Testing

We are living in a time of testing. The entire world is facing challenges that have not been faced before. God is looking for people who will overcome these challenges. It’s not easy. God is proving our faith so that we are spiritually strong and able to overcome. God is raising up a generation who will put Satan under their feet through the power of Jesus Christ.

In Genesis 22:1-14, God gave a shocking test to Abraham. He told him to take his only beloved son Isaac and go to a mountain and kill him. 

This was a big test – not only because it would mean the death of his son, but because it seemed to contradict the word of God. Earlier, God told Abraham that his descendants would come through Isaac (Genesis 21:12). Now God was telling Abraham to kill Isaac. Isaac had no children yet. If Isaac died he couldn’t have any children. So not only would his beloved son be dead, but the promise of God on which Abraham had based his life would be unfulfilled.

Abraham had to reconcile two apparently contradictory words from God – Isaac’s death, and Isaac having many children. Abraham had to believe that his descendants would come through Isaac, even if Isaac was killed. 
Abraham reconciled these words from God by coming to a higher level of faith. He told the people with him and he and Isaac would return down from the mountain again (Gen. 22:5). He believed that even if he killed Isaac, God would raise him up from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19). Isaac would bear children, and nothing could stop it. Abraham knew that the word of God would conquer death.

By believing in the power of resurrection, Abraham passed the test and became the father of our faith.

The goal of testing is not to torment us. God was not trying to torment Abraham by asking him to kill his beloved son. Instead, God was inviting Abraham to come to a higher spiritual level.

During testing, Satan lies to us and says that God hates us and is trying to torture us. This is not true. God tests us because he loves us and wants to do good to us (Deut. 8:16). He wants us to grow spiritually and become strong. Satan lies and says God doesn’t love us. But the Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38). Satan says that God has left us. But the Bible says that God will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). During a test, Satan tries to flood our mind with lies. We need to throw out these lies with the truth of God’s word.

Tests give us an opportunity to master a subject. Whenever we pass a test, we go to a higher level. We gain new responsibilities and have increased favor. 

In school tests show that students understand a subject – if they pass they go on to the next level, if they fail they have to repeat the material.

Physical tests determine health – if someone fails a health test, they will need treatment until they pass.

Spiritual tests reveal our spiritual condition. The Bible tells us to be happy when we face spiritual tests because they are opportunities for growth (James 1:2-4). Tests can strengthen our faith and produce patience. When we are patient, we will go through a test successfully and bear up under challenges. God will work it out. We don’t have to figure out everything ourselves because God is working in us. Patience produces maturity and completeness in our lives.

When our faith is tested, it is purified (1 Pet. 1:7). Tests purify faith because they cleanse our faith from other things. Before we were tested, we were relying on ourselves, our possessions, or our relationships. Our faith in God was mixed up with faith in other things. The test removed those other supports and we found out only God could get us through. Tests purify our faith because it helps us to trust in God alone. This leads to peace because God never fails. 

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isa. 26:3). 

Job knew about testing. He said “What is man, that you should exalt him, that you should set your heart on him,  that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?” (Job 7:17-18). 

Job went through very hard tests. But in the midst of his testing, Job said that he would come forth like gold (Job. 23:10). What a man of faith! Job believed that God was good, even in the midst of horrible trials. He knew that the testing would purify him.

Once Jesus gave a test to Philip (John 6:5-6). Jesus asked Philip how they would feed a huge crowd. Philip said that they didn’t have enough money to buy that much food. Jesus already knew what Philip was thinking, but he wanted Philip to understand his own thinking. Philip did not pass this test because he was thinking about natural resources rather than looking to God and his infinite resources. Soon after this, Jesus multiplied a few loaves and small fish to feed thousands of people. Jesus showed Philip a better way to think about problems.

God tested the Israelites with manna (Ex. 16:4). Manna tested Israel in multiple ways. They could only gather enough manna for one day. This tested their faith. Would they trust that God would provide manna for them tomorrow? Manna tested their obedience. Would they obey God when he told them only to gather a specific amount? Manna tested their contentment. Would they be satisfied with God’s provision? Most of the Israelites failed the manna test. They didn’t believe in God, they disobeyed his word, and they murmured.

The Bible gives us all the wisdom we need to pass the many spiritual tests that will come to us. 

When circumstances change and we face unexpected problems, we need to keep looking to God and his word. We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We need to look at unseen things, not things that can be seen (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Magnify God, don’t magnify circumstances. This will help us overcome worry.

One key to getting through a trial successfully is to not blame God for something he didn’t do. Many things that happen in the world are not God’s will. For example, God wants everyone to be repent (2 Pet. 3:9), but everyone doesn’t. He wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), but everyone isn’t. God didn’t want Adam to sin, but he did anyway. He doesn’t want us to sin, but we still sometimes do. When we recognize that many things that happen in the world are not God’s will, we will stop blaming God for problems we face. Blaming God for things that God doesn’t do is a demonic trap.

God is so powerful, that he can turn all these bad things around for good in our lives (Rom. 8:28). He can use these challenges to strengthen our spiritual walk. He can use them to test and purify our faith. God did not cause these problems, but he is able to bring good out of them.

There is a Biblical solution to every problem. For example, when other people choose to do bad things to us, we can love them and pray for them (Matt. 5:44). We can overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). We can draw strength from God to overcome evil. In every test, God will make a way for us to pass (1 Cor. 10:13).

Although we live in a time of testing, this is really nothing new. Throughout history God’s people have been tested. As we face these tests in faith, drawing on the strength that comes from God, we are able to pass these tests and come to a higher level in our spiritual walk. The current and future challenges in the world demand us to rise up in our faith. We must be spiritually strong. The current tests are preparing us to be ready for the revelation of Jesus Christ. We can pass these tests successfully through the power of the Holy Spirit.