A Biblical Call to Ongoing Self-Examination

We need regular introspection year-round if we seek continued spiritual and personal growth. Human nature tends either to blind people to their faults, or cause them to view themselves as hopeless failures. We need God to help us see ourselves objectively, and to appreciate His merciful forgiveness. 

Much More Than Self

Many of you are aware of the Scottish poem, “To a Louse,” by Robert Burns. The famous line says (in modern English): “Oh for the gift to see ourselves as others see us!” Much more important is the gift to increasingly see ourselves as God sees us! Thankfully, studying the Bible serves as a mirror to enable us to accurately see ourselves! (James 1:22–24). See also Romans 7:7; Hebrews 4:11-12; Revelation 3:17–18.

Our human nature is very prejudiced. In Matthew 7:1–5, Jesus warned that we tend to have a strict standard in judging others and a lenient standard in judging ourselves. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful… Who can know it?”

We need lots of help to “see” ourselves accurately! We can’t see physical things inside of us without the help of machines like x-rays. We certainly need God and knowledge of the Bible to “see” ourselves spiritually.

Begin self-examination by examining the Bible. God’s revelation serves as the standard by which we can examine ourselves. As we read the Bible, we should be asking ourselves, “Is my mind in harmony with these scriptures?”

To “see” ourselves more clearly, we also need the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit! The second chapter of 1 Corinthians teaches us that we can understand things on the human level because we have within us the “spirit of man,” also called the “human spirit.” It also teaches us that we can only understand spiritual things when we have the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. Those who have the Holy Spirit are greatly blessed with spiritual “eyes” and “ears” to have spiritual understanding! (Matthew 13:16–17).

Therefore, we must rely primarily on God to give us the ability to see ourselves as we really are. Pray, like Jeremiah did, for direction from God: “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O Lord, correct me . . .” (Jeremiah 10:23–24).

A personal trial can be a disciplinary “chastening” by God. We must never “despise the chastening of the Lord” because it is always out of love as a Father to His child (Proverbs 3:11–12). God is extremely loving, merciful and forgiving! (Psalm 103:8–18).

However, maybe more often than a chastening, many trials are tests that will enable God and us to better see our strengths and our weaknesses. 

Ask God to examine you and then reveal to you what He sees! Remember Psalm 26:2–3, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.” 

Similarly, in Psalm 139:23–24 we read an example of the attitude we should have towards God’s guidance, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” God knows everything about us, so our trials are more for our enlightenment than for God’s (Psalm 139:1–7).

The Best Time for Self-Examination

The Bible does not teach a special time of year for self-examination and humiliation. However, the approach each year of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are important reminders of our need for self-examination with the goals of purifying our lives and growing spiritually. If a Church member has been neglecting year-round self-examination, it is especially valuable to restore that habit before the Passover.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is writing about how ashamed he was to hear of the bad attitudes and awful actions during the recent Passover service of the Corinthian church. That included a lack of reverent attitudes and respectful actions as they partook of the Passover bread and wine.

Paul wrote: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:27–28; see also the context). Every human is unworthy of Christ’s sacrifice and God’s love! Paul is referring to any “unworthy manner” and attitude during the Passover service.

Sadly, there were many members of the Corinthian church that had such poor attitudes and conduct that it seemed likely that they were spiritually unconverted (had never received God’s Holy Spirit). These are the ones Paul was addressing in 2 Corinthians 13:5. He wrote: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”

The Passover reminds us of how supremely blessed we are to have such a merciful Savior who suffered and died to pay the penalty for our sins. And we are reminded of God’s amazing love, mercy and grace as He continues to forgive us over and over and over again!

Ideally, these are thoughts we should have all year! However, many people tend to neglect self-examination, partly because it is uncomfortable.

One might use the analogy of skipping a medical check-up. If a patient feels that the outcome might be discouraging health news, they might prefer not to know the truth. However, just as seeking appropriate care is important for our physical health, seeking righteousness is important for our spiritual health—it’s more important than simply choosing what feels more comfortable!

Staying Teachable

God wants us to be very teachable and forever hungry for a lifetime of learning. Some people neglect reading and ongoing education because they associate it with the forced and boring assignments when they were in school. Please notice that there are many scriptures, especially in the book of Proverbs, that exhort us to seek knowledge, understanding and wisdom! It’s good to review those scriptures!

God uses many means of teaching us. Have the humility and gratitude to appreciate the many “teachers” you have had in your life! Appreciate what you’ve learned and are being taught from the Bible, the Church, ministers, teachers, family, spiritual brothers and sisters and from your own experiences.

However, we should not automatically accept the accuracy of everyone’s judgment of us but we should humbly consider them. Then, “if the shoe fits, wear it.”

When we examine ourselves, we should be looking for successes in avoiding sins as well as our sins and failures, and for times of spiritual growth as well as times of no growth.

Then our self-evaluation should lead us to sincerely repent of our sins and mistakes, and also to be encouraged by remembering the times of spiritual overcoming and progress.

Repentance Versus Penance

How should you respond to what you learn in your self-examination? Some common religious practices teach penance as a way to make up for past sins.

One example of doing penance is the observance of Lent, which often includes sacrificing something personal, at least during those 40 days.

However, the Bible teaches repentance, rather than penance. True repentance is a combination of recognizing a sin as sin, having “godly sorrow” over our guilt, and turning from disobedience to obedience (2 Corinthians 7:8–10).

Judaism teaches that the period between Rosh Hashana (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a mandatory time for self-examination, humbling oneself, doing penance and asking God for forgiveness. Many Jews believe that God then forgives all their sins of the past year on Yom Kippur! On the other hand, we in God’s Church clearly know that God forgives us immediately after we have sincerely repented of a sin.

You may be familiar with the statue of the blind “Lady Justice” holding up a balance scale. The idea is that if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, God accepts you and regards you as righteous! Not true! God forgives as soon as He sees a person is truly repentant and is resolving to try to never again repeat the sins of his past!

About the only practice of self-denial taught in the Bible (besides denying ourselves of sinful actions!) is fasting on the Day of Atonement and occasional fasting at other times—doing without food and water for a period of time if one’s health permits it. During a fast is an ideal time to examine oneself. Fasting is a valuable spiritual tool that can help us with self-examination and becoming humbler. (See our study aid, Tools for Spiritual Growth.)

An Ongoing Process

When God calls and draws someone into His Church, He expects ongoing purification and progress, spiritual growth and right action! God expects us to be overcomers (Revelation 2 and 3).

For continued spiritual growth, one must have humility and ongoing self-examination, also called introspection. Honestly assess your spiritual state including strengths and weaknesses, progress and lack of progress. Ask: “Where have I grown and where do I need to grow?”

Our thoughts and our ways are not naturally like God’s thoughts and ways, so we are exhorted to “forsake” them and become more and more like God (Isaiah 55:7–9).

Continue to regularly examine yourself. The purpose of self-examination is not self-condemnation, but transformation, so we can become more like God!