“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, - Philippians 2:14-15

As a very small boy, my grandmother would always say: “Kendall, the proof is in the puddin.” Now just to be clear, I did not really like “puddin”; I wasn’t entirely sure what constituted such a shapeless, formless, mold; and I was never fully sure what this malleable gelatinous goo thought it was going to prove to me anyway.

It wasn’t until I was knee high to a grasshopper (another southern idiom) that I understood what she actually meant. She was telling me that the value of a person, place, or thing could not be measured by its external characteristics alone. Almost always, the value could only be discovered if you were willing to test it.

For instance, imagine 2 bowls of traditional looking puddin were laid before you. Both had similar looking color, texture, and thickness, both were plated identically, and yet one was sweetened with salt instead of sugar. While appearances alone could not elucidate this truth, testing it would. The proof exists inside of the substance and could only be discovered through testing.

I believe this is what Paul is saying to us in Philippians 2:14-15. That a Christian will be tested by God and proved to be a different product altogether than the world. Think about it this way.

From external perspectives, there is not much difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. We both have hopes, dreams, loves, and passions. We both need oxygen, food, and water. But, while the world may masquerade as good puddin, we know that there is something fundamentally different between these two groups. And it has nothing to do with talent, performance, human will, or any external characteristic.

For the unbeliever, while they may appear impressive on the outside, on the inside you will find a nauseating bubbling root of pride, self-righteousness, performance, and religion. Like the most odious pot of sour stew, the world has been boiled in a satanic cauldron of many rancid ingredients. They have been tainted by legionous sins and spoiled by noxious guilts. They have been blended together with a foul spirit of grumbling, seasoned with crooked character and perverted loves, and then finished off in the oven of insipid darkness where their foul aroma is trapped within. The point is that the world may look awfully similar to the Christian on the outside, but on the inside they are a bowl filled with dead men’s bones.

Not so for the believer, whose soul used to be as dank and disgusting as those within the world (1 Cor. 6:11). But, through no power of their own, Christians have been made righteous in Jesus Christ (Ro 5:19). He drank the awful cup of their pollutions, that they deserved to drink (2 Co. 5:21). He crucified their old life and will, so that their new life would look like His (Gal. 2:20). He took the gall of their depravity and turned them into a sweet smelling aroma (2 Co 2:15) that bears sweet smelling fruit by His Spirit. (Gal 5:22).

The point is that externals are not what saves you. A Christian is a Christian by the will of God (Eph. 2:8-9). He elected us (Eph. 1:4-5), He paid for us (Ro 6:23), He indwelled us (1 Co 6:19), and is sanctifying us (1 Th 5:23). The proof of our new status with God lies in His power at work in us not our power at work for Him! Why? So that we will not boast in our performance (Eph. 2:9) and so we will not forget whose mission we are on (Acts 1:8).

Let me be clear… We do not invite God into our story, He invades ours and put us to work for His glory. We no longer strive to look like the world, because we know that friendship with the world is enmity with God (Ja 4:4). Instead, we now strive to shine as bright lights in this dark world, to point everyone we can to the hope of the Gospel!

Jesus says something similar to Paul in Matthew 5

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

We have been made new by Jesus. Created into Christ glorifying lanterns that were meant to shine forth for His glory! Our faith goes beyond the externals that we could ever contribute to it, and is instead established by what God has done within us!

If God has saved you, there will be certain proofs within you that will differentiate you from the world! One of them is that you will shine your light for Jesus and pray that the crooked and perverse generation you live in will repent and turn to Him. The proof will be in the proverbial puddin.