| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Donna Kupp" |
| Date: |
25 Jan 2008 07:14:50 AM |
| Object: |
THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH |
It is a tribute to the Serpent's cunning that this vital part of
salvation is so often ignored by modern Bible teachers. And yet,
from Genesis through Revelation, the Bible teaches that God tests His
people in order to determine their faithfulness. In the book of
Genesis, we see that God tested Adam and Eve.
"And the Lord God COMMANDED the man, saying, Of
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: for in the day that
thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE."
(Genesis 2:15)
Through the experience of Adam and Eve we can gain understanding on
the subject of testing. From that model we see that God tests His
people by commanding certain things and then warns them of the
consequences for disobedience. If the people believe God and obey
Him,
they pass the test. If they refuse to obey, they fail the test and
will be shut off from the tree of life for eternity.
This same pattern of testing is repeated throughout the history of
God's people. The 22nd chapter of Genesis begins with these words:
"After these things God tested Abraham..."
God commanded Abraham to take his only son and sacrifice him upon an
altar. As Abraham raised the knife over Isaac, the angel of the Lord
told him to stop and said:
"For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not
withheld your son, your only son, from me."
(Gen 22:12)
God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice that which
was most precious to him. Abraham passed the test and received God's
blessing. Modern Christianity teaches that Abraham was blessed
because of his faith. Nevertheless, the fact is that Abraham was not
blessed for his faith, but rather for **the obedience which his faith
produced.** The proof of that is seen in Genesis 22:18 when the
angel
of the Lord said to Abraham:
"...BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, and have not
withheld your son ... I will indeed bless you, and I will
multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven...and by
your descendants shall all the nations bless themselves,
**BECAUSE** YOU HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE."
That is why James used the example of Abraham when he insisted that
faith without obedience is a dead faith, he said:
"But wilt thou know, O vain man,
that faith without works is DEAD?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works WHEN he
had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (James 2:20f)
James was careful to emphasize that Abraham was justified WHEN he had
offered Isaac. Yes, it is true that we are justified by our faith,
but as James points out, that faith must be tested in order to
receive
eternal life. He wrote:
"Blessed is the man who ENDURES trial,
for when he has stood the TEST
he will receive the CROWN OF LIFE
which God has promised to those who LOVE HIM."
James l:12
That one sentence contains the three facts necessary to understand
the
process of testing:
1. Christians must ENDURE TESTING.
2. Those who STAND THE TEST
receive the CROWN OF LIFE.
3. The crown of life is promised to those who LOVE GOD.
The apostle John defines how to LOVE God:
"For this is the love of God,
that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." (1 John 5:3)
So, there it is, God's plan of testing for all who will accept the
testimony of scripture...
THE CROWN OF LIFE IS PROMISED TO THOSE
WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
As we continue to look through the scriptures we will often see this
concept of testing through obedience. For example, in the book of
Exodus we find that God chose the Israelites and called them out of
Egypt. After they had crossed the Red Sea, God gave them
commandments
in order to test them. All those over the age of twenty failed the
test and died in the wilderness - except Joshua and Caleb - who
through their faith were obedient.
After forty years in the wilderness, as they were about to enter the
land of Canaan, Moses said to the new generation of Israelites: "And
you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you
these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,
TESTING YOU to know what was in your heart, whether you would KEEP
HIS
COMMANDMENTS, or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2)
Repeatedly, we see God testing His people in order to know what is in
their hearts, and that test is whether we will keep His commandments
or not.
JESUS WAS TESTED!
In the New Testament we find this same principle of testing. For
example...
"Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matt 4:1)
In that lonely desert, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the
world if He would only bow down and worship him. While most of us
will never be offered kingdoms for our disobedience, Satan does offer
us worldly pleasures and rewards if we will follow him and commit sin
by disobeying the commandments of God.
Just as God allowed Satan to test Jesus and Job, God also allows
Satan
to test us in this world. One can easily understand this concept if
one sees the world system with all its pleasures and rewards as the
means by which we are tested.
The scriptures say that "...the whole world is in the power of the
evil one." (1 John 5:19) and that Satan is "...the god of this
world." (2 Cor 4:4). As we go through our time on earth, the world
system under the power of Satan is like an obstacle course for the
Christian. Satan uses all his power over the pleasures of this world
in order to draw us into disobedience.
