ARE YOU STILL IN THE FAITH?: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 28TH AUGUST 2018

MEMORISE:
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Corinthians 13:5

READ: Psalm 139:21-24
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

MESSAGE
It is possible for a person who once walked with god to drift out of the faith. This is the reason why 2 Corinthians 13:5 says:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

From this scripture, we see that it is possible for a person not to know that he or she is no longer in the faith, especially if such a person has become a reprobate. To become a reprobate can be likened to spiritual insanity. When a person is psychologically insane, he or she can no longer differentiate between good and evil.

For example, a mad person wandering around naked will regard someone who is properly dressed as abnormal for putting on clothes. In the same way, when a child of God that has been taught to be properly dressed now begins to dress half nude in the name of fashion, something fundamental has gone wrong in his or her life. The fellow must conduct a critical, biblical examination of his or her faith.

The Psalmist made a wise request from the Lord in Psalm 139:23-24. He asked the Lord to carry out a thorough search of his inner man to see if there is anything contrary to His nature in it. This suggests that we can pray to the Lord, as the revealer of all secrets, to reveal the true state of our hearts to us.

When a reprobate person prays this prayer sincerely, God will come to his or her aid to remove the scale covering the eyes of the heart from seeing its true state. The Psalmist prayed that God should graciously find out for him any iota of wickedness that might exist in him and lead him out of it onto the way of righteousness.

The easiest way the Lord does this for His genuine children is through His written word. In Psalm 119:9, the Holy Spirit revealed the secret of righteous living, saying:

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

The word of God enables us to examine whether we are still in the faith. It acts as a mirror that shows our true state (James 1:22-25). When God’s word illuminates your ways, you will see where you might have erred (Psalm 119:105).

The word does not stop at revealing sin in our lives, it also cleanses us from sin, but only if we allow it impact and change our lives (Ephesians 5:26-27). Beloved, if you sincerely want to examine if you are still in the faith, study the word.

ACTION POINT:
Pray the Psalmist’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 78-80 Matthew 26:47-68

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.