Let me ask you something personal—have you taken time lately to examine yourself? I don’t mean a casual glance in the mirror of your faith, but a deep, prayerful, honest look at your spiritual condition. Because that’s exactly what Paul commands in 2 Corinthians 13:5 when he writes, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves.”
Now, I don’t say this lightly. And I don’t say it to point fingers. I say it because I’ve been doing a lot of examining myself. Joanne and I have had a few trying weeks, and during that time, I had to stop and ask myself—am I really walking in the faith like I ought to be? Is Jesus still dwelling in me? Sometimes God allows those difficult seasons to push me into reflection, to wake me up, and to draw me closer to Him.
But here’s what I know—we all need self-examination. Regularly. Intentionally. Because drifting away from God doesn’t happen in an instant. It’s a slow, subtle slide. Hebrews 2 tells me that it’s possible to drift if I neglect this great salvation. Hebrews 3 warns me about developing an evil heart of unbelief. So I don’t just need to be aware—I need to be proactive.
Let me remind you why self-examination is so important: because it is possible to know where I stand with God. Paul didn’t say, “Guess if you’re in the faith.” He said, examine and prove yourself. And Scripture—God’s Word—is my measuring stick. It’s not based on how I feel. It’s not based on what others say about me. And it’s not about comparing myself to somebody else. My standard is God’s Word, and His Word alone.
Jesus said in John 14, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word… and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” That’s not just a beautiful thought. That’s a promise. So the question is—am I keeping His Word?
I’ve had folks say to me, “Preacher, I was baptized in the Methodist church… or the Baptist church… I’m good.” But friend, let me tell you something—the Lord doesn’t add you to just any church. He adds you to His church—the one you read about in the New Testament. So I have to ask myself—was my baptism scriptural? Was it for the remission of sins? Was it based on the gospel truth?
And even if I know I’m in the body of Christ, I still have to ask, Is Christ still in me? Am I bearing fruit like Jesus said I should? Or am I spiritually dry? Am I abiding in His Word? Am I loving others the way Jesus loves me? Are my words building others up? Are my actions pointing people to Jesus?
You see, when Paul says, “Examine yourself,” he’s not giving a suggestion—he’s issuing a challenge. A personal challenge. Because there’s a danger here that’s very real: the danger of being disqualified. The danger of failing the test. The danger of assuming everything is fine, only to hear those terrifying words from Jesus one day: “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
That’s why I must test myself not by my opinion, not by what others think, but by the Word of God. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:18, “For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.” And Jesus said in John 12:48, “The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” That means my feelings won’t matter in judgment. The Lord’s Word will be the final word.
So let me give you some questions that help me when I examine myself:
- Have I truly put on Christ in baptism?
- Am I living in obedience to His commandments?
- Are the marks of true discipleship visible in my daily life?
- Am I bearing fruit for the Lord?
- Do I speak words that glorify God and bless others?
- Do I hunger and thirst for righteousness?
- Am I humble, repentant, and growing in grace?
And maybe most important—do I have the mindset of Paul? That confident assurance that I am not disqualified—not because of my own goodness, but because I’m living in obedience, anchored in grace, and walking in faith.
Paul wept over those who had set their minds on earthly things—their end, he said, was destruction. But Christ will transform those who belong to Him. He will conform us to His glory. And oh, how much better it is to live with that mindset—to live examined, tested, and approved by God.
So this afternoon, I’ll ask you the same thing I’ve been asking myself: Where do I stand?
If you’re not a child of God, I beg you—don’t wait. Hear the gospel. Believe it. Repent of your sins. Confess Christ. Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. Let the Lord add you to His church. Let Him dwell in you.
And if you are a Christian, but you’ve been drifting… if you’ve been spiritually idle, distracted, or disobedient—examine yourself. Go to God in prayer. Ask for forgiveness. Return to faithfulness. Don’t assume you have time. None of us knows when the end will come.
So as we stand and sing the song of invitation—come. If there’s something in your life that needs attention, come. If your soul needs saving, come. If your faith needs restoring, come.
Examine yourself… and act before it’s too late.
