May 28
Living in the Faith
2 Corinthians 13:1-13

Key Verse: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

We pray for the college students who attend our church, especially during exam time. They face a lot of pressure during the week when they are tested in every subject. They want to do their best and sometimes they are afraid they will fail, so they welcome the prayers of others.

Paul speaks of a far more important test. He warned his friends in Corinth to examine themselves to make sure they were living in the faith. He wanted them to be more than casual believers; he wanted them to have the inward assurance of salvation to the point that they were sure of their standing before God.

Chet Williams came to Auburn University to play football. When things turned sour for him, he became an angry young man. In a crucial time of testing Chet turned to his friend Kyle Collins, a teammate, who asked him some penetrating questions.

"Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?" Kyle asked.

Chet said, "Yes, of course. I was baptized at age nine, gone to church all my life, and served on the usher board."

Kyle replied, "I am not asking if you are a church member. I am asking if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

Chet and Kyle went to their knees, both in tears. Chet realized that indeed he did not have a personal relationship with Christ. But that night he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

"When I went to my knees in brokenness, I was a sinner bound for hell," Chet said. "But I prayed the sinner's prayer, which I had never heard before in my entire life. I confessed my sins and invited Christ to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. When I stood up I was a sinner saved by grace and now bound for heaven."

Chet realized that going to church does not save a person, anymore than going to class will cause a student to make all A's.

The great test is not what we have done for God but what we have allowed God to do for us. The only way to pass the ultimate test is to be sure, very sure, that, having surrendered your life to Christ, you have given Him authority to live in your heart as Savior and Lord. If Jesus Christ lives in you, and you live in Him, you know it, and by God's grace you are indeed living in the faith!