The good news is that even though we may be tempted to the limit of
our strength, God does not permit Satan to test us beyond our ability
to resist. Paul wrote:
"God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted
beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also
provide the way of escape, that you may be able to
endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Since we cannot be tested beyond our God-given ability to obey, if
we
disobey, our choice proves what is in our hearts. If we love God
"with all our heart, all our mind and all our strength" we will
choose
to keep His commandments. If we love the world more than God we will
choose to break God's commandments. It is just that simple.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER'S CHOICE
Did Jesus teach that we must keep the Ten Commandments in order to
receive eternal life? Nothing could be clearer than His words to the
Rich Young Ruler who asked Jesus "What good deed must I do, to have
eternal life?" Jesus answered him by saying:
"If you would enter life, keep the commandments...You
shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, you shall
not steal, you shall not bear false witness etc."
(Matt 19:17f)
Jesus was not tricking that man, our Lord meant just what He said!
When Jesus commanded the man to "sell all and give to the poor", He
exposed the covetousness in the Rich Young Ruler's heart. The young
man chose not to obey and failed the test.
OVERCOMERS RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE
In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus refers to the testing of
our faith several times. The constant theme is that the one who
conquers or overcomes (Greek nikao) is the one who receives the
reward. In some letters the reward promised has to do with eternal
life, for example:
EPHESUS (Rev 2:7) "...To him who CONQUERS (nikao) I will grant to eat
of the tree of LIFE, which is in the paradise of God."
SMYRNA (Rev 2:10) "...Be faithful unto death, and I will give you
the
crown of LIFE...He who CONQUERS (nikao) shall not be hurt by the
second death."
Remember that in James 1:12, the "crown of life"
was the reward promised to those who love God
(i.e. keep His commandments.)
SARDIS (Rev 3:5) "He who CONQUERS (nikao) shall be clad thus in white
garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of LIFE."
The reader might well ask: "Does the word "conquer" have anything to
do with the believer overcoming the world system controlled by Satan
and his angels? The answer to that question is found in the 1st
Epistle of John. In the fifth chapter, John uses the same Greek word
"nikao" (to conquer or overcome) three times in describing the
victory
of the believer over the world. Not only did he use the same word
"nikao" - he tied it directly to keeping the commandments of God...
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His command-
ments...for whatsoever is born of God OVERCOMETH
(nikao) the world: and this is the victory that
OVERCOMETH (nikao) the world, even our faith. Who is
he that OVERCOMETH (nikao) the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:3-5)
God allows Satan and his world system to test our faith. Those who
pass the test by keeping the commandments of God are those who
"conquer" the world, and according to Jesus, those who conquer will
be
granted "to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God".
With those verses in mind, it is easy to understand what Jesus meant
when He told the Sadducees that only those who are "accounted worthy"
will be the sons of God. Jesus said:
"The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage;
but those who are ACCOUNTED WORTHY to attain to
that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry
nor are given in marriage, for they CANNOT DIE any more,
because they are equal to angels and are SONS OF
GOD, being sons of the resurrection." Luke 20:34
Only those who are "accounted worthy" will become the sons of God and
receive eternal life. That simple truth is far different than what
is
being taught in the churches of today, who say that those who just
"believe" will have eternal life. Listen to these sobering words of
Jesus as he promises life and sonship to those who conquer sin - and
death in the lake of fire to those who do not...
"...To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the
water of LIFE without payment. He who CONQUERS
(nikao) shall have this heritage and I will be his God and
he shall be MY SON.
BUT as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for
murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolators, and all liars,
their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and
sulphur, which is the second DEATH." Rev 21:6-8)
I pray that those words of Jesus will strike fear and dread into the
hearts of readers who have been told that they are sons of God simply
because they have "believed". Only those believers whose faith has
been tested by the "fiery trials" will inherit eternal life. Peter
had much to say about these trials, he wrote:
"...though now for a little while you may have to suffer
various trials, so that the GENUINENESS OF YOUR
FAITH, more precious than gold which though
perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and
honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...As the
outcome of your faith you obtain the
SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS."
(1 Peter 1:6-9)
Only "genuine" faith, tested by fire, will result in the salvation of
our souls. The authentic faith that saves is a faith that suffers
with
Christ by ceasing from sin. Peter wrote:
"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm
yourselves with the same thought, for whoever has
suffered in the flesh HAS CEASED FROM SIN,"
(1 Peter 4:1)
Ceasing from sin causes the fiery trials which test our faith. As we
struggle against Satan we share in the sufferings of Christ who
overcame the Devil so that we might also be able to overcome. This
battle against sin is the common heritage of all who follow Christ.
