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Wednesday,
January 23, 2008
Prove It
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Wherefore henceforth
know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the
flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (17) Therefore if any man be
in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new. (KJV)
Up to the point of our conversion we were
limited in our thinking and only able to discern things according to what
we were able to see, hear, and touch; basically limited to our carnal
senses. Once you became a new creation, which can only take place to those
that are in Christ, you are now able to see things through the eyes of the
Spirit and look into a whole new realm and a whole new way of thinking.
Every day should be a new day. Like with a child, they continue to learn
more about the things around them, the things of this realm they recently
entered themselves. Your old way of thinking, the way you determined things
and made judgments based solely by outward appearances is passed away; you
are now able to discern and make judgments according to what the Lord says,
who knows the thoughts and intents of the heart.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-23 Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good. (22) Abstain from all appearance of evil.
(23) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. (KJV)
Thayer’s definition for prove:
1381
dokimazo- 1) to test, to examine, to prove, to scrutinize (to see
whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals 2) to recognize as genuine
after examination, to approve, to deem worthy
Before you put your stamp of approval on
something, or I should say God’s stamp of approval on it (after all you are
now a representation of Him), do you take the time to check it out to see
if it lines up with the word of God before you get involved in something
that He doesn’t approve of? If there isn’t peace in the situation that
would be the first indication that it is not of God. Secondly, it has to
line up with His word before you should proceed forward, otherwise you may
find yourself like the prophet Balaam who ended up blaming the wrong ass
for the ungodly situation he put himself into. Case in point, last month
when many said it was Christmas time many jumped on the bandwagon and went
for a worldly ride. But the truth be known, which by the way it is
available to those that are willing to listen, is that it is nothing more
than a cheap hoax, a worldly retailers celebration supposedly in the name
of Christianity. Not only has this abomination evolved into an ungodly
mess, if you take the time to go back to its origins you will find that it
began as a pagan ritual which a bunch of half baked milk toast Christians
adopted and imitated; which sad to say, not much has changed over the
years. So if you desire the peace of God in your life and someday plan on
presenting yourself to Him wholly and blameless, spirit, soul, and body,
then you need to be more watchful about the doctrine you allow into your
spirit and the things you put your stamp of approval on so that you don’t
allow a little leaven to leaven the whole lump.
Isaiah 5:20-21 Woe unto them that call
evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for
darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (21) Woe unto
them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (KJV)
This is exactly what takes place when
someone doesn’t take the time to rightly divide the word of truth; when
someone jumps into a situation just because it looked good and sounded good
by the outward appearance, but inwardly was an abomination to the Lord.
What you put your stamp of approval on can have dire consequences if it is
not of the Lord and a misrepresentation of His word. So like the old song
says, ‘look before you leap do waters run deep’ otherwise you may find that
so called pool you’re diving head first into is nothing more than a mirage.
The devil painted a pretty picture to Eve back in the Garden of Eden and
made it sound too good to be true if she would just partake of the fruit.
The same deceiver is still out and about portraying himself as a minister
of righteousness with cheap watercolors that can be easily erased when
doused with the living waters of truth. What a pretty picture he will try
and paint in your mind, showing you the highlight reel of what you are
missing in the flesh so that he can get you living in an imaginary realm of
deception and lies. So before you enter his studio, take the time to hear
the Lord’s answer and discern the truth; before you allow the devil to
paint you into a corner.
2 Timothy 2:15-16 Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. (16) But shun profane and vain babblings: for
they will increase unto more ungodliness. (KJV)
I have seen so many people try and
imitate other people that they considered godly and miss the mark because
they were more concerned with man’s approval and not the Lord’s. You have
entered a whole new realm people, which is completely opposite of the one
we lived in the past. So in order to walk in the Spirit you have to start
thinking in the Spirit, and that will only take place as you renew your
mind in the word of God on a daily basis. Otherwise you find yourself back
in the realm of the flesh which should be dead, died and buried to those in
Christ.
Commentary:
In the ancient world there was no banking
system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from
metal, heated until it was liquid, poured into moulds and allowed to cool.
When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven
edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved
them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens,
to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But
some money-changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit
money. They were men of honor who put only genuine full-weighted money into
circulation. Such men were called "dokimos" or
"approved". --Donald Barnhouse
Oh how the world keeps such a close watch
over their treasures to make sure they don’t get shortchanged. How much
stronger would the Christian be if they made their spiritual life as much a
priority as their financial welfare or even beyond. I have seen many people
who study cults, then go out and about getting in debates over their
doctrines. Now with people in banking today, they don’t waste their time
studying the phony bills but rather study the genuine bills; that is how
they are able to spot the counterfeit ones and there is no debate, case
closed. The Bible says it is the truth that will set you free so that you
can be free indeed. So how much time have you spent today in the word of
truth so that you can know the truth and be approved of God as genuine and
the real deal?
Proverbs 10:32 The lips of the righteous
know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
(KJV)
Are you truly a Christian? Prove it.
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