Testing Our Faith (2 Cor. 13:5-6)

Today’s scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

Sometimes when I’m studying God’s word, I like to look at several versions of the same verses. Meditating on different ways of saying the same thing helps me to better understand what God is saying.

Other versions of verse five of today’s scripture say:

Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. If you pass the test, you will discover that Christ is living in you. But if Christ isn't living in you, you have failed (CEV)

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out (MSG).

Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? (AMP).

Test. Examine. Evaluate.

I’m currently teaching four classes, and testing, examining, and evaluating are high on my list of things to do. When I test my students, I’m looking for a breadth of knowledge. How well did they study? How well do they know the material?

It’s the same when we test our faith. How well do we know God? How well do we know His word? Are we studying it daily? Meditating on in? Saturating ourselves with its truths?

If someone were to test us, would we pass? While we may not be handed a pop quiz about our faith, we need to “always be ready to give an answer when someone asks [us] about [our] hope” (1 Peter 3:15, CEV).