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_God's Tests: A Book For Anyone Who's Ever Asked, "Why Me, Lord?"_

Copyright © 1993 by David Servant

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the _New American Standard Bible_. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 978-1-939788-94-8

** **

God's Tests

**_For Anyone Who's Ever Asked,_**

**_"Why Me, Lord?"_**

** **

**David Servant**

**ETHNOS PRESS**

**Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania**

**Contents**

Introduction

**PART 1: All About Tests**

1.  Primeval Tests

2.  In the Wilderness

3.  Midnight Praise

4.  The God Who Watches

5.  The Training of the Twelve

6.  Jesus Tests the Sick

**PART 2: Who's in Control Here?**

7.  Two Views

8.  God's Sovereignty and Suffering

9.  God's Restraining Power Over Satan

10. Satan—Tool of God's Judgment

11. The god of this World

12. The Judgment of God

**PART 3: Tried and Found True**

13. SITs, MITs, and DITs

14. Joseph's Journey

15. David's Destiny

16. Paul's Path

17. Job's Test

**PART 4: Wrapping it Up**

18. A Closer Look at Persecution

19. When the Beginning Ends

Appendix

# Introduction

"If God loves me, why am I facing these difficulties?"

"What did I do to deserve this? Am I being chastened by God or attacked by the devil?"

"Is God trying to teach me something in all this?"

Sound familiar? If you've ever found yourself asking questions like these, then this is a book that will help you. I wrote it with you in mind.

Following Jesus does not guarantee an easy journey. Sometimes the valleys can be deep. There are mountains to scale and rivers to ford. Roadblocks test our faith, and God has not promised us a life void of trials. We've all been tested, and you are certainly not the first person to question God. People have been asking, "Why me, Lord?" for a long, long, time.

Some of those inquisitive people are prominent Bible characters whom Scripture says, without apology, God tested. In fact, the Bible mentions that God tested people in over thirty-five different passages. Although those people are all dead and gone, the God who tested them is still alive and well, and He doesn't change. (When you're perfect, there isn't any need to change.) God is still testing people today, and none of us are exempt.

So, together, we are going to study what _the Bible_ says about God's tests. I emphasize _the Bible_ because there are a myriad of manmade philosophies that attempt to explain life's trials. I am convinced, however, that the safest guide to life on this planet is given by the One who created life on this planet. As we study His Word, I trust you will find some satisfying, biblical answers to your questions.

I must confess, however, that I don't have all the answers. Only God knows everything, and it is obvious that He has chosen to keep some secrets (see Deut. 29:29). I can only tell you what the Bible reveals, and then I'll have to stop. But please don't stop reading just because of my small disclaimer. The Bible provides extensive insight concerning God's tests, and the truth will "make you free" (John 8:32), just as Jesus promised.

In the pages that follow, I present a number of biblical concepts that might challenge the well-entrenched beliefs of some of my readers. I am aware that those members of the body of Christ who presently don't believe that God tests anyone, and those who hold a different position concerning God's sovereignty, will no doubt be disturbed by portions of what I've written.

I want them to understand that I write as one who formerly believed as they do now (at least to some degree). I haven't arrived at the conclusions in this book overnight but, rather, have wrestled for a number of years with the many scriptures that contradicted my original theology. Finally, I had to raise my flag of surrender and confess, "If I'm going to claim to be a Bible-believer, then I'd better accept exactly what the Bible says—not what some preachers are saying the Bible says." I hope you will have the courage to do likewise.

If you don't presently believe that God tests us, my prayer is that God will give you the grace to read this book with an open mind. Read slowly and carefully. Consider the scriptures that I cite because I've made a strong case, using more than three hundred scripture references within the text. It is only when we are open to change that our thinking can be changed.

Don't think for a moment that I'm going to rob you of your faith or fill you with unbelief; on the contrary, your faith in God will be strengthened immensely.

My prayer is that God will change your life as you read. May you better understand God's work in your life, remembering that "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6). May you be better prepared to stand before Christ's judgment seat on that day when each one of us shall give an account of ourselves, and hopefully hear the words that will be spoken to every true disciple: "Well done good and faithful servant!"

David Servant

**Part 1**

**All About Tests**

## One

## Primeval Tests

** **

** **

_He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much (Jesus, Luke 16:10)._

I once heard a story of a wise, elderly man who owned a dry-cleaning business. Periodically, he would hire young men to help him run his shop.

The first day on the job, every new employee was instructed by the shop owner to carefully check the pockets of each bundle of dirty clothing. Unknown to that new employee, the owner secretly placed a quarter in the pocket of one pair of trousers that he was to check.

If the new employee, upon discovering the quarter, brought it to his employer so that it would be returned to its rightful owner, he was hired permanently. If the trainee pocketed the quarter, at the end of the day he was asked not to return, and for good reason: The owner knew that the man who can't be trusted with small things is not going to prove himself trustworthy with larger things. If an employee would steal a customer's quarter, he certainly couldn't be trusted to operate the cash register when the owner was absent.

This is the very first principle we must grasp if we are to understand anything about God's tests: _Trust must be earned._

God is every bit as wise as the elderly man who owned that dry-cleaning business. He, too, only promotes those whom He can trust. For that reason, just like the elderly business owner, God will test us to see if we can be trusted.

**The Original Test**

** **

Who was the first person God tested? The first person to be tested was the first person, Adam. Because he was created with a free will, Adam had to be tested—to see if he would obey or disobey. And for that same reason, all of us must be tested.

God did not create us as robots but, rather—as theologians like to say—as "free moral agents." We are not programmed to obey or disobey. We are given a choice.

The reason is obvious. If God had created us as robots, we would possess no capacity to love Him. If you want to know how God would have felt with a race of robots, just place a puppet on your hand and have that puppet tell you that he loves you. Is your heart warmed? I suspect not!

God created people with free wills because His ultimate intention was to have a family that would love Him. If people are not given a choice in the matter, then love for God would be an impossibility. _Robots can't love._

For that reason, all free moral agents must be tested to see if they will love or hate God—as revealed by their obedience or disobedience. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). That is simple to understand.

**Why the Tree?**

** **

Let's return to Adam, the first person to be tested. People sometimes ask the question, "If God didn't want Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, why did He place that tree in the garden of Eden?"

That's a good question, and here's the answer: Although God did not want Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, He did want to see _if_ Adam would eat from a tree that He had designated as forbidden. If Adam had been placed in an environment where nothing was forbidden, then it would have been the same as if God had created Adam as a robot without free choice. Adam would have been a robot by virtue of his environment. So the forbidden tree was a test. By it, God would know the answer to the question, "Will this free moral agent obey Me or disobey Me?"

Let us not forget that it was not _Satan_ who placed the tree of knowledge in the garden—it was God Himself. Obviously, God didn't have to place it there, but He did. And no one can accuse Him of _tempting_ Adam, because He placed every other tree in the garden that was "pleasing to the sight and good for food" (Gen. 2:9). Adam could never justifiably say to God, "It's your fault that I ate the forbidden fruit because there was nothing else for me to eat." Nor could he claim, "It's your fault that I ate of that tree because all the other fruit looked unappetizing to me!"

So the tree of knowledge was a test, but not a temptation, from God. There is a vast difference between tempting and testing. _God never tempts anyone, but He tests everyone._ If you don't believe me, keep reading. In the next few chapters, we're going to cover a lot of scriptures that prove, beyond any doubt, that God tests everyone.

**The Knowledge of Good and Evil**

** **

Some think the tree of knowledge was purely symbolic, representing something else (such as sex, for example). The Bible, however, tells us it was a literal tree with literal fruit. The fruit looked good and tasted good, just like every other tree in the garden. The forbidden fruit contained no magical or special power. The only difference between the forbidden fruit and all the other fruits was that it was forbidden.

Why then was it called the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil"? Probably because Adam had no knowledge of good or evil until he sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. Prior to his fall, all he had ever experienced was good. Adam knew nothing of evil or sorrow. Having no knowledge of evil, he consequently had no knowledge of good either. If you never experienced being wet, for example, you would have no knowledge of being wet or being dry.

After Adam sinned, he then possessed the knowledge of good and evil because both became a part of his daily experience. He could then look back and say, "I really had it _good_ before I was expelled from the garden." Or, "God was very _good_ to cover us with these animal skins." Or, "The devil certainly was _evil_ to tempt us to disobey God." You and I can hardly imagine what it would be like not to have such knowledge.

The main thing we need to understand is that, clearly, God tested Adam, and Adam failed his test. The Bible tells us that God tested many others, and we will study their lives in later chapters. As we do, it will help us recognize God's tests in our own lives, and that will make a difference in how we live.

**Abraham's Test**

** **

Now it came about after these things, that God _tested_ Abraham.... And He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you" (Gen. 22:1-2, emphasis added).

That God tested Abraham is indisputable. Some who read the _King James Version_ have been disturbed by this particular passage because it states that God _tempted_ Abraham. We know, of course, that God tempts no one according to James 1:13: "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." Thankfully, the _New King James Version_ has corrected this error in Genesis 22 and translates it _tested_ rather than _tempted_.

Exactly how did God test Abraham? He instructed Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, a very difficult thing to do. God wanted to know, "Does this man fear Me? Does this man love Me more than he loves his own son for whom he waited so long?" Again, this cannot be disputed, because after Abraham passed his test God Himself said, "Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Gen. 22:12). It's obvious that God's purpose was to test Abraham's devotion and love for Him.

God is also quite interested in knowing how much all of us love Him. Jesus said, for example, that we can't be one of His disciples unless our love for our loved ones seems like hate in comparison to our love for God (see Luke 14:26). God desires and deserves our hearts' devotion.

I'm sure, of course, that God will never ask us to kill any of our children. He, in fact, never intended that Abraham would kill Isaac, but stopped him once it became clear that Abraham was willing to do so. We are, however, sometimes faced with a test of having to decide whom we love the most—God or our loved ones.

A pastor once told me about a young girl in his church who had been recently born again and whose atheistic father forbade her to go to "that fanatical church." She continued to faithfully attend, however, and finally her father delivered an ultimatum: "If you want to follow Jesus, then you will have to move out of our house—and I will no longer consider you my daughter."

She thought about it for a while, and then said: "Daddy, I love you with all my heart, but I love Jesus more because He died for me. If I must sacrifice living with my earthly father because of serving my Heavenly Father, then I will leave."

Her father was so astonished by her strong convictions that he told her she could stay, and out of curiosity he attended her church the next Sunday—where he was gloriously born again. Praise God that young girl didn't back down from following Jesus. She passed a difficult test.

**The Test of Our Love and Obedience**

** **

God told Abraham to do something that must have been very difficult, and our tests may also seem severe. Of course, any commandment from God brings a test with it. Will we obey or disobey?

For example, Jesus told us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to do good to those who despitefully use us. How many of us are passing that test?

When people mistreat us, it is a test. God, of course, doesn't inspire or motivate people to wrong us, but no one can argue that He certainly allows them to mistreat us at times. Those are the times when our love and obedience are tested, and when we have an opportunity to grow spiritually.

God's desire for all of us is that we become like Jesus—whose most outstanding attribute was and is His unselfish love. From the cross He even prayed for the soldiers who were dividing His garments. How are we ever going to grow more perfect in love unless we encounter people who are difficult to love? It's easy to love those who love you, but Jesus said even sinners do that (see Luke 6:32). The true test of our love is when people mistreat us.

When people wrong us, we should view it as a time to grow spiritually—to exercise the love we claim to have. We should view those unfeeling people as blessings in disguise to help us grow. They give us a chance to be like Jesus.

**Back to Abraham**

** **

Unlike Adam, Abraham passed his test. Once he did, God said to him:

"By Myself I have sworn," declares the Lord, " _because you have done this thing_ , and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens.... And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice" (Gen. 22:16-18, emphasis added).

Once Abraham passed his test, it resulted in God greatly blessing him and also promising to make him a blessing to others. As we will learn in future chapters, the same thing happens when we pass God's tests—we are blessed, and God can make us a greater blessing to others. Once we have proven ourselves trustworthy, then we can be promoted.

Are you passing your tests? If you think you still have room to grow, keep reading. This book was written for you!

_For the Lord your God is testing you_ to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 13:3, emphasis added).

** **

**TWO**

**In the Wilderness**

As we considered (in the previous chapter) two preliminary examples of God's tests (those of Adam and Abraham), we gained some understanding of the divine purpose behind them: God wants to know what is in people's hearts. Adam and Abraham's tests are not the only illustrations of that truth. Scripture says of King Hezekiah, for example: "God left him alone only to _test_ him, that _He might know all that was in his heart_ " (2 Chron. 32:31, emphasis added).

Scriptures like these often raise the eyebrows of thoughtful Christians. If God already knows everything, they ask, how can He then learn what is in someone's heart?

The answer to that question is really quite simple. God certainly knows all there is to know. Until free moral agents are tested, however, there is nothing _to_ know. Only after they are tested and react to their tests is there something to know.

Certainly in eternity past, God could look ahead in time and see the reactions of free moral agents to their tests. Unless, however, those free moral agents are tested at some point in time, there would be nothing for God to look ahead in time to see. Thus, in order for God to foreknow the outcome of someone's test, that person must be tested at some point in time. And that is why God can say after someone's test (as He did after Abraham's test), "Now I know." The test reveals the outcome, and once there is an outcome, there is something for God to foreknow. Without the test and the outcome, there is nothing for God to know or foreknow. Foreknowledge of an event presupposes an event to foreknow!

### Israel's Tests

Let's consider some further examples of biblical people whom God tested. In this chapter, we'll journey with the ancient Israelites to the Promised Land as they encountered some God-ordained tests. Along the way, we'll find application for our own lives.

The story of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan is not only a historical account, but is also symbolic of our own spiritual journey as we grow in Christ. For example, the Israelites were delivered from the destroying angel by applying the blood of the Passover lamb to their doorposts (see Ex. 12:7-13). Similarly, we have been delivered from the wrath of God by the blood of Christ, who is referred to as "our Passover" and the "Lamb of God" in the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29).

The Israelites were delivered out of slavery and an evil kingdom, just as we have been delivered from slavery to sin, Satan, spiritual death, and the kingdom of darkness.

The people of Israel passed through the Red Sea, which the New Testament teaches corresponds to our baptism in water (see 1 Cor. 10:2).

When the Israelites stood on the far side of the Red Sea and saw the dead bodies of Pharaoh's soldiers washing up on the shore, they knew that the power of their former oppressor had been broken. So should we realize that Satan's power and authority over our lives has been annulled.

Those are a few of the similarities between the "church in the wilderness" (see Acts 7:38, KJV) and the church today. And because God never changes, we can learn something about how He will work in our lives by studying His dealings with the people of Israel. God is still testing His people as they journey to their "promised land."

### He Took Them Out to Bring Them In

God not only took Israel _out_ of Egypt, His intention was to take them _to_ a destination—the promised land of Canaan. Take note, however, that Canaan is not symbolic of heaven to new covenant believers because there will be no battles to fight in heaven. There are no "giants in the land" there. Canaan's land thus better represents our growing in faith and coming into full maturity in Christ. So don't be satisfied with just getting out of Egypt—like those dear old saints who sometimes testify, "I was saved thirty-five years ago! What a great day that was! Pray for me that I'll hold out to the end!"

God delivered us _out_ of something to bring us _into_ something. Let's grow up in Christ and walk in the good works that He has prepared for us (see Eph. 2:10). Our goal is to become like Jesus and be ready to stand before Him one day.

### God's Plan

As we follow the people of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, take note that Moses didn't use a GPS to find the best route to the Promised Land. God Himself led His people according to His divine route, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind about it:

And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people (Ex. 13:21-22).

_ _

Also take note that the Lord had at least one good reason for the specific route on which He led the Israelites:

Now it came about when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war, and they return to Egypt" (Ex. 13:17).

_ _

God knew that the Israelites were not yet ready to face anyone in battle. But was it because they didn't have regimented troops or sufficient weaponry? No, because in later battles, God would make it very clear to His people that He could give them victory over their enemies against all odds. In fact, He sometimes even _increased_ the odds against His people (as in the story of Gideon).

The simple reason that the Israelites were not ready to fight the Philistines was because their faith in God was too small. Seeing an army of Philistines would have filled them with fear. So God led His people of little faith on a route that prevented them from facing the Philistines.

The Lord knew, however, that if His people were to ultimately possess the Promised Land, they would need to grow in faith, because they would face formidable foes in Canaan—including the Philistines. _All their battles would have to be won by faith._ When the Israelites finally did possess Canaan, it was not through their own strength but by trusting in God:

For by their own sword they did not possess the land; and their own arm did not save them; but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy presence, for Thou didst favor them (Ps. 44:3).

### God's Method for Building Faith

So put yourself in God's shoes. If you were Him, and you had a group of three million people whom you wanted to grow in faith, how would you do it?

You know exactly what you'd do. You'd lead them into some minor difficulty where they would have an opportunity to trust you. Then you would deliver them from their problem, and hopefully their faith in you would grow.

And that is what God did shortly after Israel's exodus. He led His people to the shore of the Red Sea where they were trapped. They had no escape from Pharaoh's advancing army, and it appeared as if they would be massacred.

It is quite interesting to view the Red Sea drama from the standpoints of both God and Israel. Notice first of all that there is no doubt that God directed the Israelites to the precise place He wanted them to camp by the Red Sea:

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea" (Ex. 14:1-2).

_ _

There is also no dispute that God's purpose in giving those specific instructions was to bait Pharaoh. He wanted the Egyptian despot to think the Israelites were confused, lost in the wilderness, and strategically vulnerable to attack. In the very next verse of Exodus, God says:

For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, "They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in." Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord (Ex. 14:3-4).

_ _

So there we have God's bird's-eye view of the entire situation. He put the people of Israel into a difficult situation for the express purpose of performing a delivering miracle on their behalf and bringing glory to His name.

So let's test ourselves through Israel's Red Sea test. If you had been in Israel's situation, what would you have done? Would you have rejoiced when you saw Pharaoh's advancing army, trusting that God was about to work a miracle on your behalf? Or would you have reacted as the Israelites did when they considered their predicament:

And as Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and so they became very frightened.... Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?.... it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness" (Ex. 14:10-12).

So the Israelites didn't exactly pass their initial test. Still, in spite of the fact that they all expected to die that day, God split the Red Sea and they walked through on dry land. Of course, even that took some faith on their part, as Hebrews 11:29 tells us: "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing on dry land."

### Walking by Faith, Literally

Can you imagine walking to the bottom of the Red Sea, and on either side of you, walls of water are piled up, and somehow the water is not falling back on you? I always picture two Israelites walking single file through that rift with one wondrously saying to the other, "Wow! Do you have any idea how that water is being held back?" and the other one behind him responding, "I don't know, buddy, but would you mind walking a little faster?"

Here's an interesting question: Why did God split the Red Sea rather than build an instant bridge over it? Or why didn't He simply fly Israel across to the other side? Surely God could have done either. So why didn't He? I suspect it was an effort on His part to build their faith. He wanted them to trust Him as they walked to the other shore, believing He would not allow the waters to fall back on them.

