2 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…
After noting that some of the Corinthians were testing him (2 Corinthians 13:3), the apostle Paul turned the emphasis to who Christians should foremost test: ourselves. The need for self-examination is seen throughout Scripture.
Centuries before Paul wrote to the Corinthians, certain Jews had returned to Jerusalem after being taken captive. Upon their return, God intended for them to rebuild the temple, but they had not yet done so when God sent the prophet Haggai to them. God through Haggai exhorted them, “Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5,7).
Examining ourselves and considering our ways does not mean reflecting on (1) how we “measure up” to others (2 Corinthians 10:12) or (2) how “successful” we are at living how the world says we should (1 Corinthians 3:19). Rather, it is an honest reflection of how closely we measure up to God’s will (cf. Psalm 119:59).
There can be a temptation to examine ourselves with a fear of finding that we are in error. This can lead us to shy away from topics that might lead to big and unpleasant changes if we find out we’re wrong.
This is exactly the opposite of the approach we should have to self-examination. We shouldn’t be afraid of discovering our sins. We should be concerned about not discovering our sins.
Consider the example of Paul prior to his conversion. Jesus said he was kicking “against the pricks” (Acts 9:5). Like an ox who rebelled against his master and thereby caused himself harm, Saul was wreaking havoc as he rebelled against Jesus.
His recognition of how wrong he was did not lead him to say, “There’s no way I have been wrong all of this time,” and then run from the truth. Instead, Saul showed a desire to make things right immediately by saying “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).
May we have a similar mindset as we search the Scriptures, reflect on how we can better serve God, and become “doers of the Word” when we find things that need fixed (James 1:22).
“Consider your ways…Examine yourselves.” Self-examination is important to be pleasing to God.
– Michael Hickox