In a few weeks we will begin the season of tests here at ECS. In March, April and May there will be ISTEP Applied Skills Testing, IRead, ISTEP Multiple Choice and Terra Nova testing. All of these are important tools to help us evaluate how we are doing as a school and how students are doing in their academic growth. Without tests, it is difficult to measure if we are reaching our goals and if progress is being made.
Even though these are important tests, there is a much more important test. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul tells us that we should test ourselves: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” How do we test ourselves to see if we are in the faith? What does that mean?
One of my favorite YouTube videos of all time is an excerpt from a John Piper message that addresses this question. In this clip, Piper says that we need to understand the “affectional nature of Christianity” to test if we are in the faith:
“Catch on to the affectional nature of Christianity…it is not merely a decision to believe a fact. It is a heart treasuring Christ and His glory more than football, money, power, play, toys…Test yourself, 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, test yourself to see if you are in the faith. One of the tests is, do you love football more than you love Jesus? Do you love golf more than you love Christ? What does your heart say about Christ?”
Those are some great test questions. For each of us the questions may be different – shopping, money, popularity, entertainment, convenience, control – do we love any of these things more than we love Jesus? Do we cherish Jesus more than anything else? Do we pass the test?
In His grip,
Scott Winslow
Chief Operating Officer