After an experience like that, the Israelites should have had a little more faith in God, realizing that nothing is too difficult for Him. They should have learned that His word can be trusted no matter how impossible the circumstances may seem.

Can you see how this applies to us? It is very possible that God may lead us into situations where it seems as if we're trapped, with no human way of escape. The Lord doesn't want us to question Him or complain—He wants us to trust Him and rejoice, believing that He will deliver us through His power.

The Bible tells us that without faith it is _impossible_ to please God (see Heb. 11:6). What does it mean to have faith? It means to take God at His word, trusting Him regardless of the testimony of anyone or anything else. We must keep in mind, however, that if there were no tests and trials, there would be no need for faith. Most miracles in the Bible began as problems.

Are you a "grumbling Israelite?" Your cure is found in Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"

When we grumble, we reveal a lack of faith. If God permits difficulties to come our way as He did with His people at the Red Sea, it is only, from His standpoint, so that He can work a miracle on our behalf. These present difficulties are wonderful opportunities for miracles, one of which is our spiritual growth.

_ _

**If You Don't Pass the First Test...**

** **

The people of Israel obviously failed their first test along the shore of the Red Sea. Psalm 106:7 comments: "Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Thy wonders; they did not remember Thine abundant kindnesses, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea."

God is not one to give up easily. One Bible chapter and just three days later, He led the Israelites to a new place where they would have another opportunity to trust Him. The cloud led them into the desert, and after three days, their water supplies were exhausted:

And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there _He tested them_ (Ex. 15:22b-25, emphasis added).

_ _

Have you ever been thirsty with no way to quench your thirst? Quite possibly you haven't because most of us have plenty of readily-available water or beverages. Imagine, however, being one of the Israelites after their water supplies were exhausted. Your mouth is parched, and there is no water in sight. In every direction all you can see is sand and stones. You are weary from walking. Your children keep crying out for water. The desert sun is hot.

Suddenly someone spots a patch of green on the horizon. Is it a mirage or an oasis? Everyone's pace quickens, especially when they notice that God's cloud is heading in the direction of that distant green haze. Soon three million hopeful people are racing with you to what _surely_ must be an oasis. The leader of the pack shouts, "A pond!" and a crescendo of joy rises from the huffing and puffing multitude. The first man to the water's edge puts his lips to the surface with an expression of dream-like anticipation—but he immediately spits out his drink with a grimace. The water is putrid, undrinkable. With questioning eyes, a mass of panting people look heavenward.

We must not overlook the fact that it was _God_ who led His people to those waters, which He knew were undrinkable before the Israelites arrived. So why did He lead them to the _bitter_ waters of Marah?

We've already read the answer to that question in verse 25. God was testing them.[1] God wanted to know, "Are My people going to trust Me in this situation? Will they lift their hands and praise Me, believing they are about to witness another miracle of My provision, or will they doubt, complaining and grumbling once again? Are they ready to take possession of the Promised Land?"

It is quite obvious that Israel failed this test; but still, God mercifully made the bitter waters sweet.

### The Hyper-Sovereignists and the Non-Sovereignists

This is a good place to mention a little something about God's sovereignty—a subject we will consider in more detail later on.

Some Christians, had they been in Moses' place during this incident of the bitter waters of Marah, would have stood up and proclaimed, "We know that God is in control, and so this has happened for a reason. Let us not question God, but let us trust Him; He has some unknown reason why He wants us to drink these bitter waters. Why He wants us all to become ill or die is beyond our understanding, but we must not question Him. His ways are higher than our ways." Then they would have piously drunk the bitter waters and become deathly ill.

Other Christians would have reacted by leaning towards a different extreme. One of their spokesmen would have stood and proclaimed, "We know that God is always good to His people. The Bible says that He is love. And so there is no way that it could have been God who led us to this place! It must have been the devil! We've been deceived, so let's rebuke the devil and backtrack to where we were when we were certain it was God who was leading us!"

I think you can see how both viewpoints are partially right, but also partially wrong. The first group, the "hyper-sovereignists," are correct in seeing God's sovereign control over their circumstances. They are wrong, however, in believing that everything that happens is God's final and ordained will for them.

The second group, the "non-sovereignists," are correct in believing that God loves them and wants them to be blessed. They are wrong, however, in not seeing God's sovereign plan being worked out in their trials. To them, anything that brings any difficulty has no divine purpose. There is a balance here, and I hope by the end of this book you have a good grasp of that balance.

If God _brings_ us to difficult places or _allows_ difficulties to come our way, it doesn't mean that He doesn't love us. Furthermore, it doesn't mean that He wants us to humbly accept those difficulties as our lot in life. He wants us to confidently trust His revealed will in the midst of the trial, believing that He will keep His promises. He wants us to use those difficulties as steppingstones to greater faith and spiritual maturity.

### Test Three

If we fail one of God's tests, it usually means that we'll have an opportunity to take the test over again. That process may well be repeated until we finally pass or we prove ourselves to be hopeless cases.

If we pass one of God's tests, however, it usually means we'll be promoted to a position of greater blessing and fruitfulness.

As we just read, the people of Israel failed their second test in the wilderness, and God mercifully gave them yet another opportunity to trust Him. Just a few verses after the incident at the bitter waters of Marah, God tested His people again. This time His test was not centered around allowing His people to become thirsty—this time He allowed them to become a little hungry:

And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Ex. 16:2-3).

_ _

Sadly, theirs was another display of faithlessness, and in the very next verse, we read that God responded by devising another test, giving the Israelites yet another opportunity to trust Him:

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, _that I may test them_ , whether or not they will walk in My instruction. And it will come about on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily" (Ex. 16:4-5, emphasis added).

_ _

Did the people of Israel pass this test? Sadly, no, because the very first day there were those who gathered too much and those who gathered too little. Still, each person's portion miraculously (and mercifully) turned into exactly one "omerful"—the portion that God said each should gather (see Ex. 16:17-18).

God had also instructed that no person should "leave any portion of it until morning," but some did. As a result, it bred worms and became foul just as God had warned. Obviously, the person who gathered more than what God had commanded, or who tried to keep some for the next day, was demonstrating that he doubted God would provide every day.

There have been a few times in the past when I've had to trust God for daily provision. He was always faithful. Once, during a lean time about twenty years ago, someone whom I hardly knew stopped by and gave my wife and me two gift certificates from a local grocery store worth fifty dollars. God provided. "Give us this day our daily bread" became a prayer to which we could relate.

That was a precious time in my walk with God. I learned to trust God, and my faith grew. If you trust God, trials are times to see miracles.

_ _

### Back to the Israelites

_ _

The people of Israel should not have doubted that it was God's will for them to have food and water. In both situations, instead of grumbling, they should have begun to praise God, trusting that He would provide.

Looking back forty years at the incidents that we have just read about, Moses wrote the following divinely-inspired and very interesting commentary:

And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, _that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart,_ whether you would keep His commandments or not. And _He humbled you and let you be hungry_ , and fed you manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord" (Deut. 8:2-3, emphasis added).

_ _

God wanted the people of Israel to learn to depend on Him for everything. They, however, were very much like some of us—self-sufficient and proud. As a result, God has to teach us the very same lesson by allowing circumstances in our lives that force us to look to Him.

All of these humbling situations are an indication that God is working to bring us to full maturity—to make us like Jesus. He was full of faith and fully dependent upon His Father, and so should we be.

Moses ended his discourse with these very significant words:

In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you, and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end (Deut. 8:16).

_ _

God's purpose in testing His people was to do good to them in the end, which, of course, is His purpose in testing us.

How can God's tests result in good from Him in the end? There are several ways.

First, the person who trusts God in the midst of adversity is the person whom God can trust with greater blessings, because that person reveals that He knows God is his source.

Let me apply this truth to the area of money since the Bible tells us that all our wealth is a stewardship from God. A believer who prospers without realizing that God is the one who enabled him to prosper is a believer whose money may very well draw him away from God. That is exactly what Moses warned of during the very next sentence of the passage we've been reading:

Otherwise, you may say in your heart, "My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth." But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth" (Deut. 8:17-18a).

_ _

The person who knows that God is the source of his wealth is a person whom God can trust with wealth—because he will be a better steward of that which has been entrusted to him, laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

Moreover, the person who trusts God when under trial is also the person whom God can trust with greater responsibilities. If we can't overcome the tiny challenges that would keep us from doing tiny things for God, how can we ever expect to overcome the bigger obstacles that Satan sends when God calls us to do even more for Him? As has been said, "Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come after great trials."

So let us strive to be found faithful, trusting God in our trials, and He will promote us to a place of greater fruitfulness. Our faith will continually grow as we feed it with God's Word and exercise it in the midst of challenges.

_ _

_ _

**THREE**

**Midnight Praise**

** **

** **

_For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink.... Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved. And do not be idolaters, as some of them were.... Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction..._ (1 Cor. 10:1-11).

It's not up for debate. According to Paul, the biblical stories about the Israelites have been preserved for our benefit, that we might not follow their poor example. The "congregation in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38) failed test after test, and when they ultimately believed the reports of ten doubt-filled spies, God gave them up as hopeless. Because of their unbelief, they failed to enter the Promised Land (see Heb. 3:19). It is a tragic story indeed.

I often think of the wandering Israelites when I hear someone say, "If God wants me to have something, He'll just give it to me." That is obviously an untrue conclusion. God wanted the Israelites to possess the land of Canaan, but they didn't. Whether or not they possessed their inheritance ultimately depended on them, not God. But they never did learn to trust Him. Rather, they always "leaned on their own understanding." Consequently, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years—where the majority eventually died. Then God began working with the new generation. (And they were obviously tested, for example, at Jericho.)

You and I certainly don't want to follow the poor example of that first generation of Israelites, but unfortunately, too many of us are. We're always grumbling and complaining about the problems we face even though our Bibles tell us that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). We don't trust God in the midst of difficulties even though we know He loves us dearly. Our faith falters. As a result, we also fail to enter our "Promised Land," never experiencing the Lord's fullest blessing on our lives, and never becoming the ministers of His blessings to others that He desires for us.

Through the apostle James, our Lord admonishes us:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (Jas. 1:2-4).

_ _

One translation of this verse says that when we encounter difficulties, we should "welcome them as friends." How many of us are doing that? When a trial comes knocking at our doors, do we say, "Praise the Lord! HELLO, MR. TRIAL! You arrive as an opportunity for me to prove God's promises are true, and once you're gone, I'll be a better person for having had you around! My faith will be even stronger; I'll have a good testimony to share with others; and I'll be even closer to being 'perfect and complete, lacking in nothing'!"?

Difficulties assail us all, but it is only those who have faith in God who receive the reward of their faith. Just ask any Israelite. The person who doesn't trust the promises of God may never find deliverance from his situation—just like the Israelites who died in the desert.

### The Majority is Not Always Right

The people of Israel essentially failed every test they faced in the wilderness, culminating with their refusal to enter the Promised Land because they feared the Canaanites. They'd heard that there were "giants in the land," and they felt like grasshoppers.

What they should have done, however, was to look not at the size of a few overgrown Canaanites but at the size of God. The Canaanites would then have looked like ants. Because the Israelites embraced the wrong perspective, they all eventually perished in the wilderness. Everyone, that is, except Joshua and Caleb, the only two men who believed that God's promise was more trustworthy than their circumstances. Eventually, they possessed the land. The lesson, written for our benefit, is so obvious that only a theologian could miss it! Believers are blessed! Doubters aren't.

"I don't like that kind of teaching!" some will say. The reason is because they don't want to take responsibility for their failures. They would rather live the lie that it is God's will for them to remain in the wilderness.

Sometimes those of us who are disregarding our circumstances and trusting God's Word feel like we are in a minority, and we are. Think about Joshua and Caleb. They were the only two out of more than a million others. Personally, however, I'd rather be classified with the minority who are living in the land that flows with milk and honey than with the majority whose bones are six feet under!

### Paul and Silas Under Fire

Prayers of grumbling and complaint rarely receive a favorable answer, but there is something about rejoicing and praising that catches God's attention. Why is that? Because God responds to faith, and faith is expressed through joy. A wonderful example of this principle is found in the sixteenth chapter of Acts. Allow me to recount the story.

Paul and Silas were doing their best to determine God's leading during their second missionary journey when Paul received a vision one night. In that vision he saw a man in Macedonia (modern Greece) calling out to him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). So he and Silas set sail for Macedonia, and upon their arrival first preached the gospel in a city named Philippi.

Everything went well at first—a woman named Lydia was saved, and a young girl was dramatically delivered from a demon. Then trouble began. Paul and Silas soon found themselves in chains, in prison, after having been beaten with rods by the local Roman authorities.

Now before we continue with the story, let's ask ourselves some questions.

First question: Who was it that led Paul and Silas to Philippi?

Answer: It was God Himself.

Second question: Did God know beforehand that Paul and Silas would be beaten and incarcerated?

Answer: Of course He did. Therefore, Paul and Silas could rest in God's guidance and His sovereignty. They knew they were in God's will. (It's a little different when you are out of God's will and find yourself in jail. Then the first thing you need to do is repent.)

Third question: What was Paul and Silas' response to their adversity?

Answer: At midnight, they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God!

Fourth and final question: What happened then?

Answer: Suddenly there was a great earthquake, and every prisoner's chains were unfastened. The unsaved jailer almost committed suicide, but he was gloriously saved along with his whole family. A few hours later, that newly born-again jailer was serving Paul and Silas a hot meal in his own home. Glory be!

I'm afraid that many of us, had we been Paul and Silas, might have acted differently, and the story might have had a different ending. Instead of praising God, we'd be grumbling to the jailer about the room temperature and the food. The jailer would have concluded that Christians are no different than anyone else. During our prayers, we'd be asking God why He didn't love us anymore.

Paul and Silas, however, had faith in God.

Did they have faith that God was going to deliver them from prison? No, they couldn't have faith for that because God has never promised us that we will always be delivered from the persecution we suffer. They could, however, at least believe that "all things work together for good" (Rom. 8:28), because they knew they were in the center of God's will and that He loved them.

We should follow their good example. It was while incarcerated that Paul wrote the famous words, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4).

### Faith that Overcomes

Before we close this chapter I'd like to consider one final example of a man who knew what to do when trouble arose. He didn't have a last name, but his first name was David, and he authored numerous psalms during tough times. We could look at many examples of his faith during trials, but let's just survey Psalm 3. David wrote it when he was running for his life from his own son, Absalom. (Talk about having a bad day!)

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God" (Ps. 3:1-2).

_ _

So there you have the problem stated. Many of us would have ended our prayer right there with, "In Jesus' name, Amen." David, however, knew better.

But [that means there is something else to consider besides the problem] Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me [that means those folks who are out to get me aren't going to get me], my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me [Notice he didn't say, "I sure do _hope_ He heard me"] from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept [There's no sense staying awake all night and fretting]; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me [My adversaries didn't get me while I was sleeping because God was watching over me]. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about [Why should I be afraid of all of them if God is on my side?]. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For Thou hast smitten all my enemies on the cheek [My faith is strong because I've seen you deliver me from my enemies before]; Thou hast shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; and blessing be upon Thy people! (Ps. 3:3-8).

Take note that there are no lines in Psalm 3 that read, "God, I know that Thou art sovereign, and so I accept this trouble as from Thine dear hand. I do not understand why Thou wouldst want a rebellious teenager to kill me and take my throne, but Your ways are higher than my ways. So I humbly accept this cross that Thou must want me to bear." (Always beware when you hear a " _King James_ prayer.") It's always easier to be a fatalist than a believer.

David was no fatalist. He trusted God for his deliverance. And he _was_ delivered, as we know from reading the details of the trial he was facing in 2 Samuel 15.

If you want the kind of results that David enjoyed, you'll have to trust God like he did. So don't forget: _Doubters are stressed; believers are blessed._ _Doubts pout, but faith shouts!_

**FOUR**

**The God Who Watches**

Your Bible is full of examples of people whom God tested. Numerous scriptures explicitly state that God "tested" certain individuals, and there is an abundance of stories that illustrate the same principle. Any time God instructed someone to do something that required faith or obedience, it could be considered a test from Him. For example, when He instructed the new generation of Israelites to silently circle Jericho for six days, their faith and obedience were tested. Praise God that on that occasion, they passed their test. (Their parents no doubt would have failed it.)

We've already read about God's testing of Adam, Abraham and the nation of Israel. In this chapter, we'll take a look at a few more examples of people whom Scripture explicitly says God tested. Our objective, of course, is to help you better understand God's tests in your own life. Let's start with Hezekiah.

### Hezekiah's Great Test

** **

Hezekiah, a godly king of Judah, reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. Of him Scripture records this tribute: "He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him" (2 Kings 18:5).

During his long reign, Hezekiah faced his share of challenges, but he also witnessed God's power, as he trusted Him for deliverance. For example, it was during Hezekiah's reign that Assyria invaded Judah, and 185,000 Assyrian soldiers surrounded Jerusalem. Hezekiah looked to the Lord, and an angel of the Lord destroyed the Assyrian army overnight. Later, Hezekiah was divinely healed from a terminal illness, and he lived 15 years longer than he would have otherwise. After his dramatic healing, however, Hezekiah temporarily slipped spiritually:

But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:25-26).

Keep this incident of Hezekiah's temporary pride in mind as we continue following his story.

When the son of the king of Babylon heard of Hezekiah's amazing healing, he sent some envoys to Jerusalem to bring Hezekiah a present. While the envoys were there, Hezekiah vainly showed them all of his treasures: "There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah did not show them" (2 Kings 20:13b). Shortly thereafter, the prophet Isaiah foretold Hezekiah that the day would come when all his treasures would be carried away to Babylon.

The author of 2 Chronicles adds this interesting footnote:

And even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone _only to test him_ , that He might know all that was in his heart (2 Chron. 32:31, emphasis added).

Obviously, Hezekiah was susceptible to the sin of pride, so the Lord watched him as he spent time with the Babylonian envoys, "leaving him alone" so that He might know what was in Hezekiah's heart. This is an important point. _God looks at hearts by observing actions_. Our actions reveal what is in our hearts.

Again we see that God's primary purpose when He tests people is to learn what is in their hearts. In Hezekiah's case, God wanted to know if he was still proud, so He simply watched him. And as the Babylonians were learning about Hezekiah's riches, God was learning about Hezekiah's hidden heart motives. I wonder what God is learning about us when He leaves us alone? God's desire to know what is in our hearts explains why He sometimes doesn't warn us of imminent painful and self-inflicted troubles! I confess that God has "left me alone" more than a few times.

### Later Generations of Israelites Tested

During the times of the judges, we discover another biblical example of God's testing His people. Soon after Gideon died, Israel reverted to idolatry. God said:

"Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice, I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, _in order to test Israel by them_ , whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers did, or not".... Now these are the nations which the Lord left, _to test Israel by them.... And they were for testing Israel_ , to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord (Judg. 2:20-22; 3:1,4, emphasis added).

