Examine Yourself

This video clip features a message from Paul Washer, a hard core pastor, spreading the Gospel message. I have previously posted on one of his sermons and commented on what a powerful message he gave of God’s good news. You can listen to his previous message here. What is amazing to me is no matter when I hear the Gospel message it fills my heart with joy for what Christ has done for us.

But today I want to address what it means to examine ourselves. Are we continuously looking at our lives and ensuring we are doing the things of God. When I sin am I being convicted of that sin or do I have sin in my life that I am ok with? I need to be looking at every aspect of my life. Am I allowing the world to seep in and compromise my relationship with Christ however small it may seem. Man this is a battle to deal with but if we are true followers of Christ we should certainly be concerned with our own holiness and obeying God and His Word.

Paul Says in Galatians 6:3-4 the following:
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

We are not to think of ourselves as anything because as soon as we do we are committing another sin and that is pride. But instead let us focus on our own works and compare those works to what Christ has commanded us to do. We fool ourselves in making excuses for our unfruitful works. We justify our sins in so many ways that God just hates. I can think of things that I try to justify because I just want to do them. Let it not be so!!!!! I want to rejoice and praise God for the good works that He allows me to do but always realizing that I need to mature in Christ and deny my own desires. I need to self examine myself daily. We all need to repent and believe and turn to Christ EVERYDAY. Like Paul Washer explained it is not a one day event but something that happens everyday. Keep turning to Christ.

Or how about being the Spiritual leader in our homes. Are we allowing sin to creep into our homes? Do we allow sinful video games, movies, books, magazines, TV shows, alcohol, etc... to impact our families? Are we doing everything as men to protect our families from the evil one. Or are we willing to compromise because we are too stinking lazy to do what is required of God? Guilty!

All Glory, All Honor, All Worship go to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Wes
Galatians 2:20

Faith Without Works

In our weekly men’s breakfast this morning one of our pastors was going through the 2nd chapter in James teaching on faith and works. I have been thinking about my own faith and does my life show the fruits of my faith. I think in some ways yes and some areas I definitely need to improve. But as I thought more about this and the people who I know who are true Christians always demonstrate fruit/works in their lives. Then I started thinking about people who claim faith in Christ but there is NO fruit and on top of that they don’t even believe in what the Bible has to say.

I find these individuals with a said faith the very most difficult to deal with regarding their walk with Christ. I can definitely understand God’s warning in Revelation to the lukewarm church in Laodicea. People who have one foot in the world and one foot in a said faith are in a very dangerous position. It is easy to talk with people who either reject or don’t know about Christ than someone who claims they have a relationship with Christ but nothing in their life exemplifies that Christ is living in them. I believe these individuals have head knowledge of Christ but are really trying to buy the fire insurance of salvation while ignoring the LORD part of Christ reigning in their lives.

Let me give an example of someone I know that claims Jesus and says things like me and JC are tight while holding his fingers crossed together. Now let me be clear, he may very well be saved I am not going to make that judgement however let me list some of the things I know this person does: swears, doesn’t desire to read the Bible, rejected many offers of joining a Bible study, only goes to church on holidays, makes irreverent remarks about Christ, has no problem with pornography. If I look at these behaviors I am seriously concerned whether this person is a believer or not. I have even set down with this person and specifically asked how you are going to get to heaven and instead of saying something like i am a sinner saved completely by grace, I got the response I am a pretty good person. But this person insist that he is a Christian. I have warned him that everything in his life points that he is not and that I would be concerned if I was him. Is he truly saved? All I can say is the works that James talks about is not evident whatsoever in his life.

James says the following in 2:14-18

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

What I do want to make clear is that James is not saying we are saved by our works but they are our evidence of our faith. Do you have works/fruits in your life today? Is Jesus your LORD and Savior or is He just providing you with hopeful fire insurance of salvation. It is good to self examine what we are doing and why we are doing these things.

All Glory, All Honor, All Worship go to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Wes
Galatians 2:20