Approved in Christ
One of the more encouraging passages in Scripture is a passage that tends to be overlooked by believers. In Romans 16, Paul takes the time to give a list of various men and women who have been very helpful to him in his ministry and in his own spiritual life. The mere fact that these individuals were singled out and added in the scripture indicates the quality of men and women that Paul commends. There is one commendation that Paul mentions that stands out to me- approved in Christ (Romans 16:10). What does it mean to be approved in Christ? It must mean more than simply being redeemed by Christ since this commendation was given to an individual and not the entire church at Rome. This concept- approved by Christ- is used rather rarely throughout the New Testament, but the meaning is essentially the same: one who is tested by trials and overcomes . Paul emphasizes this point throughout his epistles:
For it is not the man who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but it is the person whom the Lord accredits and commends. 2 Corinthians 10:18
For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings, so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who examines our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4
There is no greater honor than being approved by God. It far outranks any human compliment; a matter of fact, a man or woman who has been approved by God tends to be unswayed by the opinion of men, whether it is glowing praise or harsh criticism. When any believer hears His Father say "Well done, good and faithful servant", every other commentary tends to fade into the background by comparison. But how do we become approved by God? The answer is given by James:
Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive the victor's crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12
Our approval of God comes from the various tests and trials that He introduces into our life. This also implies that no person is approved by God overnight- God tests the patience and endurance of our walk by testing us slowly over time. Moreover, for many of us, the tests that He presents to us are not obvious, but they tend to be rather small things in our lives. In my short personal life, I have observed that the vast majority of the tests that I've been given deals with the quality of faith. The expectation of our Christian walk is that we grow from individuals who are initially weak in faith to individuals who triumph and overcome through their faith. A man who exemplified this in the Old Testament was Gideon. Much like David, Gideon was the least of his family and had a number of doubts concerning why God chose him. Gideon's faith was initially weak, as it was evidenced through the outward signs that he requested, but Gideon's life was a life of increasing faith.
The first test that God introduced to Gideon involved tearing down the altar of Baal that his father built (cf. Judges 6:25-35). God tested Gideon on whether or not he would fear the response of his father or the people by obeying Him. He also tested Gideon on whether or not he would tolerate the idol of Baal, which represented a constant stumbling-block of sin for Israel that virtually everyone was born into and was accustomed to. The same test applies to us as believers. Are we willing to forsake our ungodly traditions by obeying Christ? Christ made it clear: anyone who loves their father and mother more than Him is not worthy of Him (cf. Luke 14:26).
Moreover, are we willing to tolerate sins in our life just because they are culturally acceptable? In dealing specifically with American culture, there are many aspects of our culture that have been tolerated in our Christian walk that are contrary to Christ. Number one on the list is the pursuit of selfish ambition under the guise of "finding your purpose", whether it's the ambition to have a great career, the ambition to live a well-off life, or the ambition to live life to be honored by men. No believer who still actively pursues their own path in life can ever expect God's approval. Is God's approval worth more to you than pursuing your own plans and your own desires? If it is not, then you should not expect God's commendation over your life.
The next test that God introduced to Gideon involved defeating the Midianites, who had an army of over 100,000, with an army of 300. Since Gideon was tested by the trial of destroying the altar of Baal, God can now continue to test the quality of his faith. Starting off with 32,000 men, God distinguished the men in much the same way that He distinguishes us as believers. The first group of men who were sent home were the fearful (cf Judges 7:3). Fear in our heart usually comes as a result of unbelief; these men who rallied around Gideon to fight saw their enemy and instead of becoming bold in faith, began to tremble. As a result, they could not be used to fight. The second distinction that God made was much more subtle. In getting water, the soldiers who kneeled to drink were sent home, while the soldiers who cupped the water in their hands remained. Those who cupped with water could scan the area for enemies while the drank. This was a subtle test of alertness. As believers, we are to be alert, ready, and sober at all times, unless we are caught off guard by Satan's attack.
However, more importantly, the picture of the soldier cupping with the hands is a picture of a believer's relation to the world. Those who kneeled on the ground to drink water only could see the water and the ground around them. This is a picture of the believer who is so distracted by the cares of this world that they become fruitless for Christ. In my view, this is the major test in our day of God's approval of a believer. In the days we live in, there are so many distractions and concerns in our life that have the potential to remove our focus on Christ and heaven so that we become bogged down with the things of the world. The believer who is distracted is also an unprepared believer; this is the believer who misses opportunities for encouragement and exhortation because of their day-to-day concerns. However, the picture of the soldier cupping with the water with their hands is a picture of a believer who never loses their focus on heaven, regardless of their day-to-day activities. It is this person that remains vigilant in all things and remains in constant communion with the Father. The difficulties that come in his life serve as validation and testing of the quality of faith that he has in His Father (rather than serving as a stumbling-block that draw him away from the Father); this believer knows that God will provide for Him as a loving Father does.
