Test and Approve all things...

Yesterday, we had the privilege of having Dr. Combs preach to us on Romans 12. Dr. Combs is a professor at the Detroit Theological Seminary. Through the years I've had the opportunity to talk to him and have found him to be not only highly intelligent, but one of the finest, most genuine men I've known.

a phrase "test and approve" caught my ear as he spoke. This phrase is from Romans 12...

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

He used the illustration about a person who had a gold mine. This gold mine had not only gold, but "fools" gold. To get the real gold he had to test it. This was a very laborious task so he hired someone to do it for him. This person he hired was not very smart. Once the hired man tested the gold he gave it to the owner of the mine and was paid a few dollars for the task. You see, Dr. Combs explained, this hired man could do the test, but did not value it. He didn't know the worth of the gold.

And that's where my mind veered off! We "renew" our mind by replacing old "false standards", by "true standards". We test things in life based upon some kind of standards. Not necessarily correct standards, but standards nevertheless. How can we know the value of the test if we use the wrong standards? Where will that lead us?

Test and approve, Test and approve. That principle could also be used in other parts of life. Raising children is a great blessing, but has great responsibilities. We try to raise them with good values. And most of the time because they think the parents know everything, the children follow those values. This hopefully carries on to their adult life. It's a joy to see your children do right! It makes it all worth while.

But as my mind wandered in church (sorry Pastor), I thought that we often go through life testing things, using others' standards or the wrong standards. And if that's the case, then how can we value something correctly if we use the wrong criteria? How can that be? Sometimes the way we test things is by what other people (parents, teachers, coaches, friends, doctors, nurses, etc.) believe because we respect them. But, did you ever hear the Bible verse in from Matthew 15:13-14 .... "If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." ?

or from Isaiah 2:22 Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Now we're getting in deep.... or at least I am!

As humans, we may look at a person and because they look succesful, or talk successful, or have great power, or wealth, or position, etc. they must be right. And they may be..! But many times things on the surface are totally different beneath. Every day in the news you hear stories about some leader who is exposed for some dastardly deed they've done. As the reporters interview the victim, or the neighbors you hear, "he was such a good person, caring loving, and everyone loved him. I can't believe he did this". Or what about the people who believed the Korean scientist who said he made a breakthrough of cloning only to be found out later and condemned for his lies? If you're one of the people that followed or believed them, now what do you do?

Following man has its' hazards. If we follow man because they follow God, then that's a different story. But it still puts the responsibilities on our shoulders. Test an idea but make sure it follows Gods' standards and Gods' truths. Don't just do it because others do. Make sure when you test something you're not using false standards. That takes some digging. You can't just go a prison and ask the prisoners if it's okay to steal. You can't go to a con man and ask if buying the Brooklyn Bridge is a good deal. You're not going to get a true answer. You may have to look deep and hard to try to find out what the real answer is. "That's the way we've always done it", or "That's the way we've always believed" has crippled our search for truth through the ages.

Know the value of things you believe in. Life isn't cramming for some eternal test and getting by because you know the right answers. Knowing the answer is not the end. Godly wisdom (or application) of our knowledge is what's really needed.

Is it better to know much and do little? Or, to know little but do much with it?

So what's the point of this "test and approve all things"? To me, it's to look for truth (not just believe whoever you trust today), verify it with God's word, and to try to apply it in our every day life. Know its' value, tell others, then most importantly, give God the praise for it.