Week Thirty-seven

The The Role of Testing in Christian Life - Part Two

God Tests His People: Scripture teaches that the difference between a temptation and a test is the believer's response. God never tests with the objective of making you sin, but rather for the purpose of making you stronger. When you want to sin, the test becomes temptation.[1] Fear is a sign of dependence;[2] the man who thinks he can pass God's tests on his own is in the process of failing. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."[3]

James, in his epistle, addresses four of the greatest tests facing all believers.

1 - How you handle wealth. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."[4] God portions to each person differing quantities of this world's goods. How you handle the issue of wealth? whether you have it or not can either help or hurt you. Greed and envy are two sides of the same sin. James teaches that they produce competition and contention.

2 - How you control your tongue."For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.[5] Your tongue is a weapon that you often use without intending to hurt. No one likes to associate with those who have abusive tongues. You never have a legitimate excuse for ridiculing, belittling, or joking at the expense of others.

3 - Whether you are a respecter of persons. "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?[6] What does this look like? We all favor some people over others. I am partial toward my wife and children. Jesus was partial to the twelve and to three in particular. I can't be dogmatic, but the context seems to be limited to: 1 - The environment of the Christian community; 2 - Showing partiality on the basis of wealth and position. Even if limited as I suggest, I still find it easy to fail the test. I have to be careful as a vocational Christian worker to not show partiality to my donors. Do we select garbage collectors and janitors for our spiritual leaders?

4 - Patience in tribulation: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.[7] Having just addressed the abuses of the calloused rich, James now calls for patience. You don't need to try to correct the ills of society; God will do that in His time. You must be careful not to be guilty of abuse yourself and to be patiently forgiving when abused.

James begins his epistle by introducing the reader to the idea of the test of patience in tribulation. He now makes further application - a different arena in which God tests His people. Waiting constitutes a large portion of the believer's faithfulness to Christ. He encourages patience with four illustrations: a) The farmer who waits for his crops. b) The fact that Jesus has not yet returned. c) The prophets of the Old Testament. d) Job. Next to controlling the tongue, patiently waiting for the return of Christ in the face of injustice constitutes the greatest test for the conscientious believer. Those who divide their hope between the temporal and the eternal fail the test, as do those that despair (lose their hope) and those who simply let go of an eternal hope and live for the world - in essence, emulating the rich.

You are Called Upon to Test Others: Scripture offers at least three tests the follower of Christ can use to distinguish between true and false believers:

1 - Do they violate the biblical commandments and refuse to repent[8] The Apostle Paul teaches that you discipline the unrepentant believer for two reasons: a) - "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."[9] You love the sinner, confronting him for his own good. Failure to discipline is to withhold love. Not to discipline is selfishness. Because you do not discipline people in order to punish them, but correct them, offering forgiveness or mercy before repentance communicates a failure to understand why you are exercising discipline. b) - Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.[10] You must endeavor to maintain purity in the community of believers.

2 - Do they embrace and teach heresy? Paul makes an interesting observation: "For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.[11] He reasons that for the moral man, heresy is the best way to discover that a so-called believer is unrighteous. The Apostle John adds: "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed."[12] A moral test can identify an unrighteous man; it cannot identify a righteous man. For this reason, you need a doctrinal test as well. Impure doctrine can reveal a heretic, but pure doctrine cannot reveal a righteous man. Both the moral test and the doctrinal test must be applied.[13]

3 - Do they fall away from the company of committed Christians? They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.[14] As you apply this test, ask yourself questions like: do they love to talk about the things of Christ? Do they communicate a hunger for the Word of God? Do they demonstrate an eternal hope?

You test yourself: The means whereby you test others is the way you test yourself. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.[15] Love becomes the test whereby you can be assured that you yourself are born of God.? In John's writings, love forms the content of God's commandments. Because it is difficult to determine if another person loves, this test can best be given to yourself rather than to others. Thus, this test becomes the evidence of the new birth; doing is the test of being.

You test God: Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.")[16] God tested Israel with the giants. Israel tested God because they didn't want to face the giants. It took Israel 40 years to take an 11 day journey. How did Israel miscalculate so badly? The author of Hebrews says, "they have not known my ways."

Experiencing God without understanding His ways can easily result in your developing unbiblical expectations of God and end by testing God. We are a generation preoccupied with wanting to experience God. I hear people talk about "sensing His presence; communing with Him." In your worship of God you want God to touch your emotions. I am not suggesting that you should be an unfeeling robot. We all love it when we have a mystical experience with Him. But watching God in action can never be a substitute for "understanding His ways."

God is not obligated to meet your expectations of Him. Spend protracted time in Scripture meditating on His ways. Failure to do so can easily lead you into the folly of testing God. When you do that, your soul is in peril.

Questions for Reflection

1 - What are some ways you can be tempted to put God to the test and thus provoke His anger?

2 - When you watch those you know and love fail God's tests, how should you respond?

3 - What steps can you take to better understand the ways of God?

4 - If, as suggested by Paul, heresy is a test from God, where do you draw the line between agreeing that you see things differently on the one hand, and considering the other person a heretic? And if you conclude he is a heretic, what if anything do you do?

