The Testing of Faith (James 1:2)

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (Jam 1:2-4 NKJ)

Viktor E. Frankl said once, "Just as a small fire is extinguished by the storm whereas a large fire is enhanced by it-likewise a weak faith is weakened by predicament and catastrophes whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them."

The power of an engine can only be assessed after it has been tested. What is said or thought before the test may be mere opinion, and opinions do not matter much until the test is over. Many a teacher have made the mistake of making judgments about the abilities of their students before the students had gone through the test. Many still didn't realize that the real test was not the school examination the student sat under, but a forthcoming test in real life that would uncover the real strength and abilities of the child. There are many stories of people who had been misjudged, rejected, and not given an opportunity to try; but, who, when they found an opportunity, so excelled that those who rejected them earlier were ashamed later. It matters very less what people think about us, or even what we think about ourselves; it is the test that reveals who we really are.

A test can be a humbling experience, because it reveals that what we have thought of ourselves was not so right. A test may shock us by showing that we weren't what we thought we were. Perhaps, we weren't as strong as we thought we were; or even, that perhaps we weren't as weak as we thought we were. A test may surprise us with facts that are important for us to know in order to face reality.

The presence and strength of faith can only be detected when faith goes under fire.

Tests act like mirrors. We can either get discouraged for being able to see what we really are, or be happy to see what we really are so that we can correct what can be corrected and improve on what can be improved.

Testing is the fire that elongates faith in time and molds it into the shape of patience. Patience is nothing but faith elongated by the fire of trials. Testing uncovers faith.

Testing is an opportunity to exercise faith and strengthen its muscles. Where there are no tests, faith is not put to work. To put faith to test is to put faith to work. Testing increases the strength of faith.

Testing may be of various kinds. There are various trials. However, a million varieties of trials cannot change the nature of the singular faith that one has in God. All testing only purifies the nature of faith (1Pet.1:7).

Testing is not in order that God will know what we are, but in order that we will be what He wants us to be, that we may lack nothing. In fact, He has already searched us and known us before, we have ever thought or have done anything (Psa. 139:1). He knows what we will be thinking about in the future, even before we ever knew the categories that would form the vocabulary of such thoughts. He understands our thoughts from afar off  (Psa.139:2).

There is no testing that is outside the knowledge of God. He knows our sitting down and our rising up (Psa.139:2).

Therefore, the Bible tells us to rejoice when we fall into various kinds of trials. We are not to desire to fall into trials and temptations. In fact, we must pray to not be led into temptation (Matt.6:13). However, when we find ourselves in temptation, we must remember that this testing is not to destroy us but to strengthen us (1Cor.10:13).

Elasticity and Stress in Trials

Texts to Read:
2Cor.1:8; 1Cor.10:13; James 1:2-4; Rom.5:3-5; 1Jn.4:4; Rom.8:28-39

"God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able..." (1Co 10:13 NKJ)

Physics defines elasticity as the ability of a body to regain its original shape and size after deforming force is withdrawn; in other words, it is "resistance to change". Stress is nothing but the resisting or restoring force acting proportionately against the deforming force. When the deforming force is overwhelming over the elasticity limit, the body will either break under strain or be crushed under pressure. The good news is that the Bible promises us that God will not allow the test to exceed our resistance limit; secondly, God also assures us that He that is within us (to give us the resisting power) is greater than he that is in the world (the deforming force). No doubt, stress is the condition of being disturbed (it is a state of resistance); therefore, we must be careful how we relate to someone who is in stress (not to be like Job's foolish friends). At the same time, we must remember that the deforming force will have to stop at a point in time because it will be spent away; and, we will have rest for a while. But, then physics also teaches us that there is nothing perfectly elastic or plastic. Trials don't leave us the same; but, God who is our potter uses everything for our good to conform us to His image. One final thought: Remember, steel is more elastic than rubber. We don't need to be rubber Christians.

Lead us not into temptation (Matt 6:13) - With Quotes from John Gilland William Gurnall

This short prayer phrase contains a number of powerful facts:
1. "Lead us" - The fact that God doesn't abandon us in the hour of temptation. When He promised to be with us to the end of time, He stays with us even in the very moment of temptation. Unless He is there with us, He cannot lead. The prayer doesn't say "Send us not into temptation." But, it says, "Lead us not into temptation" because, even in the hour of temptation, the Lord is there with us to deliver us from falling. Now, this doesn't mean that it is God who tempts man - no, not at all; because the Bible tells us that He doesn't tempt anyone (James 1:13). But, He allows us to be tempted in order that we might be strong.. but, only that we may be strong. He doesn't want us to fall into the hands of evil in any case. So, He is there to make the way of escape that we may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

2. "us" - Temptation is common to all men. We do not fall into uncommon temptation. So, we must be aware that God's saints go through trials and temptations; and we need to pray for them as well.

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man" (1 Cor.10:13)
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." (1Pet. 5:8-9)
"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18)

3. "not" - It is a powerful negative, and the only one in the Prayer taught by our Lord. It unravels the saint's desire to stay away from evil, because of the fear of the Lord and His love for Him. It is a prayer that God wants to answer, because He sees here that we hate evil so much that we hate to come near it, or even pass by it; far be it to fall into its hands. There are many who do not see temptation as temptation at all, because they do not see evil as evil. The drunkard, for instance, doesn't see the wine shop as a temptation to drink; he only cherishes it as an opportunity to drink. He doesn't have the struggle until he is delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God's Dear Son. This prayer in negative is the other side of the coin of the fact that "those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal.5:24) The moment we grab His hand stretched towards us in the mire of sin that we are in, His strong hands grab hold of us and pull us out of any imaginable vileness that we have been in.

