Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, prove your own selves.

Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?(2Corinthians 13:5) From Paul's point of view, although the church in Rome was called to be a saint, it still seems to be an unbeliver about the law of the Spirit of life, which is God's righteousness. It's because they believe, but they haven't  stood firm yet. The reason Paul went to Rome was to give them a complete explanation of the gospel so that they could receive spiritual gifts and stand firm.(Rom.1:11)  If gospel preaching "Believing in Jesus for salvation, believing in the blood of the cross for forgiveness of sins" was all like these days, Paul would not have gone to Rome with such an anxious heart. In that sence, the Roman Church was still incomplete. In the gospel, God's righteousness must be revealed and from faith to faith (Rom.1:17), but the gospel is not explained like Paul's, so the law of Spirit of life, which is God's righteousness, does not work in them. Therefore, it becomes partial gospel that does not fulfil the love of God, which is the requirment of the law, because there is no "freedom from sin and death, freedom from condemnation at all, and faith that walks not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit". The Corinthian church is also the church of God and is called the saints sanctified in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2), but from Paul's point of view, it is still an area of unbelief. It is because they believe in the historical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but do not believe in the resurrection and life of Christ in those who were dead. Therefore, since the message of the cross does not work within them, they cannot achieve salvation by saying that I die every day I sow a body of flesh born on earth and reap a body of glory born in heaven. Therefore, they cannot receive the supply of the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45).  Even though Christ, the seed of God, is in them, because they do not believe in him, the seed remains as a single seed, and the form and glory of the seed do not appear in their body. Therefore, they cannot become christians in which the glory of God's image appear. It is because the explanation of resurrection faith is lacking. They believe that Jesus was resurrected historically. But They do not believe that they who died in Adam were resurrected because Christ, who is resurrection and life, is in them. Because there is no life gained by that faith, they do not appear as love. So, if there is no resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, there is no love (agape) in 1 Corinthians 13. The Galatian Church is also the church that is called a brother by Paul and is greeted with the words, “Grace to you and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:2-3).  But from Paul's point of view, they are not blessed with overflowing peace and mercy because of the sure mark of being crucified with Christ to the world as people in the new creation in them rather than the signs of the flesh of circumcision or uncircumcision or the works of the law. Because the Lord Jesus Christ redeems us from the curse of the law with the cursed cross, the blessing of Abraham is fulfilled in Christ in which the word of promise is fulfilled. There is no blessing that the anointing of the Holy Spirit always flows in their belly like a river of living water by baptism following Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. There is no bold confession like Paul's, 'Don't bother me anymore, I have the mark (mark) of Jesus' (Galatians 6:17). It's because the explanation of the gospel is lacking.  Jesus, the Son of Man, died on the cross, rose again, as the only begotten Son of God came in us, and  became eternal life in us, so God considers those who believe in Him righteous. Being found in Christ, we look up and rejoice in the glory of God. Because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, our body becomes a temple and becomes a body attached to Christ, the head. By bearing the death of the Lord through the Word, the life of the Lord also appears in our body.  Because we live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, we delivery ourselves to the cross daily, so the life of Jesus Christ is manifested in our flesh, by the power of the life we will receive the blessing of living a life of love, in which we save others and live by ourselves. From that point of view, the Church of Rome, the Church of Corinth, and the Church of Galatia are still at the stage of unbelief until they hear Paul explain the gospel and believe. Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.Translated by  Nancy Chung COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION