2 Cor 13:5-Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
prove (or test) your own selves (by God’s Word).
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates?
(or departed from obeying the Gospel)
(or departed from God’s calling)
(or departed from being led by God’s Word or God’s Spirit
and as Demas did, forsook Paul and went off to do what his own desires wanted to do).
During the course each of us have in this life, the goodness and honesty of our heart will be tested.
As we grow in faith and in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we all should be ready to move on to perfection, holiness and like subjects. So then why are we still struggling with our own flesh, our own desires, our own emotions?
God’s Word tells us of this generation:
2 Th 2:1-17-Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him (which is the Rapture)
2-That ye be not soon shaken in mind,
or be troubled,
neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3-Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there come a
falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (which is the Antichrist)
4-Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5-Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6-And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7-For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8-And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9-Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10-And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness (in them that perish); because they received not the love of the truth (which is God’s Word), that they might be saved.
11-And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12-That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13-But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14-Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15-Therefore, brethren, stand fast,
and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle (which is God’s Word).
16-Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
17-Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work (God’s Word, which He ordained for you to be faithful in even before the foundation of the earth).
1 Cor 12:12-22-For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13-For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14-For the body is not one member, but many.
15-If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16-And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17-If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18-But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19-And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20-But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21-And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22-Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
1 Cor 12:25-27-That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26-And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27-Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
There is a message here for the body of Christ that many today do not seem to understand.
The Scriptures tell us that Demas departed from Paul. Judas forsook Jesus.
God has ordained each of us to be a part of the body of Christ according to His purpose. Our hand has a specific purpose in relation to our body, as does our foot.
What if the hand decided to forsake its calling, because it wanted to become a foot? The body would be greatly weakened and suffer. It would not function properly as God intended.
What if one of you didn’t like the calling God had given you and sought another calling, just as the hand wanted to become a foot? The hand would be out of God’s will. Or if a foot wanted to become an ear, it would be out of God’s will.
So it is with us. If someone is tempted of the devil to become a different part of the body and so forsakes their calling—they have forsaken God’s calling and leading. If you are called to be a hand, but forsake that calling, the body greatly suffers, because the hand is missing.
The hand that chooses to become a foot and forsakes his calling of God, if he does not repent, will be rejected by God. If he will not obey God now in this time of testing, he will not inherit eternal life.
Be satisfied with the calling God has given you. Seek not another calling as Demas did, or Judas did.
Stand fast (be faithful) in the calling God has given you, without wavering or disobeying the Scriptures in any way. Do not let your own desires or wandering eyes lead you, for they will surely lead you astray. The person that leaves God’s calling to pursue another calling will convince themselves they have done right, because it “feels” like the right thing to do. It feels like the right thing to do, because it fits the desires of their unrepentant heart. If a person forsakes all of their worldly desires and now their only desire is to serve God steadfastly in the calling He ordained, this person should grow in the Lord; however, the person that seeks to serve two callings may find that hell awaits them. For you cannot serve two masters.
Let us all consider carefully what has been said to us from God’s Word.
This is the time of falling away from God’s calling for many people. It is not an easy time to grow, but grow we need to do, despite the times we are now in.
When correct biblical understanding ceases and correction is not received or understood, then biblical faith is also departing.