And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations; knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint . . .  Romans 5:3-5  NASB

Proven character – You’ve known your share of afflictions.  You have lived the experience of standing firm in the battle.  Now, says Paul, you have dokimen.  The Greek stem is doke.  It describes a person who has been tested under fire, who has shown himself worthy and reliable when it really counts.  We can think of this word as the certification of one’s performance.  It is as if you now carry a medal of honor, a symbol that you have withstood the onslaught of the enemy and refused to surrender.

Of course, medals of honor are not given out to those who aren’t in the fight.  So you might ask yourself if you are ready to suffer unto blood (as Peter would say).  You might ask if you see your present circumstances as the line in the sand, the place where you are asked to stand, the front line of God’s advance.  You might ask yourself if you are medal worthy.  God also has a red badge of courage.  He knows what it means to suffer unto death.  He has tasted the lash and felt the nails.  He knows what it means to be abandoned, divorced, rejected.  He died for you.  He has proven Himself battle worthy.  And in His suffering, He has overcome forever the enemy.  Now we can share in this great campaign of restoration knowing that victory is assured.

It is a mistake to believe that salvation is the end of the story.  The biblical picture of human existence is a picture of Mankind under divine testing.  Judgment is a fact of the universe.  Worthiness is the goal of the believer.  And as the parable of the debtor clearly portrays, worthiness is contingent upon actual performance.  This Greek word describes the man who has been tested and has been found worthy of hesed commitment.  The framework of the entire Tanakh presupposes God’s examination of the lives of men and the consequent judgment of their worth.  Without this presupposition, the distinction between the righteous and the wicked makes no sense.  The fact that God offers grace without conditions does not mean that He blindly accepts anyone who desires forgiveness.  Grace comes without strings, but hesed does not.  Grace is the invitation to obligate myself to His ways and to be examined under His covenant.  There is no proven character until there is examination, and not all pass the scrutiny of the Lord.

The Psalmist reminds us over and over that testing is an integral part of fellowship (e. g. Psalm 17:3).  Jeremiah makes extensive use of this concept (Jeremiah 9:7; 11:20; 14:19).  Even Abraham’s experience with God must be tested.  The constant submission to divine examination changes the shape of a person’s life.  While reprisal is not in the divine vocabulary, chastisement is.  And it is to be welcomed as the needed correction that assists in avoiding judgment.  Socrates said, “A life unexamined is not worth living.”  The biblical view expands his remark with one significant addition.  “A life unexamined by God is lost.”

Topical Index:  proven character, dokimen, tested, judgment, examined, Romans 5:4