What accredits your ministry? What gives you the certainty that you are called? Is it several ministerial degrees from a governmentally accredited seminary? Or is it something more?
Interestingly, the characters of Scripture, for the most part, had no repute.
Think about John the Baptist.. He was a man who, by earthly standards, was probably considered a lunatic: He wore camel's hair, a leather loin cloth, ate wild honey and locusts, and shouted prophetically in the wilderness (Matt 3:4)! Yet notice what the Bible says about His ministry: "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness" (Lk 3:1-2). How interesting that the Word of the Lord bypassed all the "civil", "religious", "learned" and "skilled" people of the day, and found it's abode in John the baptist, a man who, by earthly accreditation, had none!
Think about Jesus too.. He sought no earthly references, He sought no earthly accreditation. His only witness was John, who again, was probably thought to be crazy! By our standards, Jesus was therefore a fraud! But of course we know better than that. For Jesus, His accreditation sprang from a heavenly realm! Shouldn't we emulate that? Are we striving to be found with mere earthly credentials, or are our eyes set upon a greater and heavenly certification? For Jesus, He only sought the latter.. His accreditation was the glory of God!
"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3:16-17). For Jesus, this abiding glory was the only certification that He needed! Are we similar?
People seem to think that big numbers or worldly attractions are a testimony to accredit one's spirituality. But the Biblical pattern simply disagrees. John was in the wilderness, by himself; Jesus was from the often-overlooked town of Nazareth (Jn 1:46). Some think that God would never use men like that, simply because they weren't in with the crowd; they had no repute. But God doesn't think like mere men do. He doesn't need all of our worldly credentials; He simply wants our devotion! The more He can do IN you, the more He can do THROUGH you. The Bible tells us, "then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John..." (Matt 3:13). This was John's testimony.. Jesus found Him worthy! He was divinely accredited, and I can think of no greater credentials! This one small verse speaks more of who John was than the opinions of a thousand noblemen!
Is Jesus and His glory your accreditation too? "But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" (Ps 3:3).
Do we glory in earthly credentials, or heavenly ones? "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me..." (Jer 9:23-24).
Does your earthly certification justify you? Or is it the presence of God? "In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory" (Isa 45:25).
For John, Jesus and others, the ONLY accreditation and approval they sought was that from their Father in heaven! Friends, let's do the same.
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