DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
A large number of us have put on Christ by open confession of his name. Oh, Searcher of hearts, are we really in Christ? Have we been born again by his spirit? Will you be pleased to search our hearts, that this question may be put beyond all suspicion.
Help us to be very diligent in self-examination, observing whether our spirit be the spirit of your children, whether our griefs be the griefs that tear repenting hearts, whether our joys are the joys of faith or the delusions of presumption. May we make severe trial of ourselves often and often putting ourselves into the balances of the sanctuary, to see whether we be full weight or no.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Dear fellow believers, observe that you can know whether you are saved or not: assurance, yes, full assurance is within your grasp; but it is only to be obtained by a simple faith, and by a sincere and thorough examination of yourselves.
You are not to take it for granted that you are saved if you do, you may be sadly mistaken. The Spirit of God by the mouth of the apostle bids us “examine ourselves.” Of course we are to examine our lives, but he goes further, and says, “Examine yourselves.” Sin within will ruin even if it be not seen in act. Of course we are to examine our doctrines, but even more we are to examine ourselves. Heart error is more deadly than head error. Self-examination has not to do with garments but with the man himself. Yes, you did pray very prettily; but was that prayer out of yourself? Yes, sir, it was an admirable sermon and apparently very earnest, but is it your soul’s utterance, or only a parrot lesson? “Examine yourselves,” your own real persons, as in the presence of the Most High.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
A Book to Help You Test Yourself and Have Full Assurance
Today’s prayer and verse are very heavy: we have prayed that God would help us examine ourselves and we have been commanded by the Apostle Paul to examine ourselves. Here’s a resource to help you examine yourself: Am I Really a Christian? by Mike McKinley.
This book is a short Bible study on seven ways that the New Testament describes all Christians. If these things are true of you, praise God, you can have assurance that you are born again. If these things are not true of you, then come to the cross in faith and find life in Jesus’ resurrection.
This book is a great resource for any Christian struggling with assurance. It is also a great book to read with a non-believer who claims to be a Christian — buy two and read it with a nominal Christian you know this summer.
I hope you’ll take seriously the call to examine yourself, and I know that this book will be a helpful tool in the process.