Thanks so much for joining us today. We are honored to be with you and look forward to studying God’s Word together. Today’s lesson is our last lesson from II Corinthians. So, we will look at chapter 13. If there is any teaching from II Corinthians you missed or would like to hear again, no problem. We would love to help you with it. You can find it online at heraldsofhope.org. We do our best to keep our teaching here accessible.
Today, our title is a question: Are you in the faith? Let’s follow Pastor J Mark to chapter 13 as we finish our study of II Corinthians.
Medical care is a luxury in many places around the world, unaffordable to the common person. In some places, it’s almost nonexistent. The World Health Organization says access to medical care is a human right. I don’t necessarily agree with that statement, but that’s easy for me to say because I live in a part of the world with easy access to healthcare.
I’m now in my sixth decade and am constantly told I should have this test or that screening. I value my health, so I was recently screened for the risk of stroke, heart disease, and more. I don’t have a family history of those, but I thought it might be good to get checked out.
However, spiritual health is far more significant than physical health. Our physical lives are bound by time, but our spirits are eternal.
Did you know that just as there are tests for physical health, there are tests you can take to assess spiritual health? In this study, we will delve into these tests from the final chapter of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, encouraging you to engage in self-reflection.
The church at Corinth had spiritual ailments, and Paul closes this second letter by asking them a question that is just as applicable to you and me today. It is “Are You in the Faith?” Paul shows us how to find the answer to that question in Second Corinthians chapter 13.
This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established.”
2 I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare—
3 since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.
4 For though He was crucified in weakness, He lives by God’s power. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified.
6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we are glad when we are weak, and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.
10 Therefore, I write these things being absent, lest being present, I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
In the closing portion of this letter, Paul proposes several TESTS we can use to prove whether or not we are in the faith.
The First TEST we can use (to prove whether or not we are in the faith) is,
Examine the Source of Your Power
I want us to notice two phrases in verses one through five in this first section. They are “mighty in you” and “by the power of God.” The phrase, by the power of God, is mentioned twice. First, Christ lives by the power of God; that is, even though from a human viewpoint, His death seemed an obvious indication of weakness, He was resurrected by the life-giving power of God. Because of that, we, as Christians, live with Him by the power of Christ toward us.
Paul called his readers to examine themselves and determine whether they were (still) in the faith. What is “the faith?” Paul refers specifically to biblical faith, a belief in Jesus Christ. It’s not faith in myself, a creed, or a system but belief and trust in a person.
When you and I, by faith, accept the sacrifice of Jesus as the only sufficient payment for our sins, we become partakers of that same power that raised Christ from the dead. Our sins are forgiven, and we become new creations in Christ.
When Paul calls us believers to test ourselves, it implies a deliberate attempt to measure our spiritual condition. Proving is the result that comes out of the testing. If Jesus Christ is “mighty in you,” you will pass the test.
There are only two sources of power in the world: God and Satan. Satan exercises his power in the hearts of the unsaved. Their focus is on themselves, their pleasure, and their benefit. Living like that takes no power; you follow your natural inclinations.
God exercises His power in the hearts of those who have trusted Him for their salvation. Their focus is on bringing glory to Him by loving and serving others. They submit to His will and allow His power to flow through them to others.
Testing the source of power in your life will answer the question, “Are you in the faith?”
The Next TEST we can use (to prove whether or not we are in the faith) is,
Examine the Motivation for Your Choices
How do you respond if someone makes an offensive comment about you? If you react by the power of God, you will forgive them and try to return good for evil.
In this context, Paul is asking them to test the motives for their actions, not so he would look good, but so they would learn to do what was right. He warned them that when he came to Corinth the next time, he would exercise discipline as needed, even severe discipline.
He didn’t want to do that. Paul would much rather be seen as “weak” so that the Corinthians would be strong in doing what was right. He reassured them that any discipline would be for their improvement, not their destruction. Many church leaders today could learn from Paul’s example.
