A Self Test

 

Why should we Test Ourselves? 

 

Self-test kits are available for many things. If you do electrical repairs at home, you would keep an electric supply tester. We can have an oximeter, glucose meter, and several other devices to check our health parameters even at home. I had been using a digital BP apparatus for several years and to replace it I ordered an analog meter and have been waiting for it to arrive. We do not want to take chances with our life. This should be true in our spiritual life too. We often get short-sighted and forget about the long term. We strive to succeed on temporary matters and more often ignore the eternal. We tend to walk by sight than in faith. We believe a lot of things, but what is our faith? 

 

Apostle Paul encourages us to test our faith. There is a final test but we do not need to wait until then to get surprised. We can test our faith ourselves with the tool of the Word of God. 

 

^“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? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right…” (2 Corinthians 13:5-7)

We need to have a Beginning and Continue with the End in Mind

We should not make assumptions about our faith and spiritual destiny. We may be sincerely or even blindly wrong if we fail to test it in the light of the Word of God. Many people assume, they are believers in God and they want to be God-fearing. Most people are god fearers. Some people are illiterate while most are educated. Education is not being able to read and write in a language. We do not stop with UKG but keep studying to complete our education in the best way possible. Then we go on into more professional training to be competent in our field of profession. Going to a university daily does not make you a student; many come there for various purposes. To be a student of that university you need to be enrolled. You need to be an active student, doing all the assignments and course requirements and preparing yourself for the tests and final tests until you are graduated. You continue your higher studies and training the same way. 

 

If so why should we compromise ourselves to a cheap religious life, thinking we are spiritual believers? We need to have a spiritual birth for spiritual life. That is becoming a child of God to be in God’s spiritual family. We need to feed on the Word of God through daily meditation and study of the Word of God, listen to His voice, and walk with Him. We need to have spiritual milk and then solid food to grow. We need to be practicing Christian.  

 

A mere belief will not make us a Child of God and a disciple of Christ

^“Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.  But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person” (John 2:23-25)

Some people always pray for miracles. They are driven by signs and wonders. Many who believe in God by miracles may have a good beginning but often do not last like the seed fell on the rocky soil. The words we use in our communications reveal our knowledge, understanding, and worldview; so also our prayers.  We should pray for our needs and can pray for our wants as well but why should we demand God to do miracles in our lives always? 

The crowd may ask a magician for miracles, but the Children of God ask their Father for their needs, whatever their needs are as they are in His family and would want to intimately communicate with Him. 

If God is our master and we are His servants, we should go to Him always in prayer and supplication, without ceasing and consistently. God does miracles and His purpose is not to perform miracles.  Demanding a miracle is often to test or believe, and that belief does not necessarily turn to be faith in God. 

Many people believed in Jesus seeing the miracles but not many had faith in him. 

“After these things, Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. (John 6:1-2).

As they continued to stay around and Jesus continued to share about himself and teach about eternal things and entering into heaven, through fellowshipping with him, they could not continue to follow in him.

^“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ….. Then what if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life…. , “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”…After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:60-66).   (To know what he taught, please read the full chapter).

Know what we Believe and See if we have the Right Faith

If we assume that everyone who believes Jesus is the son of God, savior of the world, and died for the sins of the world; enters the Kingdom of God irrespective of what they do that is not the right gospel that Jesus or the Apostles taught. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

How can we do the will of the Father in heaven, unless we study the Word of God, meditate on it daily and walk with Jesus to be like him?! Without a mutual relationship with Jesus Christ, and abiding together with him, how can we walk with God? Without God in us, how can we know His perfect will?! God does not live in temples built by human hands; we do not go to a temple to communicate with God or call on Him. We are called to be the Temple of God where the Spirit of God can live. (Read more from Acts 7:48, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16)  

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you”.  (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Walking by Sight and Living by Faith

Carnal Christians Vs. Kernel Christians

Philipose Vaidyar

We use words like grace, faith, and trust almost every day. Everyone has some belief and faith in something. Anyone at a religious gathering or sect can be called a believer. All the members of a Church are Bible believers too and all have some faith as well. But all of them are unable to practice the belief, and not all can live by faith. We don’t need to judge anyone about their faith but we need to discern people by what they believe and practice to draw implications for ourselves and be able to make the right associations. 

That’s what Jesus taught through several parables and as reiterated by the apostles. We have two kinds of people everywhere- the righteous and the wicked- the wheat and the weed; the seed and the chaff; the sheep and the goats; the ordinary and the spiritual; and the Kernal Christians and the Carnal Christians. Like in a home there can be obedient and disobedient children, so it is in any human organization including the Church. 

Wheat and Weeds

In Church, we have two kinds of believers even while all of them recite the same liturgy, read the same Bible, participate in the same sacraments, or observe the same practices. The parables of the sower, seeds, and the weeds explain this. Not all seeds grow and give yields. Not all plants are wheat; some are weeds. Both grow together but the harvest, on the final day, will only separate them. Jesus said this parable about the two kinds of people in Christendom and about the judgment that will eventually separate them. Jesus said, “the sons of the evil one will perish and the sons of righteousness will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father”. The parable talks about the righteous and the unrighteous, how they live together for a time. 

