Step 4 | Lesson 1
Examine
We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Print-Ready PDF
Great for personal study or discipleship
Let’s begin with Step 4, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 4 – Examine – We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Now, we are going to begin looking past the major sin our lives to examine all our sin…
…we are going to begin the tough work of self-examination – searching and fearless.
If you have genuinely trusted Christ as your savior, and now enjoy the assurance of eternal life, you have only begun the transformation. But remember, regardless of why you are here tonight, if you are saved and know Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. As Jesus was reminding His disciples in Acts, we should also remember His words…
Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”
…and it is this power, the Holy Spirit in us, that empowers the self-examination we are talking about tonight.
There are still many temptations to slip back into an old pattern of life filled with selfish and sinful issues and/or addictions. In order to continue walking down a godly road we believe it is necessary to come back to a place of self-evaluation and invite God to do His own probing inquiry.
Psalm 26:2, “Examine me, LORD, and put me to the test; refine my mind and my heart.”
Does the thought of praying this verse make you uncomfortable? If so, then you probably already understand the need to pray it. If we are trying to distance ourselves from our sinfulness, then honesty with God is absolutely necessary. In this verse, we are asking God to examine us closely – testing, refining, and purifying us – something only He can do.
Let us be honest with ourselves for a minute. If you were strong enough to avoid sin on your own, would you need help? Let us go just a bit farther. If another person you know could help you with your sin, would you need God? The fact of the matter is that the only one who is capable of defeating sin is God himself. Part of us wants to avoid God because of our sin, and part of us yearns for God because He is our only help.
Check out what Jeremiah says in the midst of a sorrowful cry about his peoples’ own sin.
Lamentations 3:40, “Let’s examine and search out our ways, and let’s return to the Lord.”
There is something particularly difficult about putting ourselves under the microscope. We already know what we are going to find and bringing it up and putting it in God’s hands is a real blow to our pride. Yet, because of our new nature and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we long to be in close communion with our Lord. Thus, this verse is particularly relevant. To return to the Lord is preceded with self-searching.
The apostle Paul really boils it down in his second letter to the Corinthians when he writes,
2 Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith, examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless you indeed fail the test.”
Did you notice what he says? Check out your own life? You should find Jesus easily. If you do not find Jesus, you are not saved. You are not “in the faith.”
This verse rests in the midst of a small section wherein Paul is demonstrating the proof of the power of God speaking through himself to the church in Corinth. The ultimate appeal to finding truth, whether about prophetic veracity or our own sinfulness is to look for and to Jesus.
So, is he in your life? Oh sure, we just finished steps one through three on the matter of salvation. You may have said the words. You may have prayed the prayer. If you are genuinely saved, you will find Jesus in your life very quickly. If you do not find Jesus, and if you are questioning salvation, go back to the first three steps. Salvation is not a result of saying the right words or praying a scripted prayer. Salvation is an absolute trust in Christ’s finished work on Calvary’s cross where He died with your sin upon himself, and where He freely offers you life for eternity.
Psalm 139:23, “Search me, God, and know my heart; put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts!”
Just like Psalm 26:2, this verse calls for God to do an examination of our lives. With verse 24, it frames the conclusion of Psalm 139…a remarkable Psalm that speaks of our omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God – who better to search and know our hearts and thoughts!
Wouldn’t it be great to speak this verse in prayer with confidence? As God probes your mind and heart, are you glad about what He will find, or ashamed? It is time we let God help us clean up our lives.
Consider and Confess:
Ok, where are you at? Have you reached perfection? What still needs to change? Don’t be overwhelmed. Even the most righteous of people still have sin in their lives with which they have to deal. The correct perspective is not in how much sin remains, but whether we are faithfully addressing sin in our lives.
- Is the big sin in your life being addressed and left behind? Are smaller sins or sins that you are not thinking about coming to light?
- If you hesitate to ask God to go through your life with His fine-tooth comb, you must ask, why do I not want Him in there? What will He find? Be honest.
- A helpful exercise may be to physically write out your sins on a paper and begin working through your Bible and find a corresponding Scripture that addresses each sin. Maybe an admonishment, a righteous alternative, an illumination on its reality, etc.
