Examine Yourself in Preparation For the Passover
The immediate example we have is of the Corinthians. They were keeping the Passover as if it were a Greco-Roman dinner party, with preferential seating and separate rooms for members based on social status. The wealthy among them would get served first, they would get better food, better drink etc. Some had scraps while others indulged themselves so much they got drunk [1 Corinthians 11:17-22].
Paul warned them to examine themselves. To get in the right frame of mind they needed to take a good hard look at their motives, agendas, prejudices, snobbery, vanity and pride.
God detests vanity, pride and self exultation.
Paul’s call to examine themselves included a call to recognize and realize the body of Christ. Each member of the congregation was a member of the body of Christ… but how they were treating one another did not reflect that understanding. All their social posturing [exalting some and humiliating others] was contrary to the love for one another Jesus had commanded them to practice.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 sharing together in the life of Christ [His blood] and jointly participating in the body of Christ [the one loaf] are the spiritual realities we are reminded of each year when we take the Passover.
To examine ourselves in preparation for Passover means to examine how we treat one another within the congregation… and the entire Church of God.
Personal Examination
1 Corinthians 6:15-20 to discern, recognize, or set apart as special, the body of Christ can also imply very personal introspection. Wrong attitudes like greed, covetousness and lust can remain hidden within, unseen by neighbors and friends. Yet these can do great damage and harm to us in the inner person… causing harm to our own bodies and to our own spirit which God also considers His own possession and dwelling place.
- Lustful fantasies
- love of money
- despising of authority
To examine ourselves in preparation for Passover means to examine our inner most thoughts and attitudes so we might rule over them through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit which is Christ in us.
Where Do We Begin?
Psalm 26:2 David prayed and asked God to look into his heart and mind…
kilyâh – emotions – some of the rotten stuff that can take root in you is beneath the level of rational thought… “ I know it doesn’t make sense but that’s the way I feel”
labe – thoughts – some of the stuff that lodges in your brain is the result of rationalization, application of materialistic logic and high falutin’ stuff like that… ‘I know God say NO but what I'm doing seems like the most logical thing to do”.
We can find it hard to be objective about what’s going on in our head. We need to pray and ask God to show us what our hearts and minds are like… we may not even be aware of what we need to work on.
The examination process begins with the understanding that God must reveal to us our spiritual state. He knows and is aware of the shifting currents and undertows of the human heart and mind.
Psalm 19:12-14 some of our issues and problems are obvious… some of them are hidden and require God’s assistance to identify and root out so they do not rule over us.
1 Kings 8:38-39 here we have the scenario of a person coming before God with all the afflictions of the heart. Solomon asks that God would forgive and help [or act] giving that person justice or mercy since God alone knows the truth… the inner motivations of the human heart and mind.
Example: sometimes I am talking or counseling with a person… they are doing, or saying, crazy, illogical stuff… then I find out there is some dark secret in their past… abused or neglected as a child, some traumatic event in youth… and I say to myself “ahh, that’s why they react that way”… I feel better able to understand.
As a fellow human being what I see is like the tip of an iceberg floating by… I may see the small crest of ice but there is a huge mountain below… which I, with all the limitations of my human state will never know.
God your Father and creator can see the whole iceberg. My best advice is to point you to Him. To pray to ask to seek His input, His direction, His advice.
Psalm 139:23-24 David wanted God to know his heart…
- Are there parts of us you don’t want others to know about you?
- Are there actions and attitudes that you would like to hide from God?
- … God knows, He can help you address those secrets and lead to the way everlasting.
The Role of God’s Word in Self Examination
If we ask God to help us see areas of our life that need to be set straight, attitudes, thoughts, assumptions, unrighteous emotional patterns… how does God is answer us?
Does He come to us in a dream? Do we hear a voice in our head? An omen?
Scripture provides records of such things… however, I see them as the rarest of exceptions rather than the rule. For my part… I have never experienced such things.
