We turn again to God's words,
taking for our text words that we have there in 2 Corinthians
13 and verse 5. 2 Corinthians 13, 5. 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. or to know something of the truth
but the reality of those words that we've just sung that lovely
hymn of Anne Steele's the second verse here let me search my inmost
mind and try its real state to find the secret springs of thought
explore and call my words and actions o'er I want to say something
then with regards to self-examination or more particularly the believers
self-knowledge these words that we have in the middle of the
text Paul says to the Corinthians know ye not your own selves know
ye not your own selves we know don't we that the knowledge of
self, self-examination is so necessary if we would rightly
observe that holy ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Paul tells
us quite plainly in the 11th chapter of 1 Corinthians, let
a man examine himself, let a man examine himself and so let him
eat of that bread and drink of that cup. and it is interesting
in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer which of course was the form
of worship that was to be practiced in the Church of England in better
days we might say in that order of service for the ministration
of Holy Communion it begins with the reading of the Ten Commandments. Much of the Book of Common Prayer,
of course, was compiled by Archbishop Cranmer. It's a wonderful work,
really, of the Protestant Reformation. I know Amongst the Puritans there
was a reaction, they didn't want to have to be tied to written
forms of prayer quite rightly, but there is much that is good
when we think of the work of the great Protestant reformer
Cranmer. And it's interesting I find that
the order for the observance of Holy Communion should begin
with the law of God. How necessary that is in our
self-examination. There is the real touchstone
by which we are to try ourselves. By the law is the knowledge of
sin we're taught, whatever things the law says. it says to them
who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all
the world become guilty before God and so it reminds us doesn't
it that when we examine ourselves in regard to the Lord's Supper
it's not that we're looking for some qualification in self whereby
we are worthy to partake of that blessed food the broken bread,
the poured out wine, the body, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
It's a feast for those who feel themselves to be sinners, who
feel themselves to need to be always feeding upon a precious
Savior. Self-examination then. And that's
the subject I want us to consider a little tonight. Just two headings
first of all to say something with regards to the faith examined. It is where do ye be in the faith? Examine yourselves. Where do
ye be in the faith? What is the faith that is spoken
of here? Well, the word faith, of course,
is used in two different senses in the Scriptures. It's used
objectively We read of the faith, a definite article before the
words indicating that it is that body of truth that we are to
believe. And isn't that the way in which
it's used in that little epistle at the end of the New Testament
just before the book of the Revelation? There in Jude verse 3, Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort
you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints. What is the faith that is spoken
of there? It's that body of doctrine that
is contained here in the Word of God that we believe. When Paul writes to the Church
at Rome, he speaks of a form of doctrine which was delivered
you. A form of doctrine which was
delivered you. That's the great body of the
scriptural truth, the doctrines of the Word of God that were
delivered to those who came to believe. in Rome and formed that
New Testament church. It's interesting though, there
in Romans 6-17, to observe the alternative reading that we find
in the margin. Because there the margin, which
is a more literal rendering of the original we're told, says
that form of doctrine where to ye were delivered. It's not so
much the word being delivered to us, but us, as it were, being
delivered through the words. It must be delivered to us, it
must come to us. We must be impressed upon us. I remarked in some measure on
this last Lord's Day morning when we were looking at that
verse in Proverbs 19.21 remember the text there are many
devices in a man's heart nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that
shall stand and I said that before we came to consider the text
I wanted to remark how that text had come to me all those many
years ago what a blessing it is when God's Word comes to us
in that fashion when we're delivered over as it were to the Word of
God and that word makes such an impression upon our souls.
