The Zone Gathering

But let a man examine himself… (1 Cor. 11:28)

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-34, Paul outlines the requirements for taking the Lord’s supper (communion), urging us to “examine ourselves.” I would argue that regardless of whether we are taking communion or just going to bed at night, it is good for disciples of Christ to constantly examine ourselves, confessing and repenting of sin where necessary, seeking God’s forgiveness, and calling upon Him to empower us to live righteous lives.

A couple of years ago, I was doing a Precepts study on the Sermon on the Mount and went through a “cleansing and filling” exercise that took me through a period of intense self-examination. This experience was humbling, but God also used it to reveal areas of sin in my life and help transform me. During these last two Bible Drills before Easter, I thought I would pass along a series of self-examination questions that can help us prepare our hearts.

It is important to begin these times of self-examination with prayer. Ask God to reveal areas in your life which do not comport with His holiness. Remember, when God shows us our sin, He is not doing so to torment or condemn us; He does it to bring us to the place where we feel the same way about our sin as He does. He longs for us to confess, repent and be restored to all the fullness of our relationship with Him. Hebrews 12:10b-11 tells us that “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

This process won’t be easy or pleasant, but I believe God honors us when we examine ourselves and confess our sins to Him and to others. As God reveals areas to you where you have sinned, confess them to God and, if others were sinned against, confess to them, ask forgiveness, and make restitution where necessary. Remember the promise of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23-24)

It will be important for you to write your answers to the questions that will be posed this week and next in your journal or on paper.

Your Priorities

Priorities are the people, positions and properties that we give high important in our lives. If our priorities are out of order, our lives will be out of order.

List your priorities in order of importance. Be honest – don’t list them as you think they should be, but as they really are. Reviewing your priorities, ask yourselves the following questions:

* Have you failed to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first in all things (Matt. 6:33)?
* Who or what occupies first place on your list?
* Where do God and His righteousness rank in your priorities?

Your Temple (Body)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. (Rom. 12:1)

Take a good look at your eyes in a mirror. Your eyes are the window to your soul (Matt. 6:23-24). What do your eyes reveal? Are they warm? Do they shine? Are they hard or soft, joyful or woeful, pure or sensual? Do sparks of bitterness, anger or hatred fly from them?

Look at your whole body – can you accept what you see and live with it comfortably? Are there any changes you would like to make? Are these traits changeable or not? If not, can you accept yourself, thank God, and quit worrying about them?

* Is your body God’s temple? Does He really live inside you?
* Are you properly caring for your body? Are you eating nutritiously or in a way that is injurious to your health?
* Do you keep your appetite under the Spirit’s control, or do you indulge your lusts?
* Are you putting yourself under stress which is not from God?
* Are you getting the rest and exercise you feel God would have you get?
* Are you a slave to your body, or is your body a slave to the Holy Spirit?
* Do you have any personal habits that you know are displeasing to the Lord or that would cause weaker Christians to stumble?
* How do you dress? Do you feel that you are dressing in a way that pleases God? Are your clothes designed to make you look sensual or expose you in a way that detracts from God’s holiness?
* Have you given appropriate attention to cleanliness and your appearance (paying attention but not being vain about it)?

If you are wondering what all of this has to do with being holy or bringing God’s glory, check out 1 Corinthians 10:31: “whatever, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Morality

Unfortunately, in a society without absolutes, sin spreads far and wide, and immorality creeps even into the lives of those who profess to know Jesus Christ as Lord. Immorality begins in the heart: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matt. 15:19). Paul’s assessment of immorality in 1 Corinthians 5 is amazingly current.

* In Matthew 5:29, Jesus says adultery can take place in the mind. Are you guilty, or do you bring your thoughts under God’s control? (2 Cor. 10:5; Phil. 4:8)
* Are you guilty of the lustful look, inappropriate actions, or sharing thoughts you shouldn’t share with someone who is not your mate? (Job 31:1, 9-12)
* Have you used, or do you use, any member of your body in any immoral way?
* What have you been doing with Christ’s temple – with His eyes, with His hands, with His body?
* What do you watch on television? What kind of movies do you watch? Are you looking at or reading pornography?
* Have you accepted your sexuality, the fact that God created you a man or a woman?
* Have you turned to a person of the same sex to find sexual gratification? (Lev. 18:22; Gen. 19:4-11; Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:24-27, 1 Cor. 6:9-11)
* Do you meet your mate’s sexual needs within the confines of God’ design? (1 Cor. 7:3-5)

If you have committed any of these sins, seek God’s forgiveness and ask Him to heal any wounds you have experienced or may have inflicted on other people. Then seek godly counsel from a pastor, team or zone leader, accountability partner, spouse, or trusted loved one. Being in accountability with and having someone pray for you and encourage you during times of temptation is very important, as is seeking the forgiveness of anyone you may have wounded. And most of all, do not lose heart – no matter what you have done, God loves you and it is never too late to be who God has designed you to be!

Idolatry

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut. 6:5)

You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol… (Deut. 5:7-8)

* Is there anyone you love or desire more than God, His Son or His Spirit? Would your life be worthless without that person? (Matt. 10:37)
* Do you love this present world more than you love the eternal things that belong to God? (Col 3:2; 2 Cor. 4:18)
* Are you too busy with your job, hobbies, sports ,TV, etc. that you don’t have adequate time to meet with God daily for worship, prayer and Bible study?
* Are you too busy that you don’t have time to minister to your family and to others? What has entangled you?

Your Thoughts

And to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2)

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)

* We are to love God with all of our mind (Matt. 22:37), and Jesus Christ is to have preeminence in all things (Eph. 1:22-23). What place does the Word of God have in your thoughts?
* Have you obeyed the command to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind?” Have you studied to show yourself approved unto Him? (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:15)
* Do you desire to know God? Are you studying the Bible?
* Do you bring every thought to obedience to Christ, making sure if meets the qualifications of Philippians 4:8?

These are enough questions to get you started this week. Come back next week for questions to help you examine your time, talents and money; your responsibility to the gospel; your responsibility to others; your estimation of self; your family; your attitudes toward worldliness; and your enemy.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 9:00 am and is filed under Bible Drills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.