8 Questions for Self-Examination

John R. Gentry There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know ones self, so said Benjamin Franklin in 1750. Self-examination is very difficult, but it must be done, and done often. Several passages express and explain the need for self-examination: Psalms 26 (25 RST); 119.59 (118.59 RST); 139.2324 (138.2324 RST); Lamentations 3.40; Haggai 1.5, 7; 1 Corinthians 11.2831; 2 Corinthians 13.56; Galatians 6.1, 4; James 1.2225; 1 John 3.1822. Examining and evaluating ourselves is often difficult because we deceive ourselves and are not honest with ourselves (cp Jer 17.9). As we draw one year to a close and begin another, let us do our best to honestly examine ourselves by asking the following eight questions.

1) Am I Studying? The very nature of the Bible demands our constant reading, study, and meditation. Several
passages explicitly state as much: Joshua 1.8; Psalm 1.2; 119.11, 15, 23, 78, 97 (118.11, 15, 23, 78, 97 RST); Proverbs 2.15; 18.15; Hosea 4.6; 6.3; Matthew 4.4; Ephesians 3.34; Colossians 1.10; 3.10; 1 Peter 2.2; 2 Peter 1.3, 5, 8; 3.18. Have you spent time reading from Gods word every day? Or have you been too busy to give God a few minutes each day to the reading and studying of his word? Have you meditated on his word as you go through the day? Or has your mind been filled with too much other stuff that has prevented you from thinking and digesting the spiritual nourishment from Gods word?

2) Am I Praying? To have a relationship with God means that we listen to him (previous point) and that we
speak to him in prayer. This is one of the most common themes of the Bible. On nearly every page of at least most books of the Bible (especially those of the New Testament) prayer is either directly mentioned or it is alluded to. Many of the psalms were prayers. Paul included words from his prayers in the first chapter of nearly every one of his letters. Here are a few other references to prayer: Matthew 6.515; 7.7 11; Luke 18.18; 21.36; Romans 12.12; Ephesians 6.18; Philippians 4.5b7; Colossians 4.24; 1 Thessalonians 5.17; James 5.13; 1 Peter 5.7. In the words of the hymn, Ere [meaning before] you left your room this morning, did you think to pray? Have you spent time several times a day praying to God every day? Or have you been too busy and too distracted to spend time talking with God? Praying to God is more than just thanking him for our food before we eat; it is more than just mumbling a few words before we lay our heads down at night; it is more than just occasionally reciting The Lords Prayer or The Prayer of Jabezprayer is about communicating with God what is going on inside of us, not that he doesnt know, but we need to express those things to him, and we need to continually be doing this. If you are not studying and praying every day you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity (Acts 8.22). You say, But I dont feel like that; I feel like I am doing ok spiritually. Simon didnt feel that way either, he had to be told that was his condition, and Im telling you. [Example of a faithful gospel preacher who stopped studying and praying and within a few months he had raped a young teenager, kidnapped her, faked both of their deaths, and began to take her to Mexico before getting caught.]

3) Am I Doing the Word? James said we are to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
ourselves (Jas 1.22; cp 2.1426; Matt 7.2127; Luke 8.21; John 13.17; Rom 2.13). Have you consciously and proactively been a doer of Gods word every day? Doing Gods word does not happen by accident; we dont just stumble into being a doer of his word. Another question worth considering here is whether we are doers of Gods word because we have studied Gods word for ourselves (see point 1) or simply because we have heard someone tell us that Gods word says we should do this or that?!

4) Am I Presenting My Body As a Living Sacrifice? Paul said this is what we are to do in Romans 12.1 (cp
ch 6, esp. Rom 6.13, 16, 19). To present our bodies as living sacrifices means we turn every aspect of our lives over to the will of God (Rom 12.2). Paul elaborated on what this means in Romans 12.221. Sacrifice also implies total commitment and giving up things of great value (cp 2 Sam 24.24). In order to fully and faithfully serve God, we will often need to sacrifice our time, efforts, energy, money, and comfort. We must make sacrifices of these things to help others, to talk to others about the gospel, to be doers of Gods word, and to attend all of the assemblies of the church for worship, the Bible classes the church has made available, and other works or events the church has decided should be done to carry out Gods will and work for the church. [Examples of missing services because of mowing the yard, laundry, family visiting, preparing meal for the visiting preacher.]

5) Am I Serving My Family? In Ephesians 5.226.5, Paul provided a wonderful synopsis and summary of a
godly family (cp Gen 18.19; Deut 4.9; 6.7; 11.19; Ps 78.4 (77.4 RST); Prov 19.18; 22.6; 29.17; 31.1031; Acts 18.26; Col 3.1821; 1 Pet 3.17; 2 Tim 3.15; Titus 2.45). Wives, have you been quietly submitting

to your husbands lead in all things? Husbands, have you been loving, cherishing, and leading your wives in all things? Spouses, have you been becoming more as one? Have you been studying Gods word together every day? Have you been praying together every day? Have you been working together to help others and to teach others the gospel? Parents, have you been teaching your children Gods word every day? Have you been bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Have you been proactively (vs reactively) raising them to be good and godly people? Children, have you been obeying and honoring your parents in all things every day? Families, have you been spending regular time worshiping God together, studying his word together, praying together, helping others together, and teaching Gods word to others together? Are you doing everything you can to help each other spend eternity together with God?