The words that are being used there in Romans 6-17 have the
idea of taking a piece of metal and making an impression upon
it, minting a coin as it were. And the die you see makes its
mark on that piece of metal and it becomes a coin. And so God's
Word has to be so impressed upon us and upon our souls, the great
doctrines of the Word of God. And though we see Paul continually
reminding believers, be it churches, be it individuals, he speaks
to Timothy, hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast
heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. We
want John Timothy as he exercises his ministry to hold fast to
that form of sound words, that sound doctrine. And we have that
preamble at the beginning of Luke's Gospel. Luke explains
to a certain individual, Theophilus, as to why he is writing. and he's writing of those things
most surely believed he says among us for as much as many
have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those
things which are most surely believed among us even as they
delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eyewitnesses
and ministers of the word it seemed good to me also having
had perfect understanding of all things from the very first
to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that
thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou
hast been instructed." Oh, are we persuaded of the certainty
of those things, those doctrines, those great truths of the Gospel
in which we have been instructed. We are to examine ourselves in
concerning our belief in these doctrines, our love of these
truths, our delight in them? Are they meat and drink to our
souls? We can understand the Word in
the sense of something objective. Where do ye be in the faith? Or do we understand the truths of the Gospel? the certainty, the invincibility
of these great words of God concerning our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But then of course we can also
think of faith in a subjective way. We think of the grace of
faith. We think of faith as one of the
fruits of the Spirit. By grace are you saved through
faith. and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God. But we say what is this saving
faith? As I said on other occasions
there are a number of different faiths we might say set before
us here in scripture. Not all faith is saving faith. There's a natural faith, an historical
faith. there are those who we might
say are theists, they are not atheists, they are not Christian
believers, they are not trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their
Saviour, but they believe, they believe in God, the fool has
said in his heart, there is no God, even the devils believe,
remember the language of James, they believe that there is one
God, he says, They'll do us well. But the devils also believe and
tremble. Obviously it's a word of rebuke
to some. They're boasting that they're believers. But is their
faith any more than the faith of demons? Demons believe. We see it in the ministry of
the Lord Jesus Christ. It's remarkable, isn't it, when
we come to the gospel. There's a great deal of satanic
activity at that time. Here is God manifest in the flesh. in the person of the Lord Jesus
this is the eternal Son of God now the Son of Man manifested
and so there's great satanic activity as the Lord begins his
ministry as he performs the miracles Oh let us alone what have we
to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth I know thee who thou
art the Holy One of God that's how the devil speak they recognize
him they believe in him We are to be theists, and those who
deny God, who have no natural faith, are fools. He that believeth
not God hath made him a liar, because he hath not believed
the record that God gave of his Son. Do we believe the record
that God has given to us here in Scripture? That's not saving
faith, but it's necessary that we believe the Word of God for
what it is, and the revelation that we have here in Scripture
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And then, clearly, when we read
these epistles to the Corinthian church, and our text is taken
from this last chapter of the second letter to that church,
it was a church remarkably gifted. There were many gifts in the
church at Corinth. It was an apostolic age, there
were still miracles being performed, confirming the word, the ministry
of the apostles. And what remarkable gifts at
Corinth. But also what sad abuse of those
gifts. And Paul has to address the matter,
and he does it, doesn't he, there in the twelfth chapter of that
first letter. and he speaks of where these
gifts come from to one he's given by the spirit the word of wisdom
to another the word of knowledge to another faith by the same
spirits to another gifts of healings to another miracles and so he
goes on various gifts, remarkable gifts what exactly that entail
we don't know but amongst them amongst them he says to another
faith faith by the same spirit it was obviously some sort of
miraculous gift of faith it wasn't saving faith because they didn't
all have that particular gift of faith as he says quite clearly
to one one gift to another a different gift and amongst those gifts
that were being distributed by the spirit throughout the church
at Corinth there were some who had that gift of faith well all
who were in the church all who were saved had saving faith but
they didn't all have that strange gift of a faith of miracles and
so there's the historical the natural faith to be a theist
to believe in God there's that gift that was there at Corinth,
the gift of miracles and clearly there were some who appeared
to have a faith but it was only temporary, it wasn't genuine,
it didn't endure. The Lord in the parable of the
sower and his seed speaks of stony ground hearers and they
receive the word with joy. the stony ground hearer receives
the word with joy, endures for a while, says the Lord, but is
offended when trials and troubles and persecutions and tribulations
come. It's the faith, isn't it, that
is spoken of there in Hebrews chapter 6, that solemn passage
