“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,” II. Cor. xiii. 5.
In writing this epistle to Corinthian Christians, Paul had before his mind the prospect of visiting them for the third time. This prospect was not altogether pleasing; for he had been informed of disorders which had broken out among them, and was aware that, through the influence of false teachers, they had begun to question his apostleship. In view of his promised visit he announces that, in dealing with offenders, he would follow the rule laid down in the Old Testament Scripture, and adopted and prescribed by Christ. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” and that when he comes, he in the exercise of his authority, and in the use of his miraculous power as an Apostle, would “not spare.” This he had formerly told them, and now a “second time” he tells them this, before his arrival, and does so as distinctly as if he were actually present. They provoked an unsparing exercise of his power by seeking “a proof of Christ speaking in” him. And they sought this, although Christ, through his ministry, had brought His power to bear upon them, and though they had thus abundant proof, that Christ speaking in him was “mighty” in them. Christ, though “the mighty God,” once presented an aspect of infirmity, when “He was crucified through weakness;” but this passed away, for He now “liveth by the Power of God.” He, in the infirmity of human nature, and because of His meek submission to the will of God, appeared, in His death, as if He were without strength, though He had even then the power of omnipotence as Jehovah the Son. But this apparent weakness was followed by a display of His power, as “the power of God,” in His resurrection from the dead. Like Him “we also,” says Paul, “are weak,” while at the same time we are strong. “We” as “in Him,” “are weak,” for as in Him we must be so, in order that His “strength” maybe “made perfect” in “our weakness.” As He lived by the Father who sent Him, and therefore appeared, in His dependence, to be weak, and as He lived to the glory of Him who sent Him, and therefore in His zeal and meekness resigned Himself into the power of His enemise, till at last they crucified Him; so we, living by the faith of Christ, are content to be meek and, in the measure in which His “love constraineth us,” we meekly submit to all our trials. We thus, because in Christ, and for Him, seem to be despicably weak, but in the midst of our greatest infirmities we have Apostolic authority and miraculous power. Out of our infirmities has this power already broken forth, and unless offenders in Corinth repent, it shall be displayed by us in connection with the discipline which we purpose to administer.
There were two ways in which they might have proof of “Christ speaking in” him. This might be given them in a miraculous exercise of power, in attestation of his decisions in dealing with offenders. But he entreats them to render this unnecessary by reformation. The other way, and this he urges them to adopt, was to examine themselves; for if they ascertained that “Jesus Christ was in” them, they had thus a proof, which would be both profitable and pleasing to themselves, that Christ spake in him and wrought by him, to the effect of their conversion. The Apostle, while urging this for a special reason, in this instance has written, in the words of the text, an authoritative counsel, addressed to all who profess to “be in the faith,” everywhere and at all times. Let us therefore prayerfully consider it.
In the text there is an important counsel addressed to professing Christians, and a solemn alternative placed before them. The Counsel is—”Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves”—and the alternative is, to have “Jesus Christ in” us, or to “be reprobates.”
I. The Counsel—”Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”
The action here commended is one bearing on ourselves—our “own selves.” It is natural to us to have no liking for this. We are more prone to be examining others. We watch those around us, and are very ready to form an opinion regarding them. And our estimate may not always be a false one, though we are usually very unsparing in our judgments. Not caring to think of how it is as to our own hope, we are very ready to pronounce regarding the hope of others. But if they, in their views and practice, are like ourselves, we take kindly to them at once, because we cannot condemn them without condemning ourselves. And if we and they have the same kind of religious opinions and feelings and manage to make “a fair shew,” without ever having been “born again,” a very strong bond connects us, and our deepest dislike, and our severest condemnation, will bear on those who are truly godly. These “fair-shew” men prefer to associate with the world, than be companions of those who fear the Lord; and the further advanced they are in their profession, and the more active they are in their service, the more disposed will they be to be persecutors of those who speak and live in reproof of their presumption. So was it in the experience of the “Man of sorrows,” at the hands of the prominent religious sect of His day. But the text bids us to deal with our “own selves”—to turn our eyes within, and that with a view to “examine” and to “prove” ourselves.
