Examine yourselves.

Every doubt your salvation? Ever wonder why you keep doing the wrong thing. Do these words from the apostle Paul ring true in your life?

Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

News flash. Every believer at one point or another struggles with this very thing. Look at the quoted verse above. It's from the Apostle Paul. THE GREATEST EVANGELIST THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. If he struggled with this, why should we believe we won't?

What do we do?

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 5Examine 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? 6And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

What is inside you? What do you believe? Where is your hope? These are the questions you need to ask yourselves.

What about when we sin?

1 John 1:9 Confess! God will forgive. Confession is NOT saying I'm sorry. Confession is admitting and AGREEING with God that you have violated his standards. God promises to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. We will be as if we never sinned.

But we keep on sinning the same stuff over and over.

Romans 5:7-9 We were still sinners when Christ died for us. There was nothing worthy about us that made God do this. We keep forgetting that the Christian walk is NOT a "do/don't list" . It's faith in what Christ has DONE for us and our faith is in HIS work.

I also think we humans limit God to our understanding. When people we care about offend us in the same way over and over our tendancy is to hold a grudge or not believe the person. That is why Jesus had to tell the disciples in Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 17:3-5 to forgive as God forgives. We're not to count up to 7 or 490 and stop forgiving, that's not the point. We're to keep on forgiving. God knows your heart. If you truely confess over and over, he will forgive over and over.

Search the scripture.

2Timothy 2:15 15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)

2 Peter 1:3-5 3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Ps 119:11 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

We fill our lives with the garbage this world has offer through TV, RADIO, BOOKS, NEWS PAPERS and MAGAZINES and rarely take time to renew our minds with the word of God. Then we wonder why we doubt our salvation and stuggle in our walk with the Lord.

Sunday School and Church are great. Prayer service is great. Men's and women's Bible studies are great. Youth group is great. It's NOT ENOUGH. Get into his Word EVERY DAY. Examine yourself EVERY DAY. See that you are in the faith EVERY DAY.

This what the Lord had been showing me the past few weeks, I hope you benefit from it.