"There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still" - Betsie Ten Boom

4. "into" - or into the hands of temptation; so that God abandons us into the hands of the enemy. No, we don't want that. Even if we have to go through temptation we do not want to fall into the hands of temptation. And, His promise is with us:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." (Isa 43:1-2)

In some cases, divine abandonment does occur; especially, where there has been willful rebellion. So, God rejected Saul in the Old Testament because he rebelled against God's grace over his life. Similarly, in the New Testament, we find Paul talking about God abandoning the gentiles who suppress the truth of God by unrighteousness.

"because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened...Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts...who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever...For this reason God gave them up to vile passions." (Rom. 1:21-26)

However, to those who can pray with earnestness "Lead us not into temptation", He is more than willing that no temptation will overtake us "except such as is common to man"; and, He is there to keep us as the Word promises us, because we belong to Him:

"We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. (1Jn 5:18-19)

"the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." (2Pet. 2:9)

5. "temptation" - This is the main thing that the Christian dreads. Jesus said, "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!" (Matt. 18:7, ESV). He also instructed us: "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:13, ESV). His antidote, again, is simple: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Matt.26:41). If we are not watching and if we are not praying, we will naturally enter into temptation. But, when we watch and pray, let us also watch in the way that we can pray "Lead us not into temptation."

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John Gill

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,.... Such a petition as this is often to be observed in the prayers of the Jews (a),

אל תביאני, "do not lead me" neither into sin, nor into transgression and iniquity, ולא לידי נסיון, "nor into temptation", or "into the hands of temptation";''

that is, into the power of it, so as to be overcome by it, and sink under it; in which sense the phrase is to be understood here. We are not here taught to pray against temptations at all, or in any sense, for they are sometimes needful and useful; but that they may not have the power over us, and destroy us. There are various sorts of temptations. There are the temptations of God; who may be said to tempt, not by infusing anything that is sinful, or by soliciting to it; but by enjoining things hard and disagreeable to nature, as in the case of Abraham; by afflicting, either in body or estate, of which Job is an instance; by permitting and letting loose the reins to Satan, and a man's own corruptions; by withdrawing his presence, and withholding the communications of his grace; and sometimes by suffering false prophets to arise among his people: his ends in them are on his own account, the display of his power; grace, wisdom, and faithfulness; on account of his Son, that his saints might be like him, and he might have an opportunity of exercising his power and pity: and on his people's account, that they might be humbled; their faith and patience tried; might see their weakness, and need of Christ, and be excited to prayer and watchfulness. There are also the temptations of Satan; which lie in soliciting to evil, suggesting hard and blasphemous thoughts of God, and filling with doubts and fears; which are cunningly formed by him, and are very afflictive. There are moreover the temptations of the world, which arise from poverty and riches, from the men of the world, the lusts of it, and from both its frowns and flatteries: add to all this, that there are temptations arising from a man's own heart. Now, in this petition, the children of God pray, that they may be kept from every occasion and object of sinning; from those sins they are most inclined to; that God would not leave them to Satan, and their own corrupt hearts; nor suffer them to sink under the weight of temptations of any sort; but that, in the issue, they might have a way to escape, and be victorious over all.

William Gurnall

"Darts have a wounding killing nature, especially when well headed and shot out of a strong bow by one that is able to draw it. Such are Satan’s temptations — headed with desperate malice, and drawn by a strength no less than angelical; and this against so poor a weak creature as man, that it were impossible, had not God provided good armour for our soul, to outstand Satan’s power and get safe to heaven. Christ would have us sensible of their force and danger, by that petition in his prayer which the best of saints on this side heaven have need to use — ‘Lead us not into temptation.’ Christ was then but newly out of the list, where he had tasted Satan’s tempting skill and strength; which, though beneath his wisdom and power to defeat, yet well he knew it was able to worst the strongest of saints. There was never any besides Christ that Satan did not foil more or less. It was Christ’s prerogative to be tempted, but not lead into temptation. Job, one of the chief worthies in God’s army of saints, who, from God’s mouth, is a nonesuch, yet was galled by these arrows shot from Satan’s bow, and put to great disorder. God was fain to pluck him out of the devil’s grip, or else he would have been quite worried by that lion."

"Christ teacheth us to pray against suffering under the notion of temptation: ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’ That is, let us not be led into sin when we fall into suffering, let us not fall into thy hands and Satan’s together."

"God useth the temptations of Satan to one sin, as a preventive against another; so Paul’s thorn in the flesh to prevent his pride. God sends Satan to assault Paul on that side where he is strong, that in the meantime he may fortify him where he is weak. Thus Satan is befooled, as sometimes we see an army sitting down before a town, where it wastes its strength to no purpose, and in the meantime gives the enemy an advantage to recruit; and all this by the counsel of some Hushai, that is a secret friend to the contrary side. God, who is the saint’s true friend, sits in the devil’s council, and overrules proceedings there to the saint’s advantage. He suffers the devil to annoy the Christian with temptations to blasphemy, atheism, and with these, together with the troubles of spirit they produce, the soul is driven to duty, is humbled in the sense of these horrid apparitions in its imagination, and secured from abundance of formality and pride, which otherwise God saw invading him. As in a family, some business falls out, which keeps the master up later than ordinary, and by this the thief, who that night intended to rob him, is disappointed. Had not such a soul had his spirit of prayer and diligence kept awake by those afflicting temptations, it is likely that Satan might have come as a seducer, and taken him napping in security."