Romans 16:10a (NIV) Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.

I never liked tests when I was in school. Not many students do, but they are a sure way to see how much of what has been taught has been absorbed and learned. There are many things that test us in life. Sometimes our strength is tested in certain situations. Sometimes it’s our common sense and at other times, our ingenuity is tested. Those are all areas that are important. But there is one test that far outweighs them all in the scheme of things and that is the testing of our faith in Jesus.

The Bible tells us that we need to examine ourselves (test ourselves) to see whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Why would we have to do that? Is it possible that we can be walking around thinking that we are solid in our relationship with Jesus when in fact, we are not? Yes, that’s a possibility because we can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are okay when we are not okay. Remember that our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), so it would be a good idea to check ourselves from time to time. What would you be looking for, you may ask. You would be looking for fruit. In other words, you would be looking to see if there has been a change in your life. Do you still act the same way as you used to before you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior or has there been a real transformation in your life? Is it easier to love others now? How is your patience level? Day-to-day life happenings will test all of these areas in your life and you will be able to see if you have truly surrendered your heart and your will to Jesus. If you have, then you will stand the test.

In the Apostle Paul’s final greeting to the Church at Corinth, he named a number of brothers and sisters by name. In the verse above, he greeted a brother named Apelles and made the observation that his faithfulness to Jesus had stood the test. It must have been so obvious that Apelles’ life had been transformed that Paul felt compelled to mention it in his final greeting. I pray that it would be obvious to everyone around us that we, too, have stood the test of our faith and that we have remained loyal to Jesus. If that’s how we are living, then we can be sure that the good news of the gospel is being spread through the testimony of our lives to the glory of God!

Pastor Joey Vazquez