The Lord permitted several heathen nations to remain within the territory of the Promised Land in order to test the people of Israel. He had commanded them not to intermarry with those nations or serve their idols. So God tested them by permitting them to be tempted. But don't get upset with God! Unless there were some foreigners living nearby, how could He know if His people would obey Him to not serve foreign gods and intermarry with foreign nations?

Did the Israelites pass this test? You can probably predict the answer:

And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods (Judg. 3:5-6).

Because they miserably failed their test, God disciplined the Israelites by selling them "into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia" (Judg. 3:8). Disobedience generally doesn't attract God's blessing.

We'll explore this theme in greater detail in later chapters, but I want you to see that God may test us by allowing us to be tempted (which gives us something to ponder when we recall that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Lead us not into temptation").

** **

### More Tests

If you began this book thinking that God doesn't test anyone, I hope you are convinced otherwise by now. If not, let me add a few more biblical examples that will surely convince you.

During the time of Isaiah the prophet, God said that He had tested Israel and found her wanting: "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have _tested_ you in the furnace of affliction" (Is. 48:10, emphasis added). Times of affliction are always times of testing. Years later, the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:

"I, the Lord, search the heart, I _test_ the mind, even to give to each man according to His ways, according to the fruit of his deeds" (Jer. 17:10, emphasis added).

Once God sees our actions (or reactions) He then rewards, disciplines, or punishes accordingly. Notice God indicated through Jeremiah that He does that with _everyone_. God is a testing God.

Predicting a remnant who would one day serve Him, the Lord said through the prophet Zechariah:

And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and _test them as gold is tested_. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, "They are My people," and they will say, "The Lord is my God" (Zech. 13:9, emphasis added).

Here again is the theme of testing through affliction. Like gold and silver are refined in the fire, so affliction reveals the impurities in us. I once heard someone say that the silversmith knows that his silver has been sufficiently refined when he can see his reflection in it. What a good analogy of our refining!

David affirmed that God tests everyone in Psalm 11:

The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids _test_ the sons of men. _The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked_ (Ps. 11:4-5a, emphasis added).

Anyone who is honest with the Bible will have to agree that God tests everyone. And we still have much more to read in Scripture about God's testing Joseph, David, Philip, and Paul. (In the appendix, I've listed every scripture that mentions God's testing of people.)

Now let's consider a couple of examples of biblical individuals whom God obviously tested although the Bible doesn't explicitly say so by using the actual word _test_.

### Solomon's Test

** **

Solomon's motives were tested when the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Ask what you wish Me to give you" (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for wisdom to rule Israel wisely, and God was pleased with his request:

Because you have asked this thing and not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days" (1 Kings 3:11-13).

Solomon's aspiration was not the accumulation of money, living a long life, or receiving the honor due a king; nor was he preoccupied with revenge. He wanted to serve. Jesus said that if we want to be great, we should become servants of all (see Matt. 20:26). Because Solomon had a servant's heart, God made him great. Only a servant can be trusted to be a godly leader.

A New Testament counterpart to Solomon's story is found in Matthew's Gospel. There Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33). What are you living for? The accumulation of more money? Prestige? Popularity? Power? Or are you living to further God's kingdom upon this earth and to please Him? You may have never searched your heart to answer those questions honestly, but you can be sure that God already knows the answer, _because you've been tested_.

_ _

**A Few Others...**

** **

If we wanted to we could look at the tests of many other Bible characters—people like Deborah, Gideon, Samson, Elijah, Elisha, Jehoshaphat, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and so on. We would find some who passed their tests and others who failed. Even Jesus Himself was tested:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness _to be tempted by the devil_ (Matt. 4:1, emphasis added).

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness specifically that He might be tempted by the devil. As we've already learned, God tested Israel in the same manner when He permitted them to be tempted (in Judges 2 and 3). Here again God used Satan's temptations as a test. Jesus was "tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Jesus could only be fully qualified to be our Savior if He was sinless. How could He possibly be declared sinless unless He had been tempted in every way? Praise God that Jesus passed every test—the only person ever to do so.

### Faith Without a Test is Not Faith at All

** **

Actually, there is no such thing as faith without a test. Faith "is the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). Faith means trusting God's promises in spite of what we see or how we feel or what our circumstances seem like. Faith means disregarding the testimony of our senses and holding fast to God's promises. If you are going to exercise your faith, it will be tested.

Jesus instructed us to "believe we receive when we pray," and if we will, He promised that we will have our request (see Mark 11:24). But answers to prayers aren't always instant, are they? We must often stand in faith for a length of time, believing God has answered our prayer before we actually see the answer. There is always a time when our faith is tested.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). Without tests, however, it is impossible to exercise faith because faith is not needed for that which can be seen.

What takes the highest priority in your life? Is it what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears, or God's eternal Word? God's Word should be our ultimate source of truth. We should judge everything that comes into our minds with the question, "Does that agree with what God has said?" If it doesn't, then it's an imagination we need to "cast down" (see 2 Cor. 10:5, KJV).

The Bible promises, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord" (Jer. 17:7). If you don't believe that, don't expect to be blessed!

_ _

**FIVE**

#### The Training of the Twelve

** **

Jesus trained His twelve disciples using the same method God used to train the people of Israel after the Exodus. That is, He often placed them in challenging situations where they had opportunities to exercise their faith. We can expect to be trained just as they were. Tests and trials are opportunities to grow. Let's begin this chapter by taking a look at one of the "training exercises" of the twelve in Jesus' spiritual boot camp.

Scripture records a time when Jesus once boarded a small boat with His disciples along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and said to them, "Let us go over to the other side" (Mark 4:35).

Before we continue any further in the story, let us ask: _Was Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee?_

I can't imagine that He was not. Jesus lived in perfect obedience to His Father's will. Surely He and His disciples were in God's will to journey to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

After embarking on their voyage, Jesus and the Twelve found themselves assaulted by a "fierce gale of wind" (Mark 4:37). Their boat began to sink as waves broke over its side. Amazingly, Jesus was asleep during all of this.

Now let us ask a second question: _Did God know beforehand that gale force winds would assault the Sea of Galilee when His Son and the disciples were traveling across it?_

Of course He did. If God is all-knowing, then it certainly didn't catch Him by surprise.

And now the final question: _So why did God lead His Son and the disciples to travel across the water during a time when He knew there would be a fierce gale?_

Certainly it was not because He wanted them all to drown. Could the reason have been that God wanted to give them an opportunity to trust Him?

Surely if you or I had been in the boat that evening with Jesus, we would have started praising the Lord when the storm struck, trusting that we were going to make it to the other side. Right? Of course—just as we _always_ do when we find ourselves in trouble! The disciples, however, hadn't yet reached our level of faith! Rather than exercise faith, they succumbed to fear and woke Jesus—who subsequently rebuked the wind and the sea.

That is not the end of the story, however. Once the winds were calm again, Jesus turned to His disciples and said, "Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40).

It's obvious that He expected His disciples to have faith, and the reason is because He had told them it was His will to go over to the other side. They should have at least believed that they would make it to the other side, but they didn't. They expected to die.

**Taking the Test Over**

Here's another question: _What happens if you don't pass one of God's tests?_ The answer: _You get to take it over again!_ The incident we've just been considering can be found in the fourth chapter of Mark's Gospel. Just two chapters later, Jesus sent His disciples out on the Sea of Galilee once more to go "to the other side." On this occasion, however, He didn't join them _._ This time He wouldn't be there to rescue them.

Perhaps you already know that the Sea of Galilee would be better described not as a sea but as a lake. It's only about eight miles wide and fourteen miles long. From a vantage point on one of the high hills that surround it, you can see the whole body of water and almost any boats that are on it.

Sure enough, the winds began to rise on the lake, headlong against the disciples. It wasn't a severe gale, but it was enough to challenge their little faith.

Again we should ask: _Were the disciples in God's will?_ Certainly they were. They were simply following the directions of Jesus, who was surely being led by the Holy Spirit. God wanted them all to go to the other side to minister to the people in that region. In fact, Jesus would shortly be traveling to the same destination, only He wouldn't use a boat to get there. So the disciples were in God's will, following God's plan.

Did God know that the wind would be contrary that evening on the Sea of Galilee? Of course He did.

**Row, Row, Row Your Boat...**

The disciples departed on their voyage sometime in the evening (see Mark 6:46-47). So let's say they departed at 7:00 P.M. At most, those twelve grown men had to row about five miles, perhaps even less (from Bethsaida to Capernaum).

They made progress at first, but after they had rowed about three-and-a-half miles the wind began to blow against them. Still, they kept on rowing. When Jesus came walking to them on the water, however, the Bible says that it was about the "fourth watch of the night" (Mark 6:48). That means somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 A.M. What should have taken no more than a couple of hours took as much as eleven hours, and at least eight hours!

Now can you picture the scene in that boat? I suspect those twelve rowers were exhausted. Surely their backs, shoulders, and arms were sore. They should have been in bed hours earlier. They must have been very sleepy. They had been on the water for as many as eleven hours. And they were making no progress.

I can imagine Philip throwing down his oar and saying, "Gentlemen, this is ridiculous. Let's just put up the sail and head back."

Andrew: "NO WAY! We haven't come this far to quit!"

James: "That's right Andrew, plus Jesus told us to go to the _other side_. Remember how just two chapters ago we got rebuked when we panicked on this same lake?"

Peter: "Oh sure. But that was different. Jesus was with us then. This is ludicrous!"

John: "Okay, boys, now settle down. Let's walk in love toward each other just like Jesus has been teaching us."

Bartholomew: "Look who's talking—the one who secretly wants to sit at Jesus' right hand in His kingdom! And you're telling us _we_ should walk in love?"

Thaddaeus: "Boys, calm down! Hey, maybe we should do like Jesus did and rebuke this wind!"

Thomas: "I don't want to be labeled a 'doubting Thomas,' but I seriously doubt that any of our rebukes would make a difference."

So you get the picture. I imagine Jesus viewing the whole scene from His mountain perch and sadly shaking His head as He listened to the disciples' arguments echo across the lake. After waiting eight to eleven hours for them to demonstrate a little faith, He sighs heavily, stands, walks down the mountain, and starts walking toward them on the water.

When the twelve disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified, and who could blame them? Jesus assured them that they were not seeing a ghost, and then taught all of them a lesson about faith.

Peter said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (Matt. 14:28). Jesus replied, "Come!" and Peter stepped out onto the water. He was literally walking by faith. He knew he was in God's will out there upon the water because he had a promise from Jesus on it.

But then he began to look at the wind and the waves. _This is impossible!_ he thought to himself, and the Bible says that he began to sink. Mercifully, Jesus rescued him and got him safely back to the boat. As He did, however, He said to Peter, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matt. 14:31).

Clearly, it was doubt that caused Peter to sink, and it seems reasonable to conclude that doubt is also what kept the disciples on the Sea of Galilee all night. There is no record of any attempt on their part to exercise any faith, and the Bible says that they were "straining at the oars" when Jesus came to them (Mark 6:48).

That reminds me of so many of us, myself included. We're straining at life's oars, trying with all _our_ strength to overcome our difficulties. We should do what the twelve _should_ have done. We should drop our oars (that means quitting our own striving, straining and worrying) and lift our hands in praise to God, trusting for His help. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but through Him, we can do all things.

**Other Tests**

Space does not permit us to do an exhaustive study of the spiritual growth of Jesus' twelve disciples or to look at every opportunity God gave them to stretch their faith. Let me, however, briefly point out that they had to trust God for daily provision when Jesus sent them out by twos. He didn't allow them to take along any money or even a bag to carry basic provisions (see Matt. 10:9-10). They had to trust God every single day.

Months later, Jesus asked them, "When I sent you out without purse and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" (Luke 22:35). They had learned to trust God to meet their needs.

The Twelve had to learn to trust God for the words they would speak because Jesus did not even permit them to prepare a defense before their accusers. They would have to trust the Holy Spirit to give them "utterance and wisdom which none of their opponents would be able to resist or refute" (Luke 21:15).

Peter once had to trust that God would supply his tax money out of a fish's mouth (see Matt. 17:24-27).

Nine of the disciples failed to trust that Jesus had given them authority over all unclean spirits. Finding them unable to cast out a demon from a young boy, Jesus sternly rebuked them for their lack of faith (see Matt. 17:14-20).

Twice (can you guess why it was twice?) all twelve had their faith stretched to pass out a few loaves and fishes to feed a multitude. You may have noticed that when Jesus fed the five thousand (the initial time He multiplied food), He first asked Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?" John's divinely-inspired commentary states, "And this He was saying to _test_ him; for He Himself knew what He was intending to do" (John 6:5-6, emphasis added).

Concerning this same story of the feeding of the five thousand, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that Jesus' disciples came to Him and requested that He send the multitude away to the surrounding villages to buy food to eat. Jesus' response was startling: "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!" (Matt. 14:16). They, like Philip, were also being tested. Jesus was watching their response. Would they respond in faith or doubt?

If Jesus tells you that you can feed a multitude with a few loaves of bread and a few fish, you can. Just start distributing what you've got, and you'll see a miracle. Unfortunately, the Twelve responded with unbelief: "We have here only five loaves and two fish" (Matt. 14:17).

On numerous occasions the disciples had to exercise their faith as they ministered to needy people. Jesus had commanded them: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" (Matt. 10:8). All those things require faith.

Again, I don't have the space to examine every incident of the apostles' training. I just wanted you to see that God trained them in a very similar manner as He did the children of Israel. He will, of course, work with us in the same way because He is a God who tests.

Are you beginning to recognize God's tests in your own life? They often come in the form of troubles and difficulties! (O happy day!)

** **

**SIX**

**Jesus Tests the Sick**

Once we begin to understand the subject of God's tests, we soon notice many other biblical examples of people whom He tested. Jesus, for example, sometimes tested the faith of people whom He healed.

I admit that I'm just as baffled as anyone why some people are chronically afflicted with sickness while others are not. But I do find a lot of encouragement in God's Word for those who need healing. There are plenty of heartening healing promises and stories of people whom God healed. There are, however, also stories of sick people whose faith was tested before they were healed. It is inescapable.

Why would Jesus test someone's faith? I suppose because there are counterfeits to authentic faith. What appears to be faith must be tested to determine if it is, in fact, authentic faith. In order for faith to be proved true, it  _must_  be tested.

Let's consider a few incidents when Jesus clearly tested people's faith.

**Five Faith-Filled Fellows**

We'll begin with the well-known story of the four men who lowered their paralyzed friend through a roof. Their determined faith is inspiring.

As I'm sure you remember, those four men couldn't find a way to get their paralyzed friend into a home where Jesus was teaching. The house was apparently packed with people. That didn't stop them, however. They made their own way inside by digging through the roof (see Mark 2:4), which would have been flat and probably accessible by exterior stairs.

Now let's think about what they did. Who owned that house that they dug through? If it didn't belong to one of them, they must have realized that the person who owned it would be upset with their remodeling of the roof. Someone would have to repair it. Perhaps they assumed that once their friend was healed, the owner of the house would likely show them some mercy.

In any case, they began digging through the hardened clay as well as cutting through whatever was supporting that clay. Can you imagine the scene inside the house? Digging a hole through a hardened, clay roof is something that can't be done cleanly and quietly. Imagine the thud of rocks or the scraping sound of some digging tools echoing through the house as the work progressed. Imagine small chunks of dried clay falling from the ceiling and landing on people's heads. Surely the air in the house became choked with dust, perhaps to the point of people coughing and wiping it from their eyes. Surely there was a commotion, and certainly someone went outside to yell at the men who were destroying the roof! If so, they didn't listen.

Finally the four friends created a small opening, and a shaft of light would have stretched from the ceiling to the floor—easily seen because of all the dust particles in the air.

Next they began tearing away at the edges of their hole to enlarge it to fit their friend's stretcher. That would entail more noise and dust, as well as additional coughing and wiping dirt from eyes. By the time those four men peered over the edges of their hole to see if they were on target (above Jesus), I suspect they would have discovered a fairly hostile crowd staring back up at them! Beyond that, they knew full well that they were about to disrupt the whole meeting to an even greater degree when they lowered their friend into the room. Talk about stealing the show!

**Jesus' Reaction**

What was Jesus doing all this time? The Bible doesn't say, so we can't be certain. I find it hard to believe, however, that He continued preaching during the commotion. One thing we know He _didn't_ do: He didn't stop the men from digging a big hole in the ceiling.

No record in any of the Gospels mentions that Jesus told someone to stop the men from digging their hole, or that He Himself yelled up at the men once their hole was big enough for His voice to be carried to the roof. The Bible simply says that Jesus "saw their faith" (Mark 2:5). That's all we know of Jesus' reaction—He observed their faith.

Why didn't Jesus stop the men from digging? Because in that clay, which stood between Jesus and their friend, was the  _proof_  of their faith. Every piece of clay that was torn from that roof was a testimony to the faith of those persistent men.

If the devil was the same then as he is today, then those men's minds were assailed with doubts and discouragement as they dug: "Can't you hear all the people coughing and choking in the room below you? Are you crazy? What if your friend isn't healed? Then you'll really feel stupid for this stunt!" But they would not be denied. Their faith persevered.

I like to imagine Jesus folding His arms, leaning up against the wall, and watching that hole in the ceiling grow larger and larger, as a smile grew larger and larger on His face. There is no record of Him becoming angry over the matter.

Finally, the four men succeeded in lowering their paralyzed friend on a stretcher by ropes in front of Jesus—a difficult task in itself. They believed if they could get their friend to Jesus, He would heal him. And He did.

What would have happened if, when they brought their friend to that house and found no entry, they had said, "Surely if it was God's will for our friend to be healed, God would have made a way for us to get to Jesus"?

Had they adopted such reasoning, their friend would not have been healed, even though we know (from reading the story as it turned out) that it  _was_  Jesus' will for the paralyzed man to be healed.

In the end, I'm sure they were all glad that they persevered, passing a difficult test.

**Blind Bartimaeus**

He ought to be called "Believing Bartimaeus," in light of his tenacity to be healed.

Bartimaeus was sitting on a road outside Jericho, begging as he did every day. He heard a crowd passing by and, upon inquiry, discovered that it was Jesus who was leading the people. He must have heard about Jesus healing people, and so he immediately "began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' " (Mark 10:47).

Jesus, however, didn't immediately stop or apparently take any notice. Perhaps Jesus didn't hear him at first. I suspect, however, that Jesus must have heard him because Bartimaeus was making such a disturbance that "many were sternly telling him to be quiet" (Mark 10:48).

If Jesus did hear him, then why didn't He immediately respond? It couldn't have been because Jesus didn't want to heal him, because Jesus ultimately did heal him. The only reason I can think of is because the man's faith had to be proved, and if it was going to be proved, it had to be tested.

Bartimaeus had plenty of opportunity to be discouraged and quit. Again, the Bible says that many were  _sternly_  telling him to be quiet. For most people, such rebukes would have discouraged them enough to stop shouting for Jesus. Bartimaeus, however, would not be discouraged. Scripture says, "He kept crying out  _all the more_ , 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' " (Mark 10:48, emphasis added). He would not be denied!

