The Audit of the Soul
(2 Corinthians 13:5;Psalm 139:23-24;Lamentations 3:40;1 Corinthians 11:28-29; Galatians 6:3-4;James 1:22-25;Matthew 7:21-23;Romans 8:5-8)
“…if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." Gal. 6:3
How many sit in the pews each Lord's Day and think themselves to be something when they are, in actual fact, nothing? They see themselves as being baptized, attending services regularly, perhaps even reading their Bibles, and engaging in charitable works. They feel themselves “safe.” But the Apostle Paul punctures this self-inflated esteem with the divine pin: "he is nothing." Let's not forget Isaiah's declaration that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6). The Spirit sanctifies our best works from their sins and presents them faultless before the Father. (Jude 1;24)
Today, we're often preoccupied with our professional accomplishments and worldly recognition. But it's essential to remember that in the eyes of God, human works—even holy ones—are devoid of merit for salvation. You may be a respected member of your community or perhaps even a pillar of your congregation. Still, if your confidence is in your own self-worth, you are in danger of serious self-deception.
The Imperative of Self-Examination
"But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another."
Paul then calls us to an examination, an 'audit,' if you will, of our souls. To 'prove' here is to test and approve after testing. Yet what's the standard of this examination? It's the law of God as it is in Christ Jesus. It is a sober evaluation of the perfect life of our Savior and the holiness required by God’s law. This examination should not lead to a self-righteous comparison with others but instead to "rejoicing in himself alone," recognizing that any grounds for spiritual joy can only be found in the evidence of Christ's work in my own heart.
Herein lies the balance. The examination should never drive us to despair. It should drive us to Christ. If we find sin —and find it we shall—we must bow and turn toward the Cross. If we find evidence of grace: a growing love for God and neighbor, a deepening sorrow for sin, a hunger for righteousness, then we rejoice, not in comparing our holy notes with others, but in the wonderful reality that the Holy Spirit is at work my own heart.
The Fruit and The Root
In this verse, the Apostle calls for an audit, not of the fruit alone but the root. Many a man has full leaves and yet a corrupt root. Our works manifest our faith; they are not the grounds for our justification; they are the evidences of it. The root is the all-important thing! A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. It may have leaves, flowers, and semblance of life, but they are but pretensions of life where death reigns. And so, a soul may have forms, rituals, and outward decency, but without Christ, these are but hollow shows, what Paul calls elsewhere "tinkling symbols." (1 Cor. 13)
A Clarion Call
This, then, is a clarion call for every professing Christian. Let the words of the Apostle resonate in the chambers of your soul, dear one: "Prove your own work." Put your life, faith, and entire spiritual state to the test of God's Word. And as you proctor this audit, should you find that your faith is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, then you shall indeed have every reason for rejoicing. Yet, let that rejoicing be "in himself alone, and not in another"—in other words, not in comparison with others who may seem weaker or less devout but in humble thankfulness for the grace that has been so freely bestowed upon you.
Such is the double-edged sword of self-examination: it humbles us, even as it exalts us in Christ. It strips us of all boasting garments while clothing us afresh in the robe of Christ's righteousness. In the end, the audit of the soul serves not to put a spotlight on our worth but to magnify the all-surpassing worth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.