The Trial of Your Faith
Sabbath afternoon
03/16/2024
1st Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that each and every Christian will have his or her cross to bear, in the form of the trial of our faith. None is exempted, and you do not get a pass just because you preach, do Bible studies, or give out steps to Christ at the corner store.
Faith that is not tested cannot be depended upon in times of real danger, and therefore, the Christian in our day must be taken through the various paces so that sterling character, and spiritual maturity might be developed and sealed for eternity on the various levels.
If this isn’t the case then the easy-going Christianity that so many folks have become accustomed to, will buckle under pressure, and at those times when our faith should be shining radiantly, flaws and cracks in our characters would appear, and this could greatly embarrass the kingdom of God.
This is what took place when Peter blurted out his unbecoming words under pressure, for it revealed in the public square, that there was major work still to be done in his character. Jesus was trying to prevent the embarrassing moment when He cautioned Peter to watch and pray, but Jesus’ entreaties fell on deaf ears.
It is not the will of God, that the devil should shake down the saints in public, and bring dishonor to the kingdom of God. Hence the reason why God tries to train His servants day by day, so that when prime time comes around, they would be found ready. If Peter had watched and prayed, as Jesus beckoned him to, he would have been victorious in the public square.
The Christian wins his or her battles on their knees, and thus, are given the victory, before the herd of devils come running your way. Christ fasted and He prayed for forty days, before the temptations in the wilderness, and the strength He received in private prepared Him for whatsoever satan would throw at Him.
The same is true of the you and me in the here and now for it’s by spending quality time in the audience chamber of The Most-High, that we’re prepared for conflict, which at times may seem to come at us out of the blue, from nowhere. Let’s read:
Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
God only allows trials that we can win if we take the necessary steps in preparation, like Jesus did, for it is not God’s will that we be tried arbitrarily, for no reason and thus, it is incumbent upon us to follow Christ’s lead, so that if and when things go downhill out of the blue, the trial of your faith could be met with commensurate strength, resilience and faith in God. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10: 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 460] The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown.
In order to stand the test of trial, the Christian must be brought to the place where we can take a series of buffetings by the enemy, and yet remain resilient and calm, knowing that God is working out His good purposes in us. If there is no trial of your faith, then, according to the Bible, something must be wrong.
In most cases, the trial of your faith is not permitted to take place continually, with no letting up, but, at some point in time, or another, the Christian must, and will be tried, for it is only those who are tested, who would eventually enter the pearly gates. Trials reveal one’s loyalty, and can bring out the best, or sometimes the worst in us.
If trials bring out the best in us, God is glorified and devils are defeated, but if they bring out the worst in us, if we end up kicking, and screaming at God in the process, then the trial reveals that there is more work to be done in character building, and it is often the case that the next trial may be more severe than the previous one. Thus, all are encouraged to pass the very first test, the first time around. Let’s read:
Hebrews 12: 5 You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.”
6 For whom The Lord loves he chastens, and He scourges every son whom he receives.
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you, as with sons; for what son is he whom the father does not correct?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Our case study will center around Job, and how he and his wife handled the trials of their faith. There are important points to note so that as we ourselves prepare for prime time, we too would be instructed from their experiences. The following therefore, are a few observations we should pay attention to.
[1] In order to be prepared for trials, the Christian must form the habit of praying regularly, following Jesus’ lead, for it is only by doing so continually, that victory in adverse circumstances will be realized. Let’s read:
Mark 1: 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Matthew 14: 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
The Chistian’s prayer life must never be haphazard, by only praying when difficulty and trials come our way. When this is the case, it is almost a guarantee that we will be steamrolled by devils, especially if the trial bursts upon us without any prior warning.
Job was in the habit of praying and therefore he was no stranger to the throne of God. But sadly, some of us leave prayer up to feelings while others only seek God when the going gets rough. But, when Job was faced with the unexpected, he had reserve oil in his tank, to meet the emergency.
The five foolish virgins in Christ’s parable were not necessarily bad people, they were good people who believed in God, were baptized, and had apparently accepted the fundamental tenets of Christianity, but they came up to prime time, without having reserve oil in their tank.
