Self Examination | SermonIndex

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

Dear Saints,

Came across this today and OUCH. Time for self-examination.

TWENTY TWO QUESTIONS

THE HOLY CLUB, TO WHICH JOHN WESLEY

BELONGED, ASKED THEMSELVES EACH DAY

AS A PART OF THEIR DAILY DEVOTIONS

1. AM I CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY CREATING THE IMPRESSION THAT I AM BETTER THAN I REALLY AM? IN OTHER WORDS AM I A HYPOCRITE?

2. AM I HONEST IN ALL MY ACTS AND WORKS, OR DO I EXAGGERATE?

3. DO I CONFIDENTLY PASS ON TO ANOTHER WHAT WAS TOLD ME IN CONFIDENCE

4. CAN I BE TRUSTED?

5. AM I A SLAVE TO DRESS, FRIENDS, WORK OR HABIT?

6. AM I SELF CONSCIOUS, SELF PITYING OR SELF JUSTIFYING?

7. DID THE BIBLE LIVE IN ME TODAY?

8. DO I GIVE IT TIME TO SPEAK TO ME EVERDAY?

9. AM I ENJOYING PRAYER?

10. WHEN DID I LAST SPEAK TO SOMEONE ELSE ABOUT MY FAITH?

11. DO I PRAY ABOUT THE MONEY I SPEND?

12. DO I GO TO BED ON TIME AND GET UP ON TIME?

13. DO I DISOBEY GOD IN ANYTHING?

14. DO I INSIST UPON DOING SOMETHING ABOUT WHICH MY CONSCIENCE IS UNEASY?

15. AM I DEFEATED IN ANY PART OF MY LIFE?

16. AM I JEALOUS, IMPURE, CRITICAL, IRRITABLE, TOUCHY, OR DISTRUSTFUL?

17. HOW DO I SPEND MY SPARE TIME?

18. AM I PROUD?

19. DO I THANK GOD THAT I AM NOT AS OTHER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE PHARISEE WHO DESPISED THE REPUBLICAN?

20. DO I GRUMBLE OR COMPLAIN CONSTANTLY?

21. IS THERE ANYONE WHO I FEAR, DISLIKE, DISOWN, CRITICIZE, HOLD A RESENTMENT TOWARD OR DISAGREE? IF SO WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT?

22. IS CHRIST REAL TO ME?

‘GIVE ME ONE HUNDRED PREACHERS WHO FEAR NOTHING BUT SIN, AND DESIRE NOTHING BUT GOD, AND I CARE NOT A STRAW WHETHER THEY BE CLERGYMEN OR LAYMEN; SUCH ALONE WILL SHAKE THE GATES OF HELL AND SET UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. GOD DOES NOTHING BUT IN ANSWER TO PRAYER’. JOHN WESLEY

S

Sidewalk Jun 4, 2014

I'm having trouble with number 19. Like the Pharisee, I am not thinking kindly toward the republicans.

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

I'm ashamed to admit I'm having trouble with more than just a few of these. Lord, soften my heart again as it has gotten hard and I'm letting the flesh rule me.
L

S

Sree Jun 4, 2014

Thank you brother for sharing it. Very useful.

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

I 'pass' on about 5/21 at most. Maybe 6-7 on a good day.

Now, if this this the 'Holy Club' Wesley was part of during his time at Oxford (before his famous Aldersgate experience)then hit appears that this constant self scrutiny did not give him much peace either.

P

PaulWest Jun 4, 2014

Now, if this this the 'Holy Club' Wesley was part of during his time at Oxford (before his famous Aldersgate experience)then hit appears that this constant self scrutiny did not give him much peace either.

This is true. I admit I fail at just about all of them on a regular basis. I'm sure Charles and John did too. A list of religious standards like this is unattainable, and will burn you out.

It will happen because Jesus never intended us to keep a checklist of what to do and what not to do. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The purpose of a list like this is to drive you to Jesus Christ with all your misery and failure to keep it. It is simply to be a mirror. Over time these "dirt stains" we see in the mirror will decrease more and more as we yield to God and wash them in the blood. God will give us grace to overcome them, as long as we are not trying to do this ourselves by going down a checklist. But once we start checking things off, rest assured the area you just checked off will be the very area in which you will soon fall.

M

MrBillPro Jun 4, 2014

22 Questions that can lead you right into condemnation. If your answer to 22 is no, you can disregard the other 21. Or if your answer to 22 is yes, no worries, there is no condemnation in Christ.

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

Brothers and Sisters,
Certainly I agree that doing something with a religious mindset without the Holy Spirit will bring condemnation, but scripture clearly says
‘examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.’ (2 Cor. 13:5)

The questions in the list are just that, self-examination. Perhaps one is doing well in many of these areas. If not, why does a question bother us? Several bothered me and I have asked God to reveal my heart over some areas of my life where I have felt free to do what I want or harbor resentment. He forgives, he cleanses, he brings a change of heart, then I am free to live again with no impediments.

