Examine Yourselves

In the Book of 2nd Corinthians, Scripture instructs us to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith or not. Its a tough Scripture but its there. My devotions find me in the Book of Psalms and many of them deal with the sins of Israel as they headed toward God's blessings in the land that He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even once in the land they turned their backs on God. The root of their sin was unbelief. In Psalm 95:7-8 the Psalmist cries out, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..." Along with my devotions I'm reading a book called the "The Treasury of David" an in depth exposition of Psalms by Charles Spurgeon. In Psalm 95:10 it says in different Bible versions that God was either angry or grieved with that generation of people for 40 years. Spurgeon says God was nauseated and disgusted with them. He also points out that their sin wasn't skin-deep but deep in their inner beings, their heart. Their soul was defiled with unbelief. But the real shocker is Verse 11 were God Himself declares an oath in His anger that they would never enter into His rest. Spurgeon's comment goes like this. "It is no small thing to grieve our long-suffering God to this extent. Jehovah would not have it. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness." There's a final warning. God who does not change will do the same to all who choose to leave the way of faith for paths of murmuring and mistrust. If these rebels could not enter into God's rest because of their unbelief, what makes us think we are any different? Spurgeon goes on to say that there is ground for much searching of the heart concerning this matter. Our unbelief insults one of the dearest attributes of Deity, His love for His people. So, this is a good time to search our own souls and see whether or not if we are truly in the faith. I trust you are.