- Sin is genuinely like cancer. It causes real spiritual health problems and easily spreads. Ignoring it does not make it go away. Acknowledging it is the first step to curing it. Will you go ahead and make a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself?
Looking Forward:
Know this, you can hide sin from people, but God already knows you better than you know yourself. He is well aware of your sin and He is more interested in you dealing with it than you are.
Now it is a matter of being honest with yourself and simply acknowledging what God already knows.
Step 4 | Lesson 2
Examine
We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Print-Ready PDF
Great for personal study or discipleship
Let’s continue with Step 4, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 4 – Examine – We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Now, we are going to continue looking at our sin that God knows too well, and we are just beginning to admit to…
…it is a matter of being honest with ourselves and acknowledging that He already knows.
In the previous lesson we went straight to honesty with God about our sinfulness. It may have been overwhelming, and may have caused you to be intimidated, frustrated, or feel hopeless. Now may be a great time to actively seek out someone who can help you. We believe there is a model to be followed given in
Titus 2:1-6, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.”
The context is clear about mature women mentoring younger women, and by inference, that older men would mentor younger men. For this reason, we believe it is the very best for men to look for help from other men, and women to find help from other women. There are other logical reasons for this too, such as relatability, understandability, and empathy.
We believe the general concept that is taught in God’s Word is referred to as discipleship. In the discipleship model there is a hint of the traditional Alcohol Anonymous sponsorship, as well as the Celebrate Recovery accountability partnership. In discipleship, the discipler is basically a teacher, trainer, or coach. He, or she, is responsible for imparting information to educate, but he, or she, does so in the context of a personal relationship where there is trust, care, and intent.
The perfect example of discipleship is Jesus’ relationship to the twelve whom he called. Just before Matthew records Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, it says in…
Matthew 5:2, “And he opened his mouth and taught them…”
If we are going to be successful at correcting sin and walking in righteousness, we have a lot to learn. We need a teacher. Someone who knows the way. Someone who knows the ropes. Someone who knows Jesus and the path of obedience better than we. Our recommendation for engaging the help of someone who can disciple you is to find someone of the same gender who: 1) has and fosters a healthy relationship with God, 2) studies the Word of God consistently, 3) spends quality time in prayer, 4) already has good relationships, 5) exhibits characteristics of godliness that you want to emulate. If they have these qualities, there is a very good chance that they are looking for you too.
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Christ intends that His people disciple others as they are being discipled. Someone is out there to help you. Find that person and learn from them.
So, how does discipleship work? Well, several considerations should be made:
1. Recognize your needs. Trying to grow in Christ on your own is often overwhelming. Many give up and revert to their sinful lifestyles. The discipleship relationship can help you grow in Christ and provide the support and encouragement that we all need from time to time.
2. Recognize your position. You can’t learn from someone if you aren’t humbly submissive to their authority or position. When Jesus called his disciples, He consistently said, “follow me.” They were followers, He was the leader. Let your discipler lead you and humbly follow.
3. Recognize your commitment. Change can be slow. Old habits die hard. Righteousness develops over time. However, change is necessary. Righteousness must be developed as rapidly as possible. The process of leaving our sinfulness is a worthwhile, but a long-term commitment.
What does discipleship look like? It usually happens intentionally where two or three individuals establish times of regular fellowship, Bible study, and prayer together. This time is intended to develop you in righteousness and move you away from your sin.
Discipleship can overlap with biblical counseling when there are issues that need to be addressed. The objective is the restoration of an erring brother/sister to a right relationship with Christ…it can be summed up as change through confrontation out of concern. Both discipleship and biblical counseling are personal, relational, and intimate (Romans 15:14).
Consider and Confess:
1. Being discipled is to admit you need help. This is difficult for the proud. You make things a whole lot easier when you honestly admit your need and submit to the leadership of your discipler.
2. Being a disciple is an opportunity to encourage your discipler. Remember, the human you are following is also flawed and fighting sin in their life. When they falter you are in a perfect position to help and encourage them. This does not reverse the roles, but it does provide an occasion for you to bless the one who often blesses you.