[1] Cf. Thoughts From the Diary of a Desperate Man, Days 76, 201

[4] James 1:9-11, KJV; cf. also Week Thirty-four

[8] Cf. Matthew 18:15-18; 1Corinthians 5

[14] 1John 2:19, KJV. Cf. also Hebrews 3:12-14

Weekly Meditations

Week Thirty-seven The The Role of Testing in Christian Life - Part Two God Tests His People: Scripture teaches that the difference between a temptation and a test is the believer's response. God never tests with the objective of making you sin, but rather for the purpose of making you stronger. When you want to sin, the test becomes temptation.[1] Fear is a sign of dependence;[2] the man who thinks he can pass God's tests on his own is in the process of failing. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."[3] James, in his epistle, addresses four of the greatest tests facing all believers. 1 - How you handle wealth. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."[4] God portions to each person differing quantities of this world's goods. How you handle the issue of wealth? whether you have it or not can either help or hurt you. Greed and envy are two sides of the same sin. James teaches that they produce competition and contention. 2 - How you control your tongue."For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.[5] Your tongue is a weapon that you often use without intending to hurt. No one likes to associate with those who have abusive tongues. You never have a legitimate excuse for ridiculing, belittling, or joking at the expense of others. 3 - Whether you are a respecter of persons. "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?[6] What does this look like? We all favor some people over others. I am partial toward my wife and children. Jesus was partial to the twelve and to three in particular. I can't be dogmatic, but the context seems to be limited to: 1 - The environment of the Christian community; 2 - Showing partiality on the basis of wealth and position. Even if limited as I suggest, I still find it easy to fail the test. I have to be careful as a vocational Christian worker to not show partiality to my donors. Do we select garbage collectors and janitors for our spiritual leaders? 4 - Patience in tribulation: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.[7] Having just addressed the abuses of the calloused rich, James now calls for patience. You don't need to try to correct the ills of society; God will do that in His time. You must be careful not to be guilty of abuse yourself and to be patiently forgiving when abused. James begins his epistle by introducing the reader to the idea of the test of patience in tribulation. He now makes further application - a different arena in which God tests His people. Waiting constitutes a large portion of the believer's faithfulness to Christ. He encourages patience with four illustrations: a) The farmer who waits for his crops. b) The fact that Jesus has not yet returned. c) The prophets of the Old Testament. d) Job. Next to controlling the tongue, patiently waiting for the return of Christ in the face of injustice constitutes the greatest test for the conscientious believer. Those who divide their hope between the temporal and the eternal fail the test, as do those that despair (lose their hope) and those who simply let go of an eternal hope and live for the world - in essence, emulating the rich. You are Called Upon to Test Others: Scripture offers at least three tests the follower of Christ can use to distinguish between true and false believers: 1 - Do they violate the biblical commandments and refuse to repent[8] The Apostle Paul teaches that you discipline the unrepentant believer for two reasons: a) - "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."[9] You love the sinner, confronting him for his own good. Failure to discipline is to withhold love. Not to discipline is selfishness. Because you do not discipline people in order to punish them, but correct them, offering forgiveness or mercy before repentance communicates a failure to understand why you are exercising discipline. b) - Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.[10] You must endeavor to maintain purity in the community of believers. 2 - Do they embrace and teach heresy? Paul makes an interesting observation: "For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.[11] He reasons that for the moral man, heresy is the best way to discover that a so-called believer is unrighteous. The Apostle John adds: "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed."[12] A moral test can identify an unrighteous man; it cannot identify a righteous man. For this reason, you need a doctrinal test as well. Impure doctrine can reveal a heretic, but pure doctrine cannot reveal a righteous man. Both the moral test and the doctrinal test must be applied.[13] 3 - Do they fall away from the company of committed Christians? They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.[14] As you apply this test, ask yourself questions like: do they love to talk about the things of Christ? Do they communicate a hunger for the Word of God? Do they demonstrate an eternal hope? You test yourself: The means whereby you test others is the way you test yourself. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.[15] Love becomes the test whereby you can be assured that you yourself are born of God.? In John's writings, love forms the content of God's commandments. Because it is difficult to determine if another person loves, this test can best be given to yourself rather than to others. Thus, this test becomes the evidence of the new birth; doing is the test of being. You test God: Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.")[16] God tested Israel with the giants. Israel tested God because they didn't want to face the giants. It took Israel 40 years to take an 11 day journey. How did Israel miscalculate so badly? The author of Hebrews says, "they have not known my ways." Experiencing God without understanding His ways can easily result in your developing unbiblical expectations of God and end by testing God. We are a generation preoccupied with wanting to experience God. I hear people talk about "sensing His presence; communing with Him." In your worship of God you want God to touch your emotions. I am not suggesting that you should be an unfeeling robot. We all love it when we have a mystical experience with Him. But watching God in action can never be a substitute for "understanding His ways." God is not obligated to meet your expectations of Him. Spend protracted time in Scripture meditating on His ways. Failure to do so can easily lead you into the folly of testing God. When you do that, your soul is in peril. Questions for Reflection 1 - What are some ways you can be tempted to put God to the test and thus provoke His anger? 2 - When you watch those you know and love fail God's tests, how should you respond? 3 - What steps can you take to better understand the ways of God? 4 - If, as suggested by Paul, heresy is a test from God, where do you draw the line between agreeing that you see things differently on the one hand, and considering the other person a heretic? And if you conclude he is a heretic, what if anything do you do? [1] Cf. Thoughts From the Diary of a Desperate Man, Days 76, 201 [2] Cf. Week Thirty-three [3] 1Corinthians 10:12, KJV [4] James 1:9-11, KJV; cf. also Week Thirty-four [5] James 3:2-6, KJV [6] James 2:1-4, KJV [7] James 5:7-8, KJV [8] Cf. Matthew 18:15-18; 1Corinthians 5 [9] 1Corinthians 5:5, KJV [10] Verses 6-7 [11] 1Corinthians 11:19, KJV [12] 2John 10, KJV [13] Cf., e.g., 1John 2:19 [14] 1John 2:19, KJV. Cf. also Hebrews 3:12-14 [15] 1John 4:7, KJV [16] Hebrews 3:7-11, KJV

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