Have you ever felt like Jesus was ignoring you? I have. Maybe, however, we were not being ignored. Maybe we were being tested.

**The Reward of Persevering Faith**

Finally, Jesus stopped and called for Bartimaeus to come to Him. Note that Jesus didn't walk over to Bartimaeus; He expected Bartimaeus to walk to Him—even though he was blind. Jesus must have been testing his faith. If Bartimaeus really believed that he'd receive his sight, he'd make it to Jesus no matter how many times he stumbled in the process.

Beyond this, Scripture tells us that when Bartimaeus realized that Jesus was calling for him, he cast aside his cloak and "jumped up" (Mark 10:50). I don't know if it is true or not, but I've heard that in Jesus' day, blind people wore a certain cloak that identified them in public as being blind. If that is true, Bartimaeus certainly demonstrated his faith when he cast aside his cloak. He knew he soon wouldn't be needing it any longer! Also take note that he "jumped up." That indicates that he was excited. People who have faith are excited because they are expecting good things.

Then came the final test. Bartimaeus stood in front of the One whom He believed would restore his sight. Jesus asked him what seemed to be a ridiculous question: "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51). Surely Jesus knew that a blind man would want to see. He was once more testing Bartimaeus' faith. When people possess genuine faith, you can always tell by what they say.

Thankfully, Bartimaeus did not respond with, "Jesus, I humbly accept that it is Your will for me to be blind!" Rather, he said, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!" (Mark 10:51). There was no doubt in his heart that Jesus could  _and_  would heal him. And Jesus did.

We can rejoice in Bartimaeus' healing, but I wonder how many other sick people cried out to Jesus at some time or another, and became discouraged when He didn't immediately respond. I wonder how many yielded, unlike Bartimaeus, to the rebuke of bystanders?

Like Bartimaeus, we may also need to persevere in faith and pass the test of patience once we have prayed for something that God has promised us in His Word. Additionally, we can be sure that God is listening to  _our_  words to see if we really believe  _His_  words.

**Ten Tenacious Lepers**

Luke tells us about a time when Jesus entered a certain village, and ten leprous men cried out to Him from a distance, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13). They likely stood at a distance because, under Mosaic Law, they were not permitted to mingle with non-leprous people, lest others become infected.

When Jesus took notice of them, He shouted back, "Go show yourselves to the priests" (Luke 17:14). Again, according to Mosaic Law, a leper who was cleansed had to be examined by a priest. If the priest declared him to be clean, he could re-enter society. Those ten lepers definitely had their faith tested. They had to believe that, by the time they got to the priests, their leprosy would be gone.

Interestingly, if we look closely at the story, we realize that Jesus instructed those ten men to journey as many as fifty miles to be examined by the priests, who would have been in Jerusalem (see Luke 17:11). In other words, Jesus said to them, "You want to be healed? Okay. Take a fifty-mile hike!" Only someone who truly believed would have obeyed Jesus' instructions. Praise God that all of them believed, and they were "healed as they went" (Luke 17:14). Delay did not mean denial, and Jesus told the former leper who returned to Him that his faith had made him well. His was a faith proved true by passing a test.

**The Syrophoenician Woman**

I personally can't think of anyone with whom Jesus dealt who had more faith than the Syrophoenician woman. Jesus Himself told her that her faith was great (see Matt. 15:28). Her faith, however, was severely tested.

She followed Jesus for some time, crying out, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed" (Matt. 15:22).

Jesus heard her but completely ignored her. The Bible plainly says so: "But He did not answer her a word" (Matt. 15:23).

Apparently, she continued following and crying out to Jesus, because His disciples asked several times that He would send her away. They told Him that she was bothering them with all her shouting (Matt. 15:23). She would not, however, be discouraged.

According to Mark's Gospel, Jesus escaped to a house, but this woman came into the house, and bowed in front of Him, desperately crying, "Lord, help me!" (Matt. 15:25; Mark 7:24-25).

Jesus' reply to her seems cruel: "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs" (Matt. 15:26). That is why I told you that, in my opinion, this woman had greater faith than anyone else with whom Jesus dealt. It's one thing when bystanders try to discourage you—but it's another thing when Jesus Himself discourages you!

It is quite possible, in my opinion, that Jesus ignored her, not only to test her faith, but for the same reason that God ignores the prayers of many people. He ignores their prayers because they have no claim on Him—because they've never believed and repented. By their sinful lifestyles, they send a message all day to God that says, "I hate You!", but then they ask Him to do things for them!

The New Testament teaches that "the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Pet. 3:12). God's ears are not open to the prayers of the unrepentant, and perhaps that is why Jesus initially ignored the Syrophoenician woman's cries. He did, however, grant her request once she was at His feet admitting that she was, indeed, a "dog," and a "dog" who was requesting crumbs from the table of her  _master_. It appears that a sinner was making Jesus her Master, passing the first test that God is waiting for everyone to pass. Jesus then said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." We next read that "her daughter was healed at once" (Matt. 15:28). She passed Jesus' test.

We could, of course, consider other similar healing stories, such as the healing of the Nobleman's son, the Centurion's servant, the woman with the issue of blood, or Jairus' daughter. All of the primary characters in those stories had to believe in spite of contrary doubts and discouragement. All had their faith tested, and all passed their tests, receiving what they believed. All of them serve as examples for us!

**Part 2**

**Who's in Control Here?**

** **

**SEVEN**

**Two Views on God's Sovereignty**

** **

Who _is_ ultimately running the world? Is God truly sovereign? What authority does the devil possess? What role do chance and human choice play in the events and outcomes of our lives?

Those are all important questions, and if we are to understand much about God's tests, we'll need the answers. That will require that we do more than simply skim over the surface of the Scriptures. We'll have to plunge into the deep.

 So take a deep breath. Let's stay under for a while as we explore some beautiful revelation about God's sovereignty from Scripture.

### Diving In

The Bible certainly affirms that God is sovereign: "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and _His sovereignty rules over all_ " (Ps. 103:19, emphasis added). Paul refers to God as "the blessed and _only Sovereign_ , the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15).

Although God is sovereign, possessing all authority, we would be wrong to conclude that He has never given limited authority to other persons in the universe, or that He has not granted His creatures the privilege of making their own decisions. Scripture tells us that He has done both. Some to whom He has granted authority have abused their authority. Many whom He has allowed to make their own choices have made wrong choices. Consequently, not all that happens on earth is God's _perfect_ will. Yet everything that happens must be within His _permissive_ will, or else He is not supremely sovereign.

If God is sovereign, possessing all ultimate authority, then anyone who possesses authority anywhere in the universe—including human beings or Satan—only has it because it has been granted to him by God. There is no other way for anyone to gain any authority. If there were, we would be forced to conclude that God is not all-powerful and all-knowing—as the Bible tells us He is.

If authority was taken from God by force by one of His creatures, then that creature was more powerful than God, and God is not all-powerful. Similarly, if authority was swindled from God by one of His creatures, then that creature was smarter than God, and God is not all-knowing because He was fooled.

Thus, anyone who has any authority is under God's authority and is operating with His permission whether he realizes it or not. For example, Pilate said to Jesus, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above" (John 19:10-11). Likewise, Paul wrote that "there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God" (Rom. 13:1).

### Hyper-Sovereignists and Non-Sovereignists

As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, two extreme views often surface whenever the subject of God's sovereignty is discussed. I refer to the adherents of those two extreme views as the "hyper-sovereignists" and the "non-sovereignists."

The hyper-sovereignist has concluded that God causes everything that happens, completely ignoring Satan and the wills of human beings. The hyper-sovereignist makes statements such as, "You can never be certain of what God will do because He is sovereign, and He can do anything He desires." Although God can certainly do anything He desires, He will not do what would violate His own character or Word. The hyper-sovereignist, however, leaves the impression that God might actually transgress His own Word or fail to keep His promises. That, of course, is entirely incorrect. God will never break His Word. He always keeps His promises. If God tells you what He will do, you can be sure He'll do it.

On the other extreme, the non-sovereignist thinks that God has very little or no control over what is occurring on this earth. Things went so wrong in the Garden of Eden that, ever since, God has been up in heaven watching the world from a distance, waiting patiently for the Millennium when He will finally be able to control the earth again—once Satan is bound. Some non-sovereignists are even convinced that if God does do something on the earth in this age, it is only when He is _given the right_ by someone on earth who prays. This view, also, is entirely incorrect according to the Bible.

As we study the Scriptures, we'll see how both hyper-sovereignists and non-sovereignists need to learn something from each other.

### Back to the Boat on Galilee

Let's consider again the story of when Jesus and His disciples faced a fierce gale as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee. We'll view the scene from both standpoints—the hyper- and non-sovereignist's.

Had there been a hyper-sovereignist in the boat that day, he would have declared, "We know that God is in control, and so we trust that He has a purpose for sending this terrible storm. Let us not question Him. It seems strange to us that God would want all of us to drown today, but we know that 'God's ways are higher than our ways.' Let us, then, humbly accept His will for us."

The non-sovereignist in the boat would retort, "I'm sorry, but you are quite mistaken. God is good, and He would never send a storm to cause us all to drown in this lake. God has nothing to do with this situation. This storm must be from Satan; so let us rebuke the devil and overcome this circumstance."

Whose theology is correct? Actually, both are partially right and partially wrong.

Was it God's will for Jesus and His twelve disciples to drown that evening on the Sea of Galilee? The hyper-sovereignist thought so. The non-sovereignist, however, disagreed, and he was correct, as all of us know who have read the end of the story. It was not God's will for Jesus and His disciples to drown that evening on the Sea of Galilee.

Who caused the storm? The hyper-sovereignist thought it was the sovereign God; the non-sovereignist thought it was the devil. One of them must be correct.

Some readers may think that neither is correct, believing that severe weather is—as is often said by preachers and theologians—only "a naturally occurring phenomena in our fallen world full of sin." That explanation, however, is just a camouflaged admission of ignorance, as it raises more questions than it answers. Does severe weather occur simply because of the _presence_ of sin on the earth? Does sin by itself generate hurricanes and tornadoes? If that is the case, then severe weather is man-made. That idea is absurd, of course.

So those who say that severe weather is "just a naturally occurring phenomena in our fallen world of sin" must mean that severe weather is a result of God's _judgment_ upon this sinful world. If that is what they mean, then they are really saying that God is responsible for severe weather. If it is a manifestation of His judgment, then it occurs because of His decree.

Some would argue that severe storms are "just the forces of nature at work," but that is a similar explanation that is no explanation at all. Who created the forces of nature? It was God. Even if those forces act randomly, it was God who determined or permitted those forces to act randomly, and so He is responsible.

So, either God, the creator of all nature, still has control over the forces of nature, or Satan somehow gained control to some extent. Therefore, either God or Satan was responsible for the life-threatening storm on the Sea of Galilee that evening. So who was it?

### Does Satan Have Control of the Wind?

The fact is, the Bible most often gives _God_ credit for control of the wind, not the devil. Only once in Scripture is Satan given credit, and he first had to receive permission from God to cause a "great wind" that took some lives (see Job. 1:12, 19). At all other times when credit is given, it is given to God (see, for example, Gen. 8:1; Ex. 10:13, 19; 14:21; 15:10; Num. 11:31; Ps. 48:7; 78:26; 135:7; 147:18; 148:8; Jer. 4:11-12; 10:13; 51:16; Ez. 13:13; Amos 4:9, 13; Jonah 4:8; Hag. 2:17; Rev. 7:1). Here are a few scriptures not included in that list that you can read for yourself:

_Thou dost rule the swelling of the sea_ ; when its waves rise, Thou dost still them (Ps. 89:9, emphasis added).

Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters; they have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. _For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea_. They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; their soul melted away in their misery.... Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. _He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed_ (Ps. 107:23-29, emphasis added).

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day, and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, _who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar_ ; the Lord of hosts is His name (Jer. 31:35, emphasis added).

And _the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea_ and there was a great storm on the sea (Jonah 1:4, emphasis added).

From looking at all of Scripture, we can only conclude that either God caused the storm on the Sea of Galilee or Satan caused it with God's permission. Therefore, the hyper-sovereignist is certainly correct in saying that, ultimately, God was in control of the situation that evening.

On the other hand, the non-sovereignist is correct in asserting that God wants us to use our faith to overcome trying circumstances. That's a lot different than just accepting them as God's final and ordained will—as the hyper-sovereignist thinks.

Yet the non-sovereignist has perhaps missed something that the hyper-sovereignist has at least partially understood: The non-sovereignist doesn't see any divine purpose in His circumstances. In the boat that day with Jesus, the non-sovereignist didn't take into consideration that it was God who was leading them across the Sea of Galilee. He didn't recognize God's foreknowledge of the gale or the fact that God will use adversity to cause our faith to grow.

### Arriving at a Balanced Understanding

As a young Christian, I was greatly influenced by the hyper-sovereignist viewpoint. I thought that anything and everything that happened to me was God's ordained will, and my job was to learn and grow through the difficulties that the Lord allegedly sent my way. I read certain books about being "fully surrendered to the Lord." Although the authors didn't realize it, they actually taught me to surrender to Satan's attacks, attacks that God wanted me to resist and overcome.

Some years later, I was influenced by the non-sovereignist view and was swayed to believe that there was absolutely no divine purpose in any negative circumstance. If something was negative, it was from the devil. Period.

Both viewpoints are unbalanced and lead to extremes.

Because the hyper-sovereignist often does not recognize Satan's "fiery darts," he is an easy target. The devil must delight as the hyper-sovereignist humbly accepts a demonic assault as being sent from God. He is "destroyed for his lack of knowledge" (Hos. 4:6).

On the other hand, the non-sovereignist, who laughs at how deceived the hyper-sovereignist is, is a little deceived himself. He rejects the idea that God might lead someone to a place where he will experience difficulties—as He did the Israelites after their exodus. He laughs at the idea of learning lessons from God when difficulties strike. He ignores scriptures about spiritual growth stemming from hardship.

### The Theological Pitfalls of the Non-Sovereignist

The non-sovereignist's theology may lead him to extremes in understanding God's judgment or discipline upon sin. In his mind, if a Christian sins and is, for example, disciplined through sickness as a result (a biblical concept; see 1 Cor. 11:28-32), the non-sovereignist thinks God played no sovereign role in the suffering. Rather, that person "opened the door to the devil" or "got out on the devil's territory."

Most Christians who use such expressions are trying to help others see that God is a God of love, and that we, not God, are responsible for the consequences of our sin. When such expressions are accepted apart from a scriptural balance, however, the result is serious doctrinal error, because God's discipline upon sin is annulled. Suddenly, we have a God who _doesn't_ punish sin, and we've created a devil who _does_ punish sin. The non-sovereignist who is trying to defend God's character has actually defamed it, detracting from His holiness. Additionally, he has made Satan look somewhat holy, as he, acting on his own, apart from God's authority, is allegedly putting sickness on people when they sin, which might motivate them to repent! Satan suddenly seems more like God than God!

So what is the truth of the matter? The truth is that God may permit Satan to afflict with sickness one of His children who has persisted in disobedience. God's objective is to bring His disobedient child to a place of repentance. (I am not saying, of course, that all sickness is a manifestation of God's judgment or discipline. According to Scripture, however, such a possibility certainly exists.)

God can _permit_ Satan to act or _restrain_ him to any degree. Satan can do nothing except what God permits.

### A Few Objections Answered

Some readers might object, saying, "But God has given _us_ responsibility to resist the devil, and we must not wait for God to do something about the devil—we must resist him ourselves." I agree. God has indeed given believers responsibility and authority to resist the devil, and we should resist him (see Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8-9).

That fact, however, does not detract from the fact that Satan can do nothing except what God permits him to do. God has not abdicated to believers _all_ of His authority over Satan, making Himself helpless or dependent upon us. God has authority over Satan that He has never given to believers. The authority He has given to us is limited.

Again, some readers may object: "God has given us _all_ authority over Satan, not just _some_ authority!" But think about that for a moment. If you have _all_ authority over Satan, why don't you banish him from the face of the earth? Why don't you cast him into the abyss for one thousand years, just as we are told God will do during the Millennium? The reason you don't is simply because you can't—because your authority over Satan is limited _._

God has given us responsibility and authority over Satan as far as _our own lives are concerned_ , as is clear from Ephesians 6:10-17, James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:8-9. In all these scriptures we are told that we should resist Satan. That is a part of God's sovereign plan. It's our responsibility to use our God-given authority to resist the devil in our personal lives. We are entirely wrong, however, if we conclude that God no longer has any authority over Satan or that He has given all His authority to the church.

An example would be if I had a million dollars and gave one hundred dollars to you. Now that $100 is your money. I can't spend it for you because it's yours, not mine. If you want to waste it, that's your business. Likewise, God has given us some of His authority, and now it's _ours_ to use—not God's. That doesn't mean, however, that God no longer has any authority over Satan. God is exercising His authority over Satan and restraining him every day. He is sovereign just as the Bible says He is.

### Scriptural Proof of God's Sovereignty Over Satan

Allow me to prove this from Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read:

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 a way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13, emphasis added).

_ _

Paul promises that God will not _allow_ us to be tempted beyond what we are able. We know, of course, that Satan is the tempter, not God (see Jas. 1:13). God, however, restrains Satan to the degree that He "will not allow" him to tempt us beyond what we are able. We see that Satan can do nothing more than what God permits.

That one verse in 1 Corinthians helps us to understand where our authority ends and where God's begins. None of us have any authority to control the degree of temptation that Satan sends. In fact, we have no authority to stop _any_ degree of temptation from the devil. If we had unlimited authority, we could command him to never tempt us again. But only God has that much authority. We do have authority to resist temptation and not be overcome by the devil.

### What the Devil is the Devil Doing Here?

Have you ever wondered why God even permits Satan to be on the earth, or why God permits Satan to tempt anyone? When God cast Satan out of heaven, why didn't He banish him to some other galaxy? Why this planet? Or, if there was some reason that Satan _had_ to be banished to the earth, then why did God place humanity on the same planet? Couldn't God have arranged things so we wouldn't have to share space with the devil?

To gain a glimpse of at least part of the answer, consider what the Lord said through Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1-3:

If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, "Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them," you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; _for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul_ (emphasis added).

_ _

I doubt that any of us would claim that God was the one who inspired that false prophet or gave him the ability to work a false sign or wonder. Surely that prophet was empowered by Satan, not God. Yet God permitted that Satan-empowered, false prophet to arise in order to test His people.

So here is at least a partial answer to the question of why Satan is on the same planet and why God permits him to tempt us: It is so God might know what is in our hearts. God is testing all of us. Do we love Him enough to obey Him and resist Satan's temptations?

In earlier chapters, we considered numerous examples of God's tests as recorded in Scripture, so this should come as no surprise to us. God uses Satan's temptations to test people. This agrees perfectly with what we have already studied in Judges 2 and 3, where God used Satan's temptations as a test. In addition, this harmonizes perfectly with the incident when Jesus was also tested through Satan's temptations.