In fact, according to the parable, the wise ones did not really have any material, or spiritual advantage over the them, for both groups were found sleeping at the wheel when the midnight cry was announced and because of this, the observable difference was that the wise virgins just had extra oil, to meet the sudden emergency.
Let’s say here that it is of critical importance for two spouses in a marriage to be on the same page as far as having reserve oil in their tanks, for wherever this is not the case, there would be serious differences in the way trials are handled, when trouble comes knocking at the door.
Apparently, Job’s wife wasn’t praying as he was, and therefore, when the storm of trials burst upon them without warning, the one stood firm while the other buckled. One ends up praising, the other one ends up cursing, for these are usually the two reactions that emanate from persons in trial, either praises or curses.
There is such a situation that can obtain in Christian households where only one spouse is in the habit of praying, and wherever this is the case, it is almost a given that there would be split reactions to trial and temptation. Therefore, husbands, and wives should encourage each other to pray, so that if, and when things go downhill, there would not be imbalances in the response.
Wherever possible, spouses must take time to pray, both individually and also collectively, because the Christian only wins his battles on his knees. There is one type of trial that can last for weeks, months, or years, but there is another kind, which might come upon you without warning.
The sudden trials are the ones that can shake you to your core, because you were not expecting it, and thus, if you did not previously cater for such a dire change of fortune, through habitual prayer, when the storm bursts upon you, the suddenness would most likely cause you to buckle. Not so with Job. Let’s read:
Job 1: 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasts were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Mark 14: 37 And he comes, and finds them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldn’t you watch one hour?
38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
This leads us to our second point:
[2] In some instances, you may not know when, or how your faith will be tested, for if you knew you would most likely take all precautionary measures, to mitigate, or lessen the collateral damage. Let’s read:
Job 3: 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
If Job was given a heads up by God, about what was about to take place, he no doubt would have beefed up his security, he would have warned his children not to throw that birthday party, and he, no doubt would have taken steps to insulate himself and his family and workers against the marauders who were scheduled by devils, to create havoc, and carnage.
Very often, the Christian is going about his or her daily routine, minding his or her own business, not interfering with anybody, and praying habitually when out of the blue, the trial of your faith comes upon you without warning. This is when reserve oil is needed most.
The suddenness of the trial often tends to produce knee jerk reactions, and as the storm may turn into a blizzard, some could become discombobulated. In Job’s case, his spontaneous reaction was to remain calm and resilient, trusting in The God whom he had visited every day and every morning.
Trouble came upon the disciples quite suddenly, at a time when they least expected it. Not that Jesus had not told them before, He had told them, but their minds had not grasped the full, and true meaning of His words. Had they prayed, as Christ encouraged them to, their reaction to the sudden change would have been very different.
But because they had failed to come onto the same page with Christ, their reaction to the sudden trial produced an imbalance between Christ and them. In other words, Christ would stand His ground very calmly, as devils ran a mock, while the disciples who hadn’t prayed, ran for cover, and were scattered. Let’s read:
Matthew 26: 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
47 And while he yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Mark 14:50 And they all forsook him, and fled.
The reason why we are focusing so intently on this issue of preparing for trial through prayer is because most Christians in our day have not a clue as to the urgency of the moment before us. When Daniel says that there would be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, the prophet means exactly what he says.
In other words, the things that are coming upon the earth in short order have no precedents, and this is one of the main reasons why God commanded His prophets to speak of it in such graphic terms. We’re not to take lightly, or for granted, the solemn call to prayer, at such a time as this. Let’s read:
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
[The Great Controversy pp 622] The “time of trouble such as never was,” is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess, and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God.
When the trial of our faith comes, the spontaneous reactions usually make manifest whether or not we had been seeking God all along, for instead of going into panic mode, Job kneels down and worships. It doesn’t mean that he was not adversely affected by the trial, he was, but he was able to regroup pretty quickly after receiving the very bad news. Let’s read:
Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.
The length of time it takes a Christian to regroup at the onset of severe trial, is one of the factors which must be considered. After being shaken down, and the initial surprise wears off, we should, like Job did, try to get our groove back, as quickly as possible, for the longer persons dwell in defeat mode, the more difficult it will be to surmount the trial.