So where do you fall? Are you numbered among those who are too fearful and too weak in faith for God to use? Are you numbered among those who are too distracted by earthly things that they cannot be of use to God? Or will you strive to be among those who are "called, chosen, and faithful" (cf. Revelation 17:14)- those who have not only been accepted by God but who have been tested by Him through many circumstances and who have been approved by Him. Let us strive to receive the commendation of being approved in Christ.
For it is not the man who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but it is the person whom the Lord accredits and commends. 2 Corinthians 10:18
For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings, so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who examines our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4
There is no greater honor than being approved by God. It far outranks any human compliment; a matter of fact, a man or woman who has been approved by God tends to be unswayed by the opinion of men, whether it is glowing praise or harsh criticism. When any believer hears His Father say "Well done, good and faithful servant", every other commentary tends to fade into the background by comparison. But how do we become approved by God? The answer is given by James:
Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive the victor's crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12
Our approval of God comes from the various tests and trials that He introduces into our life. This also implies that no person is approved by God overnight- God tests the patience and endurance of our walk by testing us slowly over time. Moreover, for many of us, the tests that He presents to us are not obvious, but they tend to be rather small things in our lives. In my short personal life, I have observed that the vast majority of the tests that I've been given deals with the quality of faith. The expectation of our Christian walk is that we grow from individuals who are initially weak in faith to individuals who triumph and overcome through their faith. A man who exemplified this in the Old Testament was Gideon. Much like David, Gideon was the least of his family and had a number of doubts concerning why God chose him. Gideon's faith was initially weak, as it was evidenced through the outward signs that he requested, but Gideon's life was a life of increasing faith.
The first test that God introduced to Gideon involved tearing down the altar of Baal that his father built (cf. Judges 6:25-35). God tested Gideon on whether or not he would fear the response of his father or the people by obeying Him. He also tested Gideon on whether or not he would tolerate the idol of Baal, which represented a constant stumbling-block of sin for Israel that virtually everyone was born into and was accustomed to. The same test applies to us as believers. Are we willing to forsake our ungodly traditions by obeying Christ? Christ made it clear: anyone who loves their father and mother more than Him is not worthy of Him (cf. Luke 14:26).
Moreover, are we willing to tolerate sins in our life just because they are culturally acceptable? In dealing specifically with American culture, there are many aspects of our culture that have been tolerated in our Christian walk that are contrary to Christ. Number one on the list is the pursuit of selfish ambition under the guise of "finding your purpose", whether it's the ambition to have a great career, the ambition to live a well-off life, or the ambition to live life to be honored by men. No believer who still actively pursues their own path in life can ever expect God's approval. Is God's approval worth more to you than pursuing your own plans and your own desires? If it is not, then you should not expect God's commendation over your life.
The next test that God introduced to Gideon involved defeating the Midianites, who had an army of over 100,000, with an army of 300. Since Gideon was tested by the trial of destroying the altar of Baal, God can now continue to test the quality of his faith. Starting off with 32,000 men, God distinguished the men in much the same way that He distinguishes us as believers. The first group of men who were sent home were the fearful (cf Judges 7:3). Fear in our heart usually comes as a result of unbelief; these men who rallied around Gideon to fight saw their enemy and instead of becoming bold in faith, began to tremble. As a result, they could not be used to fight. The second distinction that God made was much more subtle. In getting water, the soldiers who kneeled to drink were sent home, while the soldiers who cupped the water in their hands remained. Those who cupped with water could scan the area for enemies while the drank. This was a subtle test of alertness. As believers, we are to be alert, ready, and sober at all times, unless we are caught off guard by Satan's attack.
However, more importantly, the picture of the soldier cupping with the hands is a picture of a believer's relation to the world. Those who kneeled on the ground to drink water only could see the water and the ground around them. This is a picture of the believer who is so distracted by the cares of this world that they become fruitless for Christ. In my view, this is the major test in our day of God's approval of a believer. In the days we live in, there are so many distractions and concerns in our life that have the potential to remove our focus on Christ and heaven so that we become bogged down with the things of the world. The believer who is distracted is also an unprepared believer; this is the believer who misses opportunities for encouragement and exhortation because of their day-to-day concerns. However, the picture of the soldier cupping with the water with their hands is a picture of a believer who never loses their focus on heaven, regardless of their day-to-day activities. It is this person that remains vigilant in all things and remains in constant communion with the Father. The difficulties that come in his life serve as validation and testing of the quality of faith that he has in His Father (rather than serving as a stumbling-block that draw him away from the Father); this believer knows that God will provide for Him as a loving Father does.
So where do you fall? Are you numbered among those who are too fearful and too weak in faith for God to use? Are you numbered among those who are too distracted by earthly things that they cannot be of use to God? Or will you strive to be among those who are "called, chosen, and faithful" (cf. Revelation 17:14)- those who have not only been accepted by God but who have been tested by Him through many circumstances and who have been approved by Him. Let us strive to receive the commendation of being approved in Christ.
posted by The Emissary at
11:57 PM
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