A true-blue non-sovereignist never sees God's hand in anything other than the blessings he receives. A biblically-balanced sovereignist, however, sees God's sovereignty in all things. Even Satan's temptations are more than just temptations; they serve a higher purpose—as tests from God.

Please don't misquote me. I never said that God and Satan are working together or that they are on the same team. I only stated that God will use Satan's temptations as His own tests, and that is quite plain from the scripture we just read in Deuteronomy 13.

God test us, at least in part, because He wants to bless us and make us a greater blessing to others. He promotes those whom He can trust. If we can't resist the small temptations that come with small blessings and small responsibilities, how can God trust us with bigger blessings and greater responsibilities, blessings and responsibilities that will surely attract greater temptations?

If, for example, God entrusts us with a little money, and we yield to Satan's temptation to share none, how can God trust us with more money? He can't, because we failed to pass His small test, administered via Satan's temptation.

How sobering it is to realize that our reaction to temptation reveals our love, or lack of love, for God.

In the next chapter, I have more to share with you on the subject of God's sovereignty and His restraining power over Satan. Keep reading to learn more, especially if you have objections. I hope to answer them all!

**EIGHT**

**God's Sovereignty and Suffering**

** **

In this chapter, I'd like to begin by further considering an important aspect of God's sovereignty, that is, His restraining power over Satan. If we can grasp that concept, we can better understand the spiritual authority that God has (and has not) given to believers. Keep in mind that we have already established that all authority stems from God. Anyone who possesses any authority has it because God has granted it to him (see John 19:11; Rom. 13:1).

Let's start by going back to the beginning, even before God created Adam and Eve. Obviously, no human beings had any authority then. We do know that, sometime before Adam and Eve were created, Satan attempted to gain some authority. He was, however, quickly dealt with. Jesus said that He saw Satan "fall from heaven like lightning" (Luke 10:18). That gives us at least a little glimpse of Satan's power in comparison to God's power. Satan was no match for God, which is what you would expect, since God is the Creator and Satan is merely a creation.

When God created Adam, He did give him certain authority, but Adam's authority was clearly limited, not unlimited. God told him, "Fill the earth, and _subdue it_ ; and _rule over_ the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:28, emphasis added). Obviously, Adam was not given absolute sovereignty over everything on the earth. He couldn't control the weather, for example. Essentially, God gave Adam authority to rule over the fish, birds, and animals, and that was it. Moreover, Adam was very much still under God's authority as an under-ruler, as plainly indicated by the fact that God judged him when he sinned. Adam couldn't rule over God and kick Him out of the garden.

The reason I make that point is because some think (erroneously) that when Adam sinned, somehow Satan was able to usurp the authority with which Adam originally was entrusted. Some have even gone so far to say that God has no authority on the earth, and therefore, He _can't do anything_ here unless we "give Him permission" by asking Him. Supposedly, they say, God's hands are completely tied because Adam gave his authority to Satan.

The Bible never states, however, that God gave Adam all authority or sovereignty over the earth. Therefore, _if_ Satan did actually gain what Adam had, then Satan has never had all authority or sovereignty either. _If_ Satan has Adam's authority (and notice I say _if_ ), then, just as Adam was under God's authority, so too, Satan is under God's authority.

### An Old Question Answered

This might help us to answer an age-old theological question: "If God knows what we need even before we ask Him, why does He require that we ask Him? Why doesn't He just give us what we need?"

_Some_ non-sovereignists offer this answer: "Because when Adam fell, he gave his authority to Satan, and God has no authority to act on this earth unless someone on this earth asks Him to do so." That answer seems to make God dependent upon us.

One who is more biblically balanced, however, has a different answer. He remembers, as we learned in a previous chapter, that the primary lesson God was trying to teach the Israelites during all their trials in the wilderness was this: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3). In other words, God was trying to teach His people to look to Him for everything, that He was their source, that they needed Him desperately. I suspect that God is trying to teach us that same lesson.

Why does God require us to ask for what He already knows we need? Because we need to learn, as did the people of Israel, to look to God as our source for everything. Self-sufficiency is prideful, and God hates pride.

Can you see the danger in a theology that promotes the idea that "God's hands are tied, and unless we ask Him, He can do nothing"? It leaves us with the impression that God is dependent upon us, rather than the understanding of what God is _actually_ trying to teach us—that we are dependent upon Him. One view makes us proud, the other makes us humble.

### God's Self-Limitation

If God is limited in any way, it can only be because He has limited Himself. For example, can God save a person—even if that person has no faith? No, God _can't_ —or else He would violate His own word. God is limited in the salvation of people because He has sovereignly determined that salvation is received only by faith.  Because of that, we can prevent God from saving us from our sins. He has, for His good reasons, given us authority to reject or receive Him.

Unfortunately, however, some have taken the concept of God's self-limitation to an extreme, propagating the idea that poor God can no longer do anything unless someone uses his faith. God is allegedly helpless without us. Each time, however, that God does something apart from a response to someone's faith, that theory is debunked.

I can't help but think that God is insulted by the very idea that His hands are supposedly tied because of Adam's fall. It is equivalent to saying that before He created humanity, God was too stupid to see what was going to happen, and so He got Himself into a big mess that rendered Him powerless on earth. The Bible, however, plainly teaches that God knew humanity would fall, and that He, in fact, planned for the redemption of humanity even before He created us (see Matt. 25:34; Acts 2:2-23; 4:27-28; 1 Cor. 2:7-8; Eph. 3:8-11; 2 Tim. 1:8-10; Rev. 13:8).

Here is a good question to ponder: If it is true that God lost His authority over Satan when Adam fell, how is it that He has given all believers authority over Satan in their own lives?

Some claim that Jesus could only give people authority over Satan after His resurrection—when He supposedly "got back what Adam lost." Jesus, however, gave His disciples authority over Satan and demons _before_ His resurrection:

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons.... And He said to them... "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and _over all the power of the enemy_ , and nothing shall injure you" (Luke 9:1; 10:18-19, emphasis added).

Quite obviously, Jesus was sovereign over Satan before and after the fall of Adam, as well as before and after His own resurrection. God has shared _some_ of His authority with the church, and the church should be exercising its God-given authority over Satan. Even if the church fails to exercise its authority, however, God will continue to exercise the portion of His authority that He has not given to the church. You can count on that!

### God's Sovereignty Over Human Government

Let's take a look at a few scriptures that will give us insight into God's sovereignty over the earth. Satan isn't ruling nearly as much as some folks think. Some have mistakenly thought, for example, that the devil has control over every earthly government, and that God has no influence whatsoever. That, however, is simply not the case.

Let's consider some scriptures that reveal God's sovereignty over human government. The first two are from the book of Acts. The setting for the first scripture passage is shortly after Peter and John had been put on trial and threatened by the Sanhedrin. They returned to the other believers, and along with the entire church prayed the following prayer:

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do _whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur_ Acts 4:27-28, emphasis added).

_ _

Surely the disciples didn't believe that God inspired Herod, Pilate, and the Jews to play their particular parts in the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion. They did, however, realize that God _permitted_ each one to do what he did in order to fulfill His preordained plan for the sacrifice of Christ. As we saw earlier, Jesus Himself acknowledged this very thing when He was questioned by Pilate. When Pilate asked Him, "Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus replied, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above" (John 19:10-11). Pilate was governor only because God had sovereignly granted him to be governor.

The apostle Paul, in his sermon on Mars Hill in Athens, endorsed God's sovereignty over human governments when he said: "And He [God] made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, _having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation,_ that they should seek God" (Acts 17:26-27, emphasis added). God predetermined the histories of the nations at least to some degree.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel said of God, "It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings" (Dan 2:21).

Daniel later informed Nebuchadnezzar, proud king of Babylon, that he would lose his mind until he recognized "that the Most High is _ruler over the realm of mankind_ , and bestows it on whomever He wishes" (Dan. 4:25, emphasis added).

Clearly, God's sovereign hand plays a part in the rise and fall of earthly rulers and kings. Notice Daniel said that _God_ was "ruler over the realm of mankind," not Satan.

### More Proof

In Acts 12:20-23, we read about King Herod delivering an address to the people of Tyre and Sidon. His enthusiastic audience cried out during his speech: "The voice of a god and not of a man!" What happened next? "And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died" (Acts 12:23). Thus ended King Herod's reign, and I don't think anyone would say that it was the devil who killed him. The Bible plainly stated it was an angel of the Lord.

Without apology, Paul declared in Romans 13:1-2:

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority _except from God, and those which exist are established by God._ Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God (Rom. 13:1-2, emphasis added).

From studying other scriptures we know that there is a valid time for civil disobedience, but my main point here is that no government on the earth exists apart from God's permission. In fact, Paul goes further than that and says that every government is " _established_ by God." That includes even governments that are less then perfectly righteous (which, I would guess, includes all of them). It is quite clear from numerous scriptures that God sometimes uses corrupt and evil leaders as a means of His discipline or judgment upon deserving people. If you've ever read the Old Testament you know that.

I am not saying, of course, that God motivates any evil rulers to be evil. Yet God permits evil people to rule, and He uses them at times to fulfill His divine purposes. For example, God used evil Pharaoh, evil Herod, and evil Pilate to fulfill His divine plans. God is using evil rulers even today.

Some years ago, I ministered at a pastors' seminar in Nicaragua. At that time, that Central American nation was experiencing civil war as the U.S.-backed contras were trying to overthrow the Marxist Sandinista government. I remember asking a pastor who had lived in Nicaragua all his life if he would rather live under the former government, or under the Sandanista government. He expressed that under the former government, the economy had been doing well and times were much better. When I questioned him about the present situation, I learned that inflation was running at an incredible 22,000 percent, and hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans had fled their homeland to look for a better life elsewhere.

Then that Nicaraguan pastor made an incredible statement. He told me that he would rather live under the Sandinista government because, in his words, "Before the Sandinistas, nobody was coming to the Lord. Since the Sandinistas have come into power, everything has gotten worse, but now many people have opened their hearts to the Lord and the churches are growing!"

Isn't that interesting? God can use even ungodly leaders to bring people to repentance. Isn't that essentially the story of the history of the nation of Israel? A cursory reading of the book of Judges makes that clear. Numerous spiritual revivals have been spawned by unwitting, evil leaders.

But isn't God a God of love? Yes, He certainly is, and He may therefore mercifully allow temporal troubles to motivate people to wake up, repent, and be saved from eternal troubles.

Of course, God is also a God of judgment and wrath, as was demonstrated when Herod was eaten by worms and when Pharaoh's army was drowned in the Red Sea. The Bible says that God is love but it also says He is a consuming fire (see 1 John 4:8; Heb. 12:29). Paul wrote, "Behold then the kindness and _severity_ of God" (Rom 11:22, emphasis added). When God's mercy is repeatedly spurned, His judgment ultimately falls. Down through the ages, God has sent judgment upon numerous nations who have spurned His mercy, including Israel, by means of evil kings and leaders.

Let's read what God Himself said through Jeremiah concerning how He personally deals with nations:

At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it. If that nation which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it, if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it (Jer. 18:7-10).

You can see that when someone argues against God's sovereignty over the nations, He is arguing against God Himself, because God speaks as one who is is sovereign over the nations.

Because God is sovereign over human governments, does that mean we should just sit back and assume that whatever happens in our government is God's ordained will? No, in both Old and New Testaments, God's people are admonished to pray for their nation's leaders (see Jer. 29:7; 1 Tim. 2:1-4). Once again, this teaches us to look to God for everything—even for good government. God may do things in our government because we ask Him.

In addition, we can ask for God's mercy upon our ungodly nation, asking God to give everyone more time to repent. Our prayers may forestall His judgment.

I must also add that if we live in countries where we can vote and be involved in the political process, that means God has given every one of us, as citizens, a certain amount of political authority. We should exercise our God-given authority as good stewards who will one day give an account. Again, all authority is from God. If you have a right to vote, it is from God.

### God's Sovereignty and Natural Disasters

Now let's consider natural disasters. Are they the work of God or the devil?

Many years ago, before the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, I traveled to Romania for a ten-day ministry trip. In studying about that country in preparation for my trip, I came across a statement concerning Romania in the popular prayer guide, _Operation World,_ by Patrick Johnstone. He stated: "The rate of conversions has noticeably increased since the severe earthquake in 1977."

So was it God or the devil who caused that earthquake?

If it was the exclusive work of Satan (who must then have authority to cause earthquakes), why then doesn't he cause earthquakes all over the world, in every city? Why doesn't he kill us all by earthquakes? And why doesn't he target cities full of people who are serving the Lord rather than cities full of people who are atheists? (If you answer that last question with, "Because God won't permit Satan to send earthquakes to cities where many people are serving the Lord," then you've just admitted to believing in God's restraining power over Satan.)

What does the Bible say? Scripture records several incidents when God caused earthquakes because He was judging wicked people. Isaiah warned Jerusalem's enemies: " _From the Lord_ of hosts you will be punished with thunder and _earthquake_ and loud noise" (Isaiah 29:6, emphasis added). During the rebellion of Korah recorded in Numbers 16, the earth opened up and swallowed an entire group of sinful people. In the book of Revelation, at least five different earthquakes are attributed to God's judgment. In fact, the last one will be the greatest earthquake the world has ever experienced (see Rev. 16:18-20).

Again, God is a God of judgment as well as a God of love. In fact, because He is love, He must also be a God of judgment, simply because love is fair and just. God must react when sinful, selfish acts are committed—or else He is not loving at all.

Should we think that the God who casts wicked people into hell would _never_ judge evil people on earth by means of an earthquake or some other natural disaster? Obviously we should not think so, especially when the Bible is full of scriptures that plainly state God sometimes sends judgment through war, famine, and pestilence (for example, Jer. 14:1-12; 27:8).

Does Satan cause all earthquakes? The earth quaked when God came down on Mt. Sinai (see Ps. 68:7-8). Surely that wasn't the work of the devil. There was an earthquake when Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" (Matt. 27:51). Was that the work of Satan? An earthquake also occurred when Jesus was resurrected (see Matt. 28:2). Did Satan cause that one?

What about the earthquake in the Philippian jail where Paul and Silas were imprisoned? No one was killed, everyone was released, and a few were saved as a result. Was that the devil's doing? (See Acts 16:22-34. Also see 1 Sam. 14:15, Is. 5:25, Jer. 10:10, and Acts 4:31, for a few other examples of earthquakes which God caused.)

### What Jesus Had to Say on the Subject

Along these lines, Jesus mentioned two contemporary tragedies in one of His sermons:

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:1-5).

_ _

Notice that Jesus did not, after citing those two tragedies, say, "Now those things were the work of the devil because God is a God of love." Rather, Jesus used those two tragedies to remind those who survived that they were no better than the ones who perished, and unless they repented, they would suffer a similar fate. At that time, they were being warned of God's judgment. For the time being, they were receiving God's mercy.

About forty years later, however, judgment did fall upon the Jews and Jerusalem in the form of a holocaust by Roman armies in 70 A.D. That event was clearly a result of God's sovereign judgment upon them according to Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-24.

Of course I'm not saying that God inspired Pilate to murder those Galileans or that the falling of the tower of Siloam was an act of God. Pilate acted by his own volition, and perhaps human error was to blame for the tower's collapse. But God obviously _permitted_ both tragedies. Additionally, no one can argue that those who perished weren't deserving of death, or else he must argue against Jesus.

Furthermore, I'm not saying that every tragedy is permitted by God because He is judging wicked people. I am saying, however, that we are unbalanced when we believe that no tragedy ever occurs because of God's judgment.

How many modern preachers, if they had lived during Jesus' time, would have commented differently than Jesus did concerning those two above-mentioned tragedies? How many would have preached, "That was the work of the devil, because God is love"? Many would have, because I've heard them say similar words as they explain modern tragedies to their followers.

I recently read about a preacher who ministered to some (and I quote) "angry and confused" hurricane victims who "blamed God for the devastation." This particular preacher told his confused and angry audience that it was Satan, not God, who caused the hurricane. As a result, some "expressed a desire to learn more about the 'true nature' of God."

It's too bad Jesus didn't know about "God's true nature" when He warned His confused audience of their need to repent or perish! Had that modern-day preacher studied his Bible, he would have told his "confused and angry" audience something more like, "You self-righteous people think you deserve better treatment, but God declares that you are sinners. You actually deserve much worse. That same God, whom Jesus said is 'Lord of heaven and earth,' is warning you that He is a holy and wrathful God. Yet, in His great mercy, He sent Jesus to die for you so you could escape His eternal wrath. He is now calling you to repent and receive forgiveness of your sins through the sacrificial death of the Son of God. If you don't, you will one day experience not just a sampling, but a full dose of God's eternal wrath in hell. So repent of your wickedness, believe in Him, and He will forgive you of all your sins and receive you as His very own children."

If we are honest with what the Scriptures say, any person who is not obeying God is worthy of God's instant judgment. In the two tragic examples that Jesus mentioned, it is clear that those who died got what they deserved, and those who survived _didn't_ get what they deserved—they were mercifully being given more time to repent. No unsaved person has any promise of being shown any more mercy than he has already been granted, and the fact that he has lived as long as he has is a testimony to God's incredible mercy.

###

### Man-made Suffering

Quite obviously, much of the suffering in the world today is man-made. For example, much of India's poverty can be blamed on Hinduism. Because Hindus believe in reincarnation, it is considered immoral to kill animals, and consequently, rats eat tons of grain annually that could feed multitudes of hungry people. If India would embrace the truth, fewer of their people would be malnourished because they could eat the cows, chickens, and goats that God intended for them to eat. In addition, the rodents could be exterminated, making more grain available to the population.

Many famines in the world today are a result of government policies, civil unrest, inequitable trade policies, lack of knowledge and greed. Disobedience to God's laws always brings suffering. Perhaps these situations could sometimes be better referred to as God's passive judgment rather than His active judgment.

### When Tragedy Happens to Christians

What about Christians who experience tragedies? The answer to that question is not quite as simple. We must first determine what kinds of tragedies we are talking about and what kind of Christian is experiencing a tragedy. If we are talking about a Christian who is in disobedience, then we are talking about a Christian who, unless he repents during the time he is being shown mercy, is in danger of experiencing God's discipline. Paul referred to those Christians in his first letter to the Corinthians, stating that some of them were sick—and some had even died—because of God's discipline or judgment. If you are a disobedient believer, I encourage you to repent.

If we are talking about tragedy striking an obedient believer, then we need to classify certain kinds of tragedies. Many obedient believers have suffered persecution for their faith to the point of torture and martyrdom. That is certainly a tragedy from a human standpoint, but it is not one from which we are promised deliverance. The Bible, in fact, promises us that we will be persecuted (see 2 Tim. 3:12). Church tradition states that every one of the apostles died for his faith. Although the apostle John may be an exception, he was still exiled and severely persecuted.

