2 Corinthians 13:5
‘’ 5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are
in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!’’
This verse speaks loudly to me. Paul did not simply say to the Corinthians to take the
test, but to test themselves. It is like putting yourself in the fire and
seeing whether you can withstand it.
How can we test our faith?
Sometimes, it is easier for us to
see something in others than to see it within ourselves, and that is what makes
testing difficult. So, we must ask ourselves:
- Am I in the faith?
- Am I still walking in faith?
- Am I truly living in faith?
We can only
attest that we are in the faith if we can still see and recognize Christ in us.
However, faith cannot be tested when we remain within the four walls of a room —
when we simply read the Bible, pray, listen to preaching, and sit comfortably. In
James 1:22 says, ‘’ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.’’ Faith is tested when we are exposed to
the world outside, when we do God’s word outside even when it’s hard or
difficult.
· When we serve people
· When we go and preach
· When we minister alongside other people
1. Serving people is
hard because it requires the
compassionate heart of Christ toward them so that we can willingly give our
time, effort, and energy.
Mark 10:45
‘’ For
even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many’’
2.
Preaching the Word is difficult when we are rejected because it requires the love of God
for us to continue even when people do not receive what we share.
1 John 2:5
‘’ but whoever keeps his word, in him
truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him’’
3.
Ministering with our co-laborers can also be hard because we are different individuals, and it requires a
unified spirit for us to continue the work together.
1 Corinthians 12:12 – 13
‘’12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.’’
To test our faith is to be willing to take on uncomfortable
service for God. We should not choose our work based only on what is
convenient or comfortable for us. Taking on uncomfortable tasks helps build
God's passion in our hearts and reveals our faithfulness to Him.
Faith is not merely something we
profess; it is something that is tested through how we live, serve, persevere,
and continue to follow Christ—even when it is difficult.
James 2:17, 26
[17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.
[26] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for Your Word today. May we be willing
to take the test and be found faithful. May our service reflect Your
compassion, may our lives reflect Your love, and may our faith be seen through
the faithfulness of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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ELDER MALYN - JCRC CAMBODIA
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