“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Paul urges the Corinthians to examine themselves to see whether they really are living according to the teachings and practices of the Christian faith.
What is meant by “the faith” and what does it mean to be “in” the faith? Also, how can we test ourselves to know if we are in the faith?
What is “the faith”?
Depending on the context, the word “faith” has different meanings in the New Testament. It can refer to an individual’s personal faith or to the entirety of Christian beliefs and practices.
Here “the faith” refers to what someone must believe and do to really be a Christian. In this sense there is only one faith. There is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).
This one faith is the original faith revealed by God in the first century that must be preserved. In his letter, Jude says: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).
Thus, when we test ourselves as to whether we are in the faith, “the faith” is the original Christian faith defined in the New Testament.
Some people do not understand this, and think their personal faith will save them, regardless of what they believe. To have saving faith our personal faith must comply with that original faith revealed for all time in the first century. Are we in that faith?
Superficial faith is not “the faith”.
Saving faith is more than just believing in God.
James wrote: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. [But] Even the demons believe – and tremble!” (James 2:19). Many who believe in God are not saved because they are not in that one original faith. Saving faith is more that believing in Jesus. Many who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are not saved because their faith is different from the original faith. Their faith is not “the faith”.
In Romans 1:17 Paul writes: “The just shall live by faith.” This has a double meaning: We live because we have faith and we live according to our faith. It is not enough to believe in Jesus if our faith is not “the faith”.
Doing mighty works in the name of the Lord is not enough!
Jesus warned: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
These people believed in Jesus, they thought they were saved. But they were not in the one true faith. They were not doing the will of God. Jesus never knew them.
What is said in Scripture about being “in the faith”?
Churches must be “strengthened in the faith”! “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5).
We must “continue in the faith”! “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith” (Acts 14:21, 22).
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Colossians 1:21–23).
We must “stand fast in the faith”! “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
We must be “steadfast in the faith”! “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8, 9).
We must be “established in the faith”! “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6, 7).
We must be “sound in the faith”! “One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth” (Titus 1:12–14).
How can we know if we are “in the faith”?
The one, genuine, original Christian faith is defined in the New Testament. Thus, to test ourselves, we must compare ourselves with the teaching of the New Testament, the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. According to James 1:22-25, the word of God is like a mirror that shows us if we are in order with God or not.
Paul told Timothy: “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14–17).
What then does it mean to be “in the faith”?
To examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith, as commanded in our text, we must check to be sure that our personal faith, our manner of living and our church activities align with the original teachings and practices of the Christian faith as revealed in the Bible.
We must of course consult the entire New Testament to test ourselves, to be sure we are “in the faith”. We will mention a few important points
First, we must be sure that we were saved by obeying the gospel of Christ, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).
What then is the gospel and what does it mean to obey the gospel?
The word “gospel” means “good news”! The good news is that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of mankind. Being without sin Himself, He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Forgiveness of sins, membership in the church of Christ, and eternal life are given to those who believe and obey this gospel message. How do we obey the gospel?
To obey the gospel, we first must believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 8:36-38). We must confess our faith in Him (Romans 10:10) and we must repent of our sins (Acts 2:38). Then we must be baptized into the body, the church of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13).
After we obey the gospel we must “continue in the faith” by worshiping and serving God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We must assemble regularly with the church (Hebrews 10:24, 25). We must live according to “the faith” from day to day, walking in the light and not in darkness (1 John 1:6, 7).
Thus, are we really “in the faith”?
This is a serious matter. We must examine ourselves. We have seen that it is not enough just to believe that God exists, or even to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
- To be “in the faith” we must obey the gospel and become members of the body, the church of Christ.
- To be “in the faith” we must worship God in the church as taught in that original faith.
- To be “in the faith” we must live according to the New Covenant of Christ.
- To be “in the faith” we must serve God according to “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3)
Let us all heed the Lord’s command! “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Herselt, Belgium