Millions of Christians have been martyred, and many more have suffered harsh persecution. There are times when God has miraculously delivered His people, but other times He has not. That is determined by the sovereign will of God. (We will further examine the subject of the persecutions of Christians in a later chapter.)

Another kind of tragedy that obedient believers have suffered is chronic sickness and disease. Unlike with persecution, however, we do have many biblical promises that we can trust for deliverance from illness. It seems clear from Scripture that sickness is in a special class all by itself when it comes to suffering. For example, James wrote:

Is anyone among you _suffering_? Let him pray.... Is anyone among you _sick?_ Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick (James 5:13-14, emphasis added).

It is unfortunate that some teachers have taken scriptures that apply only to Christians suffering persecution and have erroneously tried to apply them to Christians suffering sickness. Jesus didn't always deliver the persecuted. He never, however, turned away anyone who came to Him for healing. It may surprise you to learn that one tenth of all that was written about Jesus in the four Gospels concerns His healing ministry. If you are chronically ill, there is hope for your healing. I encourage you to immerse yourself in Scripture, and in particular, in those passages that build your faith for healing. (And even if you are not healed in this life, praise God that you will receive a new body one day!)

What about calamities, wars, and natural disasters as far as the obedient believer is concerned? Certain scriptures encourage us to believe that no calamity, war, or natural disaster that is permitted because of God's judgment will fall upon an obedient believer. For example, when Jerusalem was destroyed and hundreds of thousands perished during the Roman holocaust of 70 A.D., there was not one obedient believer in the city because Jesus had warned them so they could escape (see Luke 21:20-24). Also, Noah and his family were saved during the great flood, and all the children of Israel were protected in the land of Goshen when God sent the plagues upon Egypt.

The Bible provides other encouraging examples of God's pre-warning believers of coming calamities in order that they might avoid them. For example, in Acts chapter 11, we have record of a prophecy given by Agabus warning of a soon-coming famine, which took place during the reign of Claudius. Consequently, believers in Antioch (where Agabus delivered his prophecy) sent a contribution "for the relief of the brethren living in Judea" (Acts 11:29).

When Paul was on a ship transporting him to Rome, God tried to warn the ships' captain through Paul that they would lose their ship and lives in a great storm, but the sailors didn't listen. As a result, they suffered the consequences—although God did mercifully protect the lives of everyone on board (see Acts 27:9-26).

Let me give you an example of God's protection in my own life. When I was a young Christian many years ago, I had a habit of picking up almost every hitchhiker along the road so I could practice sharing the gospel with a captive audience. One day, however, when I was driving on an interstate highway through a certain city, I heard what seemed to be an audible voice say to me: "Man with a beard—don't pick him up." Within a half a minute, I drove around a bend, and there underneath an underpass was a man with his thumb out, and he had a beard. I've always wondered what would have happened if I had picked him up. Jesus did promise that the Holy Spirit would "show us things to come" (John 16:13).

The late Demos Shakarian, founder of the Full Gospel Businessmen International, tells in his biography of how God warned his Armenian grandfather and fellow Christians of a coming holocaust in Armenia by means of an illiterate "boy-prophet." Many of the believing Christians fled the country and, in 1914, one and a half million Armenians died at the hand of the Turks.[2] No Christian who obeyed God's warning suffered in that tragedy.

I'm so glad that God cares for His children. Still, I know that I don't have all the answers. I can only offer as many as I've found in Scripture. So we'll have to trust God regardless of what comes our way. I've learned that when we face what we don't understand, we should fall back on what we do understand. Nothing that can happen to you can change the fact that Jesus died for you. Nothing can separate you from His love (Rom. 8:38-39).

#### NINE

**God's Restraining Power Over Satan**

In this chapter and the next, we will continue exploring the concept of God's restraining power over Satan. Throughout Scripture, God demonstrates repeatedly that He has plenty of ability to restrain the "god of this world" any time He desires.

Let's consider an initial example found in a passage that is familiar to most churchgoers. Speaking through the prophet Malachi, the Lord was reproving His people for withholding their tithes and offerings. He actually accused them of robbing Him! As a result of their disobedience, they were "cursed with a curse." The "fruits of the ground" were being destroyed, and the "vine in the field" was "casting its grapes" (Mal. 3:9, 11). If they would repent, however, and begin once again to pay their tithes and offerings, the Lord promised:

I will...pour out a blessing until there is no more need. Then _I will rebuke the devourer for you_ , so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes (Mal. 3:10b-11, emphasis added).

Who was the devourer? Scripture doesn't say. We are only told the devourer was destroying crops, and that God would rebuke it if Israel repented. If God was speaking of Satan or one of his evil spirits, then we _could_ say (as some would) that Israel "opened the door to the devil through disobedience." If, however, we mean that God had no sovereign part in the matter, we are entirely incorrect. We would be much more accurate if we said that the Israelites opened the door to God's discipline through disobedience, and God consequently disciplined them by permitting Satan to afflict them.

If God played no sovereign role in this particular incident, then apparently He and Satan switched roles. Satan was punishing disobedient people, and at the same time God was apparently unconcerned because He was doing nothing! That idea is, of course, absurd.

### When God Restrained Satan in the Life of Job

Another clear example of God's restraining power over Satan is found in the story of Job. As we read of the initial heavenly conversation about Job, it becomes abundantly clear that Satan can do nothing to harm Job unless God permits him:

Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast Thou not _made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side_? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse Thee to Thy face." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, _all that he has is in your power_ [literally _hand_ ], _only do not put forth your hand on him_ " (Job 1:9-12, emphasis added).

God had been protecting Job, having placed a hedge about him. But as a result of Satan's challenge, God lifted that protective hedge to some degree, limitedly permitting Satan to afflict Job, yet not allowing Satan to afflict Job's health.

After Job's first set of trials, Satan again accused Job before God. This time he claimed that if Job were to lose his health, then he would surely curse God. Consequently, the Lord permitted Satan to afflict Job's body, yet restrained him from actually killing him (see Job 2:3-6).

So in Job's story we observe God's restraining power over Satan demonstrated three times, as He (1) restrained Satan from doing anything, then (2) permitted him to afflict Job in every way except physical sickness, and finally (3) allowed him to steal Job's health. Clearly, Satan could do nothing except what God permitted.

Of course, Job's story occurred _after_ the fall of Adam; therefore, _if_ Satan usurped Adam's authority (and notice I said _if_ ), then he had Adam's authority when he afflicted Job. This again proves that even _if_ Satan did gain some authority on the earth as a result of Adam's fall, he never gained unlimited control and was completely subject to God.

Sadly, in an attempt to "defend God's loving character," some argue that Job "opened the door to Satan through fear," based upon Job's statement in Job 3:25: "For what I fear comes upon me." Fear, however, was not the reason for Job's trials—as is clearly revealed from an honest examination of the first two chapters of Job. Later in this book, when we look more fully at the life of Job, I'll prove beyond any doubt that Job did not "open the door to Satan through fear."

### God's Restraining Power over Satan in Peter's Life

In the New Testament, we have a very clear example of God's restraining power over Satan. Found in Luke's Gospel, this account is somewhat similar to Job's story. There, just a short time before Jesus was betrayed, He said to Peter:

Simon, Simon, behold, _Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat_ ; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31-32, emphasis added).

A note in the margin of my Bible lists an alternate translation that reads, "Satan has _obtained by asking_ to sift you like wheat." Either translation indicates Satan had to obtain permission before he sifted Peter.

God permitted Satan to sift Peter like wheat for a reason, and you can be certain that God was motivated by love. Those who have not yet learned of the positive results of trials or who are blind to God's divine purposes will scoff at that idea, yet it is completely biblical. And clearly, once again, God is sovereign over Satan. Satan could do nothing to Peter unless he received permission from God, just as in Job's case.

### An Example From the Book of Revelation

A fourth example, also from the New Testament, is found in Revelation 20:

And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and _bound him for a thousand years_ , and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should not deceive the nations any longer, _until the thousand years were completed_ ; after these things he must be released for a short time.... And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be _released from prison_ , and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth.... And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. _And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone_ , where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10, emphasis added).

Notice that it will require only one angel to bind Satan and completely stop his work for one thousand years. Under the influence of certain teachers, I at one time thought that God could do this at the beginning of the Millennium because that is when "Adam's lease on the earth expires." In other words, God (supposedly) gave Adam authority on the earth for a certain time period. When Adam abdicated his authority, Satan got a "time-limited lease." Up until the expiration date of that lease, God supposedly _couldn't_ stop Satan because Satan had a legal right to do anything he wanted.

That kind of logic is faulty, however, for several reasons. Foremost, because we see so many other examples (after Adam's fall) of how God restrained Satan's activities on the earth. By an overwhelming weight of scriptural evidence, we see that God is quite able to hinder the work of Satan.

The second reason is deduced from the fact that, after 1,000 years, God will release Satan again for a short period. Does this mean that Adam's lease will once again become operative for a short time after the Millennium and, therefore, God will be legally obligated to loose Satan for a little while again? Would God prefer to keep the devil in prison even beyond the 1,000 years, but won't be able to because Satan has a legal right to come out?

No, what this scripture reveals to us is that God has a divine purpose in permitting Satan to do what He permits him to do. And what is that?

Before Satan is bound, we read that he "deceived the nations" (Rev. 20:3). After he is released from his thousand-year prison term, he once again "deceives the nations" (Rev. 20:8)—this time into thinking that they can overthrow the rule of Christ in Jerusalem.

God obviously will have a divine purpose in releasing Satan from his prison, and that is to deceive the nations to attempt a siege against Jerusalem. And there they will meet with judgment.

Please note that I did not say that God _wills_ that people be deceived so that they will be judged. We know that God wants every person to be saved (see 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). God loves every human being, and He sent His Son to pay the price for everyone's sins (see 1 John 2:2).

However, we also know that God has given every person a free will, and that He has decreed that the only people who will be saved are those who, under the drawing of the Spirit, choose to repent and believe in Jesus. Keep in mind that, _in order for God to determine who has chosen Jesus, there must be something else for people to choose._

If Jesus was the only available choice, then He wouldn't be someone whom you _could_ choose. Imagine an election in which there was only one candidate. It really wouldn't be an election, would it? That kind of "election" would be similar to the situation that would exist if there was no choice other than Jesus.

So we see that Satan serves a divine purpose in God's eternal plan, as the alternate choice for humankind. God has permitted Satan to exist on the earth so that He can determine who will be qualified to live in His presence for eternity and who must perish in hell. The Bible makes it clear that if a person is not serving Jesus, then he is serving the devil (see 1 Tim. 5:15; 1 John 3:10).

Both God and Satan are vying for the hearts of men. God is drawing everyone to Himself by several means: through His creation (anyone who wants to can see that there must be a Creator), through people's consciences, and by the witness of the Holy Spirit through His church (see John 15:26-27). Satan is drawing men to himself (away from God) through temptation and deception, and God permits Satan to do just that. Again, if there were no alternative to following Jesus, how would God know who truly wanted to serve Jesus?

### Why People are Deceived by Satan

Have you ever marveled at unbelievers who go about their lives without regard to God? They take no notice of Him, even though He is seen everywhere through His creation. I'm looking out my window right now, and I can't help but think of God. When I look at His creation, I am awed. God has amassed evidence in front of us all that reveals His existence, His power, and His character. Consequently, every person is without excuse before God, just as Scripture says (see Rom. 1:18-21).

As I'm writing this, it is springtime, and the tulips and daffodils are in full bloom. I wonder, _How does God turn soil into flowers? How can He get all those beautiful colors out of the ground?_ Furthermore, _How can He make apples from the same soil by which He also makes tomatoes and bananas?_ I marvel at people who don't marvel.

We don't have to look any further than our own bodies to learn something about God. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139:14). Yet unbelievers go about day to day and never acknowledge God. They seemingly have no concern for how He feels about their words, thoughts, and actions, while eternity is rushing toward them like a freight train without brakes.

How can people be so blind? The answer is that _they are deceived by Satan_. They are every bit as deceived as the people whom Satan will delude into thinking they can overthrow the government of Jesus at the end of the Millennium. Paul said in 2 Cor. 4:3 that "the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ."

Here, however, is the important point: Why are those people deceived? The answer is because _they want to be deceived, because their hearts are so wicked_. Read how the apostle Paul described unbelievers in his letter to the Ephesians:

The Gentiles...walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the _ignorance_ that is in them, _because of the hardness of their heart_ ; and they, having become _callous_ , have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness (Eph. 4:17b-19, emphasis added).

The unsaved are willfully ignorant because their hearts are hard. Satan can only deceive those people who will allow him to deceive them, those who desire to believe his lies. They love darkness, just as Jesus told us (see John 3:19). In addition, Satan cannot stop any person from being born again if that person decides to repent and believe in Jesus. So no one can accuse God of unfairness when He permits Satan to deceive people. No one _has_ to remain deceived.

Obviously, through Satan, God is testing humanity. Satan must be permitted to do something or else there would be no test. It would be like the Garden of Eden without the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There must be an alternative that draws people away from God in order for God to determine who is willfully coming toward Him.

I hope you are grasping this concept. Jesus will be reigning over the earth for 1,000 years during His millennial reign. During that 1,000 years, there will be no alternative to serving Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus will rule with "a rod of iron" (Rev. 19:15). At the end of that thousand-year period, God will release Satan from prison to deceive evil people whose hearts are inclined to hate Jesus yet who have been feigning obedience to Him. The true condition of their hearts will be openly manifested when Satan is released.

Satan won't be able to deceive everyone at that time—only those whose hearts are _already inclined_ toward rebellion. They will be wide open to his deception when he is released and will naturally do what they have been wishing they could do for a long time. The only reason they will not have tried to overthrow the government of Jesus before Satan's release is because they will know they would never succeed, even though they might love to see it happen. Once Satan deceives those who don't want to submit to Christ's rule, however, it will become abundantly clear who loves Jesus and who hates Him. Then God can righteously judge them, which He will do.

The exact scenario is being played out right now on a larger scale. If Satan were not here to deceive the hearts of people who don't want Christ to rule their lives, those people would outwardly obey God, yet inwardly long for the chance to rebel. Such people are certainly not fit to live forever in God's kingdom. Because they are deceived, however, the attitude of their hearts is manifested in their daily words and deeds, and they are storing up judgment for themselves. God gives them a lifetime to repent of their rebellion. If they do, He will give them a new nature through Christ along with freedom from bondage to sin and Satan.

Paul affirmed this very concept in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Writing about the antichrist during the time of the Tribulation Period, he wrote:

And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with the _deception_ of wickedness for those who perish, _because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved_. And for this reason _God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness_ (2 Thes. 2:8-12, emphasis added).

In one sentence, Paul stated practically everything I've been trying to explain. Notice that these people already had the opportunity to "receive the love of the truth so as to be saved," yet they chose not to "believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." God will allow Satan (through the antichrist) to work false signs and wonders in order to deceive those who are Christ-rejecters, "in order that they all may be judged."

### God's Grand Design

No doubt the greatest example of how God used Satan to accomplish His own divine purposes occurred when God permitted Satan to inspire evil men to crucify Jesus:

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of _the rulers of this age_ , who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of _the rulers of this age_ has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:6-8, emphasis added).

Who are the "rulers" about whom Paul is writing? Many think that Paul was speaking, not of earthly rulers, but of demonic rulers—the wicked spirits who motivate evil leaders on the earth.[3] Moffat's translation speaks of these rulers as the "dethroned powers who rule this world."

My point is that if Satan had known what was going to be accomplished on the cross according to God's predestined plan, he would never have motivated anyone to crucify Jesus. Satan ignorantly played right into God's hands, and redemption was accomplished for us through Christ's sacrifice! Once again, God used Satan, as evil as he is, to help Him accomplish His own divine purpose.

Are you beginning to see that God has a grand design for all that has happened and all that is yet to happen? The fall of humanity was not something that caught God by surprise, requiring Him to form a hastily designed plan to repair what caught him off guard! God's purpose and grace have been "granted us in Christ Jesus from _all eternity_ " (2 Tim. 1:9, emphasis added). God has had everything under His sovereign control from before the time of creation.

If you've read this far, that is probably an indication that you've passed God's _initial_ test of repenting of your sins and turning to Jesus. That was, however, just the first step that you took towards becoming more like Jesus. Many more steps must follow, and they all involve God's tests

** **

** **

**TEN**

**Satan—Tool of God's Judgment**

In this chapter, let's take one final look at the subject of God's restraining power over Satan. It's very important that we understand how God sometimes uses Satan to bring about His discipline or judgment upon the disobedient—a concept that Scripture affirms.

Let's first consider two interesting Old Testament examples. The first one is found in Judges 9 and 10.

You perhaps remember the story of Gideon, and how God used him to defeat the Midianites with an army of only 300 men. You may not remember that Gideon became the father of 72 sons by several wives and at least one concubine. After Gideon died, his concubine's son, named Abimelech, along with the full support of the people of his hometown (Shechem), formed a conspiracy and massacred 70 of Gideon's sons. Only Jotham, Gideon's youngest, escaped.

God, of course, was not pleased with this treatment of Gideon's sons, especially since Gideon had fought on their behalf against the Midianites, resulting in 40 years of peace for Israel. Scripture says that God is not mocked, and whatever a man sows that shall he also reap (see Gal 6:7). God guarantees it. Let's read then how God fulfilled His guarantee in this situation:

Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. Then _God sent an evil spirit_ between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, in order that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubball [Gideon] might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers (Judg. 9:22-24, emphasis added).

The end of the story is that Abimelech slaughtered all the people of Shechem and shortly thereafter he himself was killed in battle—all because of an "evil spirit," which "God sent."

The question is, does God have evil spirits to send? Apparently, yes, because that is what the Bible says. Keep in mind, however, that the Bible didn't say that God sent an evil spirit who was His friend and who lived with Him in heaven. No, if we consider the entire context of Scripture, it would seem safer to conclude that God, who possesses sovereign control over Satan and his demons, permitted an evil spirit to engender strife between two parties in order to bring judgment upon them. And why does Scripture say this evil spirit was sent _by God_? Because the evil spirit came as a direct result of God's sovereign will to judge a group of wicked people. God used an evil spirit to execute His judgment.

### Saul's Evil Spirit

Another incident illustrating God's use of Satan as a tool of His judgment had to do with Saul. As the first king of Israel, he was hand-picked by God and assumed his duties with humility and sincerity. Soon, however, Saul committed some serious sins, which disqualified him for enjoying "a kingdom that would endure" (1 Sam. 13:14).

Thereafter, King Saul's attitude and actions degenerated, and he disobeyed God again. When it became clear to him that David, the young giant-slayer, would be his replacement, he grew jealous. Consequently, we read that "the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and then an _evil spirit from God_ " began to terrorize him (1 Sam. 16:14, emphasis added).

Was that evil spirit actually a spirit from God? Again, in light of the rest of Scripture, it seems more reasonable to conclude that it was one of Satan's evil spirits, permitted by God to afflict Saul in hopes of bringing him to repentance.