that's left on record and surely It's here for a purpose. It teaches
us a lesson, doesn't it? How often have you read those
words in Hebrews 6 verse 4 following and found the passage such a
searching passage. Is it me? Is it me? Is this my
faith? It is impossible for those who
were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly
gift We may partake of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good
word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall
fall away. To renew them again unto repentance,
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
Him to an open shame. Am I going to be one of those
apostates falling away, not enduring to the end? Or there's a faith
that was only temperate, But of course the faith that we have
here that we are to examine ourselves with regards to is that faith
that is saving faith and spiritual faith. It's that faith that is the mark
of election as many as were ordained to eternal life believe. For
there is the evidence of election The elect come to saving faith. Is it not spoken of in Titus,
there in the opening verse of that epistle, as the faith of
God's elect. That saving faith, that is the
faith of God's elect. And what a faith it is, the faith
that lays hold of the Lamb. and brings such salvation as
this, is more than mere notion or name, the work of God's Spirit. It is, we'll sing those words
of the hymn presently, for the faith that unites to the Lamb,
brings such salvation as this. It's the mighty work of God,
the Spirit, and it has to do with the Lord Jesus Christ, and
we see that in the text. What does it say here? Examine
yourselves, where do ye be in the faith? And then at the end,
know ye not yourselves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates. If we're in the faith, it follows
that Jesus Christ is in us. If tonight you're in the faith,
Jesus Christ is in you. Christ in you, says Paul, the
hope of glory. Well, how important is that?
The consequence of the new birth. Where there is that grace of regeneration, the
new birth, we said a little of it on Thursday evening when we
were looking at that great text in Galatians 2.20 I am crucified
with Christ nevertheless I live says Paul yet not I but Christ
liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself
for me the life which I now live in the flesh he says Oh, this
is that new life, the life which I now live in the flesh, I live
by the faith of the Son of God. What is it that has happened
to this man? Why he's been born again of the Spirit of God? He
has a new nature. He's a partaker of the divine
nature. Christ is in him. Christ is in
the man. If any man be in Christ Jesus,
he's a new creation. All things have passed away.
Behold, all things are become new. All by faith, this man is
not only nearly, but entirely united to the Lord Jesus Christ. Made one person with Christ. That's what Paul is saying in
that great text. The life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God which Christ
in you Christ in you that's what we have here examine yourselves where do 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 reprobate now there might be times when the
believer doubts his standing the child of God sometimes is
beset by doubts and fears and wonders about the reality of
his profession assurance is not of the essence of his faith you
see and so the exhortation as we have it here in the text,
there's a reason why Paul is encouraging them it's a word
of exhortation, isn't it, that we have here he's giving them
some direction, some instruction he's telling them to examine
themselves and to examine themselves that
they might know that theirs is a genuine faith as we have at the end of the
verse, except he be reprobates, except he be reprobates. Now,
we can think of reprobation, of course, in a theological sense. It's the opposite side of the
coin to election. God has elected a people, made
choice of a people in the Lord Jesus Christ from the foundation
of the world but there are others that the Lord has passed over and for ordained them to eternal
destruction, there is reprobation there are, as Paul says there
in Romans 9, there are vessels of mercy on the one hand, but
on the other hand there are those vessels for prepared not for
heaven. It's a very solemn chapter, isn't
it? It's a great chapter, but how
solemn are the words that we have there verse 21 of Romans
9, hath not the pot of power over the clay of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour? What
if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known,
endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of mercy which had aforeprepared? unto
glory all the mystery of these things may it solemnize our minds and
cause us to desire truly to examine ourselves and to prove ourselves
and to know ourselves know ye not your own selves do we know
ourselves tonight that's the important thing now this reprobation
that we read of at the end of the verse it's not to be understood
in that theological sense that we just referred to in Romans
9. What we have here is something
that's reprobate in the sense that it's not genuine. It's not
genuine. In Jeremiah 6.30 we read of reprobate
silver. That's not sterling silver, you
see. reprobate silver shall men call
them because the Lord hath rejected them. That's how we're to understand
this word except to be reprobate. You're reprobates if you say
you're a believer but your faith isn't a genuine faith. Is it
really that that is the gracious work of the Spirit of God? Is
it the faith of God's elect? Now, the Lord is the one who
so carefully refines his people. Again, the language that we have
there at the end of the Old Testament in the third chapter of the book
of the Prophet Malachi. We've refer to the passage on previous
occasions where the Lord sits as the refiner and purifier of
silver. This isn't going to be reprobate
silver. He shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge
them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord
an offering in righteousness. Or who may abide the day of his
coming? Who shall stand when he appeareth?
