“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” II Corinthians 13:5 Am I saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone – totally apart from any work of my own? This is the only way in which God saves and receives sinners. The saved are therefore told, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph.2:8). The true convert acknowledges what is taught in Romans 3:10-31, that he is completely devoid of any self righteousness; that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to him by God’s grace and through faith in Jesus Christ. Many professing converts deny this truth. They boast of some virtue or deed of self-righteousness which they feel commends them to God. They may boast of the saving virtue of their response to an “altar call,” or their baptism, or Sabbath-keeping, or church membership, or some other good deed. Such have not been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; therefore do not know salvation. Am I constantly repenting of my sin? Every true convert does. He is aware that in spite of his conversion, he still possesses the sinful nature. So keenly is he aware of the sinfulness of his old sinful nature that he condemns himself to be the “chief” of sinners (I Tim.1:15) and so aware of the constant warfare of his sinful nature against the law of God implanted in his heart that he cries “O wretched man that I am! (Rom.7:22-24). Therefore he manifests that “godly sorrow which produces repentance to salvation” (II Cor.7:10). He constantly avails himself of the promise of God in I John 1:9 “if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). The assumed-convert acts otherwise. He does not consider himself to be such a sinful person, and even mocks those who do. Indeed, he perhaps considers himself holier than others – for which reason he is an abomination to God (Isa.65:5). He may even consider himself sinless, and thereby deceives himself and proves that he is devoid of the truth (I John 1:8). He sees no need to constantly repent of his sin. Am I demonstrating the fruit of godliness in my daily life? Every true convert does. He is obedient to the exhortation of Paul in Gal.5:16: “Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” What is it to “fulfill the lust of the flesh?” It is to perform the “works of the flesh” (Gal.5:19-21): “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” If this is the tenor of your life, your conversion was not true conversion. You are still in your sins. What is it to “walk in the Spirit?” It is to manifest the “fruit of the Spirit” in our daily walk (Gal.5:22-25): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit.” This is the walk of the true convert. What do you find when you “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the flesh?”
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