Examine Yourself - Part 3 of 6

You say "God knows my heart." Yes He does and that should terrify you if your life doesn't match your lips. He sees the bitterness you hide, the lust you tolerate, the pride you feed, the idols you protect, and He calls you not to condemnation, but to repentance. Repentance is not a one-time event. It is a lifestyle... a daily dying, a constant realigning with God's will. If you haven't wept over your sin in months; if you haven't felt conviction in your soul, then perhaps you've hardened your heart. The Spirit still speaks. The question is “Are you listening?” He convicts, He warns, He calls, but every time you silence His voice, every time you say not now... your heart grows colder, your ears duller, your soul more numb, and eventually the truth that once pierced you no longer moves you. Don't wait until your conscience is too callous to hear Him. Don't gamble with your soul.

What does your life say about your salvation? Not what your pastor says, not what your family says... what does your life say? Does your time belong to Him? Your money, your thoughts, your dreams? Salvation touches every part of who you are. It's not compartmentalized. You don't get to give Him your Sunday morning and keep your Friday night. You don't get to give Him your lips while keeping your heart. He is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.

Many are lukewarm and they think they're safe but Jesus said "Because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth." Do you understand the weight of those words spit out...  not gently corrected... not disciplined... Rejected! That's what lukewarm faith leads to; and you know what makes people lukewarm? Familiarity without fire, routine without reverence, religion without relationship... that's what kills the soul. That's what fills pews with people who are dead inside. They sing songs they don't believe, they quote verses they don't obey, they pray prayers they don't mean, and yet they feel safe.

But God has not changed. His standard is still holiness. His command is still “be holy for I am holy” and holiness is not optional. It's the evidence of a redeemed heart. Where is your holiness? Not perfection... holiness. A set apart life; a heart that runs from evil, that guards its purity, that walks in humility. A life that reflects the character of Christ not the culture of this world. You say you're saved but your entertainment glorifies sin; your conversations tear others down; your ambitions are rooted in pride; your relationships lack integrity, and yet you claim to walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not your cheerleader. He is your transformer. He doesn't follow you around validating your rebellion. He leads you into righteousness, and if you ignore Him long enough, He will withdraw.

This is why scripture says "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” ...not to cause panic but to cause honesty. Because God does not want lip service, He wants true sons and daughters who live by faith, walk by the Spirit, and love with fire. Do you love Him? Not just with words. Do you love Him? Do you wake up thinking about Him; do you run to Him in the storm and in the calm; do you long to please Him even when no one is watching? Love produces action, love sacrifices, love obeys. Jesus said "If you love Me you will keep My commandments.” Not if you fear Me, not if you admire Me... if you love Me. Love proves salvation and that's what this message is about... proof! Because you can fake the gifts, you can fake the language, you can even fake a testimony. But you cannot fake fruit; you cannot fake endurance; you cannot fake holiness. When the fire comes, and it will come, what remains?

The storms of life reveal what kind of foundation your faith is built on. When trials strike do you still praise? When the world turns on you do you still follow? If your faith only works when life is easy, then it's not faith - it's fantasy. But those who are truly saved, they endure. They fight the good fight, they run the race, they cling to the cross. When everything else falls apart they walk through the fire and come out not even smelling like smoke, because Christ walks with them. So where is your fire? Do you burn with passion for His name or have you settled for a casual belief that cost you nothing. Salvation is free, but following Jesus will cost you everything... your pride, your plans, your comfort, your sin. But what you gain in return is far greater... eternal life, unshakable joy, divine purpose, and a place in the Father's house.

So I ask you now not with condemnation but with urgency, with love, with tears in my soul. Are you truly saved? Are you truly born again? Or have you only added religious behavior to your old self?




Salvation is not behavior modification, it is soul transformation. It is not about cleaning up your act, it is about crucifying your flesh. It's not about trying harder; it's about dying deeper. You must be born again! That means the old you is gone... dead, buried, and the new you walks by the Spirit of God. The new you has new desires, new appetites, new thoughts, new priorities. The things you used to love you now despise. The sins that once thrilled, you now grieve you. That's the sign of real salvation. Not perfection, but direction. A constant turning away from the world and a running toward the cross. And hear me, if there's no war inside you; if sin doesn't cause any inner conflict; if rebellion doesn't disturb your peace, then something is terribly wrong. Because the Spirit and the flesh are at odds. There is a war between light and darkness in the life of a true believer. You cannot make peace with what God hates.

                                                                                                                                (Billy Graham)