Peter said:
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which
comes upon you TO PROVE YOU, as though
something strange were happening to you. But rejoice
in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may
also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed."
(1 Peter 4:12-13)
If we want to be glorified with Christ then we must suffer with Him.
That is why Paul said that we were:
"...heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
PROVIDED WE SUFFER with Him in order that we
may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:17)
Did you see the phrase "provided we suffer"? Suffering with Christ
is
the condition for becoming heirs of God! Perhaps many of you have
read
that verse in Romans without really understanding that to suffer with
Christ means ceasing from sin. Thus, if you have not ceased from sin,
you have not suffered with Christ, and if you have not suffered with
Christ, you will not be glorified with Him.
As you can see, is not just those who "believe" who will be saved,
but
rather, those who believe enough to suffer by putting to death the
deeds of the body through obedience to God's law. That is why Paul
warned the Roman believers that:
"... if you live according to the flesh YOU WILL DIE,
But, IF by the Spirit you put to death
the deeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE."
"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God;
IT DOES NOT SUBMIT TO GOD'S LAW, indeed it
cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
(Rom 8:7)
If anyone finds himself unable to submit to God's law he may be
certain that he does not possess the Holy Spirit of God. For it is
only "...by the Spirit" that we are able to obey. Those who believe
they have the Holy Spirit but cannot "put to death the deeds of the
body" have been horribly deceived. Their end will be destruction in
the lake of fire.
THE FINAL WORD
For those who still doubt what I am saying, please spend a few
minutes
in prayerful study of the very last blessing promised by Jesus as He
ended the book of Revelation...
"Blessed are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS,
That they may have right to the tree of LIFE,
And may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie" Rev 22:14 KJV
From the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden till the time when New
Jerusalem, the holy city descends from God, the scriptures declare
that only those who keep the commandments of God will eat of the tree
of life.
"Here is the endurance of the saints,
those who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
**AND** the faith of Jesus." Rev 14:12
Donna Kupp
I am not a Seventh Day Adventist (and never have been), a natural
Jew,
or a Catholic. I am simply the least of Christ's brethren who love
Him and keep His Commandments.
The Seven Deadly Deceptions Of Counterfeit Christianity
http://www.freetruth.info
.
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| User: "El Guapo" |
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| Title: Re: THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH |
25 Jan 2008 08:53:53 AM |
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How wonderful it would be if people were more willing to use a little
critical thinking.
Ever wonder why god allowed Satan free access to Adam and Eve? Two
people with no knowledge of good and evil - they don't know what evil
is or death or disobedience or lying or.... and God let's Satan roam
free? Hummmm.... so naive that they don't seem surprised or bothered
by a talking snake? Ha....
Ever wonder why god setup Adam and Eve, knowing that Satan would
deceive them and they would be cursed? Knowing the pain and suffering
that all humans would go through, not to mention the damnations of
billions - and yet, god still went ahead and created both Satan and
people, placed them in the garden, etc. Hummmmm...
Ever wonder why god created Satan knowing that Satan would rebel and
take 1/3 of the angels with him? Or why god decides to bind Satan
*only* after the end of the world and all the billions of damned souls
killed, stolen and destroyed? Hummmm...
Ever wonder why Satan would rebel if god is so awesome? Or why one of
every three angels left also? Ever wonder how a being as clever as
Satan - as we are told in the bible - isn't clever enough to figure
out that he can't win against god and then rebels anyway? Hummmmm....
Ever wonder if Satan is just a mythical creature created long ago as
the arch-nemesis of good, the ever repetitive good and evil, hero and
foe? And how serpents have been feared by people from early man so its
little surprise that Satan choose the form of a serpent in the garden
story? Hummmmm....
Ever wonder how cruel it is that god would request that Abraham kill
his own son? Not to mention the affect on Abraham but also of a young
boy to see his father willing and proceeding forth to kill him?
Ever wonder how twisted it is that the book of James writes that
Abraham was made righteous by his willingness to sacrifice his son? Or
how you can now condemn such people that currently kill their kid
because god told them to yet you believe in a story where Abraham is
made righteous for his willingness to do the same thing? Hummm...
Ever wonder how ridiculous the story of Job is? Where god and satan
sit and talk like friends, make wagers and experiment with a man's
life, family, etc - all so that god can prove what? Something he
already knew? What kind of character do these stories really show?
Hummmm...
Ever think that these stories are just that, myths... and they should
be taken as such. Hummmm...
.
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