Note that God also demonstrated His mercy toward Saul by giving young David an ability to play anointed music that would bring temporary deliverance to Saul's tormented mind. Scripture says, "Whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him" (1 Sam. 16:23). God was in effect saying to Saul, "I love you and want you to be free from torment, but you must repent of your selfish jealousy."

From these two Old Testament examples we can see how God sometimes uses Satan as a tool of His discipline or judgment upon the disobedient.

### A New Testament Example

One New Testament example that reveals this same principle is found in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. In the church in Corinth, a man was living in an immoral relationship with his stepmother. He was still being welcomed by the church, however. Paul instructed the Corinthian believers:

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus... _deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved_ in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 5:4-5, emphasis added).

Notice that they were to deliver the man over to _Satan_ for the destruction of his flesh. Scripture often credits Satan as being the one behind sickness (see, for example, Acts 10:38). Also notice, however, that the purpose behind the disciplinary action was so that the man's spirit would "be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." That is, when the man found his body being assailed with sickness, he would hopefully come to his senses and repent of his sin.[4]

Once again we see that God used Satan as a tool of His discipline upon a disobedient person.

If sickness assails us, should we immediately conclude that God is trying to discipline us? Not necessarily. Sickness can occur for reasons other than God's judgment, and we'll discuss those other reasons later on. It certainly is wise, however, to do a spiritual examination of our lives any time sickness strikes to make sure we have not opened the door to God's discipline by our disobedience.

### Opening the Door to Satan?

In regard to this subject, I've often heard Christians and preachers make the statement that we can "open the door to the devil through disobedience" or claim that, "when we disobey, it puts us out in the devil's territory where he can afflict us." Both of these phrases are frequently used by those who want to emphasize the goodness of God. Unfortunately, however, they have been taken to an extreme, to the point where, in some people's minds, God's discipline and judgment have been annulled.

If you have any doubts that the God of the New Testament is every bit a holy Judge as the God of the Old (they are one and the same), just read the book of Revelation. Yes, God is good, merciful, full of compassion, and longsuffering, but when His mercy is repeatedly spurned, ultimately His judgment falls. The New Testament teaches that it is a _terrifying_ thing to fall into the hands of the living God (see Heb. 10:31). The apostle Paul wrote, "Behold then the kindness _and severity_ of God" (Rom. 11:22, emphasis added).

So does God actively discipline and judge sinful people, or do they only "open the door to the devil" (apart from God's sovereignty)? Let's look some more at what the Bible says.

If any man destroys the temple of God, _God will destroy him_ , for the temple of God is holy (1 Cor. 3:17, emphasis added).

Nothing is said about the devil destroying anyone. Paul wrote, " _God_ will destroy him." We know from other scriptures that God _might_ destroy that person by allowing the devil to destroy him, but the point is that the destruction occurs because of God's judgment.

Speaking of a wicked woman whom He calls Jezebel, Jesus said in the book of Revelation:

And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, _I will cast her upon a bed_ , and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And _I will kill her children with pestilence_ ; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and the hearts; and I will give to each of you according to your deeds (Rev. 2:21-23, emphasis added).

Notice that Jesus takes the credit for the killing of her children (I assume her "spiritual children,"—her band of disciples).

Scripture says of King Herod, whom we have mentioned in an earlier chapter:

And immediately _an angel of the Lord_ struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died (Acts 12:23, emphasis added).

The devil wasn't anywhere near this one. It was an angel of the Lord who struck Herod so that he died.

Jesus Himself said:

And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear; fear the One who after _He has killed_ has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him (Luke 12:4-5, emphasis added)!

Notice it was _God_ who killed and _God_ who might cast someone into hell. Some actually claim that Jesus was speaking of the devil in this passage, affirming that Jesus' disciples should fear Satan because he kills and casts into hell! The Bible is quite clear, however, that God is the One who casts people into hell, not the devil (see Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14). Jesus was speaking of God, His Father, as the One to fear, because He is the One who kills and casts into hell.

James 4:12 warns:

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save _and to destroy_ (James 4:12, emphasis added).

All of this is to say that we need to be cautious that we don't emphasize the saving mercy of God to the extreme of negating His destroying wrath. From a biblical standpoint, one really can't believe in God's mercy without also believing in His wrath, because His wrath is the very thing from which we are saved:

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him (Rom. 5:9; see also 1 Thes. 1:10).

For further proof that the God of the New Testament actively judges the disobedient, see Acts 13:8-12; 2 Thes. 1:6; 1 Tim. 5:24; 2 Tim. 4:14; Heb. 13:4; 2 Pet. 2:1-9 and Jude 5.

We could look at hundreds of other scriptures that prove that God is a God of judgment, but I'm sure you're convinced. And there are no scriptures that speak of anyone "opening the door to the devil through disobedience." The truth is, people can open the door to God's discipline or judgment through disobedience, and God may use the devil to discipline or judge those persons.

God has used, is using, and will in the future use Satan to accomplish His own divine purposes. He is indeed sovereign. Fear Him!

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and His _sovereignty rules over all_ (Ps. 103:19, emphasis added).

** **

#### ELEVEN

**The god of this World**

There is one final objection that should be addressed as we conclude several chapters studying the topic of God's sovereignty over Satan. That objection is often expressed by two questions: "But what about the scripture that tells us that Satan offered Jesus 'all the kingdoms of the world' during His temptation in the wilderness? Doesn't that prove that Satan, as 'god of this world,' is running everything on the earth?"

Those are good questions, and to arrive at the correct answers, we must consider all the relevant scriptures. By ignoring context, the Bible can be made to say just about anything.

Of course, from considering other Bible passages, we've already proven that Satan does not have _complete control_ over the entire world. So in what capacity is Satan "god of this world"?

The answer is that Satan is ruling those who are submitted to him, which is everyone who is not submitted to Jesus. They are yielding, to a greater or lesser degree, to his temptations. They are his slaves. So in that sense, he is their god.

Jesus taught that if a person isn't born again, he is spiritually a child of Satan (see John 8:44). Paul also indicated that Satan's spirit is at work in those who are unsaved (see Eph. 2:1-3). Satan is ruling only the kingdom of darkness. That is why, for example, we are told by Paul that some of the evil spirits whom Satan leads are called "the rulers of the _darkness_ of this world" (Eph. 6:12, KJV, emphasis added).

Satan rules only those who choose to remain in darkness by rejecting the truth. For that reason, he is "the god of this world."

### Satan's Claim: Truth or Lie?

What about the claim Satan made to Jesus during His temptation? How are we to interpret the following verses?

 And [Satan] led [Jesus] up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish" (Luke 4:5-6).

First of all, we should be extremely careful building our theology on the words of someone whom Jesus called "the father of lies" (John 8:44). We would be foolish not to question the truthfulness of Satan's claim.

Notice Satan claimed that _he_ could give the domain and glory of the world's kingdoms to whomever he wished. Is that true? Let's compare Satan's claim with what the prophet Daniel once said to proud King Nebuchadnezzar:

You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field...until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and He _bestows it on whomever He wishes_ (Dan. 4:25, emphasis added).

Did you notice any contradiction? Satan claimed that _he_ could give the domain and the glory of the world's kingdoms to whomever _he_ wished. Daniel, however, claimed that God was the ruler of mankind and that _He_ bestowed earthly positions upon whomever _He_ wished. So who are you going to believe? Personally, I'm going to choose Daniel over the devil.

There is one possible way, however, that these two scriptures can be reconciled, if, in fact, Satan was actually telling the truth. God—the sovereign ruler of the universe, humanity, and all earthly governments—has permitted Satan to rule over _one_ kingdom, and that is the kingdom of darkness. That being so, Satan was not offering Jesus an earthly, human, governmental position of authority. Rather, Satan was offering Jesus a position of authority over a spiritual kingdom—the kingdom of darkness—if Jesus would submit to him. Such a position Satan _could_ offer, because the Bible is clear that Satan is ruling over several rankings of evil spirits, through which he administrates his entire dark kingdom. Together, Satan and his minions hold human rebels in their captivity (see Eph. 6:12).

Satan, to a certain degree, _is_ ruling the kingdoms of this world, but only because the _people_ of the kingdoms of this world are submitted to him. _Kingdoms_ are made up of _people_.

Satan is ruling _governments_ to a certain degree because many governmental leaders are submitted to him, knowingly or unknowingly. He is not, however, ruling those who are not serving him—those who have been freed from his power by Jesus Christ.

Stop and think for a moment: What would happen if every person in your country, including government leaders, would repent and submit to the lordship of Christ? Would Satan have _any_ control over your nation? No, he would have none at all. Satan only has authority over nations inhabited by people who are serving him.

The fact that Satan exercises authority over the kingdom of darkness provides no proof that God is not sovereign, or that "God's hands are tied" from doing anything He wants to do. We have already proven from other scriptures that God is sovereign over the earth, and He is sovereign over Satan's kingdom as well.

Apparently, the devil was willing to delegate a large portion of his authority to Jesus as long as he (Satan) remained the top dog. Of course, that would have required that Jesus commit high treason against His Father, joining Satan's rebellion. He would have become vice-devil. Praise God that Jesus didn't yield to Satan's offer!

### God's Sovereignty Over Earth and Nature

Despite all the evidence of Scripture, it is clear that some Christians still believe that Satan possesses much more power than he actually does possess. Some have even given him complete power over all of the forces of nature, whereas Scripture says otherwise:

[God] changes rivers into a wilderness, and springs of water into a thirsty ground; a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. He changes a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water; and there He makes the hungry to dwell, so that they may establish a city, and sow fields, and plant vineyards, and gather a fruitful harvest (Ps. 107:33-37).

Sing to the Lord...who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the mountains.... He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters the hoarfrost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments; who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow (Ps. 147: 7-8, 15-18).

In both the Old and New Testaments, there are plenty of examples of God using the forces of nature as a means of judgment. He is the one, for example, who flooded the earth during Noah's time and sent the ten plagues upon Egypt (see Ps. 78:45-49).

When Jonah was running from his calling, sleeping on a Tarshish-bound ship, the Bible declares, " _the Lord_ hurled a great wind on the sea so that the ship was about to break up" (Jonah 1:4, emphasis added). It was God who did it. Some may claim that surely the original Hebrew text states—although it doesn't—that God _permitted_ the great wind and, therefore, the storm was from Satan. But what difference does it make? If God "permitted" Satan to send a storm, then that proves it couldn't have happened unless God had permitted it. God is sovereign over Satan. And God is sovereign over nature.

God is apparently also in the hailstone business. We read in the tenth chapter of Joshua, when the Israelites defeated five kings:

And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword (Josh. 10:11).

For even more proof of God's sovereignty over nature, see Job 38:22-38; Jer. 5:24; 10:13; 31:35; Ps. 105:16; 135:6-7; Matt. 5:45 and Acts 14:7. God's judgment through the forces of nature is clearly evident in the Bible. Why then have some come up with the idea that, when a hurricane or earthquake or flood strikes, it is the work of the devil, and God would like to stop it but He can't?

Take note that when the Bible refers to Satan as "the god of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11 and 2 Cor. 4:4), the Greek word translated _world_ in these instances is either _kosmos_ , meaning "order or arrangement," or _aion_ , meaning "age." By contrast, the Greek word for "earth," our physical planet, is _ge_. Our God is, as Jesus said, "Lord of heaven _and earth_ " (Matt. 11:25, emphasis added).

### One More Thought

I must address one final misconception about Satan that has been accepted by some Christians. Is it true that Satan received Adam's authority when Adam sinned?

The plain fact is that there are no references in the Bible that make such a claim or imply it. Nowhere does the Bible state that Satan got Adam's authority when Adam sinned. The theory that he did is usually based upon Jesus' encounter with Satan during His temptation in the wilderness. There Satan claimed that his dominion had been handed over to him. Some have assumed that it was Adam who handed that dominion over to Satan. That, however, is only a theory.

Actually, every unbeliever has handed Satan personal dominion over his life, and thus Satan is his god, which, as I have already said, is why Satan is called "the god of this world." Adam and Eve were the first persons to yield to Satan, and all since them have followed in their footsteps. Consequently, Satan's domain has been handed over to him by the entire human race, with God's permission.

Furthermore, the Bible never says that Adam lost his authority when he sinned. Man is still subduing the earth, and ruling the fish, fowl, and beasts, which is all the authority Adam ever received in the first place.

**TWELVE**

**The Judgment of God**

He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth (Ps. 105:7).

God's judgment is certainly not the most popular sermon topic. Who loves to preach about God punishing the disobedient? Who loves to listen to such a sermon? Very few. Yet the fact remains that the Bible records hundreds of occasions when God's judgment fell on deserving people. We shouldn't hide our heads in the sand to this truth. And of course, God's judgment usually only falls after considerable longsuffering on His part. So anytime we focus on His judgment, we can also stand amazed at His prior mercy.

The Old Testament, of course, begins with an example of God's judgment, when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Had the world's first couple heard a modern sermon about how God never punishes people because He is love, they would have rolled their eyeballs.

God revealed Himself as a God of judgment even before He punished Adam and Eve. When Satan rebelled, he was cast out of heaven (see Ezek. 28:12-19, Is. 14:12-17). Jesus Himself said that He watched Satan "fall from heaven like lightning" (Luke 10:18). The message is clear: Sin provokes God's wrath.

The Bible not only begins with an incident of God's judgment; it also ends with God's judgment. The book of Revelation is chock full of His judgments, and its final chapter concludes with a warning of the same:

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book (Rev. 22:18-19).

Take note that passage didn't say, "They'll open the door to the devil if they add to this book because God is love and He would never harm anyone." No, Scripture said, " _God_ shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book."

Certainly God is love (1 John 4:8). And because He is love, He _must_ punish injustice. If God is unconcerned when one of the objects of His love is harmed by another, He isn't loving at all. His love predicates His justice and His judgment.

Rather than listen to some TV preacher tell us what God is like, let's read how God describes Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7:

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed: "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; _yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished_ , visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations" (Ex. 34:6-7, emphasis added).

God loves everyone—to the degree that He gives sinners extraordinary time to repent of their sins. He is slow to anger. When His mercy is refused, however, His wrath falls. The author of the book of Hebrews wrote, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).

### Does God Punish Grandchildren?

We just read from Exodus 34 about God "visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generation." Does that mean, as some claim, that God punishes people for their parents' or grandparents' sins?

No, that would be unjust, and God plainly stated that He would never do such a thing in Ezekiel 18:19-20:

Yet you say, "Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?" When a son has practiced justice and righteousness, and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. The person who sins will die. _The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity_ , not will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself (Ezek. 18:19-20, emphasis added).

So what did God mean when He said that He would visit the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren? Most likely, He meant that He will hold parents responsible (at least in part) for the sins that their children learned from them and that they consequently practice, and He will even hold them partly responsible for such sins committed all the way down through four generations. And _that_ would be just. Jesus Himself said, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matt. 18:6). That gives us a good idea of how God views those who influence children to sin. He holds them accountable.

_ _

### The Great Judge

_ _

If we wanted to, we could look at hundreds of examples in the Bible of God's judgment upon people and nations. In addition, we could look at hundreds of warnings of God's judgment upon people, nations, and the entire world. Of the sixty-six books in the Bible, I can only find five (all very short books) that don't mention or in some way intimate something about the judgment of God.

So why is so much of the church today ignoring and downplaying the subject of God's judgment? Surely we're far from what the Bible teaches when we say that the reason there are earthquakes, famines, plagues, and so on is because Satan is the god of this world, and God would like to stop him but He can't. The Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, clearly states that all those things, often called "natural disasters," may occur as a result of God's judgment. They are, in fact, not _natural_ disasters but _supernatural_ disasters.

God is a God of wrath as well as love. It was the God of love who opened the windows of heaven and flooded the earth until every human being was drowned except Noah and his family. It was the loving God who rained fire and brimstone down upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, wiping out the entire population except Lot and his family. It was the loving God who killed all the first-born in Egypt before the exodus of Israel. It was the loving God who commanded Israel to take Canaan's land by conquest and kill every man, woman, and child who lived there. It was the loving God who sent an angel who killed 185,000 Assyrian troops in one night as recorded in 2 Kings 19:35. And the list goes on and on and on.

In the New Testament, God has not changed. He is still a God of judgment. Jesus died suffering God's judgment—not for His sins, because He didn't have any—but as a substitute, bearing God's wrath in our place. Understanding God's judgment is essential if we are to understand what Christ did for us on the cross.

Ananias and Sapphira both fell dead during a church gathering as a result of God's judgment upon them for "lying to the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:3).

Herod died as a result of God's judgment, when an angel of the Lord struck him for failing to give God glory (see Acts 12:20-23).

Paul wrote of God's judgment that had come upon the Jews who were hindering the spread of the gospel in his first letter to the Thessalonians (see 1 Thes. 2:14-16).

Peter once wrote that it was "time for judgment to begin with the household of God" (1 Pet. 4:17).

God's judgment upon the Jews of Jerusalem and Israel for their rejection of their Messiah fell in the form of a Roman holocaust in 70 A.D. (see Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-24).

In addition, the book of Revelation is primarily a record of God's future final judgments—the grand finale that every other previous judgment has only foreshadowed.

In light of the fact that the historical revelation of the Bible is full of clear examples of God's judgment coming upon nations in the form of enemy invasions, famines, plagues, and natural disasters, what can we conclude? Is it possible that God is still doing the same thing today? Has God changed?

We love to say that God is still the same when it comes to His saving, healing, or delivering mercies, but can we say He is still the same when it comes to His judging sin?

Why then do so many modern preachers and teachers downplay God's active role in judgment upon sin, and worse, blame the devil for things that God takes responsibility for in Scripture?

The fact is, this phenomenon of an all-love-no-wrath God is rather novel. It wasn't that many years ago when no one would have blamed the devil for God's active judgment. As an example of common conviction once held by just about everyone who professed to be a Christian, I thought you might find it interesting to read something Abraham Lincoln said at his second inaugural address during our nation's civil war:

Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondman's [slave's] two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so it must still be said, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

I'm not claiming that Abraham Lincoln was infallible, but his understanding of the Bible is certainly more accurate than those who would claim that the devil caused the American Civil War and that God played no sovereign role. Abraham Lincoln apparently believed God was judging the United States for the sin of slavery. Just the fact that God guarantees we will reap what we sow is enough to prove that God is sovereign, and as Abraham Lincoln quoted, "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

### God's Discipline of His Own Children

An unbalanced understanding of God's judgment has also birthed a faulty understanding of God's discipline of His own children. The writer of Hebrews states that "those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." He goes on to say, "If you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons" (Heb. 12:6, 8).

In other words, if you've never experienced God's discipline, you're not a member of His family. Yet many professing Christians will scoff at such an idea, stating that our loving God has no part in any negative circumstance—and that God only disciplines us through His Word. In their thinking, God would never afflict a disobedient believer in order to bring him to repentance, even though the New and Old Testaments plainly teach that concept (see Ps. 119: 67; 1 Cor. 11:27-32). If we are blind to God's discipline in our lives, then when His discipline occurs, we'll react by rebuking the devil rather than by repenting of our sins.