He is like a refiner's fire, he is like fuller's soap, he
sits and he is refining that is in the crucible, in order
that all the troughs might be removed. and that the pure metal
will be so evident well let us turn in the second
place to the manner of this examination how are we to examine ourselves examine yourselves whether you
be in the faith prove your own selves we're told that the last
word here speaks of bringing the matter to a point it's the final proof as it were
that's what we want to come to we want to know of a truth that
we have the genuine article it's the final step really It's the assurance, the assurance
of faith that he's being spoken of. There are two things with
regards to the manner of this examination. First of all, there
is a standard that we have to measure everything by. There's
an external standard. And what is that standard? Well,
I'm sure you know the answer to that question. The standard,
of course, is this book. this is where we have to bring
everything to the touchstone the touchstone of holy scripture
we always encourage don't we that spirit of the Bereans when
they heard the preaching of the apostles didn't just accept it
because they were apostles they searched the scriptures diligently
to see if these things were so this is what we must do don't
believe it just because the preacher says it there's no authority
in the man The authority is in the word. Is that man faithfully
handling and expounding the word? That's the important question.
There is a standard to the law and to the testimony. If they
speak not according to this word, it is because there's no light
in them. Isaiah 8 and verse 20. And here is Paul, you see, He
writes these epistles and of course there were those at Corinth
who questioned the genuineness of this man and his apostleship. Time and again in both the first
and the second epistles he has to assert his authority. Look
at what he says there in the first epistle chapter 14
and verse 37 If any man think himself to be
a prophet, he says, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the
things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. He is writing, of course, under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God. He is writing the very
words of God. Just as those prophets in the
Old Testament spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God, so
this man, he can say with authority. that that man who is a spiritual
man will acknowledge that the things that I write unto you
are the commandments of the Lord. And here in this chapter, verse
3, since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which
to you would is not weak, but is mighty in you. Always asserting,
you see, that what he has here, what he brings to them is not
his own words, this is the word of God. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen
Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others,
doubtless I am to you the seal of my apostleship. Are ye in
the Lord? He can say to them. there is
a standard you see, it's the Word of God it's the Word of
God and it's not just the same it's not just the case with Paul,
it's the same with the other apostles, John these things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may
know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God These men are writing the very Word
of God. And that is the standard we have
to go to. There's no man today who writes
the Word of God. God's Word is complete. We have
the whole canon of the Word of God in the Old and the New Testament
Scriptures and we must bring everything always to this test,
to this touchstone, the Word of God. We examine what the preacher
says, we examine what we profess. The faith that we say we have,
the truth that we say we believe in, we come continually to God's
Word. There's the external standard
then. But what of the experience? Well,
the psalmist. The psalmist says, I commune
with mine own heart. And my spirit made diligent search. Oh, is that us, friends? Or do
we just come and we hear the sermon, we go, we forget? Or do we commune with our own
hearts? And our spirits diligently search. Are these things true in me? Is this my real experience? Remember what Peter says, give
diligence. to make your calling and election
sure. You might say to me, how can
I know, how is it possible that I can really know that I'm of
the elect? How can I know that the faith
that I have is the faith of God's elect? Well, observe what Peter
says there in that opening chapter of his second epistle, number
10th verse. Observe the order of the words. Because it's not just the words,
it's the very syntax, you know, the way the sentences are built
up. All of that's under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. And what
does Peter put in the first place? He doesn't put the election first,
does he? He says, give all diligence to
make your calling and your election sure. Election is first. Of course,
election is eternal election. And when God works out his eternal
purpose, he calls his people to himself. But when we examine
ourselves, we can't look into God's secrets. The secret things
belong unto the Lord. We have to examine ourselves
in terms of calling. The call of God, the call of
God in the Gospel. Have we heard that call? Have
we heard the voice of the Good Shepherd? My sheep hear my voice. I know them, he says. They follow
me. Or are we those who have heard
that voice? Have we felt constrained to follow
him? To believe in him? That's the
order. That's the order. We read those words, didn't we,
in the 139th Psalm where David is celebrating the omniscience of
God. He knows all things. God knows
everything. There's nothing hid from Him.
