When we look at our good works as part of examining ourselves, we are not trusting in ourselves or our "goodness" as the grounds of our salvation, but as an assurance of our salvation. This is because good works are necessary, yet possible only by the saving grace of God having already been given to us through Jesus Christ.
It is a dangerous error within certain churches today, sometimes seen especially in Reformed churches today, that tell you to never examine yourself and your works to determine whether you are saved or not, justified in Christ or not. Their fear seems to be that this will somehow confuse grace and works, and will make people think that we are justified by our works in a meritorious manner.
But the Bible speaks very strongly about the necessity of good works. Without good works, without holiness, one is not saved, and will not enter the kingdom of heaven on the last day when Christ returns.
Yet this does not at all mean that it is by these necessary good works that we earn or merit our justification or standing before God. The true Christian possesses this justification already/today, and it will be examined and revealed by God on judgment day/the last day.
Our good works are a demonstration and vindication that we have been saved by God's grace in Christ, that we have held fast to Him with a true faith in sincere love for Him. God is not pleased to save any who lack the fruit of faith, good works done by the power of Christ's Spirit and according to His Word. But God is also NOT pleased to save any BY their earning justification through merit/good works. Good works merit nothing, and even our rewards in heaven are given to us graciously, not strictly meritoriously, by God.
James tells us that faith without works is dead. So the faith that saves is a Spiritually living faith, a faith that works through love, and good works are part of our salvation in terms of our sanctification/growing as Christians. But it is Christ by His Spirit who immediately, directly, and sovereignly works in our dead, sinful hearts to unite us to Himself and regenerate us, giving us His new, resurrection life and renewing us in His image.
As God is sovereign in salvation and initiates our union with Himself through the meritorious and atoning work of His Son Jesus Christ, the immediate result of Christ and His redemption being applied to us by His Spirit is that we repent of sin and trust in Him sincerely, as those made alive in Christ, with a renewed heart/desire set on doing good works. This is the very purpose that we were created/redeemed in Christ Jesus, to do good works (see Eph. 1-2, especially Eph. 2:1-10).
We are justified in Christ by faith, apart from/without any meriting by our good works. But to know/be assured that we are justified by Christ, we must have the fruit of faith, faith working through love. True saving faith is, as it were, from the outset "pregnant" with good works.
As faith itself is a gift of God, so the fruit of faith, good works/obedience to God's law, is a gift of God that unfolds and grows within us over time in our sanctification. But our justification, our being declared righteous in the sight of God, by God, is on the grounds of our union with Christ, in which we are covered with His perfect obedience and sin-bearing/atonement through His dying on the cross and suffering the wrath of God/hell for His people's sin. Even after millions or billions of years in a purgatory following our deaths, we could never merit eternal life in heaven. Even as true Christians alive in Christ, the remnants of the sinful flesh and its passions remain. Even our best good works are still tainted with imperfection.
As a Pastor, I cannot infallibly read hearts. But we are all to examine ourselves, our fruit, our good works, to see whether the fruit of the Spirit is truly in us or not. As a minister, I must call everyone in my congregation, weekly, to examine themselves, to see whether they are in the faith truly or not (2 Cor. 13).
However, this is not at all intended to put people in a crisis of faith, on a roller coaster of doubt and belief week by week. For many of us who have assurance of salvation because we do examine our hearts, examining ourselves as God commands is not a vain exercise. We also are examining ourselves to see where sin and the lusts of the flesh and temptations of the world and the devil are still clinging to us.
Thus by self-examination, true Christians also make a sober assessment of their sanctification or lack thereof, and come to hate, forsake, confess and repent of their present sins all the more deeply. We do this, not doubting our salvation, but seeing that our very grievance over our sin is a fruit of faith and sign of our salvation, for it is by the Holy Spirit indwelling us that we have conviction of sin, a disgust over our sin, a desire to hate and forsake our sin, and grow all the more into Christ our Head.
The call in Scripture and preaching to be holy, to examine oneself, etc., is good for the Christian Church and all present for worship. It is especially needed by those who are truly converted and born again by the Spirit, to press on in holiness and be exhorted to persevere to the end, Heb. 3:12-15, 4:11-13, etc. It increases our faith and assurance, helps us to see and repent of our sin more perfectly, and thereby grow in holiness. For those who discover they lack the fruit of faith, and therefore lack true, saving faith and union with Christ altogether, this may be the very means by which they come to repent and confess Christ as Lord and Savior sincerely for the first time.
But those who constantly seek, or perhaps unintentionally misunderstand these matters, destroy the sincere faith especially of weak and tender, yet sincere Christians by their preaching and doctrine, do not promote their justification or sanctification.
Likewise, those who say to never examine yourselves, to never consider your good works and fruit as a sign of sincere, saving faith, but to only "look to Christ" in what He has done on the cross, but never to look at what Christ has done and is doing in your heart by His Spirit daily, thereby divides Christ, divides the Gospel, divorces rather than merely distinguishes justification and sanctification, and casts all into confusion and doubt, or into a false assurance of salvation when they do not truly possess it, lacking the clear evidence of the saving grace of Christ within them, renewing them.
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