While Paul was dealing with their motives, there was another aspect to this. Motivation gives evidence of maturity or the lack of it to some degree. Paul wanted the Corinthian Believers to become mature in their faith. This is a common theme in this letter. Mature Believers don’t need the threat of discipline hanging over them to make the right choices. They do right because they know it’s right. The power of the Holy Spirit in them guides their choices.
When was the last time you deliberately evaluated your spiritual condition? Do your life choices prove that you are living under the control of the Holy Spirit? Those lifestyle choices DO NOT save you. Let’s be clear about that. But they indicate whether you are genuinely in the faith.
As you examine the motivation for your choices in life, are you in the faith?
The Final TEST we can use (to prove whether or not we are in the faith) is,
Examine the Level of Your Love
Paul had written a long letter to the Corinthians and addressed many issues. Now he’s coming to the end of it. In closing, he gives them several ways to test the level of their love for God and each other. First, he writes, “be perfected.” What a warning for such a conflicted congregation! The grammar indicates continuous action, and I understand that ancient physicians used this word to speak of a joint being put back into its proper place after a dislocation. A dislocated joint is painful; it causes weakness, and we cannot perform at the level we should. Dislocations in relationships have the same effect; they cause pain and dysfunction.
And then, “Take courage.” This is the same word used repeatedly in the New Testament to describe the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. Paul encourages the Corinthians to receive admonition that will comfort them. It would call them to put their arm around a brother or sister in mutual love and respect and accept the same love in return.
He says, “be of one mind and live in peace.” The church in Corinth was notorious for its contention and conflict. Don’t be the person that’s known to have a quick temper.
There are many people today who loudly and publicly proclaim their love for God, but the evidence of their love for their brothers and sisters in Christ is almost nonexistent. Some even state openly that they do not need the local church. But call to mind the words of the apostle John. “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God MUST love his brother also.”
Paul closes his instruction by urging them to demonstrate that love to their brothers and sisters in a tangible way, a kiss of love. Historically, it was practiced at the celebration of the Eucharist or what many of us today call Communion. A minority of churches still practice it today.
When did you last evaluate your love for your brothers and sisters? Think of your most recent interactions with those in your local fellowship. How did you respond to their questions, opinions, and choices? Were you willing to truly hear what they were saying, or were you more concerned about your agenda?
Were you willing to see their ideas preferred over yours? Were you “… tenderhearted, courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this…” These are all ways to test the level of your love for the brotherhood, and they are vital in determining whether or not you are still in the faith.
The final verse of Second Corinthians contains the most complete benediction in all of Paul’s letters. Here, he invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit upon each of them and the whole group.
I encourage you to meditate on that benediction and see how these three expressions of God’s person align with the tests we’ve examined in this teaching.
Are you in the faith? Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures, these three tests will enable you to discern the answer to that all-important question.
Thanks, J Mark, for sharing these three tests with us. This self-examination is a good thing for us to do, but before you can do it, you need to have a level of maturity. What’s the reason for this behavior? What is motivating me? This may take time and effort, primarily if you are not used to asking yourself these questions.
This is one of many places in scripture where we are given this instruction. In I Cor 11, where Paul explains the Lord’s supper, he tells us we should examine ourselves before eating the bread or drinking the cup. Examining ourselves, we aim to see if we are in the faith. Are we walking with Jesus as we should? With God’s help, ask those questions, think about J Mark’s advice, and Lord willing, you will become more like Jesus.
As I mentioned earlier, this is our last lesson from II Corinthians. Let us know if you missed any teaching or want to hear it again. An easy way to reach out to us is through our website, heraldsofhope.org, where you can find all the other lessons from II Corinthians. You can also send us an email at [email protected]. You also have the option of writing to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. Feel free to contact us, however it is easiest for you.
Blessings as you serve our God right where he placed you. Lord willing, we will be together again next week as we continue studying God’s Word.
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.
Heralds of Hope is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit
Sign-up to get a sermon straight to your inbox on a weekly basis!