3. If you are not being discipled, you are forfeiting a great blessing as a Christian. Even the giants of the faith followed and learned from someone (Hebrews 10:23-24).
4. By whom are you being discipled? How serious are you about growing with them?
5. If you are not yet in that kind of relationship, who do you know would be a good discipler for you? Make a short list of individuals you believe to be a godly influence and teacher for you. Commit to speaking with them about this possibility.
6. What things have you already learned from Christians you know? What specific things do you want to learn from a solid Christian?
Looking Forward:
We do not even realize the damage that is done by the sin we have allowed in our lives. To sin with the body is to have carried out a sin of the heart. Our spiritual health, mental health, and physical health are all at stake when we sin. In our next lesson we will walk through a more thorough evaluation of sin’s consequences in our body, soul, and spirit, and will look at how God’s grace in forgiveness heals each as well.
Step 4 | Lesson 3
Examine
We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Audio Lesson
Listen to Lesson 4.3
Print-Ready PDF
Great for personal study or discipleship
Let’s continue with Step 4, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 4 – Examine – We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Now, we are going to continue looking at sin that we have allowed in our lives – sin in our lives starts in our hearts. Our spiritual health, mental health, and physical health are all at stake when we sin…and God’s grace is the answer!
In the 1st lesson on Step 4 we went straight to self-examination with the goal of uncovering hidden or forgotten sin or sin of which we were not aware. That exercise is beneficial no matter where you are on that path of sanctification, growing more like Christ each day. In lesson two we were introduced to the benefits of being discipled by a Christian who has a vibrant relationship with God. While they are not perfect, they are helpful in teaching you what a Christian life should look like, and how to live one yourself.
The objective is a moral inventory, as thorough as possible, so that we might grow in our faith…
In this lesson we will be changing gears and working through a little different format. The goal is not to dwell on self, but to be thorough in the clean-up of self. In order to receive the greatest benefit, we must understand the Biblical principles that provide the basis for this exercise. Humbly speaking, sin has saturated our lives more than we can imagine and often want to admit. Again, there is the sin that we know, but there is sin in our lives that we may not be aware of that we must address and confess. In the following paragraphs, we will be systematically approaching our lives with the intent of discovering, confessing, and repenting of that sin.
1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world.”
This verse provides a basic structure for doing an actual moral inventory. The opening statement makes it clear that the system of the world that stands in opposition to the holiness of God can be categorized in three groups. These are the three groups we will use to evaluate our lives and seek to understand our sin as well as its remedy.
The “flesh” or the “sinful nature”, depending on the translation, is a compound of two attitudes – (1) that satisfying bodily desire is all that really matters in life, and (2) that I am the only one who can really satisfy my desires, and I have an absolute right to do so. The apostle Paul told us the only way to deal with this attitude is death – we must die to it both once for all and daily. We live in an unbelieving world that believes what we experience here is all there is, so this flesh attitude fits well, but for a believer it is the exact opposite of the direction that God would have us walk…to our recovery and redemption!
Looking at 1 John 2:16, the first phrase we want to understand better is, the desires of the flesh…
This desire is natural, and a part of our humanity. The concept of fleshly desires includes things like food when you are hungry, clothing when you are cold, and intimate sexual relations when you are aroused. This context clearly teaches these desires are not within Biblical bounds. We all understand the need to eat, but if you don’t establish a balanced, healthy lifestyle your health will pay the price. We also understand the drive for sexual pleasure, but if you entertain sexual pleasure outside a selfless marriage relationship there will be consequences for that as well. This list of fleshly desires, which to a point are Biblical but in excess, can be sinful and an afront to God. Which ones do you fail to limit and/or confine within Godly parameters and therefore succumb to sin.
| · Appetite | · Sexuality or pleasure | · Worry/anxiety |
| · Comfort, avoidance of pain | · Laziness, over indulgence | · Likeability/validation |
The next phrase that we want to understand better is, the desires of the eyes.
