Test Yourself! What Do You Have to Lose?

5/10/2007

None of us has to settle for just having religion. We can have genuine faith in Jesus! “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Cor 13:5. What do we have to lose?

1. You commit a specific sin…

Cheap Grace: …if you see it at all, you adopt the attitude of “the blood covers, so no big deal.” You excuse it. If you work up enough conviction to pray at all, it’s to ask for forgiveness, never to take responsibility and confess the sin and ask to be purified.

Justification by Works: …if you see it at all, you either do some “thing” to prop up your opinion of yourself, or you go into despair and beat yourself up until you feel like you’ve atoned for the sin. If you pray, it is with the attitude of proving yourself. You strive until you feel better.

A Disciple’s Heart: …your heart’s desire is to make sure you make things right with God. You are concerned, even alarmed; you’re ready to ‘fess up and accept whatever discipline God thinks necessary. You’re eager to get this sin out of your life. Your main concern is for how this sin affects Jesus and others, not yourself.

2. Someone else points out a sin in your life…

Cheap Grace: …you feel annoyed. You accuse the other person (maybe not out loud) of being self-righteous, legalistic, or judgmental. You may turn it into a theological discussion. You promise to pray about it (and then don’t). You blow it off.

Justification by works: …you feel acutely embarrassed and ashamed. You panic. You bring up your good points if you can. You resort to the “propping yourself up” or “beating yourself up” mode. You worry about how the other person will feel about you. You may attack.

A Disciple’s Heart: …you feel genuinely grateful. You don’t think so highly of yourself that you assume they couldn’t be right. You go right to God with it. In rare cases where you still can’t see it, you welcome the input of two or three others on it.

3. You see a sin in someone else’s life…

Cheap Grace: …if it’s someone who convicts you by his or her life, you’re delighted. You use their sin as justification for your own or as ammo in case they ever say something to you about your life. If it’s someone you regard as being on your “level,” you try to dissuade them from feeling bad about it. If it’s someone close to you, you offer excuses and justifications for it.

Justification by Works: …you compare yourself to them. You indulge in feelings of superiority. You think critical thoughts about them, and may talk about them behind their back. You imagine giving them a piece of your mind. If you talk with them personally (which is unlikely), you assume a lofty, elevated position.

A Disciple’s Heart: …neither carnal sympathy nor a critical spirit is an option. You are deeply concerned and totally willing to do something about it. You take a risk. You have a deep hatred for the sin, but a deep desire and fervent hope that the other person will see it. You are committed to seeing it through, bringing in the “two or three” witnesses if necessary. You’re not afraid of finding out you were wrong.

4. Your motives in the choices you make…

Cheap Grace: …you want happiness, pleasure, comfort, no conflicts, and as little accountability as possible. You don’t want your religion or your co-religionists impinging on your pursuit of self-gratification.

Justification by Works: …you want to feel good about yourself, to belong, to quiet your guilt, to prove that you’re OK, or at least as good as others. You want to find your place.

A Disciple’s Heart: …your genuine desire is to find out what pleases the Lord and do it. You have nothing left to prove and nothing left to lose. You have a burning zeal to see “the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering.”

5. Believers who are pressing on to attain the goal by faith…

Cheap Grace: …threaten you. You prefer the company of the lukewarm and half-hearted, or at any rate those you can intimidate or dominate.

Justification by works: …threaten you. It’s maddening to find someone else who seems to have a relationship with God effortlessly. In your heart, it’s Cain vs. Abel II.

A Disciple’s Heart: …attract you. “Deep calls to deep,” and it’s delightful and deeply satisfying to find someone else who knows Jesus. The Jesus in them is something you need and rejoice in!

6. Jesus is to you…

Cheap Grace: …your escape clause, your excuse to disobey, your grace-giver…but not your King.

Justification by Works: …a bunch of principles you talk a lot about, but not a person you can really say you know.

A Disciple’s Heart: …your Savior and King. Your Security and Peace. Your High Priest in every time of need. Your Standard, Pattern, and Example. Your Teacher. Your reason for living. And much more!

•  TEST of Any SALVATION That GOD Recognizes