Believers are exhorted by the apostle Paul: “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)

Reading through James’ letter recently reminded me that I demonstrate the integrity of my faith not by my words, but by my works. John Calvin is credited with saying, “We are saved by faith alone, but a faith that saves is never alone.” James plainly tells us, “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17) One great way to examine the integrity of your faith is measuring yourself by the book of James.

A brief perusal through James provides us with the following “tests” of saving faith. I’ll put them forth in the form of questions. See how you do:

1. Do I rejoice in times of trial? This doesn’t mean we relish the trial, only that your faith is not affected by external circumstances. Do you experience peace in the midst of the storm?

2. Do I consistently resist temptation? Satan knows our weaknesses and will exploit them if we do not resist his silky smooth suggestions. Whether it’s porn, gambling, over-eating or whatever, do you find yourself constantly unable to withstand those sinful urges?

3. Do I practice what I preach? James tells us to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) Do I have a tendency to say one thing and do another? Do I affirm what is right only to fail in doing it?

4. Do I show partiality to people? Do you treat everyone the same or do you play favorites? Are there people at church whom you avoid? Do you consider yourself better than others?

5. Do I restrain my tongue? Do you find yourself uttering words that tear others down? Do you enjoy spreading and receiving gossip? Are you consistently saying words unbecoming to a Christian?

These are just a few ways to examine your heart and determine whether or not your faith is the real thing. We generally don’t consider these things to be as bad or as sinful as they are. We love to compare ourselves with others and tend to measure ourselves among ourselves (see 2 Corinthians 10:12). The truth is we all have failed in these areas. The question is whether we do them and experience conviction of the Spirit or violation of conscience?

I challenge you to read through the book of James and prayerfully consider your relationship with Jesus. Is it making a real difference in your life? A.W. Tozer said it well, “A faith that makes no difference in how a man lives makes no difference to God either.”