Examine Your Walk with God

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 Corinthians 13:5

Do you ever doubt your Christianity? You are not alone. However, do not stay stagnant in your doubt. Analyze and examine your faith in God and your spiritual growth based upon God’s Word. Use these questions as a launching point:

1. Did a work start in you?

   • If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

   • 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 (Philippians 1:6).

2. Have you experienced God’s Spirit in you?

   • In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

3. Is there fruit of God’s Spirit growing in you?

   • 1 John focuses on spiritual growth. Here are some additional questions to consider in regard to how you are growing spiritually:

     • 1. Do you enjoy having fellowship w/Christ & Christians? (1 John 1:3)

     • 2. Would people say you walk in the light or darkness? (1 John 1:6-7)

     • 3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John 1:8)

     • 4. Are you obedient to God's Word? (1 John 2:3-5)

     • 5. Does your life indicate you love God or the world? (1 John 2:15)

     • 6. Is your life characterized by "doing what is right"? (1 John 2:29)

     • 7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John 3:3)

     • 8. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John 3:5-6) [i.e. not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a total absence of sin.]

     • 9. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John 3:14)

     • 10. Do you "walk the walk," vs just "talking the talk"? (1Jn 3:18-19)

     • 11. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John 3:21)

     • 12. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John 5:4)

4. Do you endure in the faith?

   • They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).