The Sword Room

How does a Christian do self-examination?

Let’s begin by explaining how a Christian doesn’t do self-examination. Any kind of introspection, or looking inward, that is not done in connection with and under the authority of the Word of God is subjective mysticism. Here I am using the term mysticism to describe the contemplative process of looking into oneself for truth, whether it be the truth about the nature of God, the meaning of life, or our identity as human beings. Some would say that there are valid forms of Christian mysticism, but in the interest of clarity I advocate tossing the word out all together when we discuss Bible-based meditation and self-examination.

The only authoritative objective standard we have for examining ourselves is the Word of God–period. Not only does Scripture tell us who God is, but it also informs us of who we are in relation to God. The Bible is described in James 4:23 as a mirror in which a man beholds his face. When we read and study the Bible we see who we really are in light of who God is and what He requires of us. When we become doers of that Word the truth is impressed on our hearts and we retain it. So to do real examination we must prayerfully consider our hearts and lives under the searchlight of the Word. No two ways about that.

If we simply look inward and ask God to somehow reveal information about Himself and ourselves apart from Scripture we will be trusting in our inner impressions for so-called words from on high. This kind of a practice can appear very spiritual on the surface, but in reality “letting the Spirit lead” often results in our being led by the flesh. Nor am I denying the reality of promptings and such from the Spirit. But such experiences are never on par with the Bible, nor should they be relied upon in lieu of a steady intake of the Word. Of course God is sovereign and can work in a variety of ways–after all, he spoke though a donkey on one occasion. But these unique blessings should be a supplement to rather than a substitute for the Word of God

I could tell you of some rather extraordinary ways in which the Spirit has led me over the years; and I am sure you could share some great war stories with me as well. So don’t mistake what I am saying: I am not one who rules out the sovereign working of the Holy Spirit through His people to do miracles, heal people, and provide guidance and assurance. Again, all these kinds of experiences must rest on the foundation of a life and heart saturated with the truth of the Word of God.

And that is how a Christian does self-examination. Daily, prayerfully, biblically.

Yesterday’s blog post stimulated my thinking on the subject of self-examination, so here is more food for thought.

First, why true self-examination is impossible for the unregenerate person: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer. 17:9). Unaided by the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and a heart made alive through regeneration, the dead sinner is deceived by his own thoughts, not only about himself, but of life and reality in general. When it comes to understanding human beings consider this: there are several hundred schools of psychology and scores of different personality theories afloat in the world, and the number is ever-increasing. And most of them disagree with one another.

I will readily admit that pagan scholars in the fields of sociology, psychology, and anthropology have presented bits of accurate information about human behavior based on their observations. That is fine as far as it goes; but because these researchers do not know God they will inevitably put an interpretive twist on the data that jibes with their godless world view. Without the knowledge of God they cannot know the ultimate meaning of what they observe and test. After all, they are living in God’s world as image-bearing creatures, consuming His resources and relying on knowledge on loan from the One they refuse to acknowledge or obey.

Imagine this scenario to illustrate the point. A noted aircraft designer and expert on vintage planes is called in to examine some old fragments of wreckage found on a remote South Pacific island. The years and the elements have taken their toll in the form of rust and deterioration of the specimen. All the researcher has is a few fragments of a wing and tail section. He is able to tell it is an aluminum alloy frame with some coated canvas-like fabric. He can tell by the rivet patterns that the plane was not welded together in its construction. His observations are accurate as far as they go. But because he cannot see the whole plane and because he does not know the designer or possess the schematics, all he can do is offer not-so-educated guesses and interpretations of those conjectures.

This is what it is like for the unbeliever when he tries to understand himself, or human beings in general. All his information about who he is is piecemeal. Because he does not know his Creator and refuses to read the owner’s manual (the Bible), he cannot really examine himself in any kind of meaningful way. If he listens to the so-called experts in the field of clinical psychology and counseling, he will receive as many interpretations as there are experts. The only consistent theme will be that he is not a sinner but a victim and must somehow get in touch with his untapped inner potential. He will be pathologized and medicated. A clear case of the blind leading the blind. Now you know why so many Americans are over-diagnosed with so-called mental disorders and drugged in the name of progress.

Oh–and whatever happened to Sin?

The only way to begin knowing who we really are and what makes us tick it to tap into the true source of truth–Jesus Christ. Once we are alive in Him we have quickened hearts that desire to know and obey Him. As we follow Him and feed on His Word, the life-giving Spirit opens and renews our minds so that we can view ourselves and the world around us rightly.

Coming tomorrow. How to do self-examination as a regenerate believer. And then maybe a short word about how repentance relates to this discussion.

Yesterday at church during communion we read the familiar statement in 1 Corinthians 11:28: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. The self-examination exhorted here involves very blatant behaviors, such as coming drunk to the Lord’s Table drunk or gorging oneself in the presence of a hungry observer. I was reminded of a similar statement of Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. In the Greet text of this verse the word yourselves is placed first in the sentence for emphasis. The Corinthians had been holding Paul under the microscope of evaluation in comparison to the so-called super apostles infiltrating the church. It is as if he is now telling them, “If you really want to examine someone, examine yourselves!” Again, if you read the whole epistle you will see there are some obvious problems they are blinded to as a result of their focus on Paul instead of themselves.

I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:3-5: And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye”; and look, a plank is in your own eye. Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. A plank is big and obvious. It is something you ought to notice if it is in your eye. On the other hand a speck is tiny and difficult to spot unless you are really looking for it. And if you have a plank in your eye not only will you be unable to see the speck in your brother’s eye; you might also start seeing specks that aren’t even there.

My point is not to rebuke the judging of others, although it is a practice worthy of criticism. My point is that when the Bible talks about self-examination it seems to be referring to thoughts, words, and deeds that are fairly obvious. In other words you need not spend hours in prayer and fasting or years on the couch of a Freudian psychoanalyst to examine your heart and life. In fact did you know the Bible actually discourages too much introspection, or looking inward?  Listen to these words by Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5:

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact I do not even judge myself. For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

In a nutshell Paul is saying he is a steward, and all that matters to him is that he knows he is being faithful in the work God has given him. Fairly obvious and easy to get a handle on. Beyond this Paul says he does not lose sleep over what others think about peripheral issues: some in Corinth actually criticized him for writing weighty letters but having a weak personal presentation. Others had implied impure motives on the part of the Apostle. Paul says he wastes no time trying to look inward at his deepest motives. When he feels no conviction he does not take this as an automatic confirmation of his own righteousness, but simply states that he is not in a position to evaluate the inner workings of his own heart. Some things will have to wait for the Coming of the Lord. And then the true judge will bring the truth to light.

In the meantime–we all need to examine ourselves in light of our faithfulness to the revealed will of God. There is no rocket science or hocus-pocus involved. God knows your address, and He is capable of showing you those things He wants to root out. Beyond that don’t waste hours trying to dredge up the muck from the innermost recesses of your soul–it is a colossal waste of time and effort. Listen, there is enough right on the surface of your life that needs change to keep you busy awhile. Concentrate on that. And remember, the fact that you are not in a position to examine and evaluate your own deepest motives ought to serve as a corrective against your trying to discern them in the hearts of others.

Have a great week and a great February!