To such exercise as this we require to be urged, because of a reluctance to engage in it. This reluctance arises from our love of ease. In the measure in which we are under the influence of this, we dislike to think of our ease as such that we require to be at all anxious about it. We prefer to ignore, than to examine our spiritual condition. Many there are who thus continue “at ease in Zion” during all their life, the light which shines on the disembodied spirit being the first to shine upon their ease, and to affect their feeling by the discovery it gives of their being for ever lost. Even the Christian needs to be preserved from sloth and slumber. Not always is even he affected by the tremendous importance of having a “hope” that “maketh not ashamed.” Not always is even he impressed with the omniscience of God, the solemn reckoning of a judgment day, the deceitfulness of the old heart, the enduring truths of all divine scripture verdicts, the necessity of being prepared for, as well as entitled to, everlasting life in heaven, the instances of high attainments, without saving grace, recorded in Scripture, and the greatness of the claims involved in his profession. These considerations do not always move even him to faithful self-examination, and yet surely they ought so to affect and influence him. But the flesh is ravenous for ease, and these awakening things are put aside. A living soul is in a backsliding condition when this is the ease. But the old heart’s pride operates to the same effect. In the measure in which it is in us and unmortified, we shrink from going in amidst the state of things within us. We know that if we examine ourselves, we will find not a little to abase us in our heart and conduct. And we dislike this. To keep us from having to bow our heads, it is indispensable that we satisfy ourselves with a foregone conclusion that all is right. This is more comforting to our selfishness. But it will fare ill with us, if we pamper our pride by not examining and proving what we are—if we allow ourselves to think what we are in our profession, and not to try to know ourselves as we are in reality. And to the exercise of self-examination a cherished sin will utterly indispose us. We will be disposed to treat this as Rachel did her idol, or Achan his “wedge of gold.” Some excuse will be found for sparing the “right hand” or the “right eye” that offends and the searching light of truth will be shut out from the conscience.
The man himself knows that it is there but O. what power he has given to it over him! He listens to the cry “spare me,” which it utters, forgetting that it is written—”If ye live after the flesh ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” And the influence of unbelief often operates to the effect of arresting, at the very outset the attempt to examine one’s self. You, it says need not make any search into your case. There is nothing you can discover but that you are a graceless sinner. You may hold by this as a foregone conclusion; and it is nothing else than utter folly to search for grace in such a soul as yours. Thus unbelief acts in the case of those who are acquainted with the corruption of their hearts, and have been convinced of the iniquities of their life. But in others it puts forth its subtle influence in a different way. Owing to its power to intercept the soul, in which it reigns, from all enjoyment of gospel hope, and while the love of ease, pride and idolatry act in unison with it, the soul is led to the conclusion that it would be impossible to hope if the worst were known, and that it is wiser therefore to keep always on the surface. To this conclusion many come, and act accordingly, who cannot but know that their case is one which, if carefully examined, would be found quite inconsistent with their profession and their hope. And yet they choose to base their hope on a lie, rather than treat their souls according to the truth.
We cannot wonder therefore, that those who have not the fear of God in their hearts should choose to abstain from all self-searching, and that they should be ready to decry it in the exercise of those who regard it as their bounden duty. O friend be not like these. Do not be content not to know what and whose you are, and whither you are going. How short a journey you would undertake without some care, both as to the way, and as to the end. And yet you rush on the journey to Eternity, not caring to enquire how it fares with you by the way, and what awaits you at the end.
But there is a kind of religion from which this duty is discarded, and which is assuming a pronounced position in these days. There are not a few who attain to an exercise of faith, because of the consciousness of which an assurance of being saved is enjoyed. This assurance they are anxious not to disturb. To maintain it the remembrance of their past faith, and the bustle of what they call Christian work, are sufficient. To look within is decryed as legality. To search for evidence of faith being genuine is denounced as mysticism. “Look out,” is the cry, which is good counsel to one who is searching in himself for a foundation of hope but evil counsel when addressed to one who is anxious to know whether he is “in the faith” and whether really “Jesus Christ” is in him. There is no allowance made for any uncertainty by those who thus decry the work of self-searching, and they attribute to the power of temptation the effort to engage in it. But the text prescribes the duty, and none but those who deny the power of godliness will evade it.
(To be continued.)