Seed and Chaff

In Psalm 1, the righteous are compared to the seed that will grow to a tree that is planted by streams of water, which will not wither but give its fruits in season, and their way will succeed and be watched over by the Lord. The chaff is called to be wicked; like the chaff, they will be driven by wind; shall not stand in the judgment, and in the assembly of the righteous, but their way will perish. 

Sheep and Goats

Jesus compared his followers to sheep and goats. Some Christians are sheep while others are goats. Both these Christians co-exist but at the time of judgment, the sheep, who know the voice of Jesus (John 10:25-30), will be separated from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

Ordinary Children and Spiritual Children

Children naturally born can only live by sight; children born by the flesh can only think of the flesh. Many attend churches for physical blessings. Healing, success, admissions, promotions, sustenance, assets, and artifacts are their goals. They are happy with God if their prayers for all these are answered the way they want. Many even teach this gospel. “When you worship, your bondages will fall apart, your sickness will be healed”. They preach that ‘chains fell off the apostles when they sang and worshipped in the jail’. Peter was delivered twice by an Angel but the Bible does not say that he was delivered because he was singing and praising in prison, even if he did. Some worship God to get blessings and get deliverance from debt; while others worship God because they are delivered people and blessed by the saving experience of God.  

Paul talks about these two kinds of believers in Galatians 4:21ff. - The ordinary Christians and the Promise Christians. “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by a free woman. One was born ordinarily and the other was born as the result of a promise. “Now you brothers, like Isaac are children of promise. The slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son. Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but the free woman”. 

This is not to judge anybody else in the Church, but for us to judge ourselves. The slave-son could not become a promise-son. But because of Christ’s saving work, a slave can become free and become a promise-child. The external difference can be too little to recognize. In Churches, we have Kernel Christians and Carnal Christians. Both of them may go to church, pray, read the Bible, and give charity. But there is an invisible difference in both of them. 

Carnal Christians and Kernel Christians

Carnal Christians live by natural principles and by the trends and standards of the world. They want to be achievers; they love God, church, and religious gatherings and their prayers often will be for success, health, and wealth. They would like to gain more to possess the best. They would work and live as per the standards of a consumerist society. Their ultimate goal may be to climb up the social ladder and live with at most comforts and facilities. They will be more concerned about status symbols and go by brands of assets rather than its usefulness. They would be willing to bribe for getting things done and may buy any admission for a profession of their choice even if they are not eligible. Believers, Evangelists, Pastors, Social or Christian workers too can be carnal Christians. They will be more concerned about the transformation of their lifestyle. They may pursue theology or the Christian profession, but their ultimate goal will be to settle down in an affluent country someday. They would make preaching tours to the Arabian countries but not to any of the African countries. 

Carnal means ‘fleshly’. Bible has references to living in the flesh or by the lust of the flesh: 

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?”1 Corinthians 3:1-8 

A carnal Christian is still a believer in Jesus, may have accepted the gift of salvation, but not the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and transformation of the inner man. Carnal living satisfies the flesh rather than honoring and pleasing God.

The spirit of a carnal Christian has not the capacity to respond to the work of the Holy Spirit but seek blessings of God; may know Bible but may not know God in a personal relationship. He can be a legalistic Christian like the Pharisees, and not know God intimately (Titus 1:16). God looks at the heart, searching for His love working in and through His children (1 Peter 1:1-8).  

Kernel Christians live by faith and by the Word of God. The kernel is a seed and they have the potential to sprout and grow. They may not be great achievers; they may live in poverty and may struggle to live. All their prayers and wishes may not be answered or provided with. They may go through discouragements and challenges of different kinds. But they will press on in faith with hope; they will endure hardships. Sicknesses or failures will not sweep them away as their spiritual life is hidden in Christ. Their joy is not just in financial gains, wealth, possessions of property, luxurious lifestyles, or societal success. They will work and live in the world in the light of eternal principles. For them, food, clothing, housing, education, and infrastructure facilities are ‘means’, not the ‘end’. They are concerned about the transformation of people and their prayers are not limited just for health, wealth, and success but also for the spiritual transformation of people across their borders. 

Carnal Christian vs. Kernel Christian

A Carnal Christian can become a Kernel Christian.  All Christians can have some area of their lives where they live carnally. As a Carnal Christian, we are potential of being perfect, but not yet perfected. (2 Corinthians 12:1). Kernel Christians are Spirit-led beings. As a Kernal Christian, we will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). A tree can be known by its fruits. If Spirit-led we cannot remain carnal; we will grow and mature because of God’s work in our lives (Hebrew 12:5-11, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2). Jesus said he has chosen us to bear fruit that will last eternally (John 15:16).

Committed Christian by growing spiritually, gains the power to forsake earthly pleasures, and live a fruitful life that God has planned. The carnal Christians live in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life that is from the world (1 John 2:15-17). The Word of God says that not everyone who seems to be a Christian is a Christian (1 John 2:18-19). If the Carnal Christians become truly saved, they are assured that they will not perish (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, John 3:16). 

The choice is ours, to stay carnal or be a kernel of wheat to grow towards spiritual maturity to bear fruit in multiple folds; to walk by the sight of the world, or to live by faith through the Word of God and in complete dependence on the Spirit of God. And this is possible by intimacy with Christ through meditation and practice of the Word of God. Which group do you belong to, Carnel or Kernal; Living by sight or by faith? 

 (This article was first published in the Light of Life Magazine, November 2019)

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