My life has been held in a great "holy tension" between conviction of sin and forgiveness, of moving in the Spirit or listening to my own justifications or excuses. I know that apart from Him I can do nothing, but I dare not give up on examining myself to see if I am in the faith, dare I?

Because something is difficult or requires self-discipline, am I free to wait for the "wind of the Spirit" to move me.
This is critically important to me because I was raised in a religious atmosphere that required perfection without knowing Jesus Christ or being filled with His Spirit.

But just because this was my background, does not excuse me from being disciplined by His Holy Spirit? If anything I have found the requirements to be even higher, but my ability to be Holy an innate desire and the battle to subdue my own will completely impossible...Except that Christ lives in me and draws me deeper or higher or wider or longer, as the case may be. Richer and more rewarding, more abundant and as I said before a HOLY TENSION that acknowledges HE IS GOD and I am going to have to yield something in order to "Come Up and Be There".

By the way, here is where I ran across the list. On David Ravenhill's blogsite,

http://davidravenhill.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/13-january-2014-1201/#comments

I've met the man and he walks in holiness. He holds up a standard which much of the church is now rejecting and he was raised by a man we all respect deeply, Leonard, who impacted the church of the 20th century profoundly.

M

mama27 Jun 4, 2014

I am appreciative of this list, lesmanto. It is increasingly easy to become complacent in areas of compromise just because of the culture we live in and the people we brush up against. We ARE to examine ourselves, yet always remembering there is no condemnation in Christ.

Along these same lines I will share a quote (my paraphrase) that I heard on Moody Radio the other day by Vance Havener. I had to look up when he lived, and he died in 1986, which put an exclamation point after what he said PRIOR to that year....It went something like this:

"The church needs to raise the bar on holiness. It is so low that you would have to backslide to find fellowship there"...wow....

Thanks for what you shared.

S

Sidewalk Jun 4, 2014

Working one's way to a status has always been a recipe for failure, no matter how noble the steps and components. The only thing waiting at the other end of the success is pride of accomplishment, and the house of cards crumbles anyway.

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

Then you will look back and be amazed at the good things God set into your path, and you will fondly remember at the judgement the joy of serving your Master.

"I was hungry and you fed Me, naked and you clothed Me, in prison and you visited Me..."

"When did that happen?"

If we commit to loving Jesus and doing the activities each day as His servant, treasures in heaven will accumulate. There will be no need for a "performance list" and the grey cloud of nagging guilt to rob your joy.

D

dolfan Jun 4, 2014

Lesmanto,

Spell check number 19. :)

"Republican" instead of publican.

P

PaulWest Jun 4, 2014

Certainly I agree that doing something with a religious mindset without the Holy Spirit will bring condemnation, but scripture clearly says
‘examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.’ (2 Cor. 13:5)

Yes, but we need to understand what "in the faith" means. Is the faith ours, or is it the faith of the Son of God? Keeping in context with New Testament scripture, the faith is that of God's Son. In other words, we are to examine ourselves to see if Christ is in us, and this is evidenced by whether or not we are reprobates. If Christ is in us, we will not be reprobates; if He is not, we are reprobates. The word reprobate is translated from the Greek "adokimos" meaning unapproved or worthless.

When I examine myself improperly, I see only my own corruption, no matter how hard I try to be good. I see all my failures, my spiritual wishy-washiness, my internal moral corruption. You can give me a book of a million and one bad things like this Methodist holy club checklist, and I will fall short in some way of every single one. Examining all my failures will not help me one bit. Conversely, being content over areas where I have victory will also destroy me. This is what happens when we "examine" the wrong faith: our own. When we examine to see if we are in Jesus and He is in us, we discover the heart of the Lord is mercy. We discover rest from lists and the burden of keeping ourselves holy. We see that we are unconditionally accepted in the Beloved, and when we fail, God chastises us because we are His children and not "reprobates".

Yes, everyone in Christ knows where they fall short. The Holy Spirit convicts them of sin and righteousness at the personal level. It is a journey, a growing in grace. If you were to present this "list" to a baby Christian, you would cause them much harm and future discouragement. It will bring them to a spiritual crisis. This is exactly what happened to John Wesley when he came in contact with the Moravians. All his holy club self-examinations could do nothing for him. He needed to find the rest of the Son of God, which the Moravians had light on.

We must teach people to look only to Jesus and not to themselves, and once they learn how to rightly examine "the faith" of God's Son, they will no longer come under the condemnation and spiritual depression which comes from examining their own efforts.

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Brethren in the above imagery the writer is describing an ancient athlete, a runner. This athlete is preparing to run a race. Probably getting ready to run a marathon. The athlete will come in a long robe. He lays the robe aside. The athlete is buck naked. He is ready to run when the signal is given. You must understand ancient athletes did not hold to the same standards of modesty as we hold.

When the signal is given the athlete runs. His face is set before him. He is looking straight ahead. He has one goal in mind. His intent is to finish the race and cross the finish line. the athlete does not look to himself. He does not look side by side. He certainly does not look behind. He looks ahead. One goal in mind. To finish the race. To win the race. The athlete is looking ahead.

