Evaluate Yourself!

[Yokuo]

This seemed the best place to share. I urge you to read the whole post.

Dear friends, tonight, as we have hit the midnight hour, I feel the urge to share with you something I was taught tonight.

Examine Yourselves!

2nd Corinthians 13:5a reads "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves."

These days, in American culture, it seems so easy to become a Christian. First, we make a decision that God is the creator and we should worship Him. Then we talk to the pastor, and he says some prayer with you. Suddenly, through this prayer, Jesus comes in to your heart.

Is that not how the church teaches us? Though it sounds foolish, it is the truth, an you must guard against such things, my friends. It's about more than some prayer. It's about a TRUE repenting heart, and a true urge to know God, and a true admittance that you are indeed nothing without Him.

Here are some 'statistics' for you: "65% of America is saved." "95% of Americans believe themselves Christians." And, as mentioned earlier, we believe that through just saying one prayer at one point in our lives, we are Christians bound for Heaven. This is foolish!!! Salvation is not a flu shot that you have injected into you, and suddenly you are immune torwards Hell! It sounds silly when worded like that, does it not? But that is the common belief today!

You can tell if you have been saved. There will be changes in your life. You will <b>hate</b> what you once loved, and <b>love</b> what you once hated. You will <b>hate</b> your sin! You will <b>love</b> God! These are things that you, in your own fleshly desires can't accomplish, so don't fool yourself into thinking you can do such a thing! Paul Washer puts it thusly: "The evidence that you are once repented ithat you are <i>still</i> repenting today!

Did you know most of us compare ourselves to one another? This seems obvious, right? Well, this is a dangerous practice within the church regarding our faith. If we compare ourselves to one another, and see that we are "good", what does it matter, as the one you compare yourself to may be Hellbound!? We should only compare ourselves again Jesus Christ, God the Son, and try to live up to His standard, which is impossible to fully achieve, since we are not God.


In 1st John, there are several tests you can use to evaluate your faith. John tells us in 5:13 that "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life". John gives us tests. Here, we will cover some of the tests. Please read on with me, dear friends, as this should greatly benefit you as it did me!


1st John 1: 5-6: "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."

Let's stop here for a second. "What is this 'walk in darkness' business? Does this mean that if I sin, it's over?" By no means! This phrase refers to living a lifestyle over a period of time that contradicts His style of living. For instance, if you follow me around, and catch me sin, it shows I am human, but does not mean I am a non-Christian. But if you catch me sinning regularly as a lifestyle, it means I am not a believer. So, the first test is that <b>The Genuine Christian's Lifestyle Will Conform To God's Will!</b>

That's one down. I hope you passed that test, but if not, you must evaluate yourself and consider that you may not be a true believer. Let's continue, regardless, shall we?


1st John 1: 8-10: "If we claim to be without sin, we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word ha no place in our lives."

<b>The True Christian Is Sensitive To And Will Battle Against Their Sin!</b>

The true Christian knows when they have sinned, are absolutely broken over their sin, and this leads to confession and repentance. Did you know the Godliest people are those who are the most broken? This is because they are sensitive to their sin, and troubled over it the most! Stop and think for a moment, when was the last time you wept over your sin? When was the last time your sin troubled you so much that you just had to cry out to God?

Let us continue to the third thing now.


1 John 2: 3-4: "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

<b>The One Who Knows Him Keeps His Commands!</b>

Basically speaking, if your relationship with sin has not changed (if after you became a "Christian", you did not begin hating sin as God hates sin), then your relationship with God has not changed either (you are not a real Christian)!

Do you know Him and keep His commands? All of His commands to the best of the ability He has given you in Him? We'll go on to the fourth one now.


1 John 2: 6: "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."

Earlier, I mentioned that we should compare ourselves to Jesus, and not each other, as Christ is the only role-model we need!! Do you remember when you were little, and it would snow outside, how your father would always leave such HUGE footprints? I know I do. And, in striving to be like our daddy, we wouild walk in those prints, and though we would sometimes look foolish, or stumble and fall, we would try to walk those prints, because we wanted to look like dad. The same can be said for being Christlike. Sometimes we may seem the fool. Sometimes we will slip up and fall, we will sin. But this won't be our lifestyle; rather, it will be to live Christlike!

<b>We Should Make Jesus Our Role Model And Strive To Be Like Him In Everything We Do!</b>

Big task to live up to, isn't it? That's why you need God! And you need to be a true Christian! We'll go to the next step now.


1 John 2: 9-11: "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever htes his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."

When we talk about brothers here, who we are referring to are Christian brother/sisters. And this refers to he who loves his brothers and is led to lay down his life for them if need be! This is no small task here, dear friend. But moreover, what this test means is <b>The One Who is Christian Desires To Be With Christians, To Grow And To Learn With Them!</b>

Do you desire fellowship wth believers?


1 John 2: 15-17: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

Does your lifestyle reflect God or the world, my friend? What do you love most? God, or material posessions that will some day fade away? If your answer if "material possessions", you need to evaluate yourself. Everything we do should be for the glory of God, and when we come to Him, the very essense of us should be changed by the Holy Spirit coming in us! That's how we know.

<b>We Must Love God More Than The Possessions Of This World</b>

Now we'll skip ahead. There are far more tests, and I encourage you with all my heart to read them all.


1 John 5: 12: "He who has the son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Christ should be our only. He should be our whole life, not just one part. God shouldn't be on the backburner, some obligation that we fulfill when we are forced to. We should instead WANT, CRAVE to put Jesus first.

<b>We Should Have A Desire For Christ, For Without Him, We Have Nothing. Our Life Is But Dung!</b>


So, I have shared with you seven of the tests from 1st John tonight. I pray that you have carefully read through them all and taken time and considered each and every one. And I pray that you know now, without ANY doubt, that you are a believer, but if you find yourself failing these tests, it's time to seriously ask Christ into your heart. This might require nghts and days of prayer, crying out for Him, but, my friend, it is <b>worth it</b>!

Please keep in mind, we will stumble and fall, but the true Christian will life a lifestyle worthy of Christ! Evaluate yourself. Are you living in a style pleasing to God?


Tonight I heard a man named Paul Washer preach on this subject, and I felt led to share these facts he shared with you, along with whatever else God told me to throw in. I would like to tell you to sleep easy, but if you have failed any of these tests, you should be praying, crying out to Him right now, not sleeping. I pray for all of you, that you have gotten something out of this reading. Please, I urge you to read all of 1st John!

Live for Christ, because all else is but dust in the wind.


Love,
Yokuo

[All 4 Him]

Wow...very, very powerful...thank you so much for posting that, it really woke me up.

[K. Ayato]

Can I get a "Hooah?"

[Yokuo]

Thanks for reading guys.

I'm really really glad it woke you up, All 4 Him. I think we all need to be shaken sometimes.