Prove It

“As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.”
Proverbs 27:19

Birth certificate…check. Marriage certificate…check. Two items to prove residency (signed lease and utility bill with my name on it)…check. California driver’s license…check. Social Security Card…check. Those are all the documents I needed to prove that I am me and that I now reside in Kansas, so I could get a Kansas drivers license. I don’t think you have to work that hard to get a U.S. Passport. Whether or not I think that was a little overkill is not the point. The point is sometimes we have to prove who we are and sometimes, as followers of Christ we have to prove we are citizens of another kingdom as well.

This week’s passage is really just an introduction to how we go about proving who we are in Christ. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” So we prove our identity in Christ, in part by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. Note Jesus doesn’t say anything about denominations here; He just says others will know we are His by how we treat other members of the family. Earlier in response to a question about the greatest commandment Jesus says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). Loving God and loving others, sounds easy, but in a fallen world it is often easier said than done, because it means loving people we don’t like or who are different from us or who from our fallen perspective are worse sinner than we are.

Fortunately, there are some other things we need to help prove we are who we say we are. The Apostle Paul speaking to the Colossian Christians and us says: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved (let’s sit with this a minute – we are chosen, holy and dearly loved by the creator of the universe), clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love (there’s that word love again), which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14).

Are you ready? If you are called upon to prove who you are in Christ by how you love God and others will you be able to prove it?

A Prayer
Father, thank you that that Your Word provides for the information necessary to prove our identity in You. Help us to stand ready to love those around us, especially our brothers and sisters in such a way that others are drawn to You in order to find their true identities. In name of Jesus who showed us what it means to prove it - Amen