If we look to our check lists, whatever they may be. We either become self righteous. Or we become condemned. We lose focus of Jesus. Our focus should be on JESUS, always JESUS alone.

Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. One need not a checkist to realize this But John, the beloved disciple tells us in 1st John 3:3 that everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purified himself just as He is pure.

Brethren let us fix our eyes and hope on Jesus. For in Him alone there is no condemnation. For in Him alone there is freedom to live out His reality in our lives.

My thoughts.

Bearmaster

.......Caps are for emphasis only.......

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

Brethren we see Paul as an example of that ancient athlete. If one reads Philippians 3 there is a vivid example of a man who lived by a checklist. Except his checklist was the law. Paul would say regarding righteousness as to the law he was blameless.

It was only when Paul was confronted with the righteousness of Jesus Christ that his own self righteousness was rubbish. Thus Paul goes on to declare his pressing in to know Jesus. He wanted the righteousness that only Jesus offered. His Perfect Righteousness.

Brethren let our example be as Paul. As he, so let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

Bearmaster

O

Oracio Jun 4, 2014

Okay, so I have some pros and cons I thought I’d share regarding the list. In favor of it I’d point out the fact that the Bible is filled with lists of virtues, and it is filled with exhortations to continually examine our walk with the Lord. Here are some examples:

"5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.”-2Peter 1:5-12

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”-Galatians 5:22-26

I’d say the list in the OP seems very biblical.

That said, my reservation would be the fact that when this list was written John and Charles Wesley were not converted. The list was originally written around 1729 and they were converted in 1738. For many years John and Charles Wesley were strict in their devotion to "religion”. Their life during that time is a prime example of the fact that someone can be so devout in "Christianity” yet come short of true conversion.

I found these two brief articles to be helpful and insightful:

http://hopefaithprayer.com/john-wesley-holy-club-questions/

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1990/issue28/2844.html?start=1

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

I am very thankful for this thread and appreciate all the contributions but I think Paul and Oracio and Bearmaster have nailed the issue very accurately here. The key to this "list" is this:

"..this list was written when John and Charles Wesley were not converted. The list was originally written around 1729 and they were converted in 1738. For many years John and Charles Wesley were strict in their devotion to "religion”. Their life during that time is a prime example of the fact that someone can be so devout in "Christianity” yet come short of true conversion."

I for one am all for holy living, for what is the alternative? But where did all of John Wesleys efforts get him? In the end he had to admit that none of his works could save him, that it was Christ and Christ alone who could administer saving grace. Eventually Wesley joined in with the myriads before him in recognizing that Jesus did it all, it is not Christs work plus my work that saves, it is ALL of His work. It is finished.

So what use are lists like this? I am a lot older now, but in my younger days I would have been gung-ho about preaching self-examination and the keeping of such lists, but now I have learned the very hard way, that the only way I will ever measure up is by TRUSTING in Christ.

That in the end is the end of all things...that Christ and Christ alone is sufficient, my faith in Him is what saves, it is not faith in my works or even faith in what He is doing in me, but faith that Christ has PURCHASED me, with His blood, with His ransomed life and that and only that is what "measures me up".

M

MrBillPro Jun 4, 2014

The list is good, but most of us haven’t got a clue as to how far all of us fall short of God’s standards of perfection and holiness.

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

Brethren we walk by faith and not by sight.

Bear

sermonindex Jun 4, 2014

Brethren we know we are saved by faith. But is our practical walk of obedience, holiness, etc. Is this also a walk of faith? Is this a walk of faith in Jesus?

Bear

H

Heydave Jun 4, 2014

I think we miss the point of this list if we dismiss it so quickly and disparagingly. Remember who were members of this club and what they went on to achieve in the Lord. John and Charles Wesley and George Whitfield...... yes Whitfield! So it was not a Methodist thing at that stage. If any of us is being used in the same measure as these three then maybe we have the right dismiss it, otherwise maybe we should consider how it may have been instrumental.

Yes I fail in most if not all points many times and so probably did Wesley and his companions. And yes this was before Wesley truely understood and experienced saving faith. But I don't see it as a list of laws to keep, but a good examination to keep us aware of some basic things we should be living. A bit like reading the scriptures, like Galatians 5 where the list of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit reveal to me under what power I am living. The word is a mirror by which we see our condition and make adjustments is it not? As Oracio has already pointed out there are many NT scriptures giving exhortations to do and not do things, but we don't dismiss those, but understand that we are not made righteous by any works. Same thing with this list I think!

Is it possible, nay probable that the reason that Wesley and Whitfield became the instruments in the hand of God they did was because they had set their hearts to seek and to obey God in those days, even though they may have had many blind spots. Hearts that are true and sincere God will not ignore, but will reveal Himself to. A broken and contrite heart God will not despise.

It seems to me that this generation who are so quick speak against such things and cry 'Grace! Grace! are just showing why we are so weak and ineffective compared to such heroes of the faith! We would rather debate such trivia such as cell phones etc.