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2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

What does it mean to be in the faith? Faith is used to describe a person’s set of statements of  belief. The Christian faith is obviously ideas of belief that Jesus taught. But more specifically, are the teachings themselves our foundation? Or is Jesus our foundation by which our beliefs are descriptions of Jesus and what we understand him to be?

One day, when I was around 14, an adult friend and I were going door-to-door witnessing about Jesus. We were also making friends. At one point, that Sabbath afternoon, my friend got involved with some other folks he had known from before and I was getting board waiting to continue our visiting door-to-door. So I went on by myself.

The first door I came to, I met a young man who was a teacher at the local public school. He invited me in and asked me, how do I accept Jesus into my heart. I was scared to know how to answer him. But I sent up a prayer and God gave me the perfect passage to share with him. It was John 3. I began reading the story of Nicodemus to him. And God gave me the words to say for explaining the meaning of the story. The doctrine of Salvation was about experiencing the new birth and becoming a new person in Jesus. At the end of our study, he said he wanted to give his heart to Christ, and I, without any training in how to lead someone to Christ, God led to pray the prayer of surrender and He received Jesus into his life that day. Jesus was the center of that study. He was the One who would be lifted up from the earth on a cross, and all would be drawn to him for their salvation.

I would like to propose that unless our beliefs and teachings are centered in Christ, they are empty of power to change us, or to draw others to Him. I’m so thankful that through some very challenging times in my life, I rediscovered Jesus was the center of our beliefs as Seventh-day Adventist Christians. This perspective helped me not only love God more deeply, but it gave me greater confidence in God’s leading in my life.

In our verse above, we are told test ourselves regarding how well we are rooted in our belief in Jesus and his Word. For some this process may be confusing, and for others it may be easy. The one thing the verse reminds of is that Jesus Christ is in us. If Jesus is in us, we pass the test, because a believing faith in Jesus, is having a relationship with Him through Prayer, Bible Study, and Sharing with others the faith we are experiencing with Him.

Here are some questions that can be helpful in evaluating your faith and trust in Jesus:

1.      What place does Jesus have in your everyday life? Do you think of him when facing a difficult decision or are experiencing some discouraging life challenges?

a.       If you’re not in the habit of reaching out to him for help. I have found it helpful to getting a book of Bible promises that can give you God’s Word of hope in that situation.

2.      Take time every day to read a portion of the Bible. God’s Word is the how we learn about him.

a.       Sections of the Bible are better for this kind of devotional Bible study, such as the Psalms, and the Gospels.

3.      If you are finding it difficult to understand a passage of scripture or a doctrinal teaching, try to see how it would relate to a picture of God or Jesus.

a.       Don’t give up on searching for ways it could give you a better picture of God.

b.      Read some commentaries or books that are covering the topic which might help you understand it better. Don’t neglect to read what Ellen White may have said about the passage or teaching.

c.       Join a small group Bible study where you might ask questions about what others may have discovered from the passage or teaching for themselves.

4.      And finally, keep it as a matter of prayer, remembering that God’s timing is always perfect in revealing new perspectives that will open up your mind to a new understanding of truth to you.

When a came through a time when I was questioning my faith, I learned that God was with me through that challenging time. And I discovered new perspectives of understanding that made me love Jesus more and love our message more. I hope you will discover Jesus in your beliefs and in your relationship with God.

-Pastor Ben Moor