You or I might get a feeling, an emotion, a thought, but in all cases the warning from God’s word is to test the spirit [spiritual perceptions] against the written testimony of God’s word.
Isaiah 8:20 in conformity with the law and prophets [within the boundaries of the authority and consensus of Godly leaders]
1 John 4:1 in conformity with the teachings of Jesus Christ [to accept Jesus is to accept His teachings]
The Positive Side of Self Examination
So far we have considered examining ourselves as probing for flaws, inconsistencies, weaknesses… like your doctor might give you a checkup looking for potential problems like: high blood pressure, signs of cancer, heart problems and so forth.
Psalm 17:3-5 David said God could probe and examine him and would found him to be on the right path.
David made his mistakes and sins… what made him OK was his repentant approach. In like manner, when we repent God forgives and covers our sins. We are right with Him and are forgiven. When God examines us sometimes He will say… your heart is fine, your blood work looks good, you are healthy. But you might want to get more exercise...
You could also consider your self examination like a final exam a student in college might write. In that instance an examination is performed to verify that the student has learned the material. Therefore, self-examination serves the positive purpose of proving that you do know the material.
Psalm 119:57-60 David thought on God’s ways and turned to God’s law to instruct and direct him. He was aware and conscious of the difference God’s instruction and guidance made in his life.
So should you!
Verse 97-104 God’s word gave him wisdom and insight that could not be obtained through the senses and human logic. This helped him keep his feet on the right path Verses 105-11. When he thought about the impact God’s instruction had on his life it gave him joy.
I hope this is also part of your own spiritual self examination leading up to this year’s observance of the Passover.
Romans 6:17-23 the positive change God is looking for is holiness. A life that is set apart through its pursuit and heartfelt adherence to the principles of Godly righteousness… which leads to eternal life.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 God will examine our lives to see if we have learned the material… learned the lessons. The picture Paul uses is of a refining fire… all the good stuff we have built in this life we will carry with us into eternal life. All the worthless stuff will be left behind. Attitudes, ideas, outlooks that might seems very important according to the standards of the day but meaningless in eternity.
- How much time are you spending building what lasts?
- How much time are you frittering away on what does not last?
This too calls for serious introspection and self examination.
Comparing Yourself to Others
It is tempting to examine your spiritual progress by comparing yourself to others… this is not a good way to go about examining yourself.
Luke 18:9-14 the pharisee considers himself righteous by comparing himself to other people.
When you do that you are not getting and objective look at yourself but a subjective one… Matthew 7:3-5. What you are seeing is not a clear picture… but filtered through the lens of their sins and flaws AND the lens of your own rotten attitudes.
Galatians 6:4 if you are using comparisons to others as a way to evaluate yourself you could actually be reinforcing your bad attitudes, outlooks, assumptions and perspectives instead of rooting out of your thoughts. For example: comparing yourself to other is often driven by envy and covetousness towards those who we consider better… or vanity and pride towards those we esteem lesser.
Evaluate yourself against the unwavering standard of God’s written word.
Hebrews 4:12-13 all things are open and laid bare to God. We should pray to God to ask His help to reveal what we are doing right and where we may fall short. It is the spirit of God in us working with our minds that gives us understanding and washes us clean with His word.
An Annual Reminder To Examine Ourselves
Examining our lives is a project of a lifetime. It is an ongoing ever evolving process that never really ends. At this time of year… the Passover is in 3 weeks… we are given a reminder to examine ourselves in a thoughtful and honest manner. This is how we can approach the annual memorial of the new covenant we have with our Creator… the Passover… in a worthy manner.
We are God’s children. His goal and purpose is that we learn the material, the way of righteous living. When we are lacking… God will help bring that to our attention so we can make the necessary changes. James 1:22-25
1 Corinthians 11:28-32 this is a reminder to use God’s word and the power of His Spirit to examine ourselves and deal with our faults now… we will not have to be punished by God along with the world when the day arrives.
Examine yourself and take the Passover.
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