Examine yourselves

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified. - 2 Corinthians 13.5

Isn’t it easy to examine others and make a determination about how spiritual they are?  It is easy for me to look out and be critical of other people. I can certainly see their sin when I examine them. 

Sometimes it seems that some people have taken on a full time job of examining and judging everyone else. There are some who seem to think that their middle name is 'Holy Spirit.' All they do is sit as judge. 

The bad thing is that can find myself in that same situation. It is much more comfortable to examine them instead of me. 

Our church observes the Lord's Table every week. As part of that observance we are reminded to examine ourselves and make sure that we are in a right relationship with God and with each other. Self examination and testing should be a regular part of our walk. 

I honestly am not sure whether 'to see if you are in the faith' refers to seeing if you are really a believer or whether you are living in the faith. I tend to lean toward the latter. 

Either way the principle is clear. Though we are called to point out error and to correct an erring brother that is not our first place of focus. Our first place of focus is ourselves. And I know that I, for one, have plenty of work there.