What the Bible says about Tests
(From Forerunner Commentary)
After what things had passed? What had passed was the whole, interesting story of his life up to this point. It has been said that to follow God Abraham gave up more than any other man. Now, at age 133, he is looking back on a lifetime of trials. Perhaps he thought that he had proved his faith and could relax a bit and enjoy his old age. God, however, had another test for him, the biggest yet. Though God does not tempt us (James 1:13), He does test us. Nevertheless, Abraham eagerly responds when God calls his name: "Here I am!" What tremendous humility this shows.
Mike Ford
Abraham's One GodRelated Topics: Abraham | Abraham's Faith | Abraham's Faithfulness | Abraham's Test | Humility | Temptation | Tests | Trials
Some people draw a careless assumption from a surface evaluation of Exodus 23:20-33, leading to a shallow conclusion: that if the Israelites had just obeyed God, they would have marched into the land and taken it over without a fight. Such submission would have undoubtedly made their course easier and produced better results.
However, many other contexts show that God tests His people because He is preparing them for future responsibilities. Israel failed many tests. The march through the wilderness and the conquest of the Promised Land was a school, a vast, almost fifty-years-long training ground, for appreciating, using, and governing the Promised Land. This "schooling" included tests by which the Israelites could measure their progress, and at the same time, prove to God their growth and readiness.
We concluded that God's promises in Exodus 23 were indeed conditional. Their fulfillment depended on Israel's obedience, and part of that obedience was confronting their enemies, the people of the land, in warfare. The episode recorded in Numbers 13-14 reveals that the Israelite spies fully expected to have to fight the Canaanites, Hittites, Jebusites, etc. They did not understand Exodus 23 as a free pass, as many do today. Their responsibility was to drive them out in cooperation with God, as He promised to be with them, enabling them to drive the people out, which they were incapable of doing without His involvement. But they refused to do their part.
They were to drive out the inhabitants even as we, in cooperation with God, are to confront and drive out old habits, attitudes, and loyalties. These are negative characteristics left over from our pre-conversion days. Christian living parallels this Old Testament instruction. This is one reason why the New Testament has so many illustrations and exhortations regarding Christian warfare.
Our warfare is in many ways different. It does not involve bloody engagements featuring swords, spears, or rifles with bayonets. It is a spiritual warfare, one that takes place primarily within ourselves. Nonetheless, it requires qualities such as loyalty, patriotism, courage, self-denial, vision, understanding, and sacrifice for us to be victorious overcomers.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Christian Fight (Part Two)Related Topics: Christian Fight | Christian Warfare | Cooperation with God | Overcoming | Overcoming, Mankind's Participation in | Preparation for Rulership | Promises, Conditionality of | Spiritual Growth | Spiritual Growth, Process of | Spiritual Warfare | Testing | Tests | Trials | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 16 contains a vital lesson regarding humility, our relationship with God and our ultimate destiny. Here God explains why we have our experiences on our pilgrimage to the Kingdom of God. He specifically mentions humbling and testing three times. They are ultimately the means by which He will achieve our birth into His Kingdom. Humility is essential to our character and the out-working of His purpose because humility motivates us to bow before God's sovereignty. Those who submit to God's will have their prayers answered and receive additional blessings from Him.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sovereignty of God: Part NineRelated Topics: God's Sovereignty | Humility | Kingdom of God | Relationship with God | Submission to God | Submission to God's Will | Testing | Tests | Trials | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of
God deliberately made difficulties for the Israelites to face. This is why a test never comes at a convenient time. The more difficult choices seem to come in times of hardship, when our loyalty is really in question and when it is much easier to serve ourselves. However, God wants us to sacrifice ourselves instead.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Where Is the Beast? (Part Seven)Related Topics: Choices | Hardships, Purpose of | Loyalty | Sacrifice | Sacrifice, Living | Sacrifices | Self Sacrifice | Testing | Tests | Trials | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of
This is the earliest formal warning to God's people that attacks against their faith would take place within the fellowship of His children, and the pattern has occurred repeatedly. God raises up a prophet or minister to instruct His people. Opposition arises, usually in the form of ministers who see things differently, who force the people to choose which way they will follow. Understand, God is not passively watching. He actively tests His children's loyalties through such calamitous situations.
John W. Ritenbaugh
God's Sovereignty and the Church's Condition (Part Two)Related Topics: Apostasy | Apostasy, Process of | Calamity | Choices | Discernment | Discernment, Growing in | Discernment, Spiritual | False Doctrine | False Ministers/Prophets | False Prophet | God's Sovereignty | Testing | Testing of Faith | Testing the Spirits | Tests
Notice that God Himself takes the initiative in setting this up, choosing the antagonist (Satan) and defining the parameters of what could be done. Can we say in the face of accounts like this that God only permits difficult trials to occur? Can we say He is not actively testing His children to see what is in them? Can we say He is not actively directing Satan to carry out the calamities He designs?
John W. Ritenbaugh
God's Sovereignty and the Church's Condition (Part One)Related Topics: Calamity | God's Sovereignty | Satan | Satan as Tool of God | Satan's power Limited by God | Tests | Trials | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of
There is no need for us to fail. Trials and tests will come—and they will be common tests. They will not be something so unusual that our situation will be absolutely unique. But God is faithful in that He promises to provide us a way out of it—not avoiding it, but through it.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Passover and I Corinthians 10Related Topics: Enduring Trials and Tests | Faithfulness in the Midst of Trials | God's Faithfulness | God's Intervention | Response to Trials | Tests | Trials | Trials and Tests | Way of Escape | Way of Escape, a
Why do we have to go through this suffering? For the same reason that Christ did. Verse 10 gives the answer, "that I may know Him." In what way? By the experiences of going through the same kinds of sufferings He went through. We gain intimate knowledge of what it took for Him to do what He did even though our tests, trials, and sufferings are considerably toned down so that we can bear them. It is almost as if we are given a little taste of walking in His shoes.
That is why we are here and that is why we suffer. There is very good reason why we have to go through it. If we do not, we do not really know Christ. He Himself says in John 17:3 that eternal life is to know God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Wilderness Wandering (Part Five)
This was written to Christians. God tests our hearts. He wants to know, to find out, to see for Himself, through the circumstances that He creates or allows to occur, what our reaction will be. He does not assume; He does not presume that He already knows. God tests, and He is watching. This is why He can be a witness.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part Five)Related Topics: God Tests Our Hearts | Testing of Faith | Testing the Heart | Tests | Tests and Trials | Trials and Tests | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of
"Temptation" is from the Greek noun peirasmos, which can refer to trials or tests with a beneficial purpose or effect—or to trials or tests designed to lead to wrong doing. The outcome depends on how the tempted person reacts. Temptation of itself is not sin; one must accept it before it results in sin. Thus, it is a forerunner of sin, warning us that the potential for sin is not far away.
Martin G. Collins
How Does Temptation Relate to Sin?Related Topics: Sin | Sin Begets Sin | Sin Produces Death | Sin, Cumulative Effects of | Sin, Process of | Temptation | Temptation as a Forerunner to Sin | Testing | Tests | Trials | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of
When a trial comes upon us, we tend to think, "Why me? What have I done wrong?" We may have done nothing wrong. Trials are necessary for growth.
Imagine being a college student, knowing that your progress needs to be measured. How can that be done without testing or examination? If we do away with tests, how do we gauge growth?
Mike Ford
Joy and TrialRelated Topics: Spiritual Goals | Spiritual Growth | Spiritual Maturity | Spiritual Maturity, Process of | Testing | Testing of Faith | Testing the Heart | Tests | Trials | Trials, Fiery | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Shaping Power Of