In 2 Corinthians 13:5 — we are exhorted to, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

What does the apostle Paul mean by this call to examine and test ourselves? How do we make sure we are, what he calls, “in the faith” and that if we are Christ Jesus lives in us?

I like to interpret “in the faith” as meaning in a growing friendship with Jesus. So, examine yourself: if Jesus lives in you, are you communicating with him more? more frequently and intimately? Are you telling him more and more what you’re thinking about, how you feel, what you desire and long for? Are you in the faith?

Along with that, friendship with Jesus I think also means that we only address our needs and the needs of others by increasingly working with Jesus. To be “in the faith” surely must mean that we no longer meet needs by just doing what we think is best. Rather, we look to Jesus to receive from him his answer to the need, that is, what to do, how to go about it, and the strength to get it done. That’s our part, and we trust Jesus to do the rest whatever that may be.

So test yourself: are you in a growing friendship with Jesus and working with him in meeting the needs that come to your attention?