ARTICLE – 19 June 2016

It is uncomfortable to look deep inside ourselves and ask, “How genuine is my faith?”

Is it possible that we cannot tell the difference between true faith from empty faith? The passage 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 is on Paul’s heartfelt response to awaken the Corinthian Church members who were straying away from genuine faith in Jesus Christ. It holds the key indicators that will help you tell the difference.

One can be a Christian and have these traits or one may not be a Christian at all and still be in Church (Christian community). They might even be serving in Christian ministries and even, as described by the Apostle Paul, claim to be eminent Apostles in the Corinthian Christian Church. These traits may or may not prove genuineness of faith:

1. Emphasis on intellectual capability in the Scriptures and speaking with polish. Paul acknowledges he was no where near these abilities but he preached the Christian Gospel with power and conviction because he had a living relationship with God.
2. Reformed but is there true repentance? Paul points out that the emphasis on adding on works to guarantee salvation to the Christian faith by grace in the Gospel of Jesus is fake. In their undue emphasis of trying to be more spiritual than Paul, they make themselves indispensable to the Corinthian Christians.
3. Being in active Christian ministry does not mean there is genuine faith. Credit by these ministers in their service is hardly given to God’s grace and glory in Christ. It is their work – not God’s!

Paul’s description of his motivation and the evidence of his ministry reveals the purity of his devotion in the Lord:

1. Love for the Lord: Paul’s desires is to love the Lord and to preserve the Word of God from being twisted and/or confused. He was concerned primarily for the integrity of the Gospel as the foundation of the Christian faith.
2. Humility: Paul related with others in grace, compassion and forgiveness, desiring that the Christian’s spiritual well-being takes priority before their physical needs.
3. Devoted to God’ s glory: Paul shared his personal and private motives known to God and revealed to people, regardless of potential human scrutiny. This translates in Paul’s life the principle of being open and transparent in his service to God – “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD“.
4. Selfless love: Paul served the Corinthian Christians and his work of ministry was to establish them in the Christian faith. His zeal is to present the Corinthian Church to Jesus Christ “in simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ“.

When we review the service of ministers of the Gospel we should remind ourselves of what Paul taught: “For not he who commends himself is approved but whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:18 NKJV).