昨天我们说要在自我检视中诚实地面对自己，这对我们来说往往是最困难的事情，我们总是会很快速地跳过这一点。我们高兴听到神怎样将不敬虔的人放在滑地，但是不乐意被提醒要检视自己、找出导致我们走错路的原因。

不过我们必须知道，当涉及自我检视这个问题时，就会有两种危机可能出现。一种是过份强调，另一种是过份低估。有些人太投入了，变得不健康地内省；有些人却完全没有省察自己，因此只是行尸走肉地生活着。我们要记住，自我检视必须在有神同在的时候进行，这一点非常关键，不然的话，内省的操练就会变得无效甚至有害。

我认识一些基督徒，他们强烈反对自我检视这个观念。他们说：「当你看到自己犯了罪的时候，只要将你的罪以主血洗净就没有问题了。停下来思想它会显示你在属灵上不够健康，缺乏信心。」钟马田博士曾经说过：「我们大部分人的问题是我们在属灵上实在过份『健康』。」他的意思是我们太口齿伶俐和太肤浅。没有甚么比愿意自我检视更符合真正基督徒的特点，不用太多，也不能太少，必须适当及平衡地进行。

We said yesterday that the task of honestly facing ourselves in self-examination is often the hardest thing for us to do. We are all very prone to pass quickly over this point. We are quite happy to hear how God has set the ungodly in slippery places but we are not happy to be invited to take a look at ourselves and uncover the things within us that cause us to go astray.

It must be said, however, that two dangers arise whenever the question of self-examination is considered. One is over-emphasis and the other is under-emphasis. Some engage in it too much and become unhealthily introspective, while others fail to look at themselves at all and thus live on the surface. The important thing to remember is this - self-examination should always be carried out in the presence of God. If this is not adhered to, then the exercise can become harmful and counter-productive.

I meet many Christians who strongly oppose the idea of self-examination. They say: "the moment you see that you have sinned and then put your sin 'under the blood' you are all right. To stop and think about it is an indication that you are not spiritually healthy and that you lack faith." Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: "The trouble with most of us is that we are far too 'healthy' spiritually." He meant by that that we are much too glib and much too superficial. Nothing is more characteristic of a true Christian than a willingness to examine himself; not too much, not too little, but in an appropriate and balanced way.