In 2 Corinthians 13, the final chapter of Paul’s second letter written to Corinth, he pleaded with the Corinthian Church to do what is right in the Lord. The chapter begins with Paul saying this would be his third time coming to Corinth. He warned against those who were still in sin. In fatherly fashion, Paul stated that if he came again and found them still in sin, he would not spare them.
One may wonder what disciplinary action Paul would have used on any potential Corinthian sinners if he had found them in sin a third time. It may have been similar to how the man in 1 Corinthians 5 was disciplined. The man who was sleeping with his stepmother was “given over to Satan” and excommunicated from the church. That was hard to deal with, as we see in 2 Corinthians 2.
Imagine your close family and friends opposing you and refusing to communicate with you because of your sin. Although we do not view separation from believers as a difficult punishment today, for the early believers, Christ and unity in Christ meant everything. So, if Paul chose to use this type of discipline on those who continued in sin, it would have been likened to cutting them off from their loved ones and possibly being given over to the harsh hands of Satan—a tough and unnecessary battle for anyone to endure.
Therefore, Paul asked them to do what was right. He said, “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.” In other words, Paul didn’t want to use his authority to tear down the Corinthians; he wanted to use his power to build them up. But in order for his authority to be used in a pleasant way versus a harsh way, the Corinthians needed to do something. They needed to test themselves.
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”
(2 Corinthians 13:5)
The call to test whether the Corinthians were in the faith was laid before them. Surely, the various tests Paul placed before the believers then are before us now. Recall that Paul first tested the Corinthians on forgiveness in chapter 2 and then on their giving in chapter 8. Now, the test of the bigger picture of faith was at hand. But how were they to test their faith? How are we to test ours today?
Be mindful that these Corinthians were already in the Body of Christ, yet the call to test their faith was presented to them. Often, we assume we are automatically in the faith because we have faith in God through Christ. Some may believe that since they emerged in the watery grave of baptism, they are new creations. Yet, we see that Paul’s letters were written to a body of believers who were still in sin, such as pride and sexual immorality. Therefore, being a member of the body by itself was not enough to validate their faith, nor is it enough to validate ours.
Faith, like love, is an action word. If someone loves you but never shows it, their love for you would be questioned. Christ has informed us how to love Him. In John 14:15, Christ said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” In John 14:24, Christ said, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words.” So, the way to love God through Christ is to keep His commandments.
The test of love—the way to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith—is to compare our lives to the commandments given to us. And if we don't keep these commandments, our faith is questionable. So then, what commands has Christ given us? The first is to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and we just discussed that loving God means keeping his commands. If the Corinthians were to examine their faith, one practical way to test it would be to compare their lives to what Paul said in his first letter.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul gives a vital list. He says, “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” The Corinthians could have examined themselves by making a side-by-side comparison of themselves and this list.
Am I a fornicator? Am I an idolater? Am I a drunkard?... This is an efficient way of examining ourselves. And yet, we are not to lean on our own understanding. The human heart is deceitful; therefore, it may trick us into believing that we are not any of these things when we may, in fact, be one or two of them, if not more. This is why we need to pray.
The Holy Spirit is a discerner of the heart and reveals truth. If we pray and ask God to tell us the truth about our self-examination, He most certainly will instruct the Holy Spirit to tell us the God-honest truth. But we must be ready to hear the truth and make changes according to what is revealed.
I am a living witness to the fact that it can hurt when the Lord shows you your character. Yet, He is a kind-hearted healer. He restores us after repentance and is able to keep us from evil, both outside of us and within us. So, if sin or evil is found within us after examining ourselves or after the Holy Spirit’s examination, there is hope.
Jesus washes away sins, stands in the gap as our intercessor, and heals the sick in spirit and body. He defeated death on the cross, and if we place our faith in Him and turn from our sins, our transgressions will be defeated, too. When we say we have victory in Christ, this is what it is all about—victory over sin, victory over the enemy, and eventually, victory over death when we are resurrected.
We don’t have to fail the test of faith. We can pass and do so gloriously, all because of Jesus. Paul concluded the chapter by asking the Corinthians to “Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (v. 11). We can only become complete or mature in Christ by continuing in Him and allowing Him to perfect us.
So, may the Lord complete us, but may we also diligently examine ourselves. No man or woman is perfect besides Christ; therefore, no one can sincerely test themselves and say they need no improvement. There’s always room to grow in the Lord. Let us do just that and declare victory over our sins and shortcomings until the Lord calls us home.
May God bless you and keep you. Until next time, take care.
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