The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy 13:3 (NLT)
Does anyone enjoy being tested? In the previous article, “Test Everything,” we saw the value of examining preaching and prophecy to ensure they align with God’s word. But we start to feel uneasy when the attention is turned toward us. Some people face tests confidently, believing that they are equipped and capable, but with many of us, fear and doubt creep in and torment our inner thoughts.
Testing serves two fundamental purposes. First, it demonstrates where we are against the standard. Second, when we face testing, it can have the effect of increasing our strength and endurance.
One thing that we know with certainty, tests can be subjective because it is challenging to know and understand what goes on inside our hearts. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)
Thankfully, the Lord sees what is inside of us. As for you, Lord, you know me; you see me. You test whether my heart is with you. Jeremiah 12:3 (CSB). Even though we may dread the thought of being tested, isn’t it better to be examined before our “final exam?”
Self-Examination
Test yourselves to see if you really are in the faith! Put yourselves through the examination. Or don’t you realize that Jesus the Messiah is in you?—unless, that is, you’ve failed the test. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (BFE)
How can we test ourselves to see if we are really in the faith? Are we in Christ, and is Christ in us? God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (NET).
There are other ways to test. Do we love one another? How about keeping his commandments? Is seeking His Kingdom, and his righteousness, a priority for us? Remember, regular self-examination can identify potential problems before they become terminal.
We can also ask God to examine us as David did in Psalm 139. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)
A Reason for Joy?
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2–4 (NLT)
James said something that most of us consider to be absurd. Get excited when the testing comes. Excuse me? We aren’t sure that we like the sound of that opportunity. Endure it, grin, and bear it, even consider it a necessary evil, but an opportunity for great joy?
Only when we see a greater purpose can we face trials with joy. Even then, at first glance, it does not sound that appealing. When our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow. What is unsaid is that as our endurance develops, it prepares us for more testing. We can barely contain our excitement.
But as we read on, we see the ultimate purpose of endurance. The result is that we become perfect and complete, needing nothing. We recall the song’s words, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” Peter gives us another perspective:
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7 (NLT)
Producing Fruit
When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:8 (NLT)
We have several varieties of fruit trees in our yard. We have learned that trees produce more fruit when they must withstand the stress of cold weather in the winter. We live in Southern California, where the weather does not have the extreme cold that many other areas experience. However, unless we get a certain number of days each winter below 35°F, our apple tree will produce a minimal crop.
The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. Unless we experience testing and even stress, we are unlikely to produce fruit in abundance. Job made this profound statement: “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. Job 23:10 (NLT). Whether it is fruit or gold, testing is necessary for greater yields.
Testing is necessary to bear fruit; fruit is evidence of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)
Final Examination
Earlier, we referred to Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians to examine themselves. The test was whether Christ was in them or not. John gives us the answer: All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 1 John 4:15–17 (NLT)
When we test ourselves, we place ourselves in a position to be tested by God and gain endurance. We will be fruitful and productive, and as James reminds us, “perfect and complete, needing nothing.” It sounds good to me.
Steve Ekeroth