TESTING
1 PETER 4:12
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
Just as Christ was tested so are we to tested, and this is what we are going to look at today. There is a reason for these tests.
JAMES 1:1 3
1 James, a bond servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
By whom are tested?
James 1:12 13
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
If we are not tempted by God then by whom?
MATTHEW 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
It really bothers me when something happens and we say why is God doing this. He is not! As in JOB’s case He may let it take place by Satan.
1 CORINTHIANS 10: 13
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
In the book of James we are told of one that had the greatest endurance of all.
JAMES 5:7 11
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The fanner waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.
8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
When you read the book of Job you will find that he was one of the, if not, the most important people of his time. He was a man of great wealth. There 1
was a time when all men looked to Job, and even in God’s eyes he was a great man.
Job 1: 1 3
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
3 His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Job 2:3
3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause."
Because of God’s affection for Job someone else took notice.
Job 1:6 11
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."
8 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."
Satan is an arrogant person and can not believe anyone could love God the way Job did.
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."
In all of Satan’s arrogance he thought he could turn anyone from God and ask if he could try. God said yes, because He knew Job’s faith, but put a condition on Satan.
Job 1: 12
12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him. " So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
Satan did just that.
Job 1: 13 22
13 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 and the Sabeans, attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. "
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four comers of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 He said, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."
22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
Through all of this, Job did not blame God. He did not call it the will of God nor an act of God as we do today. He just accepted it as put of life. But Satan was not done yet.
Job 2:1 7
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."
3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause."
4 Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
5 "However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face. "
6 So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."
7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Now even Job’s wife thought he should be done with God.
Job 2:8 10
8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!
10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Now if you go on and read the rest of the book you will find that Job’s friends and family deserted him. There were only three that came to try and help.
Job 2:11 13
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.
12 When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
We do not know how long this suffering lasted. All we know is that from time to time Job became weak. But, even in the time of weakness Job never blamed God. And in the end, as He always does God came through.
HEBREWS 2:18
18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Job 42:9 17
10 The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.
11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.
12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.
13 He had seven sons and three daughters.
14 He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren happuch.
15 In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.
17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.
We all need to remember this.
ROMANS 8:28
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PLAN OF SALVATION
ROMANS 10: 17
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
HEBREWS 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
ACTS 2:38
38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
ROMANS 10:9 10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
MARK 16:16
16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
MATTHEW 7:21
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,’will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
