2 Corinthians 13:5–6 says, “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! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test."
I mentioned on Sunday that one of the ways that we can test ourselves is to examine our lives and our “good works.” John 15:8 says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” And Jesus makes it clear in several places that our works are evidence of our faith in Him (Mt. 7:16–20; John 14:15–24; Luke 13:3; Mt 12:34–35).
What are some other ways that “we can examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith”?
There are several ways to answer this question, but for our Foundations Class we have developed a list called “12 Evidences of a Transformed Life.” Meditate on these questions and look up these verses for more context.
12 EVIDENCES OF A TRANSFORMED LIFE
Commitment—Am I trusting in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior? (1 John 5:10–13; James 2:14–26)
Compliance—Do I desire to obey the Lord’s commands as revealed in His Word? (James 1:2–25, Luke 6:46; 1 John 2:3–5)
Confession—Do I confess my sin to God openly and honestly and do I confess my faith to others? (1 John 1:8–10; 1 John 4:1–6)
Consecration—Do I see a decreasing frequency of sin in my life? (1 John 3:4–10)
Courtship—Am I courting my relationship with Christ and developing a resistance to the world’s values? (1 John 2:15–17, 5:4–5; Romans 12:2)
Connection—Am I actively loving others who are believers in Christ? (1 John 2:9–11, 3:14–16, 4:7–8, 20)
Conduct—Am I producing good deeds and bearing fruit for God? (Matthew 7:16, 20; 1 John 2:29; John 15:8; Ephesians 2:8–10)
Continuation—Does my faith stick it out no matter what happens? (1 John 2:19; Matthew 10:22; John 8:31)
Control—Is the Holy Spirit controlling my life? (1 John 3:24, 4:13; Galatians 5:22–23 fruit)
Communication—Does my speech bring glory to God and build others up? (James 1:26; Matthew 12:34–35; Proverbs 18:21)
Change—Have I truly repented of my sins in thought and deed by turning to God as He has commanded me? (Acts 26:20; Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30–31)
Correction—Does the Lord discipline me with His loving correction? (Hebrews 12:8 [v. 4-11])
I pray that these will be helpful to you and bring confidence of your salvation, faith, and eternal security. God does not want us to be uncertain about the gospel or our salvation. Rather, He wants us to have a confidence that is unshakeable because God has promised that we are “once saved, always saved.” Our salvation begins with Him, is earned and secured by Him, and is completed by Him. For He is both the “Author and the Perfector of our faith" (Heb 12:2).
"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).