Watch Yourself
"Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."
Self-examination is an essential part of the Christian life. Watch yourself. Watch yourself carefully. When and how do I take time for self-examination? I'm not sure this is a major part of my life right now. I was talking with my small group leader last night about the fact that conviction is not something I experience frequently. Have I become lazy in self-examination?
One thing that definitely comes to mind is that I am so busy, or so it feels, that I rarely have the energy and time to stop life to evaluate my soul. Maybe that is something I need to do each morning when I meet with God. I should take some time each day to look at the previous day and see if there is anything that may be sin. I don't think my time with God should be overly self-focused. It should be focused on him and what his word says, but I think I may want to add this element back in.
What is it, though, that I need to be watchful for? I need to watch myself, so that I "abide in the teaching of Christ." Where have I moved on from the teaching of Christ? Is there any way in which I have "gone on ahead," as if moving past the cross of Christ is forward movement?
There is a serious consequence to moving past the teaching of Christ: loss of what we have worked for, loss of the full reward, loss of God himself. And there is a serious benefit to abiding: we have both the Father and the Son.
I'm not sure what it means to move on from the teaching of Christ. I suppose, I'll follow someone's advice: "Read On." What do you think it means to move on from the teaching of Christ?
