Spiritual Audit By Jeremy Anderson

Paul centers the final chapter on the call, Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Church discipline sits in the background, but the point is a spiritual audit that looks carefully, not casually. The image that carries the weight is the testing of metals. A jeweler uses the touchstone, the scrape, and the fire to show what is real. Paul’s intent matches that. He is not sowing doubt. He expects the test to reveal that Jesus Christ is in them unless they fail to meet the test. The test is pass-fail. There is no fence-sitting, no c’s get degrees. The church must deal with reality, not assumptions.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 supply the sobering frame. False prophets look like sheep but are wolves, and fruit exposes them. Many will come on that Day with a glowing resume, Lord, Lord, did we not…, and hear, I never knew you. Their assurance rests on themselves. The wise builder hears and does Jesus’ words and builds on rock. The audit clears away false securities like religious knowledge, religious experiences, and even a trembling fear of judgment that never yields to Christ. Only the finished work of Jesus saves. No stack of good omens or good works can stand before the Judge.

Paul’s testing image also clarifies how the exam works. Tests do not make gold genuine. Tests reveal if it already is. So the church does not perform its way into grace. It looks for grace’s marks. Two pillars steady the audit. First, confession, the creed of the heart and mouth that submits to God’s promises and the true gospel, not a customized faith that twists Scripture. Second, change, the evidence of new creation. A changed relationship to sin shows itself in abhorring evil and refusing to keep pet sins. A changed relationship to the Savior shows in freedom from penalty, the breaking of sin’s power, and a growing absence of sin’s presence. Love for Jesus takes the shape of obedience, slavery to righteousness instead of slavery to unrighteousness.

This spiritual audit then does two things. It prevents false security and it purges festering sin. Seeing the junk is not enough. It must go to the curb. Finally, Paul’s closing words lift the church into fellowship that matches the gospel’s fruit. Rejoice. Aim for restoration. Comfort one another. Agree. Live in peace. That togetherness is not mere proximity. It is unity under truth. And it is Trinitarian in shape, resting in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Let the church stop becoming experts on others’ problems while remaining strangers to its own heart. Let the audit begin at home.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Spiritual audit reveals, not creates, faith This testing is diagnostic, not performative. The exam does not mint genuine disciples any more than a touchstone makes real gold. It simply shows whether Christ already dwells within and whether grace has left its mark. That frees the believer from self-salvation projects and into honest clarity before God. [19:01]
• 2. False assurance says, “Did we not…?” When assurance rests on religious resumes, the center shifts to self and sand replaces rock. Jesus’ warning exposes the danger of trusting activity without being known by him. Real security is received, not tallied, because salvation is anchored outside the self in the Savior. [12:43]
• 3. Two pillars: confession and change True faith believes the gospel God actually spoke and then bears fruit that matches a new creation. Creed without obedience is hollow, and activity without truth is drift. Together they show that grace has taken root in the whole person, mind and life. [19:57]
• 4. Purge sin, not just spotlight it Naming sin without removing it only lets it fester in the dark. The audit puts a hand on the doorknob, drags the clutter into the light, and takes it to the curb. Repentance is decisive, not decorative, because Christ has broken sin’s power. [32:22]
• 5. Fellowship flows from Trinity-shaped truth Gospel assurance ripens into a community marked by rejoicing, restoration, and peace under the authority of Scripture. Such unity is more than liking one another. It is life together by the grace of Christ, the love of the Father, and the Spirit’s shared life. [38:53]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:17] - Occasion for a spiritual audit
• [02:13] - What careful examination means
• [03:33] - Touchstone and tested metals
• [05:29] - A pass-fail call to the church
• [08:00] - Jesus warns of false assurance
• [11:17] - Rock or sand: what is the base
• [13:18] - Knowledge without knowing Christ
• [14:50] - Experiences and the “didn’t I”
• [17:35] - Only the finished work saves
• [19:57] - Two pillars of the test
• [24:00] - A new relationship to sin
• [27:37] - Obedience as love for the Lord
• [35:35] - Rejoice and aim for restoration
• [38:53] - Trinitarian shape of fellowship

1. What metaphor does Paul use to illustrate the purpose of a spiritual audit, and how does it clarify the difference between genuine and false faith? (See 2 Corinthians 13:5 and the sermon’s analogy of testing metals.)
2. According to Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23, what specific actions do people cite to justify their assurance of salvation, and how does Jesus respond? [08:00]
3. What two “pillars” are identified in the sermon as evidence of genuine faith, and how do they connect to biblical teachings about salvation? [19:57]

1. Why does Paul frame the spiritual audit as a “pass-fail” test rather than a spectrum of performance? How does this align with Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27)? [05:29]
2. How might religious knowledge or experiences (like prophesying or serving) become a “false security” if disconnected from a relationship with Christ? What makes these insufficient for salvation? [12:43]
3. The sermon contrasts “confession” and “change” as marks of genuine faith. How do these work together to reveal a transformed heart, and why is one incomplete without the other? [19:57]

1. When was the last time you intentionally “examined yourself” for evidence of Christ’s work in your life? What specific sin or area of growth might the Holy Spirit be prompting you to address this week?
2. Identify one “false security” you’ve relied on (e.g., church attendance, moral behavior, theological knowledge). How can you shift your assurance to rest solely on Christ’s finished work? [12:43]
3. The sermon warns against letting sin “fester” once identified. What step will you take this week to “purge” a recurring sin or habit, and who can hold you accountable in this process? [32:22]
4. How does your relationship with sin (e.g., indifference vs. repentance) reflect a growing hatred for evil and love for Christ? Name one practical way to cultivate greater sensitivity to sin this month.
5. The church’s fellowship is described as “Trinitarian in shape.” How can you actively contribute to unity, peace, and restoration in your relationships with other believers? [38:53]
6. Reflect on a time when you critiqued others’ spiritual lives more than your own. What specific area of your heart needs honest examination to avoid becoming a “stranger” to your own spiritual condition? [41:35]