A New Years Message for Teens

2 Corinthians 13:5 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?

At this time of the year… the New Year, this is a good time to take some time to examine yourselves – Spiritually – Asking yourself this:

  • Am I better for God today, than I was a year ago.

An examination can come from a few perspectives. Let’s look at a few

Examination from God

Psalms 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

God through the Holy Spirit speaks in a still small voice. If you listen, you can hear Him guiding you and showing you things in your life you can do to be close to God.

Psalms 46:10a Be still, and know that I am God: …

1 Kings 19:12b … and after the fire a still small voice.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

Like a horse is controlled by the reins and is what connects the rider to the horse:

Try my reins is what you are connected to… and what “controls you”

  • Friends
  • Relationships
  • Devices

Do any of these bring you closer to God? Or farther away? Do they control you, or is God holding the reins?

Examination from the Word of God

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Self Examination

Self Examination honestly needs the other 2 to be effective, otherwise it’s just emotions like guilt, depression, anger or despair that seeks out a change… any change that might make things better.

This unfortunately is the case for so many as they make promises to God without the foundation to carry them out.

2 Corinthians 13:5 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?

  1. First part of self examination: are you saved? (whether ye be in the faith)
  2. Second is having a firm foundation: (prove your own selves)

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

  1. Thirdly is a comparison with the world. A reprobate is someone abandoned to sin. Takes pleasure in unrighteousness.

(Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?)

This comparison to Christians…

1 John 2:15a Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…

– So we started with this question… Am I better for God today, than I was a year ago.