I Hate Test!
James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
The other day I over heard a High school student make this statement. “I Hate Test.” She went on to explain how she was to have a test in a particular class that day. I don’t recall the subject, and don’t remember much more of her conversation with the other students. For my thoughts were bouncing off the wall of my head about the statement she had just stated. “I HATE TEST!”
I began to ponder that statement over and over. Then I concluded with NO ONE IN HIS RIGHT MIND LOVES TEST.
My thoughts concluded with that statement, but not before I had reached a deeper understanding of what the purpose of test are for. I hope that we all will conclude with more than I hate test, as we examine this thought. So, let us look at what the scripture will reveal about Test.
I. Divers Temptations.
a. The word Divers means: various trials, different kinds.
b. Applicable to our situation.
1. Jesus our example.
Matthew 4:2-10
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Look at these scriptures, they tell us of Jesus being tempted by the enemy, (satan). Three different or divers test. Each test or temptations was in reference to an area that would be applicable of who Jesus was, or a present situation in His life at the moment.
Jesus’ first test was in the physical realm of where he was living or in need of. He was hungry. He was tempted to make stones to bread.
The second was the test of Jesus’ faith in His Father’s ability to be truth as the Word.
Thirdly, we find the creator of the universe being tempted to fall down and worship falsely to a god that promises to give Him what he already owns, controls.
All three of these test where directed to belittle the fact that Jesus was the ‘Son of God.’
What does that tell us?
It explains that we are going to have test, and temptations. More than likely they are going to be in areas that we have weakness. Our lifestyles, characteristics, interest, family life, etc. etc. may be the classroom of test and trial.
II. No one is exempt of test, temptations, trials.
a. We could name numerous from the Scriptures who faced much testing.
Many of these would be the great patriarchs of the 11th chapter of Hebrews. In Hebrews 11:33-38; we are told of many of the things they faced.
“Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”
III. So how should we face or accept the test.
a. Recognize that we are God’s Children.
A test is not a statement that says we are not God’s property. We need to acknowledge that James was addressing the Jewish believers. He called them ‘My Brethren.’
b. Recognize that we are lead by the Spirit.
Matthew 4:1
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
c. Acknowledge that satan is the tempter.
Matthew 4:1
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
James 1:13
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”
d. Lastly, and most important is that we are becoming more than overcomers.
John 16:33
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
1. We become over-comers because He has overcame.
e. Romans 8: 35-39
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,nor powers, northings present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1. What can separate us?
2. More than Conquerors through Him.
3. That loved us
4. For I am persuaded - Paul’s confidence, What is ours?
Conclusion:
So test are not a temptation from God, but may be allowed by God. Why would God allow us to be tested? A confident answer is found by the Apostle Peter in I Peter Chapter 5:6-10.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Test and temptation are the rule to which we know our maturity in Christ, our place of authority, overcoming. Just as a student in a classroom has the opportunity to express there knowledge of the materials through the test. We know how much we know God when we are tested. For we must arise to the same authority as Jesus did in Matthew chapter 4. We must operate in the “It Is Writtens.” To which our personal relationship with the Lord will be proven through our testing.
Illustration The big blue tow trucks of Chicago. (Author Rev. Bill Keller, Website: www.liveprayer.com used by permission for this submitting).
“The enemy is never far away. For many years, I lived in downtown Chicago. You do not have to spend much time in downtown Chicago before you see the Chicago Streets and Sanitation Department big blue tow trucks. These are not your normal tow trucks. They are about three times the size of a standard tow truck and bright blue. One afternoon I was sitting on a bench near City Hall and I was watching this one particular tow truck, slowly creeping up the street. Very slowly. The driver was carefully looking at each parked car to make sure they were parked at a meter and there was money in the meter. I watched as the truck slowly went up one block, then back down the next block. Then all of the sudden, the yellow lights went on, the truck went into action, and within a few minutes, had attached an illegally parked car to its hook and was off to the pound. Now, as interesting as this story maybe, you are probably wondering what this has to do with the Lord or anything spiritual.
That tow truck represents the enemy, walking about seeking who he might destroy. The parked cars represent each of us. You see, when your spiritual meter is full and you are properly parked, then the enemy has no control over your life. The enemy is interested in finding those who are adrift, away from God. he looks for those who are weak. That is why day after day I encourage you to start in prayer and reading the Word. That is the spiritual food you need to be strong for the day. That is the equivalent of putting money into your spiritual meter. What you do during the day, the places you go, the activities you are involved in, are the equivalent to being properly parked. Remember, when we are illegally parked, in places we shouldn’t be, we become an easy target for the enemy.
The point of this devotional (Message) today is to keep you aware that there is a very real enemy out there whose goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. If you think back on your life, or possibly where you are right now, you can probably trace a lot of the attacks to not being where you need to be with the Lord. Just like those cars illegally parked, or cars at expired meters, you become an easy target. I love you, and care about you, and try daily to do my best to warn you of the dangers that exist in this life and how we can avoid many of them. Remember, it is critical to be prayed up, in close daily contact with the Lord. The enemy is out there, lurking. Like the big blue tow trucks of Chicago, the enemy is looking for an easy target. God has given you the tools to avoid being an easy target. Use them.
