Test Yourself!

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 ESV)

Paul didn’t mince words when he said “test yourself!”. This evening, I watched a video clip of a supposedly ‘Christian’ Hip Hop singer preaching to a group of youngsters on why tattoo is not a sin for Christians and how he’d happily endorse it if you are ‘tattooing to the glory of Christ’. I don’t know this dude personally but he’s apparently popular in some Christian circle. Don’t worry, this post is not about what music I endorse or not 🙂

The fact that many Christians are at the point where the Bible and the Holy Spirit is no longer enough for them is worrying. We have categories of folks who either don’t read their bibles anymore or do so with suspicion. We are eager for and content with someone else interpreting the scriptures to us than praying for understanding and insight from the Holy Spirit when we read. Test yourself!

Some things we argue about today in many Christian forums worry me. I really don’t understand how a spirit-filled Christian wants to be convinced about whether tattoos are godly or not. I genuinely understand that some people need to know, especially new Christians. And that’s not the group I’m referring to here. I’m talking about long-standing Christians who are now arguing about things they once were convicted and convinced about; convictions they find ‘uncomfortable and outdated’ today because ‘the world has moved on’
I have news for you my friend: THE WORD OF GOD HAS NOT MOVED. Test yourself!

Paul’s warning couldn’t be timelier: Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves…
Every week, I see things that make my heart bleed for Christ’s church. We must wake up. Remember when sin used to be a no-go area for you? Test yourself; do you still easily discern appearances of sin? Do you still flee from it? Do you retain the same passion for holiness and hatred for sin? Test yourself!

I encourage everyone who reads this blog post to do what I’m doing tonight: examine yourself! Test yourself! Don’t let any man sell you the wrong bill of goods! Don’t settle for less. For God, it’s either holiness (without which no man shall see the Lord) or nothing. When you resolve to serve God that way, trust me, your Christian life will be different. Some will call you radical, but God will call you “good and faithful servant”.

I do my research every year and I’ve consistently found out that ‘Christian celebrities and Pastors’ that fail to promote and pursue holiness, righteousness and purity openly and privately end up compromising. I don’t need another man who’s in need of grace as I am to be the source and final stop of my scriptural interpretation; the Holy Spirit is more than enough for me. Is that a call to stop listening to your God-inspired Pastor? By no means!!! Rather, it’s a call to a deeper personal relationship with God, so that we ensure that those things we hear are so! (Acts 17:11)

Test yourself!