Examine Yourselves

By Thomas Griffin

2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examination

“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?”

In our text, Paul said, “Know ye not yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you” – that is to say, “All Christian believers know that Jesus is in them…” How do they know this? “…by the witness of the Spirit and by the fruit of the Spirit.” (John Wesley’s NT Notes)

Is Paul saying to examine your neighbor? – No

Is Paul saying to Examine your mom… dad? – No.

Is Paul saying examine your spouse? – No

We’re so quick to pull out a magnifying glass and play the spiritual detective – i.e. The “Christian” Sherlock Holmes inspecting and digging through files of Social Media posts and pictures.

Now, Jesus did mention that we can know people by their fruit. We can be fruit inspectors, but that’s not what Paul is saying here in our text. He’s saying, “Let’s look in the mirror and inspect ourselves.” So… How is our fruit? Is it sour? Is it ripe?

Recently, two of my brothers went to an Asian market and bought some unique fruit. It was a warm day for March, and they left it inside the car to go see a friend. They shared they had not been gone long, but when they got back into the car, the whole equinox smelled like feet!

Does your fruit smell like feet? Is your fruit in season, or is it out of season? Is your fruit out of stock? Or is your fruit sweeter than the honeycomb? Does your “fruitful” life draw people closer to Jesus and make them hungry to “Taste and see that the Lord is good?”, or does it push people away? We’re talking about examining ourselves.

When we look into the mirror, we see when our hair is out of place. We see when our hair is turning gray. We see pimples and we go, “Ew! I must get rid of it!” We see stretch marks, and we go “I’m turning into a rubber band. I’m nothing but elastic!” And we see a new mole and begin to pull out our phones and ask Google if we have skin cancer. We see all sorts of things… but do we inspect our spiritual life that way? Are we quick to notice the change in our lives – the cooling off in prayer, a poor attitude, a wearied spirit, a restlessness, a draw toward the love of money?

When we look in the mirror, we see several different things. We see our head. Are we careful what we think and imagine? Scripture reminds us of the danger of unchecked thoughts:“...they walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward," (Jeremiah 7:24). And yet, we are given a higher calling: “Casting down imaginations… and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Our thoughts shape our direction forward in Christ, or backward into self.

We see our eyes. Are we careful what we allow ourselves to see? “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes…” (Psalm 101:3). What we fix our gaze upon will influence our heart. The eyes can either invite purity or open the door to compromise.

We see our hands. Hands are used to do things. Are we careful what we do? “For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity…” (Isaiah 59:3); “Their works are works of iniquity…” (Isaiah 59:6–7); “In whose hands is mischief…” (Psalm 26:10); “If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off…” (Matthew 5:30). These are all scriptures that share about hands that were used to do evil and wickedness.

  Yet, God calls us to something better: “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,” (2 Corinthians 6:7). “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,” (Matthew 6:3). “Serve the Lord with gladness…” (Psalm 100:2); “...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our hands can harm or they can serve, give, and glorify God.

We see our feet. Are we careful where we go? “For their feet run to evil…” (Proverbs 1:15–16); “Ponder the path of thy feet…” (Proverbs 4:26–27). Yet, there is comfort and guidance for the faithful: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” (Psalm 119:105). “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved…” (Psalm 121:3). Every step we take is either toward righteousness or away from it.

We see our mouth. Are we careful what we say? Scripture is full of warnings and wisdom about the tongue--especially in James 3. Our words can build up or tear down; bless or hurt. The mouth reveals what fills the heart.

So, when we look in the mirror, let us not just see ourselves… but let us examine ourselves.

Are our thoughts obedient? Are our eyes pure? Are our hands righteous? Are our feet directed by God? Are our words honoring to Him?

In all these things, may our lives reflect not just who we are—but whose we are.

Psalm 51 says, "Create in me a clean heart..." God does the cleaning. He has the remedy if only you ask Him to help you "examine yourself."