“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs] but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” (Romans 12:1-2 The Amplified Bible)
The occasions where we must present proof of who we are too numerous to list, but here are a few. When we apply for a job, we must present proof to show we are who we say we are. When you lose your claim ticket that is required to pick up your clothes at the cleaners, you must present proof of who you are. Picking up certain medicines at the pharmacy requires that you show proof of who you are. From personal experiences, not admitting any guilt now, when the police stop you for one reason or the other, one of the first things they ask for is your ID and registration, yes, proof is required once again. Purchasing software as a student or faculty member at the university bookstore requires proof of your status; proof of who you are. Before you get your boarding pass prior to proceeding to the gate where your flight leaves requires proof of who you are.
In all these examples we present proof, in most cases, willingly. Even when the request for proof irritates us and ignites a sense of insult, even when we must suppress our fleshly reflex to express our frustration with the help of all the Jesus we have in us, we comply and present proof of who were are. We, as believers. even go as far as to present our bodies as a living sacrifice in serving the Lord and in service where we worship the Lord. However, inconsistencies interrupt our intent, and we find ourselves focusing too much on doing, rather than being who we are.
As Christians, if we are going to really change our values, if we want any chance of convincing the world that we have been marvelously changed, and if our goal is to continue to mature spiritually, we must show proof, not in selective situations, but to the best of our ability, in all situations, that we are who we say we are.
The Holy Spirit, thank God, He will help us! Be grateful to the Lord, for presenting the truth by our attitudes of who we are, projecting the truth in our actions of who we are, and most importantly, presenting to heaven a life of who we are is required. Not to sound legalistic, but it is something we must do. Of course, you have the prerogative, a type of authority to decide on whether you comply with the will of God or not, but if we are convinced by the Spirit, if we let Him lead us, we will let a sense of must-ness, take over and we will show who we are. Presenting proof is something we must do! Afterall, Jesus did say we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Afterall, we are to make disciples, as instructed by the Lord. That is one of our primary purposes in life. Without proof, we cannot achieve that purpose and any other specific, set apart, special purpose God has for each of us.
I know you are on your way to worship, but start this week with a commitment to present proof of who you are to the world! Present proof that you believe in and adhere to the word of God without being forced to do so, but because of the fact that you are changed, and you are no longer the same. If you start each day with this commitment, you will be better each day than the day before. I’m confident that will happen! I know you! I know you love the Lord! I know you want to do what is acceptable in his sight! Well, guess what? You can do it! Yes! You can! Have a wonderful worship experience this morning! Be blessed!
“But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb, Mark L. King