Jun 9, 2024
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
In the middle of his declaration of preaching the gospel to the Corinthians and of their reception of the message, Paul drops in the phrase "unless you believed in vain" (1 Cor 15:2). There are passages in the New Testament that present to us the notion of a kind of belief that comes short of saving faith. It is the kind of faith that James says is 'dead' (Jam 2:17,26).
It is possible to accept the facts about Jesus without trusting in Him and bitterly confessing one's sins and pleading for mercy. Jesus said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples" (Jn 8:31). A genuine believer remains in Jesus' word. Such a person obeys it, seeks to understand it better, and finds it precious and controlling and strengthening. The word of Christ feeds the soul and rejoices the heart and instructs the mind. And this desire for the word of Christ remains all the days of the disciple's life.
Clearly does the Bible command us to examine ourselves. "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!" (2 Cor 13:5).
The question becomes, "How do I know that my faith is genuine?" The Biblical tests are things like perseverance, desire to obey God's commands, love for God, love for other believers, hatred for our sins. Isn't it chilling to hear Jesus say, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 7:21). Let us carefully and sincerely examine ourselves to make sure our believing is not in vain.