Proof of Life

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT)

David Otis Fuller of Princeton Theological Seminary is credited with asking a very challenging question when he asked: “If you’re arrested for being a Christian, will there be enough evidence found to convict you?” The Apostle Paul painted a very clear picture in the verses above when he essentially said: “If you’re a Jesus follower it’s going to show up in how you live your life.”

My wife and I enjoy crime drama, so, when someone is kidnapped and held for ransom, often the person whose loved one has been kidnapped asks for “proof of life” before they agree to pay. As you view your life in Christ, if someone asked you for “proof of Jesus’ life alive in you,” what would you say? How would you build your case?

Would you point to a day on which you prayed a prayer or were Baptized? Would you talk about your faithful church attendance? Perhaps you’d point to a bumper sticker on your car in the shape of a fish, or brag about the donation you made a few years ago to the building fund at your church. None of those things are bad, but is that what Paul was talking about?

Francis Chan wrote: “I want to live a life that will prove I believe the Words of God.” What kind of life is that? The words Paul used in the verse above that are translated “has become a new person” literally means “to become a brand-new species of being, one that has never existed before.” It speaks of a life that is so dramatically changed that it’s not recognizable.

There was a couple in a church I served who attended regularly, but after they gave their lives to Jesus the wife was hardly recognizable. She was very plain and introspective before, but after she got saved, she was always smiling and full of life. She literally became a beautiful person in Christ.

What are some ways the Spirit of God changes us? He changes us from the inside out, so old, destructive habits are replaced with habits befitting a child of God. Habits like reading and studying the Bible on a regular basis; consistent attendance and participation in serving a local church; giving regularly to the church and other local and foreign missions’ efforts; conversation that is flavored with the Spirit of Jesus, having an invitational (as opposed to pushy) attitude that would help people see and desire to know the Lord.

The older I get the less I care what people think of me and the more I care about what they think of Jesus. But having said that, I don’t want to use Jesus as a hammer to pound someone over the head. My goal as a believer in Jesus is to create a hunger for Him that can’t be satisfied until someone opens their life to Him. The bottom line for me isn’t only what we do or say, it’s why we do and say what we do.

Realizing that none of us will ever be perfect this side of eternity, we must constantly strive to be more like Jesus in our demeanor, our language, our attitude, our love and compassion, and our desire to see everyone we know come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