Testing Our Faith

March 10, 2024 Background Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13: 1 - 11 Lesson Passage: 2 Corinthians 13:5 - 11 As a student, I hated tests in all forms: quizzes, exams, midterms, finals, etc. Somehow tests appeared to be judgmental from my perspective as a student. I can be okay with "thinking" I have learned a lot. Tests, on the other hand, can show me that I have not learned enough to move beyond this series of lessons, or lectures! However, my perspective about tests is different as an Instructor. As an instructor, I love all forms of tests. From an instructor' s perspective, tests are a means to evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching. If many of the students do poorly on a test, perhaps the instructor did not convey the information effectively. Tests are a means to evaluate healthy growth in a learning environment. Tests can be healthy for both instructors and students. Likewise, spiritual tests have very targeted objectives that are uniquely beneficial to children of God. But we should remember that God is omniscient. There is no information that God is not fully aware of before, during, or after the spiritual tests of a person. The potential for growth is only available for the student who is tested spiritually. In today's Lesson Passage, Paul encouraged the Christians at Corinth to grade their own paper. He admonished them to examine, or test, themselves. He did so because some in that congregation questioned his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ. This lesson's passage was indeed a sharp rebuke of their criticism of him, Paul suggested they first check to be sure Jesus had saved them before they seek to judge whether Jesus had called him as an apostle. If they did find they had the faith of Jesus Christ in them, that faith is proof of Paul' s ministry among them. If they were born again, it was the result of Paul's evangelistic ministry among them—they were begotten again through Paul's preaching of the gospel. A true assessment of themselves would show plainly if they were of the faith of Jesus Christ or not. Eternal salvation is too important for a person not to be certain about their spiritual status. It can be easy to be religious and claim such religion to be a manifestation of one's faith. Evil actions are not of God. Contrariwise, the Spirit of Christ within a person will cause that person to live honorably. No person is in a better position to judge this than the individual. There are benefits to grading one's own paper. The word of God speaks of the trying of one's faith as giving birth to patience. Patience will lead to spiritual maturity. Christian character that exhibits patience engenders hope in the believer. Hope sustains us through the trials of life. In other words, the testing of our faith produces Christian character that is prepared to endure anything. So, why did Paul write about this subject of testing one's faith? Simply put, some of the members of the Corinthian congregation were behaving as though they were not saved. Schisms, or cliques, had formed in the congregation. Again, some even questioned Paul's authenticity as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul had contacted them twice prior to this letter. Each time Paul offered spiritual guidance to correct wayward behavior within the congregation, and to help the congregation grow spiritually. They continued to encounter difficulty because of their lack of spiritual maturity. They could not achieve being of one mind with worldly behavior. As the apostle sent by Jesus to win them to eternal life, Paul had the difficult task of teaching them so they could mature spiritually. An important aspect of Paul's teaching was for them to learn the discipline of testing their own faith. When we feel the urge to criticize another's ministry, that may be a cue that it is time to grade our own paper! Robert C. Hudson February 23, 2024