I and many others have come to a very grave conclusion among us who profess to be believers in Christ:  We see in reality that the majority are not believers in Christ at all.  They are good people and try to do well by the Lord – but nevertheless and sadly, are not His. How do we know? By the word and what it says. Whoever we are, in our faith, we all ought to know that we all will stand before the Lord and will have to answer to Him.  Here is a compilation of questions in which may help us to determine where we are in truth.  Only if we are willing to answer these questions with serious thought and in truthfulness will we come to the conclusions about what is true. 

It is better now to see if we are not in the faith, so we may get ourselves where we need to be than when it will be too late.  Where is that by the way?  Hint:  Ephes 3:14-19. This study will require your time and thought because your soul is worth it.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Cor 13-15

1. Read Isaiah 61 Heb 8:10-11 John 3:1-21 John 8:31-32 John 14:6 Acts 2:38 Romans 6:23 Romans 10:9  What is the Gospel of Christ? 
2. Read John 1:1-14 Heb 4:12-13  Ephes 6:17. What is the Word of God?
3. Read John 14:15 Luke 11:28 James 1:22-25 Luke 6:46-48 1 John 3:18. 1 John 5:3. Do you keep the Word of God to do it?
4. Read John 15.  Do you abide in Christ? 
5. Read 1 John 2:6.  Do you walk in Christ?
6. Read 1 John 3:6. Do you practice in sin? 
7. Read John 14: 23-24 Do you love God? Does God love you?
8. Read Matt 7:21-23 1 Cor 8:3 Does Jesus Christ and the Father know you?
9. Read John 17:20-26, Romans 12:1-21, 1 Thess 4:1-8, 1 John 2:15-17.  What is the will of God?  Do you seek (daily) to walk in the will of God? 
10. Read Romans 8 2 Cor 6:16-18 1 John 2: 15-17. Do you war daily against your flesh?  Are you separating yourself from this world? 
11. Read Romans 6. Have you been baptized into Christ’s death and now know and enjoy new life in His resurrection?
12. Read Heb 10:24-26. 1 Thess 5:11 Col 3:16  Do you seek Christian fellowship? 1 Cor 1:10 Ephes 4:3 1 Pet 3:8. Do you love the brethren and unity of the Spirit?  Note:  Going to church or attending a Bible study is not Christian fellowship, for in truth, many do not engage to contribute, but only listen and then leave and is not biblical fellowship because unbelievers and unsaved can easily do these things.  Christian fellowship is when you engage with one another in the Lord’s name, praying and sharing, teaching and exhorting one another of Christ and His kingdom this kind is centered and empowered by the Holy Spirit in each who gathers, and it is He who contributes as we are each led to share and receive what He gives.   
13. Read Rev 12:11 1 Cor 10:3-6 1 John 5:4-5. Do you know what you stand for in Christ?  If you do not know you will not stand when you are tempted by the tempter. 
14. The word reveals that when we know Him and He us, we are willing and able to die for what we believe, as He did.  Read Luke 9:23-26. Are you willing to lay down your life for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom and Gospel? 

In conclusion, when we are rooted in Christ we will have in us the desire and willingness to do what the Word of God instructs us.  We will love what the Lord loves and hate what He hates because He is dwelling in us and is who leads us.  If we can live our lives without feeling the need to be in His Word daily, to feed on it as food for our souls and in prayer – continuously – this indicates He may not be in us at all, or that we have quenched His Holy Spirit by loving things and others over Him. 

If we are not seeking to be with one another – above socializing, but rather, because we need one another is another indicator the Lord does not dwell within us.  He commands us to be one with Himself and each other where biblical fellowship is not optional, or limited and considered – as a once-per-week meeting or church service.   

We can affirm to each other that ‘by grace, we are saved and not works’ thinking that we need not do anything but believe – but as we see from the small portion of scriptures presented above, this is not biblical – or what salvation consists of. 

If we see we have fallen short through this study, it should not be a condemnation but rather a life saver that has been thrown to us to grab onto and a new beginning where we embark on what it means to be saved in Christ and to believe in His Gospel. 

Salvation is the narrow way and few find it for its difficulty.  Matt 7:13-14. It is difficult because it allows not our flesh and carnality to enter nor the things of this world (James 4:4), which has been the deception many have been deceived by.  Our flesh is our enemy (1 John 2:15-16) and if we are willing to see how we have been deceived – before God, He will reveal to us the Way, the Truth, and the Life – Amen.