In today’s post … How can you be sure you belong to God and your faith is genuine saving faith? How can you, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith” as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians?
We’ll also read about the schemes of the enemy and how the devil wraps up sin so deceptively, talk about imprecatory prayer and look at what happens when we don’t exercise self-control.
Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 35 & 36
Psalm 109.6-13
Proverbs 25.27-28
2 Corinthians 13.1-14
Is Your Faith Genuine?
2 Corinthians 13.1-14:
What Is the Test of Genuine Faith?
In our reading yesterday, Paul wrote:
20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; 21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced (2 Cor. 12.20-21).
After that sharp rebuke, he wrote:
5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Cor. 13.5 NASB).
As believers, we can and do sin, but genuine believers will experience conviction and, eventually, repent. If we can sin without any conviction, we too should examine ourselves to see if we are really saved.
So, what should we look for as we examine ourselves?
Fruit of a Redeemed Life
No amount of “good fruit,” what is often called good works, can save us. The Prophet Isaiah said, “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Is. 64.6). Paul said, “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3.20) and when writing to the Ephesians, he said:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2.8-9).
We are saved by God’s grace as we put our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. But Paul went on to say in the next verse of Ephesians 2:
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph. 3.10).
So, while good works cannot save us, the result of a changed life will be good fruit.
The fruit will vary in degree and amount and even the speed with which it is produced, but a redeemed life will produce good fruit. In fact, Jesus said, “You will know a tree by its fruit” (Lk. 6.44). And John the Baptist warned the Pharisees, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Lk. 3.8).
That fruit should include:
- A desire to grow and change.
- A hunger for God’s Word.
- A love for other believers and for the world.
- Conviction of sin (like living together when unmarried, any kind of sexual sin, drunkenness, unforgiveness and bitterness, gossip, dishonesty, and other integrity issues).
Spirit Produced Fruit
One important thing to remember is that God’s grace not only saves us (Eph. 2.8-9) but also enables us to make the changes and obey those things He has commanded us to do. When we accept Christ by faith and are born again spiritually, God’s spirit takes up residence in us (Acts 2.38, 1 Cor. 6.19). He convicts us of sin (Jn.16.8), teaches us so we can understand God’s truth (Jn. 14.26), and gives us the power to live obediently (Acts 1.8).
Likewise, the fruit that validates our faith is not something we grit our teeth and try to produce so we’ll look good to others. We can’t do that anymore than an apple tree can try to produce apples. It produces apples because it’s an apple tree.
Instead, the Holy Spirit places new righteous desires in our hearts and as we act on those new desires, He empowers us to choose to do right.
If you don’t see that kind of fruit in your life, you might want to read this post and watch the video that is linked there. Then talk to a pastor. Ask him to help you find a mature Christian to walk alongside you to help and encourage you in your walk with God.
Today’s Other Readings:
Isaiah 35 & 36:
The Schemes of the Enemy
Chapter 36 repeats a story from the life of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19). The King of Assyria had sent the Rabshakeh, a chief prince in the Assyrian court, as his representative to convince the Israelites to surrender. First, he stood outside the city wall and tried to intimidate them into surrendering. He even attacked their faith in God:
18 Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
Then when scare tactics didn’t work, he tried sweetening the deal by saying, in effect, “Look, if you just surrender, I’ll let you stay here in your own homes and your own land until later when I come back for you and take you to a really nice place, almost like this.”
In other words, see what I can do for you! Don’t trust your God, trust me!
Nothing much has changed when it comes to the deceitfulness of our enemy, has it? He’s still trying to deceive us into trusting in everything but the Lord.
So, how will Hezekiah and the people respond? To be continued in tomorrow’s reading …
For now, let’s see how he designs temptations just for us.
How Satan Designs His Schemes for Us
James tells us:
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Verse 14 uses hunting and fishing terminology to paint a picture. The devil is not omniscient but he has had thousands of years to figure out what bait works with certain people. He dangles it in front of us hoping we won’t see the hook and take a bite.
If we’re single and want a mate, he often tries to convince us to quit waiting on God’s choice and look to the world. The result is the loss of our testimony and often a lifetime of consequences.
If we’re married, he may get our eyes on our spouse’s flaws or on someone else who we think makes more money, is more attractive, or will treat us better.
When it comes to material goods, he tries to convince all of us that we need more “stuff” instead of being content with what God has provided. In the process, he steals our joy and the peace that comes from resting in God.
And when it comes to pleasure, he works hard to keep us believing that pleasure can only be found outside of God’s parameters when, in reality, the only lasting pleasure and satisfaction can be found in God.
But part of the deception is in how he wraps sin in such pretty packages (Heb. 3.13) to make it look harmless.
Gift-Wrapped Lies
“You can have lunch with that married co-worker; you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just friends. Besides, he’s a guy; maybe he can help you understand your husband better.”
Many a workplace friendship has become a marriage-destroying adulterous affair. Even when it doesn’t become a full-blown affair, it damages the intimacy between a husband and wife and, often, destroys trust.
“You can try this drug just once, you won’t end up hooked!”
That drug addict living on the street once chose to believe the same lie.
“Living together is fine as long as you’re ‘committed.’ After all, a wedding license is ‘just a piece of paper.'”
While marriage may be attested to by a piece of paper called a marriage license, marriage is much more than that. It was created by God in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2.24) and is the building block of society. Jesus affirmed the institution of marriage at the wedding in Cana and when He spoke to the woman at the well.
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true” ( Jn. 4.16-18 ESV).
Satan has no new tricks. He’s a deceiver. Jesus called him the father of lies (Jn. 8.44). And only the truth can protect us from his deception.
Psalm 109.6-13:
Imprecatory Prayer
This prayer by David against his enemies is called an imprecatory prayer. Probably most of us have felt like praying a prayer like this at one time or another.
“Set a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand” (v. 6). Lord, why don’t you do to her what she’s doing to me?
“When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin” (v. 7). I hope he gets caught!
“Let his days be few, and let another take his office” (v. 8). Lord, let his boss catch him and fire him. Let him see how it feels.
“And let strangers plunder his labor. Let there be none to extend mercy to him” (vv. 11-12). I hope she loses everything and has to file for bankruptcy!
First, we must remember this prayer was prayed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and looked forward to the enemies of Christ whom a Holy God will someday judge. Too often, our imprecatory prayers have more to do with being hurt or offended personally. They are self-focused rather than focused on the righteousness of God.
Instead, Jesus told us:
… love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matt. 5.44).
May God help us to live our lives His way even when it’s not easy.
Proverbs 25.27-28:
Without Rule Over Our Emotions
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls (v. 28).
When we fail to be in control of our emotions, our thoughts, and our reactions by responding the way that feels right at the moment, we leave ourselves open to the attacks of the enemy.
Emotions are real and can be powerful, but they are lousy leaders. May we seek to be under the control of the Holy Spirit and not our own emotions.
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we will look at legalism and grace, biblical prosperity and the prosperity doctrine, and talk about freedom, bondage, and co-dependency.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.
If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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