This desire is also natural, and part of our humanity. God is the author of beauty and He intended each of us to enjoy the desire of our eyes…to a point. Again, the context is clear, the desires of the eyes can take us beyond Biblical boundaries into sin. The challenge here is that we rely on our sense of sight so much/often that we don’t even think about the dangers that are present. We are susceptible to “over stimulation.” We are a society that is dependent on the television, movies, the smart phone, and other media that can take desires of the eyes to extremes. It is past time that we learned, just because you can watch something doesn’t mean you should. Just as we must learn to discipline the flesh, so we must learn to discipline our eyes. How often do we respond to something we see in a selfish or a self-serving manner? Below is a list of desires of the eyes and consequences if taken to non-Biblical extremes. Consider the ones that you fail to limit, and/or confine within Godly bounds and therefore succumb to sin. Add to the list if necessary.
| · Pornography resulting in adultery | · Desiring possessions, coveting |
| · Violence, resulting in hostility | · Comparisons, envy |
The last phrase we want to study in the verse is the pride of life. This is a statement that identifies a person’s attitude of arrogance or haughtiness due to their station in life. We tend to think of the wealthy as struggling with this, but the concept does go beyond financial means to other areas of pride. What really drives the point home is the attitude of one who takes credit for an element of their lives that really belongs to our gracious God. Often, we think we are responsible for the lives we enjoy, but we are truly recipients of God’s generosity. One who has pride of life doesn’t have a thankful spirit toward God, the source of all blessings. This is a list of issues that exhibit the pride of life. Consider the ones that trigger your pride and add to the list if necessary.
| · Financial status/wealth | · Community status or career success |
| · Political position | · Talents or abilities |
| · Wealth/possessions accumulated | · Charitable works/activities |
As a final reference to Scripture, you might remember the record of
Genesis 3:6, So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
Do you see the pattern? The first sin of mankind included all three elements: the desire of the flesh, the tree was good for food;the desire of the eyes, it was a delight to the eyes; the pride of life, the tree was to be desired to make on wise. Our sinfulness is indeed summed up by the simplicity of these three phrases of I John 2:16. But now we must get specific.
Consider and Confess:
The shocking thing about sin is how much it is a part of who we are, even after coming to know Christ. In considering these texts you may have felt overwhelmed. Remember steps 1-3? The awesome thing about salvation is that God takes care of your sin – all of it. We need to remind ourselves that He has overcome the penalty of sin and the power of sin – so He is able to empower you to begin the clean-up process.
As you think through the sins on your list, do you feel a genuine sense of shame and regret? Are you embarrassed that you fail in these ways, especially given the way it affects others? Does all our sin humble you before your God? He alone can conquer sin and its consequences.
Looking forward:
Now that we have acknowledged our sin before God, settled in our mind that He knows every dark place in our souls, and have explored the need for greater awareness of our sin; we move logically into admission of wrongdoing. Now is not the time to attempt a defense, but to accept the plan as our creator established it and move forward in our relationship with Him.
Step 4 | Lesson 4
Examine
We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Print-Ready PDF
Great for personal study or discipleship
Let’s finish with Step 4, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 4 – Examine – We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
We have acknowledged our sin before God, admitted He knows every dark place in our souls, and explored the need for greater awareness of our sin.
Now, we will remind ourselves that it is not the time to attempt a defense of our sin…it’s time to accept His plan for that sin and build a lasting relationship with Him. Our recovery depends on it!
“The mystery of the Christian life is that Christ expects us to flee sin and the devil but does not expect us to rid ourselves of either on this side of glory. Repentance is a way of life, and so is the pursuit of godliness. I wish every Christian could be reminded of these two things.” – Kevin DeYoung.
In our endeavor to flee sin and the devil, and live in repentance and the pursuit of godliness, we believe that it is important to understand the parts of man that are involved.
In this lesson we want to identify the connections that start with spiritual healing and result in physical and emotional healing. For many people, this is an unknown and unfamiliar discussion. However, in the medical field, this is a very well-known field of study.
While they are interested in helping you achieve overall good physical and mental health, the Bible clearly teaches that physical and emotional health are simply benefits that come from a pursuit of godliness.
