Walking the Line Between Proving and Reprobation (Part 1)
Introduction to the Series
Many believers know they are called to follow God’s will—but few realize that Scripture presents this calling on a scale, a line of spiritual measure that runs between two vastly different minds: one that proves what is good and acceptable in God’s eyes, and one that becomes reprobate, rejected after failing the test. This article begins a crucial series exploring this forgotten scale of the mind, rooted in Paul’s epistles and illuminated through careful word study and real-life application.
Over the next few parts, we’ll uncover what it means to prove the will of God, how to recognize the drift toward spiritual disqualification, and how to realign the mind through intentional renewal. You’ll be equipped with the biblical insight and encouragement needed to stay sharp, faithful, and approved—not just in knowledge, but in daily walk and worship.
Section 1: The Forgotten Scale of the Mind
“That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” — Romans 12:2 (KJV)
There is a scale—spiritual, invisible, but very real—on which every believer’s mind is being measured. Some are being drawn closer to the will of God. Others are quietly drifting away, their spiritual compass dulled, pointing not northward toward truth, but downward into disinterest and rejection.
In Romans 12:2, Paul doesn’t call for vague devotion. He calls for transformation—“by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove…” The Greek word here, dokimazō, means to test, to examine, to recognize something as genuine after scrutiny. God wants believers to weigh, assess, and affirm His will—not the world’s, not their own.
And that means there is a testing always at work—not just of behavior, but of the mind itself.
Paul writes to the Corinthians:
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…” — 2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)
This is not a passive suggestion. It is a command—a divine imperative to test your inner alignment. You either pass the test and stand approved (dokimos), or fail the test and become what Paul elsewhere calls “reprobate” (adokimos)—unfit, rejected, disqualified.
That is the scale. And the tragedy of our time is that few realize it exists.
Many believe spiritual failure comes suddenly—through some great public sin or final hardening. But Paul shows us that the reprobate mind begins slowly, silently, within:
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…” — Romans 1:28 (KJV)
This was no abrupt event. It began with a subtle rejection of God’s authority in thought. A refusal to value and retain Him in the mind. From there, they slid downward—not because they were chased, but because they surrendered their thoughts.
Just as Paul warns:
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are…” — Romans 6:16 (KJV)
This is where the scale begins to shift: with what you yield to, what you feed on, what you test and choose to approve. Even good things, if left untested, can lead to deception. That is why Paul urges believers:
“But let every man prove his own work…” — Galatians 6:4 (KJV)
Every believer walks with a spiritual compass. But if that compass is ignored, dulled, or deliberately broken, the soul doesn’t drift into harmless confusion—it drifts toward reprobation, where the will of God no longer registers at all.
So, what’s really at stake?
Not just right and wrong. Not just doctrine and theology. But the very capacity of your mind to respond to God’s will. This is why the scale must be remembered. This is why the proving must be pursued.
This is not a scale of good vs. bad behavior. It’s a scale of spiritual alignment. One end is a mind that seeks God’s will. The other is a mind that no longer cares. One is tested and approved. The other is tested and cast away.
And if you’re reading this—then you still have time. Time to examine. Time to be renewed. Time to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Reflect: If God were to test your mind today, would it be found proving His will—or drifting toward reprobation?
Coming Next: The Words Behind the Warning
The contrast between “prove” and “reprobate” is not just poetic—it’s embedded in the very language of Scripture. In the next section, we’ll dig into the Greek roots of these words, revealing how Paul deliberately uses a shared linguistic thread to describe two very different outcomes. It’s a fascinating, sobering look at the mind’s destiny—and one that might just change the way you read Romans forever. Stay tuned.
