Solid In The Faith

ByJim Stephens

Reading: 2 Corinthians 13; Psalm 39

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. (2 Corinthians 13:5 MSG)

It’s dangerous to drift along – taking things for granted. How quickly we can drift from living faith to dead religion! How easily we can drift from challenging conviction to easy compromise! How easy it is to drift from living by faith to loving the world!

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was a kind of faith check-up. Paul told them they couldn’t afford to wait for a letter or visit from him to see whether their faith was real. They needed to give themselves regular faith check-ups.

I need to make sure that I am solid in the faith. A proper foundation of hearing and doing God’s word has always been important to me, but if I don’t give myself regular faith check-ups, I can drift along from solid foundation to soggy swamp. This doesn’t mean that I don’t have questions and that everything about faith is a mathematical certainty to me. In fact, friends, I’m “certain” about fewer things than I was a decade ago, but there are a few simple things that have become ever more clear and solid in my faith.

Here are a few things that can help us check our faith-health:

  • Daily Bible reading and journaling is one faith check-up.
  • Accountability with another believer can be a good faith check-up.
  • A relationship in which someone asks me the important questions can help. 
  • Self-checking my heart to see if I’m becoming more loving, more patient, more accepting of others’ faults and weaknesses.

Ultimately, it’s my responsibility to make sure I’m solid in the faith and to do something about it if my faith test comes up negative. 

Prayer:

Father, I purpose to give myself regular check-ups to make sure my faith is solid – action and not just words. I purpose to maintain relationships with people who will ask the important questions and help me not to drift along taking things for granted. Please help my friends and me to be solid in the faith!