To be clear, we are not exploring, teaching, nor currently interested in the theological study of trichotomy that separates man into three basic parts: body, soul, and spirit. We are only observing Biblical truth that connects our elementary health elements (body and mind) to our spiritual health or our spirituality.
Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
“Good medicine” literally means “causes good healing” – we see the direct connection between your overall health and your spirituality. Spirituality is a mature yet maturing relationship of the believer to the God that develops over time. The heart that is joyful has therapeutic value to your body.
A broken spirit is a soul of someone that is hurting or has been hurt. This damaged soul has a clear symptom, dried up bones. Most commentators agree that this is clearly referencing physical health, not mental, and that there is also a clear connection between spiritual health, and your overall wellness.
One may ask, how do I get a joyful heart?
Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, a byproduct of holy living. With a fruit tree, fruit is not the first thing that tree puts energy into. The tree sustains itself first – energy goes to the roots, the branches, new growth, and then to the fruit. In a similar fashion, fruit is effectively produced in us when we use all our God-given resources to walk in obedience focusing on spiritual growth, and then God can produce spiritual fruit through us – like joy. That joy, a byproduct of holy living, then has healing influences in our bodies and minds.
On the other hand, if you neglect the Holy Spirit in your life, you may well face real hardship and difficulty with both your physical and/or mental health.
In the New Testament another reference may be helpful on this doctrine.
2 Corinthians 7:10, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
Certainly, sorrow or godly grief is a part of life, but this verse would seem to clearly indicate that there is a drastic difference in results based on the source of that sorrow. The source can be either God, or the world. The interesting part of this verse is what it implies, but never states directly, that sorrow or grief in sinners is caused by their sin. When we are sorrowful, it is either because God is pushing you emotionally to repent and be saved, repent and walk in obedience, or because the world is pushing you emotionally toward death – separation from God for eternity.
Today we would use the word depression instead of sorrow or grief. That kind of sorrow leads only to guilt, shame, despair, depression, self-pity, and hopelessness. People can die from such sorrow. In this context we certainly see a clear connection between the quality of our relationship with God and our mental health.
To achieve good health in your body… you may carefully manage your diet and exercise routine.
To achieve good health in your mind… you may do Sudoku, crossword puzzles, or read extensively.
To achieve good health in your heart… (as the seat to your spirituality or spiritual health), we recommend improving your relationship with God by doing the following:
- Speak with Him often – Prov. 15:8; Psalm 145:18; I Thess. 5:17
- Listen to Him – Psalm 119:105; Matt. 4:4; Prov. 2:6
- Obey Him – Matt. 7:24; Luke 11:28; James 1:22
Consider and Confess:
Is your spiritual health headed in a positive direction? Are you making progress on the life issues in your recovery? Based on the listing above, are there changes happening with you physically and mentally as a result of your improving spiritual health?
Take time to list changes that have already begun, and changes you wish to make because you know Christ and would like to honor Him.
Looking Forward:
Now that we have looked long and hard at ourselves, it is time to move forward in response to our findings. In the next Step we will begin looking at the need to and value of admitting our sin to God, to ourselves, and a brother/sister in Christ – an act of obedience to God and a positive step in our recovery!
1. Speak with Him often – Prov. 15:8; Psalm 145:18; I Thess. 5:17
Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
…rather than external acts of worship, God is first and foremost concerned about a right heart.
Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
pray without ceasing,
2. Listen to Him – Psalm 119:105; Matt. 4:4; Prov. 2:6
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Matthew 4:4
But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”
Proverbs 2:6
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
3. Obey Him – Matt. 7:24; Luke 11:28; James 1:22
Matthew 7:24
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
…only the life (house) built on the foundation of obedience to God’s Word stands, which calls for repentance, rejection of salvation by works, and trust in God’s grace to save through His merciful provision.
Luke 11:28
But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.”
… in the previous verse, after casting out a demon, a woman in the crowd suggested that Jesus’ mother would be blessed because she bore him. And Jesus was saying ”yes, but rather” the greater blessing was hearing and following the Word of God.
James 1:22
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.
Next Step
Step 5
Admit
We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to a brother/sister in Christ the sin in our lives.