Taken mostly from: Sermon No. 367- SPIRITUAL SELF-EVALUATION, A sermon delivered by Batsell Barrett Baxter on September 2, 1962 at the Hillsboro Church of Christ, ,Nashville, Tennessee, and heard over radio station WLAC at 8:05 P.M. Joey Cruz shared this message with the Young Adults Bible study group.

 What do we think of ourselves?  What do others think about us?  What does God think about us?  Whose standard do we live by? 

My 3 different identities… (school, church & home) 

God knows the REAL us.  He knows hidden motives, our flaws, our secrets… everything.  But in spite of all our shortcomings, He still wants to build a healthy spiritual relationship with Him and us.  If there’s anyone who can change us to our BEST self, it’s Him, and only Him. 

First fact: “A wise man will carefully study his own behavior and make regular evaluations.” 

Second fact: “A second fact worthy of great emphasis is that most people recognize nothing bad within themselves.” 

Through the years I have become more and more aware of the fact that people are often honestly blind to their own faults. For example, I have often heard a person speaking of certain Christian characteristics as being sorely needed in the lives of others, whereas he himself also needed those same characteristics badly. It is easy to see the faults of others; it is difficult to recognize one’s own faults.

2 Corinthians 10:12 - “…When they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise”. This is a very common practice and is one of the easiest ways for a person to come to the conclusion that he, himself, is quite good, whereas he may be good only by comparison with those about him who are worse than him/her. It was Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, who said: O, that God the gift would give us, To see ourselves as others see us. 

Our first step in spiritual self-examination is the realization that we may be blind to our own faults, that we may have a very distorted view of ourselves. It would often be wise to ask the advice and counsel of sincere, mature, spiritually minded Christian friends. 

2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; test yourselves…” 

We need to evaluate ourselves in the following areas:

- Music

Ephesians 5:19-20 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have too exclusively applied this passage to singing in public worship. Actually, the apostle Paul is teaching that Christians ought to fill their lives with songs from the Lord.

- Humor

You can tell a great deal about a man or a woman by the kind of humor that he enjoys.  (Clean or ‘green’ / making fun of people who are not there / racist jokes) 

-Companions

Let each one of us take a close look at the people that we choose for our companions. Are they the kind of people that we want to be? Are they the kind of people that please the Lord? Are they the kind of people that build a nation, or a community, or a family? What is it about them that attract us? We also need to remember the words of the apostle Paul, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

- The Way We Spend Our Free Time

This is time that we may spend in any way we like. What kind of magazines do we read? What kind of movies do we see? What do we like to talk about? Do we like to relax and do nothing? Are you interested more in sports, leisure activities, idle chit-chats, etc? While these subjects are not wrong in themselves, it is wrong when one has a greater interest in such subjects that in his relationship to the Lord.

- The Way We Spend Our Money 

This is a concrete indication of what we think is most important. Many Christians are rather materialistic minded and yet do not realize it. Their expensive clothes, their luxurious type of living, their emphasis upon food, and other physical things give clues to their real interests in life. How much money go to more important causes like people who are in need? The sick? The church? Missions?

-Our Lives in the Light of the Scriptures

More important than any of the other tests mentioned is the deeply revealing practice of reading key passages of the scriptures and comparing our own lives with these God-given commands.

The 10 Commandments: Do we worship other gods? Swear? Steal? Commit adultery? Envy? etc.

The Sermon on the Mount by Jesus: Are we humble? Merciful? Pure in heart? etc.

Nobody is perfect, and no human will be (except Jesus).  But that shouldn’t stop us from trying.  If you have this negative trait about you that you can’t shake off and resigned to the fact that other people should just accept you the way you are, then the effort of changing yourself will stop. 

We must live in a constant attitude of self-evaluation. The apostle Paul did, for he said, “Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that or which Christ took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.  I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14) 

If we have a tendency to be contented or over-confident about our spiritual achievements, we need to remember the words, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Our pride must give way to humility. We must be concerned about our own weaknesses and faults. We must learn to see ourselves through God’s eyes rather than our own.      

Finally, when we discover what changes are needed, we then must do it immediately.  This leads to the need of rededication of life to the Lord.  May it be that our spiritual self-evaluation leads us to understand more fully our needs and to do something about them WHILE THERE IS YET TIME AND OPPORTUNITY.

Ephesians. 5:15-18 “Be careful then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is… be filled with the Spirit.” 

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Presenting the Young Adults!!!