Foundations To Examine Upon

I wrote yesterday of how i tend to forget the gospel whenever i am aware of my sin or even just my lukewarmness. Self examination, guilt or conviction often lead to me being crippled by guilt. It's due to this that i'm thinking through a foundation and goal of examination as a framework for my response and journey through these moments when my sinfulness clouds the sky. Below are some of my first thoughts in regards to this foundation & goal.

Jesus.

The first thing i have to do is place Jesus in His rightful place. He is God (John 10:30-33, John 8:58),  He created me (John1:3, Col 1:16), i am a sinner & my sin is against Him (Rom 3:23), I cannot be saved by the law or works (Gal 3:11, Eph 2:8-10), Jesus has made atonement for us & is the only means of pardon and peace with God (John 14:6, Heb 9:12, Rev 4:9-10).

Saved.

Understanding & reminding myself that salvation is found in Jesus firmly changes the direction of my examination process. It is usually when i come to remember that He has cancelled the record of debt and requirements of the law against me (Col 2:13-15) that the crippling effects of guilt begin to lift.

I see that my inability to keep the righteous requirements of the law no longer condemns me because Jesus paid the debt. On the flipside of this, the ability to keep the law is not what would justify me since justification is in Christ alone.

Sanctified.

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2 ). God does not change our standing before Him and leave our character untouched. The very reason we examine ourselves may be because Christ is continually working in us (Phil 1:6, 2:13) to kill sin and change us into His image. The goal of examining myself is not to condem me but to uplift Christ through the Gospel and to move my sanctification process along. As sins and weights come to light it is an opportunity to look to Christ and repent over them, pleading for greater intensity of the work of the Spirit & Word upon my life and for greater obedience to Him.

Thanksgiving & Worship

Another goal of self examination may be that of gratitude towards Christ for having lived, died and arose again on our behalf. For His accomplishment of our justification and adoption by God. This in itself may be part of the previous point of sanctification, as a truly thankful life is characterized by that of worshipping with one's whole life in obedience to, and for Christ's pleasure.