Paul’s charge in 2 Corinthians 13:5 is both sobering and necessary: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (NASB). It is a call to self-examination, a summons to look beyond mere profession and into the reality of our standing before God. The weight of this command can feel unsettling—until we see that the answer is contained within the very text itself.
How does one pass this test? There is only one way: standing in Christ. Paul points us to the only possible solution when he writes, “Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” The implication is clear—if Christ is truly in us, we pass. If not, we fail. No amount of personal effort, religious activity, or moral striving can secure our standing before God. The only ground on which we can stand is Christ Himself.
Without Him, I am not just helpless—I am hopeless. It is Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), that secures my passing grade. He is my advocate, my righteousness, my covering. His blood alone washes me clean. This is why Paul writes, “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.” (2 Corinthians 13:4, NASB). In our weakness, Christ is our strength; in our inability, He is our sufficiency.
So, what is the test? It is this: Am I still trusting in Christ’s righteousness or my own? Am I resting in the finished work of the cross, or am I subtly relying on my own efforts? Is the empty tomb still my hope, or has my heart been captured by something else?
Oh Lord, let my daily refrain be: My hope is built on Jesus’ blood and righteousness; all other ground is sinking sand! Let me never drift from the only foundation that will stand in the day of testing. Christ alone is my confidence. Christ alone is my hope. Amen.
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