In God's omnipresence, there's no escaping His presence wherever
David goes. And then when we come to the
end of the psalm, what does David do? He turns it all into a prayer.
Search me, O God. Search me, O God, and and know my ways, try me and
know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead
me in the way everlasting are we brought to that? we want God
himself to try us and to test us and so we have to come back to
the word of God because it's in his word that God tries and
tests us and how does he test us? Well, by the things that
are said by the words of the Lord Jesus, what does Christ
himself say? Ye shall know them by their fruits. We can't avoid it. There's the
practical part of religion, you see. It's not just a question
of the doctrine, important as that is, that great body of doctrine
that we say that we believe in. not just a matter of experience,
we need to have an experience of the grace of God, but there's
also the practical part. There's the fruits. Oh no, time
and again we're found out here. Our lives don't conform. Well,
my life doesn't conform. We continually fall short. We
don't walk in the way of those holy commandments, those blessed
precepts of the gospel. What do we know of faith which
worketh by love? All faith works. Show me thy faith without thy
works. James says I will show thee my faith by my works. Faith that worketh by love. Paul
says there in Galatians 5. Oh God help us then to be those
who would seek to examine ourselves. and to prove ourselves, and to know ourselves. Know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates. You know, there are three books,
aren't there, that God has given us, and I wonder, do we read
them? I think we live in a day when
there are few readers really, sadly. But there are certain
books that we ought to be reading, even if we're not readers. And
you know what those books are, don't you? There's the book of
God's providence. Do we read that blessed book?
We read much of that providence in the 107th Psalm. God's sovereign hand in the lives
of his people, in all the circumstances of their lives, every situation
that they come in, wherever they do their business and so forth.
Read through the psalm. Who so is wise and will observe
these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness
of the Lord. Or if we would but read the book
of Providence. and think over the way in which
God has dealt with us and ordered our steps and all the events
that have come into our lives and the people that we've met
and so on and so forth. If we were wise, we'd understand
the loving-kindness of the Lord. Nothing comes to us by chance.
Everything is under His eye, governed by His hands. There's
the word of Providence, the book of Providence.
And then of course there's this book, the Word of God. And I
think of those words to Timothy, from a child there was known
the Holy Scriptures that are able to make thee wise unto salvation
which is in Jesus Christ. And some of you can say that,
can't you? Favoured with godly parents, from a child From a
child I was known the Holy Scriptures, able to make wise unto salvation
in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,
truly furnished unto every good work, that's what the Apostle
says to young Timothy there at the end of that third chapter
in the second letter to him all there is the word of God we should
read the word of God if you don't read any other book read the
word of God able to make thee wise unto salvation and then
the third book we should be familiar with of course is the book of
our own hearts Three books, the Book of Providence, the Book
of God, the Scriptures, and the Book of our own hearts. And that's what we have before
us tonight, is it not? Where we're told to examine self. Examine yourselves, whether you
be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves? How that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobate. And we see it in the Psalms time
and again. Those soliloquies, those words
that we have three times in Psalms 42 and 43. Why art thou cast
down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted within
me? Hope in God, for I shall yet
praise Him who is the house of my countenance and my God. Or do we address our own souls
as we examine our own hearts? Self-examination then. The believer's
knowledge of himself. But I don't want to end there.
I think of the words of the hymn, Joseph Hartz, 780. Pour not on thyself too long,
lest it sink thee lower, look to Jesus. Kind as strong, mercy
joined with power. let us not become altogether
introspective or let us not lose sight of the objectivity of faith
as dear Robert Murray McShane said one look at self or one
look at self ten, a hundred, a thousand looks at the Lord
Jesus Christ looking onto Jesus the author and finisher of their
faith. Amen.