When the time draws near for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, we are reminded of the fact that we ought to examine ourselves. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:28 that everyone should try oneself first and afterwards eat the bread and drink of the cup.

But even though this examination of ourselves has a particular meaning on our way to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (on our way to the Lord’s table), this does not mean that it is limited or restricted only to the week prior to the celebration. In the covenant the Lord has with us, he calls us time and again to examine our hearts and our lifestyle. The Lord himself is constantly busy with this. He “weighs” (Proverbs 21:2), he “searches” (1 Chronicles 28:5), he “knows” (Psalm 139:23), and “tries” (Psalm 17:3), the hearts of his children.

What God does, we his children may and must do likewise. They have to “probe” their ways (Lamentations 3:40), “examine” (1 Corinthians 11:28 & Gal. 6:4), test “themselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5), to judge themselves (1 Corinthians 11:31).

This ongoing self-examination, the searching of our hearts, is necessary, because our lives with the Lord are constantly being threatened by unbelief, clinging to sin, slothfulness, duplicity and so much more.

According to the Word⤒🔗

In the old version of the long form (still used in the Canadian Reformed Churches), for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper we find the word: true self-examination. It is a pity that this word “true” in the current version has been omitted, for as soon as we point the spotlight on ourselves there are dangers looming. One can easily come to a totally wrong self-evaluation. People can overrate, but also greatly underestimate, themselves. Not every criticism of oneself can pass as “true examination."

True self-examination is only then true, when we see ourselves in light of our God. Knowing God and knowing ourselves is inseparably connected to each other. The more we know God, the more we also get to know ourselves. For Calvin it is indispensable that man cannot come to a pure knowledge of himself unless he has first seen God’s face, and from that viewpoint comes the knowledge of himself, because through our inbred haughtiness, we always find ourselves righteous and upright, wise and holy, unless we are convinced through proven claims of our injustice, foolishness and impurity. Of this, however, we are not being convinced when we only look at ourselves and not also upon the LORD, who is the only standard by whom we have to measure ourselves. In our own “self-testing,” the judgment is not what we think of ourselves, but what the Lord thinks of us, and what God’s judgment is over our heart and life. We find that judgment in God’s Word. In this Word the Lord tells us what he wants to see in his children, and what it means to fear and respect him. That is why the Form also instructs us to examine the Scriptures. Scripture is the norm whereby we have to test ourselves and search our ways. Examining ourselves should always be done with an open Bible and with the prayer of Psalm 139:24: “Search me, O God, know my heart; try me and know my inmost anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way,”

What it is all about!←⤒🔗

During the history of the church there have been “derailments” in dealing with the subject of self-examination. Is the process a fearful rooting around in yourself trying to find as yet some bright spots? Does the critical examination of our heart and life make one depressed or maybe even drive one to despair?

We may be thankful that in the Form for the Lord’s Supper we will find a clear teaching about true self-examination. When we become busy with ourselves, the church takes us by the hand and points us in the right direction, for then it will become evident that it is absolutely not about fearful rooting in ourselves. The Lord’s Supper form only mentions those things that are indispensable for a Christian to know oneself as a believer. It makes us aware of our guilt, of our redemption, and our need for the will to live for the Lord in thankfulness. The three parts (our misery, our deliverance and thankfulness) of Lord’s Day 1 call a person to order when we examine ourselves under God’s eyes. First of all, we need to “consider” our sins which the Form mentions. We must sincerely consider our wrongdoing. Indeed, this is not a superfluous assignment, although as hurried and superficial as we are, we often skim over our sins. What the Lord wants is that we come to him, knowing our debt because of our sins. We need to realise how terribly we short-change him and grieve him to no end.

The explanation of the Ten Commandments in the catechism’s Lord’s Days 34-44 can help one when one lets that explanation influence oneself to discover how matters stand with him. And if even then we do not really find our sins so bad, we should look at the cross of the Lord Jesus. If God lets his Own Son endure such suffering, how terrible my sin must be. There is nothing left of me in view of the suffering of Christ. At his cross I learn how terrible my sin and misery are. If there is clear sin in our life and wrongdoing, then we should lay that before the Lord: “My sins I lay before thee and my iniquity I did not hide from thee” (Psalm 32:5). We have to own up to our sins and confess them.

However, true self-examination is not only about humiliation, confessing and sincere sorrow; our examination also establishes us in our relation to the Gospel which we hear every Sunday preached to us. The Form says that we have to examine ourselves, whether we also truly believe God’s firm promise of forgiveness of our sins for Jesus’ sake. Is our belief indeed also a “true” belief as Lord’s Day 7 describes it? Do we also trust the Lord who bore our sins and do we believe that there is acquittal for us? Luther once said that true belief knows the little words: me and mine. How true that is! He who is a believer will say that not only for others, but also for me, Jesus is my Saviour. Our self-examination has therefore to focus on these words. Do I believe that forgiveness has been given also to me and that the Lord Jesus is my Redeemer and King? When we examine ourselves in this manner we will still discover a lot of weaknesses and little faith. Calvin says that the believers have a constant struggle with their own lack of trust. The Form also speaks of this when it says that we do not have perfect faith, and we have yet to daily contend with the weaknesses of our faith. It is comforting that the Form does not place the word “firmly” with the word “belief”, but with God’s promises. We must believe God’s firm promises. When we take refuge in these promises in all our struggles and weaknesses, then we are his children as the Lord wants to see us.

Our self-examination also brings us to the question of whether we really, truly, live for the Lord. Many things in a Christian’s life can be wanting. We can still get into trouble with our “petty sins”, and plunge to the point of breaking down again. However, the critical question is the inclination of our heart. The Lord’s Supper Form speaks about our inclination and our desire. Lord’s Day 30 speaks in the same line about those “who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and amend their lifestyle” (q/a 81). This inclination and this desire is of ultimate importance. When this is our heart’s desire, the deeds will come of their own accord, and a thankful obedience will grow in us on whom the Lord has his redeeming eye.

In Conclusion←⤒🔗

Paul instructs the Corinthians to “[t]est yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5). The purpose of the apostle would be that the Corinthians have to examine whether they are being controlled and governed by Christ’s salvation, whether they believe as they may and should believe. This examination through God’s eyes is and remains necessary when we want to be believers. For our life with the Lord needs to be cleansed of our little faith, our old routine, tardiness and pretence. We can not do without it if we want to grow in faith and repentance.