James; “So also faith by itself, if it does not
have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I
have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by
my works.”
(James
2:17-18)
If
we are to consider the father of faith, Abraham; did he not prove his faith by
offering up his son on God’s request? With his obedience to the call of God upon
his life he proved, when tested, that he believed God by obeying His
instruction; hence he has proved his faith and the bible now refers to him as
the father of faith! “After these
things God tested Abraham
and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He
said, "Take your son,
your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell
you." So Abraham rose
early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men
with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and
arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:1-3)
Let
us learn from his example: - Note. We often may begin to believe no differently
to what Abraham may have deliberated that God had now given him a son as He had
promised and the storm had now run its course. God’s promise had now finally
arrived and it would be plain sailing from here on in. But in fact the greatest
of test was yet to happen. "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you
love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering”.
He had another son Ishmael whom Hagar his servant had given him, but God did
not consider that, look at the text; “Take your son, your only son Isaac”. The
plans we make as men do not factor into the equation when true testing unfolds.
When we do something of our own accord, when we make a plan I see that if we
lose what we have gained, that really isn't a true test of whether we walk by
faith or not. We can only really be tested when we are willing to sacrifice
what God has blessed us with. I suppose we can all fill in the blanks to our
lives as we examine it individually. I have lost or rather squandered much of
what I have received throughout my life, but that is not what is now in
question. Even though I may have lost over a million rand in the space of two
years that was my own doing and that is irrelevant when we consider the true
test of faith!
The
consideration I now need to consider is will I sacrifice what God has blessed
me with, will I sacrifice that which is most dear to me? I cannot say with any
certainty that I know what that is, but I am sure in time it will become
apparent. May God find me faithful I pray and give me the insight to understand
the true test when I see it!
Job
was another man that God tested which proved that he was not only a good man
but a great follower of God. Strong faith is often exercised
with strong tests.
“What
the apostle here says of the duty of the Corinthians to examine themselves, etc., is
applicable to the great duty of all who call themselves Christians, to examine
themselves concerning their spiritual state. We should examine whether we be in
the faith, because it is a matter in which we may be easily deceived, and
wherein a deceit is highly dangerous: we are therefore concerned to prove
our own selves, to put
the question to our own souls, whether Christ be in us, or not; and Christ
is in us, except we be reprobates: so that either we are true Christians or
we are great cheats; and what a reproachful thing is it for a man not to know
himself, not to know his own mind!” (Matthew Henry)
The
beauty of God’s testing helps us understand our state before Him, it is not as
if God isn’t aware of where we stand on this issue but sometimes we need to be
shown our own reality and then we can call on God to help us find grace to
right our wrongs. Please, Father God, renew a right spirit in me, I pray! Help
all those who belong to you in this area of their lives, show us who we are in
you is my cry! Teach us all the genuineness of what it means to walk by faith!
For when we have progressed in faith it will be well with our souls! Thank you
Lord Jesus for our dependency upon your finished work; praise and honour
belongs to you and you alone, Amen!
Signing
off
Tyrone
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