6) Am I Loving My Brethren? The need to love our brethren was clearly taught and emphasized by our Lord
in John 13.3435; 15.12, 17; 17.21 (cp 1 John 3.1124; 4.711, 2021; 5.12; 2 John 56). In Acts 2.42 47 and 4.3235, Luke recorded the example of the love between brethren in the first church in Jerusalem, in part, to show us how the Christians within a local church should love one another. These examples also show how effective a local church can be in spreading the gospel when they love one another. Loving our brethren is one of the most discussed topics topics in Pauls letters. He began the application section of Romans by emphasizing the proper relationship we are to have with our brethren (Romans 12; cp Rom 14.115.7). He began his letter addressing important needs among the Corinthian church by emphasizing that they must first be united (1 Cor 1.10). He continued many times in this letter to emphasize the need for them to have a loving relationship with one another (1 Cor 6.18; 8.111.1; 11.1734; 12.114.40; 16.14). In 1 Corinthians 13 he provided the greatest definition of love the world has ever known, and in this context he was not speaking about the love between a husband and wife (though they should also have this kind of love), but he was speaking about the love we are to have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.1326 are focused on our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The first applications of Pauls letter to the Ephesians are focused on our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Eph 4.116). The focus of Philippians 2.118 is on our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. In his letter to the Colossians, when Paul described what it means to put off the old man and put on the new man, he focused on our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Col 3.117). Indeed in every one of Pauls letters there is an emphasis placed on loving our brothers and sisters in Christ! Have you been loving all of your brothers and sisters every day? Or have you been holding grudges against one or more of them? Have you been speaking badly of them behind their backs or gossiping about them? Or have you been proactively thinking of ways to love them and build them up? Are you doing everything you can to help each other spend eternity together with God?

7) Am I Spreading the Gospel? There is a world lost in sin (Rom 3.23). This includes our neighbor, siblings,
parents, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, people in the community, in this nation, and throughout the world! These people are headed straight for hell fire! (Rom 6.23; 2 Thess 1.59; Matt 25.3146) The only way people all over the world are going to hear the gospel is if we tell them! (Rom 10.1317; cp Matt 28.1820; Mark 16.1516) Truly we must walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (Col 4.56; cp Matt 5.1416; 1 Pet 2.12; 3.15). Someone has coined the phrase We have been taught to teach, won to win, and saved to serve. Have you been living your life in such a way that others can see Christ living and in such a way that they would want to ask about your faith and hope? Or have you simply been blending in to the world around you? Have you been actively praying for the Lord to send out laborers and actively praying for those laborers? Or are you so focused on yourself and your own little world that you do not think of the world around you as dying in sin? Or maybe you do not think about the fact that there are many Christians throughout the world who are making sacrifices, even risking their lives to spread the seed of the gospel to others? Are you actively doing something every day to spread the seed to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others in this community and country? Or do you think that is the job of someone else?

8) Am I Helping Others? Jesus taught that those who help others will have eternal life while those who do
not help others will have eternal punishment in hell fire (Matt 25.3146). Paul said that we are to work with our hands so that we will have something to share with those in need (Eph 4.28; cp Acts 20.35; Gal 6.10; 1 Tim 5.8). James said that doers of the word, those who practice pure and undefiled religion, are those who help others; those who do not help others are deceiving themselves (Jas 1.1927). James also

said that those who having saving faith are those who work to help others, while those who have a faith that does not work to help others have a faith that does not save, a dead faith (Jas 2.1426). John said children of God help others (especially brothers and sisters in Christ) while those who do not help others are children of the devil (1 John 3.124). Have you been helping those in need on regular, daily basis? Or have you been so selfish that you have kept all of the blessings given to you by God to yourself? Do you actively seek out ways to help others? Conclusion If we are being honest with ourselves, these are hard questions. Surely no one can say that they cannot grow or improve in some way in all of these areas? It is not enough to simply ask ourselves these questions, we must actually do something with our honest evaluation (Ps 119.59 (RST 118.59); Lam 3.40). We must be willing to make changes and then we must actually make those changes! As we end this year and begin a new year, let us honestly examine ourselves and do everything we can to be better servants of God, to bring him more glory and honor, and encourage our families and our brethren, and to win more people to him in the upcoming year! May God help us to be better! Lords Supper: 1 Corinthians 11.1734, with special emphasis on vv2732.