2 Corinthians 13:5  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?  Just the other day, I pulled a wheel off my truck.  The purpose was to examine my brakes.  The brake pads still looked great, even after 65,000 miles!  Some people just keep going til they hear odd noises when stopping the vehicle.  I’ve learned by experience that when you start hearing those noises, many times, it’s TOO LATE!  There’s damage to the rotors, and the repair is much more expensive.   The Apostle Paul is encouraging the church at Corinth to examine themselves concerning their faith BEFORE it’s too late.  As we examine our lives, we should see some indicators that genuinely reflect a faith that is trustworthy.   There should be the fruit of the Spirit at work in our lives. Consider… Ephesians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  When this fruit is present, it brings about much assurance!  I am His, and He is mine!   The Scripture also teaches us that faith without works is dead.  Genuine faith produces good works in the life of the believer.   We do not work in order to be saved. We work because we are saved.  Real faith changes a person’s desires.  We serve God because we love Him. We love Him because He first loved us!  Examine yourselves now.  In eternity it’s too late. Amen.  Pastor