Lesson 6. The Testing of Faith. The “Foundations of Faith” School. Senior Pastor Dmitriy Leo prepared this teaching for Father’s Blessing Church in October 2021.
Lesson 6. The Testing of Faith
Teaching on faith will not be complete or balanced without addressing the testing of faith.
A person must be prepared for the possibility that their faith may be tested from above.
There are at least two reasons for such tests.
1. Testing the authenticity and quality of faith
The Apostle Peter calls us to rejoice in such testing. Unlike modern believers, he understood the benefit of such testing.
1 Pet. 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
The word testing has two meanings: testing for authenticity and testing for quality. This is how gold was tested in the past. The same happens with a person’s faith—it is also tested.
Tested faith is valued above gold.
We often use the heroes of faith from the Epistle to the Hebrews as examples, but we do not consider that their faith was tested. They were not spared from problems; the problems were permitted, but through true faith they passed this test and emerged victorious.
Heb. 11:33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strengthened in weakness, became mighty in war, routed foreign armies;
35 women received back their dead, raised to life again; others were tortured, refusing deliverance, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
And this does not mean that everyone will have to go through something like this. This is written as an example for us: people of faith may also find themselves in difficult circumstances, but by faith they overcome them and emerge victorious.
The second reason faith is tested
2. Being cleansed of shortcomings
The apostle James also calls believers to receive the testing of their faith with great joy. This shows how important it should be for believers, since they are instructed to accept the testing of their faith with great joy.
Jas. 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance; 4 and let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
It is important to pay attention to this sequence. The testing of faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must have an effect. What effect? So that you may be complete and mature, lacking nothing.
James reveals an important detail. God may allow your faith to be tested in order to rid you of shortcomings. Interestingly, it does not say “sins and vices,” but “shortcomings.”
In other words, during a time of perseverance, a person humbles himself and looks for the reasons, asking, “What is wrong with me? What is preventing me from receiving the answer? What should I do for God to answer me?” During such periods, a person is open to self-examination and change.
In this way, a person will either get rid of a shortcoming or acquire a new quality that was lacking. After that, the testing of faith should end, and the answer should come.
Conclusions
So, a person may receive an answer to their faith quickly, and that is normal. A person may also not receive an answer to their faith, and that is normal too. They need to be patient and continue believing. Their faith may be undergoing testing.
The Holy Spirit can reveal whether this is a test of faith or the work of the enemy. He will tell you whether it is time for warfare or a time for humility and patience.
During a time of patience, there will generally be a work of perfecting the person so that they have no shortcomings. At some point, this process comes to an end, and the person receives what they believed for.
A person should not be afraid of this test, because it is initiated by God; God watches over the process, and God controls the duration of the trial.
When we bring together Peter’s and James’s teachings about the testing of faith, we see a clear purpose: to make a person more perfect, so that they have no shortcomings. Both apostles call us to rejoice in such testing instead of resisting it.
Prayer on the Topic
1. That when we do not see an answer to our faith, we would not become discouraged, grumble, or give up, but would be ready for the test.
2. That during the testing of our faith, we would have reasons for joy. God wants to make sure that our faith is genuine. God wants to make us more perfect.
3. That we would learn not only to endure, but also be ready to listen to the Lord and actively change.