[3] In most cases, we are not told when the trial will end, so the Christian must adopt the attitude of just hang in there, wait and see, until the trial is lifted.
The trial of your faith does not usually come with an expiration date, and for this reason, it’s necessary to cater for the long haul, wherever applicable. Some saints may have received bad news from the doctor, concerning some dreaded condition, they might not have known of previously, and the recommended treatment may take several years in some instances.
Others like Hezekiah may have some terminal illness to battle with, and the prospect of no recovery can present a severe trial of one’s faith, as the future in the here and now looks pretty grim. The Christian in our day must cultivate an open-ended type of faith, which does not put deadlines or thresholds on one’s trials.
It is not certain how long Job’s trial lasted, but what we do know from the Scriptures is that it was long enough for Job to learn the important lessons that he needed to. When that was accomplished, he was granted a reprieve, and the sacred record says that his latter end was much better than at the first. Let’s read:
Job 42:12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
16 After this lived Job a hundred and forty years and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
[4] Avoiding the urge to murmur when your faith is being tested is critically important, for this could set the stage for defeat, or resilience, depending on the attitude adopted.
Murmuring, complaining, or harboring bad feelings towards God, when the trial of your faith is taking place, does nothing to help the situation. Instead, if murmuring is indulged during trial, it tends to sour one’s demeanor and attitudes, which inevitably will rub off on other persons they come in contact with.
Cultivating a cheerful, hopeful attitude in tribulation inspires courage and resilience in others, and greatly helps us in focusing on the brighter side of things. If we dwell on the darker side, groveling in our trials, and singing the blues, our psyche, and outlook gets negatively affected in ways that can actually impede the purpose of the trial.
Therefore, we are instructed and encouraged not to lick our wounds, nor focus our energies on the trials at hand. Instead, folks can recount their blessings of previous years, dwelling on the sunny side of their life experience, and this in turn will help themselves and others to be faithful in tribulation. Let’s read:
Proverbs 15: 13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer.
This leads us to our final point which we must never ever forget:
[5] The trial of our faith is always for the greater and better good, and only continues for as long as folks need to be cleansed, or matured spiritually, as the case might be.
God does not leave His people in the fires of trials any longer than is needed. He does not arbitrarily allow trial for no good reason. Nor does He allow it to continue to drag on indefinitely, if His purposes have been accomplished.
When the dross has been removed, and when folks have learned the lessons of faith, God removes the trial for the fires of the furnace are to cleanse, never to destroy. After Joseph learned what he needed to learn in prison, God released him and set him on a pinnacle, for at this point God could count on him.
Similarly, with the you and me in the here and now, whenever the purposes of God have been fulfilled in our trials, we can safely trust Him to give us a break, for the work of God in the heart is to prepare each saint for eternity. In cooperation with God, folks are to build sterling, characters that can neither be bought or sold, for this is the essence of salvation in the heart. Let’s read:
Job 23:8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him.
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hides himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.
10 But he knows the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Hebrews 12: 11 Now, no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, it yields afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
However, there is something that must be pointed before we close, as it pertains to the trial of faith. It is taken from the pen of inspiration, and it should be given due consideration, at such a time as this. Here it is:
[Early Writings pp 85] I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.
“The commencement of that time of trouble,” here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel.
Could it be that we are on the cusp of the time here mentioned, for all of the stars are lining up, even as we speak. Trouble is indeed coming upon the earth, every day now, from Haiti to Ukraine, from Sudan to Palestine, and Yemen. And the nations are indeed angry, yet held in check.
The Lord does not give us any starting date for this little time of trouble, nor are we given an expiration date. Thus, the question is, are we being prepared for prime time, through the current trials that are coming our way, and if so, would we have enough extra oil in our tank, to run the course?
The answer to this question lies with you and me, and thus, it is incumbent upon us to pray like never before, so that we could remain calm in tribulation, if there is a sudden unexpected turn of events. We therefore will end with a passage of Scripture that should help us to be ready, and stay ready. Let’s read:
Malachi 3: 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap.
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
God Bless!