.
There are many Christians who just love to argue their interpretation of the Bible. I know why they do. It’s to distract themselves from the truth that they’re not interested in inner transformation.
And don’t conform yourself to this world; but be transformed for the purpose of having yuor mind renewed, so that you may prove what is that good, and well-pleasing and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
To prove does not mean to try to strongarm someone else into your way of thinking, which only ever serves as a lesson in vanity. To prove means to put to the test, for both of two reasons: 1) To obtain the promised results; and 2) with #1 in mind, to practice different iterations of what you understand in different situations, in order to become more proficient in the obtaining of the promised results. You try out different ways of applying what you understand to be true in order to hone in on better and more powerful expressions of the truth as you know it.
I bought a new bicycle for my daughter’s tenth birthday. When it arrived there was “some assembly required.” After I had assembled it, in order to make sure I’d done it correctly and that the bicycle worked properly, I rode it around the block. I proved it. Actually, the front wheel turned out to be a little loose, and so I tightened it, and after that it was perfect. That’s exactly what the “prove” of Romans 12:2 means.
What can not be practiced can not be proven.
Was the world created in six literal days? Can you lose your salvation (ie: become unborn of the spirit)? Did Jesus exist with God at the beginning? Are the dead really conscious and communicating with the living? Go ahead and argue about these things; I won’t be joining you, because they can’t be proven, because they can’t be practiced.
You might be thinking, “Whoa, I know the dead are alive, because I read a book where there were a bunch of stories of people who died and yet they had experiences of heaven, and they came back to life.” I’ll say it again. If you can’t practice it, you can’t prove it. To prove means to practice in order to get the promised results. How can you prove that any of the experiences related in the book you read about the dead are correct, and not the result of hallucinations just prior to death, or just after resuscitation?
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beat, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Revelation 20:4,5
You can argue you’re right, and I can argue that I’m right (but I won’t). It simply can’t be proven, though its accuracy, or lack thereof, will show up in your studying of the Bible. If you’re willing to be sloppy in how you approach one Biblical theme or subject, for the sake of conformity, then that will absolutely show up in all your studies. You’ll be afraid to see anything other than what is popularly accepted by whatever tribe you happen to be a part of at the moment.
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15
The word “study,” which seems limited to an academic study, is a poor translation of a Greek word which means to apply yourself diligently. To apply yourself diligently includes academic study, but doesn’t stop there. Again, the direction and goal of our diligent application is approval, but it’s not the approval of men we’re after. The word “approved” comes from the same Greek word which we saw translated “prove in Romans 12:2. See, we don’t try to prove anything to anyone else. We want to be approved of God Himself. We’ll know when we’re approved of God and that we’re doing it right when we get the promised results. And what are the promised results?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance;… Galatians 5:22,23a
You could change the word “fruit” to the word “promised results” and you’d be correct in meaning. Imagine buying an apple tree that never produces any apples; or that produces peaches instead! When you can walk in love and peace despite the challenges of life, that’s proof that you’re proving the word of God in your life, and standing approved before God. When the poor behavior of others toward you doesn’t knock you off balance, that’s the promised fruitful results of living life right, which means in the spirit of God.
Do you feel a need to argue about Biblical doctrines that can’t be proven, because they can’t be practiced? You’re not getting the promised results. You’re life isn’t bearing fruit. You’re wrongly dividing the word of truth. You’re not standing approved before God and you’re not acting from out of a transformed mind. Do you think your open hostility to anyone who doesn’t see the Bible the same way you do is going to ingratiate yourself to your heavenly Father?
You yourself can gauge whether or not something is provable by determining whether it’s tied to something that can be practiced, and I don’t mean physically practiced, I mean practiced in the mind. As you are in the process of proving it, over and over again, by various iterations and in different situations, the promised spiritual fruit will begin replacing the dark deceitful unfruitful reactions which used to dominate your life.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are the contrary the one to the other; so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18
After receiving the Holy spirit of God, what’s left is to learn to allow that spirit of Christ to transform your mind, so that you see things with the same spiritual eyes with which he sees them, react like he does, think like he thinks. It’s NOT to try to force someone else, by using guilt and condemnation and other forceful manipulative techniques to bend someone to your interpretation of the Bible. Prove the truth of the word of God and of the spirit of Christ in your own life, and then you’ll have praise from God Himself, and it will show in your life.
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God.
I Corinthians 4:5
Prove the truth of God and of Christ within yourself, to yourself. You will begin to see the fruit of the Spirit in abundance in your life and heart. As you run across Scripture which can not be proven, whether in your own reading or as presented to you by someone else, don’t let too much emphasis be put on that. Don’t let it get in the way of you loving that other person or people. If it can’t be practiced, it can’t be proven.