Let's adjust our theology to fit the Bible rather than adjust the Bible to fit our theology! Whenever we find ourselves reading God's Word and saying, "That can't mean what it says, because that doesn't fit what I believe," then we're headed for trouble.

### In Conclusion

As we conclude this book's second section, allow me to summarize the major points of the last six chapters.

(1) God has sovereign control over His universe.

(2) God has given every believer authority over Satan so far as his own life is concerned. It is every believer's responsibility to use his God-given authority and resist Satan by believing and acting on God's Word.

(3) God is sovereign over Satan, and Satan can only do what God permits.

(4) God has used and will continue to use Satan as an agent of His wrath.

(5) Satan only has authority to rule over the kingdom of darkness, that is, the domain of all who are not serving Jesus.

(6) God has sovereign control over the forces of nature and over human governments.

With this foundation laid, we can now go on to study the lives of some very important Bible characters who were tested by a loving, holy, sovereign God. Most importantly, we will discover more of how God is working in our lives, so we can fulfill His plan for His glory.

**PART THREE**

**Tried and Found True**

** **

**THIRTEEN**

**SITs, MITs, and DITs**

If you've been a follower of Jesus for very long, you've no doubt discovered that becoming a Christian didn't end all of your problems. In fact, you may have found yourself facing even more difficulties. The fact is, troubles and trials are in your past, present _and_ future, at least until heaven.

So why, exactly, do difficulties periodically (or frequently) assail us? There isn't just one answer to that question.

There are always, of course, those narrow-minded individuals like Job's friends who are willing to set us straight, and who claim that all suffering stems from God's judgment upon individual sin. That kind of uncharitable opinion, however, doesn't pan out in Scripture. Yes, some suffering comes as a result of God's judgment upon sin, but not all of it—as in Job's case for example.

Some suffering (like Job's) comes _not_ as a result of _disobedience_ , but as a result of _obedience_. This is certainly true of believers who are persecuted for their faith. Satan is obviously the driving force behind those evil people who persecute, torture, and kill Christians. But why does God allow it?

There are some folks, as I've mentioned previously, who say that God can't do anything because Satan possesses Adam's lease and is the god of this world, and so on. Hopefully, by now, you've seen enough scriptures to disprove that theory. If God supposedly can't stop the persecution of Christians, then why has He done it on numerous occasions? Why did God allow Stephen and James to be martyred, yet supernaturally release Peter from jail on the eve of his execution?

The Bible is full of stories of God's timely deliverances. How about the incident recorded in the fifth chapter of Acts when all the apostles were thrown in jail and released by an angel? How about the occasion when Paul and Silas were incarcerated and supernaturally released by a God-sent earthquake (see Acts 16:25-27)? And how about the deliverance of the three Hebrew young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace, or the rescue of Daniel from the lion's den, or the time when the whole Jewish nation was saved from annihilation through Esther's intercession? Jesus Himself was supernaturally delivered from a premature death on several occasions.

So why does God sometimes deliver His own people from persecution and other times not? Why did He allow as many as six million Christians to die for their faith during just the first three centuries of the church's history? No one but God really knows the answer. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law" (Deut. 29:29). God is keeping some secrets.

### Three Kinds of Trials

Suffering may stem from God's judgment upon sin. Or, it may stem from Satan's (God-allowed) assaults upon righteousness. But are there any other reasons for our suffering?  Yes, sometimes we suffer because we bring it upon ourselves. Many of our problems are self-inflicted, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. When we eat too much pizza and get sick, we can hardly look for some sinister plot of Satan or some divine purpose from God!

Every difficulty is unique and must be analyzed individually. There are at least three major reasons why difficulties assail us. I've categorized them as SITs, MITs, and DITs (pronounced _sitz_ , _mitz_ and _ditz_ ).

SIT stands for Self-Inflicted Trial.

MIT stands for Maturing/Testing Intended Trial.

DIT stands for Disciplinary Intended Trial.

Let me expand upon all three.

SITs (Self-Inflicted Trials) are the trials we bring upon ourselves because of our own foolishness. I've had my share of them. They serve no real divine purpose except that God allows us to make mistakes in order for us to learn and grow. If God rescued us from every foolish move we made, we'd grow no wiser. Many parents, who have never permitted their children to suffer the consequences of foolish actions, have learned this truth the hard way. Their children enter into adulthood unprepared, having been bailed out of difficult situations all their childhood lives.

We all know what it is like to go through a SIT.  The one consolation is that the more SITs you _have_ gone through the less SITs you _will_ go through (if you learn from the first ones, that is). As it has been said, "Good judgment is often the product of previous poor judgments." We could avoid every SIT if we'd always listen to God and follow His wisdom.

MITs (Maturing/Testing Intended Trials) are those difficulties that God permits to come our way in order to test us or help us to mature spiritually. We've already considered a number of scriptural examples of MITs in this book. You will no doubt remember some of the difficulties the Israelites encountered when wandering in the desert. God's leading them to the bitter waters, for example, would be classified as a MIT. Scripture plainly says that God tested them there (Ex. 15:25).

The incident of the disciples facing a fierce gale as they crossed the Sea of Galilee is another example of a MIT. God gave them an opportunity to exercise their faith. In later chapters, we'll examine some MITs in the lives of well-known Bible characters.

DITs (Disciplinary Intended Trials) are those difficulties God permits to come our way because we are in disobedience to His will. Through them, God is trying to seize our attention in order to bring us to repentance. There are scores of examples of DITs in Scripture.

If you are facing a trial, how can you know if it is a SIT, MIT, or DIT?

SITs should always be easy to identify. A SIT occurs when you have done something foolish and find yourself suffering the consequences. What should you do? Repent for being foolish, and then ask the Lord to help you out of the mess you've made as quickly as possible. Trust Him until you experience your deliverance.[5]

Maybe your trial cannot be labeled a SIT. So either it's a MIT or DIT. The difference between the two is that DITs are the result of discipline upon sin whereas MITs are not. We can (and will) experience MITs even when we are completely obedient to God, such as in Job's case.

If you find yourself in the midst of a DIT, then repent and trust God for deliverance. If you find yourself facing a MIT, then you don't need to repent. Just find one of God's promises that applies to your particular difficulty and trust Him for help or your deliverance, which He will be faithful to perform as you persevere in faith.

### A King's Trials

Let's take a look at the life of a man who once faced two MITs and then a DIT. His name was Asa, better known as King Asa, a former ruler over the nation of Judah.

Asa became king after the death of his father, Abijah, and the Bible record tells us that there was peace during the first ten years of his good rule—something that Judah had not experienced during the corrupt reign of Asa's father:

The land was undisturbed for ten years during his [Asa's] days. And Asa did good and right in the sight of the Lord his God, and he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim [female idols], and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, _because the Lord had given him rest_. For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and _He has given us rest on every side_." So they built and prospered (2 Chron. 14:1-7, emphasis added).

Notice that twice in the above passage, _God_ was the One who was credited for Judah's peace. He granted the nation peace because of the people's obedience to His Law. Under God's blessing, Judah peacefully prospered for ten wonderful years.

That peace was abruptly shattered, however, during the eleventh year of Asa's good reign. Zerah the Ethiopian, along with an army of one million men equipped with three hundred chariots, invaded Judah's territory. Rising to meet the challenge, Asa, with his army of 580,000, went out to meet him.

Judah was outnumbered almost two to one and faced an army that was technologically superior for its day. Imagine the tactical advantage that a man in a chariot has over a man who stands on his feet. The Ethiopians had _three hundred_ chariots. Without a miracle, Judah was about to lose half a million soldiers and be annexed by Ethiopia.

### Believing Brings Blessings

Before the men of Judah went out to battle the Ethiopians, Asa prayed:

Lord, there is no one besides Thee to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we _trust_ in Thee, and in Thy name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee (2 Chron. 14:11, emphasis added).

God answered Asa's prayers:

The Lord routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled....and so many of the Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the Lord, and before His army. And they [the soldiers of Judah] carried away very much plunder. And they destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the Lord had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels (2 Chron. 14:12-15).

Now let's look at this story from God's perspective. He obviously wasn't trying to motivate the people of Judah to repent by means of a trial, so this particular trial wasn't a DIT. In addition, the people of Judah had made no foolish mistakes that triggered an Ethiopian invasion, so this trial wasn't a SIT. This trial, then, was a MIT.

Think about this: God could have stopped the Ethiopians even before they got out of Ethiopia, and He could have done it in a thousand ways. So why didn't He? Because by allowing Ethiopia to invade Judah, an opportunity was provided for the people of Judah to exercise their faith in the Lord. They did, and they were greatly blessed in the end as a result. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but, generally speaking, without trials it is impossible to demonstrate faith.

Again, note that twice in 2 Chronicles 14:6-7 the affirmation is made that _God_ is the one who gave Judah rest from war for the first ten years of Asa's reign. If God gave Judah rest from war for the first ten years, why didn't He give Judah rest in the eleventh year? It could only be because God wanted to bless His people for their obedience. And interestingly enough, _God's blessing came in the form of an Ethiopian invasion_. The people of Judah were much wealthier after their trial. In their case the proverb is true: "The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous" (Prov. 13:22).[6]

It is probably safe to assume that God also used the Ethiopian invasion of Judah as a means of judgment upon Ethiopia. Judah's MIT was Ethiopia's DIT.

### Consider it All Joy

Too often, when we face troubles, we search in vain for some sin we've committed so we can repent and find deliverance. Trials occur, however, when we are obeying God as well as when we are disobeying God. If we face a MIT when we think we are suffering a DIT, we may miss out on a blessing from God, not seeing His sovereign hand of love.

So you lost your job? Rejoice! That means that God must have a better job for you! So you've been laid flat with sickness? Praise God! Think of how many people with whom you can share the testimony of your healing! Others might have their faith encouraged by your testimony and be healed themselves.

Actually, MITs could also be classified as BITs, meaning "Blessing Intended Trials." That is why we should "consider it all joy" (Jas. 1:2) when trials come our way because they are really opportunities for blessings. Beware, however: When we complain or fail to trust God in a MIT—as we will soon learn from Asa's story—we may miss out on the blessings God intends for us to enjoy.

### Back to Asa

After his first great victory over the Ethiopians, and through the encouragement of Azariah the prophet, Asa instituted even more far-reaching reforms in his nation during the next five years of his reign:

Now when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. And they sacrificed to the Lord that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. [The Lord was the Lord of their possessions.] And they entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. Moreover, they made an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with horns. [When people get serious about serving God, their worship tends to become more enthusiastic.] And all Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side (2 Chron. 15:8-15).

Asa's sincere dedication to the Lord was further revealed when he removed his own grandmother from her position as "queen mother" because she had "made a horrid image of an Asherah." The Bible informs us that Asa "cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron" (2 Chron. 15:16). True disciples love their God more than their own relatives.

The final words of this chapter detailing Asa's reforms are, "And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign" (2 Chron. 15:19). So Judah enjoyed at least 24 years of peace after the Ethiopian invasion.

### Asa's Second Trial

Notice again that _the Lord_ was given the credit for this period of peace in verse 15, but as verse 19 intimates, another MIT was on the horizon.

This time, Baasha, king of Israel, prepared to invade Judah. (The kingdom of Israel had been divided years earlier into "Judah" and "Israel.") This time, however, Asa did not trust the Lord as he had years before. Instead, he used the silver and gold from the "treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king's house" to pay Ben-hadad, king of neighboring Syria, to break his covenant with Israel and attack. Ben-hadad obliged, and as a result, Israel ceased its preparations to invade Judah. That is not the end of the story, however, because God was not pleased:

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have _not relied on the Lord your God_ , therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped your hand" (2 Chron. 16:7, emphasis added).

In other words, God would have defeated both Israel _and_ Syria if Asa had trusted God, but Asa actually paid Syria to deliver his nation from Israel. God was going to cause something bad to work together for good for His people. His intention was that they would trust Him and be blessed, just as they had been blessed during the Ethiopian invasion 25 years earlier.

Now think about that. The only reason God permits MITs to come our way is that we might ultimately be blessed. That is why we should "give thanks in everything" and "rejoice always" (1 Thes. 5:16,18). To those who believe, MITs are doors to blessings from God.

Let's read further what God said to Asa:

_ _

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied upon the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the whole earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars (2 Chron. 16:8-9).

I don't know if those future wars would come as SITs or MITs (or possibly even DITs.). They may have come as SITs because the nations surrounding Judah would now have the courage to attack—courage that they never would have gained if Asa had trusted God for a great deliverance. Or, those future invasions may have come as MITs because, as I have stated previously, if you fail one of God's tests, you often get to take the test over.

### Asa's Final Trial

Did Asa repent at God's rebuke? No, tragically he did the equivalent of someone who beats the newspaper boy because he doesn't like the headlines. Asa had Hanani the prophet thrown in prison, and "Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time" (2 Chron. 16:10). It's clear that Asa fell into a backslidden condition.

Of course, Asa's sin didn't go unnoticed by the Lord. Still, He mercifully gave Asa three years to repent. Asa did not repent during those three years, and so Scripture says that in the thirty-ninth year of his reign he "became diseased in his feet" (2 Chron. 16:12). Now _that_ trial was a DIT. God permitted Asa to be afflicted in hopes of bringing him to repentance.

Sadly, Asa still refused to repent.  The Bible tells us that Asa's "disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord but the physicians. So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign" (2 Chron. 16:12-13).

The implication is clear: If Asa had repented at some point during his two years of misery, God would have healed him. Asa's affliction, however, didn't soften him. Rather, it hardened him, and he died before he should have.[7]

**The Lesson**

In review, Asa experienced at least three major trials in his life: two MITs and one DIT. He blew it during the second MIT and got mad at God, which resulted in his DIT.

We must not forget that even DITs are manifestations of God's love for us. Jesus said: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent" (Rev. 3:19).

I am a father of three children, and I love them very much. When they were younger, I disciplined them, and I did it because I loved them. I wanted them to learn to obey God so that they could enjoy His blessings.

God loves us as a Father. If you find yourself suffering in the midst of a trial, I encourage you to seek your Father to find out if you are in the midst of a Self-Inflicted Trial., Maturinig/Testing Intended Trial. or Disciplinary-Intended Trial. If you need to repent and ask the Lord's forgiveness, then do it, and trust God for deliverance. If you don't need to repent of anything, then just start rejoicing. Believe that all things work together for good as a lover of God, and that blessings are on their way! God delights in our faith, and "He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).

# FOURTEEN

# Joseph's Journey

In this and the next few chapters, we'll continue studying some well-known Bible characters whom the Lord tested. Specifically, we'll pay attention to how God tested them in order "to do good to [them] in the end," to borrow Moses' words (Deut. 8:16). God planned a divine destiny for each one to fulfill, just as He has a divine destiny planned for you to fulfill. All of them, however, fulfilled their destinies only after first being tested. It won't be any different in that respect for you and me.

Joseph, whose story covers 11 chapters in the book of Genesis, is first on our list. I suspect you are familiar with his story, but did you know Scripture states that God tested him?

And He [God] called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters; he himself was laid in irons; until the time that his word came to pass, _the word of the Lord tested him_ (Ps. 105:16-19, emphasis added).

As a teenager, Joseph was given a glimpse of his future by means of two divinely-given dreams. They foretold of a time when his brothers and father would bow before him. Even so, Joseph's divine destiny far exceeded anything that he ever anticipated because of his dreams. God chose to exalt him to preserve the lives of many people, including those of his own family so that the promised seed of Abraham, the Savior, might one day be born on the earth. Beyond that, Joseph would unknowingly prefigure that future Savior, paralleling Jesus' story in amazing ways, offering further proof to all sincere seekers that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

### Humiliation Before Exaltation

From reading his story, we know that it was Joseph's destiny to become prime minister over all of Egypt, the world's super-power at the time. None of us, however, would have ever suspected the means that God would use to exalt him to that high position. Often, God's way up is first down. Joseph's descent began soon after he was born. Because he was his father's favored son, his brothers hated him, and they hated him even more when he innocently shared his prophetic dreams. They eventually sold him to a band of Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and Joseph found himself in fetters and on his way to Egypt. Hardly sounds like the road to regal rulership!

It wasn't God, of course, who motivated Joseph's brothers to treat him so cruelly, but there is no doubt that He permitted them to do so. The Lord would use it for good in two ways. First, Joseph would be geographically located in the country in which God would exalt him. Second, God would use Joseph's sufferings to mold him, preparing him to be a leader and savior.

Joseph was no superman, and I can't imagine that he didn't become bitter towards his brothers—as anyone in his shoes would have. I also can't imagine that he didn't question God as to why He allowed his brothers to get away with their dastardly deed. Eventually, however, he gained victory over any bitterness as he began to realize God's sovereign hand at work in all his circumstances. I suspect that when he did, he wished he would have simply trusted from the start that the Lord was "causing all things to work together for good" (Rom. 8:28).

Chances are, you can relate to Joseph—you've had people selfishly use you, damage your reputation, or stab you in the back. Has it made you bitter or better? (I once heard it said that the difference between bitter and better is the letter "I.")

Let's learn from Joseph. Never lose sight of the fact that whatever happened to you could never have happened if God hadn't permitted it. And don't forget that He loves you dearly. If you love Him, He promised to cause all things to work together for your good (see Rom. 8:28), just as he did for Joseph. So you can, by faith, rejoice.

Before and as God's plan unfolds, you should imitate Him, showing mercy to those who have mistreated you. You can pray for them as Jesus commanded (Luke 6:28), and if God brings them to repentance as He did in the case of Joseph's brothers, you can then forgive them, just as God forgives those who repent. Mercy keeps the door of forgiveness open to all offenders, but repentance is required for offenders to walk through that door to realize reconciliation. It was not until Joseph's brothers repented that he forgave them and they were reconciled.

May I also suggest that you make certain you have a valid complaint against someone before you classify that person as an offender. The truth may not be what you think. You may have initially offended your offender. That's one reason Jesus told us to confront any offending brothers privately (see Matt. 18:15).

### Tests Two and Three

In Egypt, Joseph was purchased by an officer named Potiphar and became his slave. That was Joseph's next test. Would he abandon his faith in God? Or would he trust that Potiphar was God's ordained authority over him whom he should faithfully serve? Joseph chose the latter.

I wonder, however, how many of us have found ourselves in somewhat similar circumstances as did Joseph, but have never passed that particular test, chafing under some God-ordained authority.

God is looking for people who are willing to be servants at the bottom (see Luke 22:26). Those who are unwilling disqualify themselves to be leaders. How can God entrust us with much if we haven't been found faithful with little? Joseph certainly passed his second test. He was faithful to Potiphar as his slave, and Potiphar entrusted him with all his household, recognizing God's blessing upon him. _God blesses those who serve._

Soon, however, there was a dramatic turn of events and yet another test for Joseph. Potiphar's wife, bitter at Joseph for resisting her sexual advances, falsely accused him before her husband, and he had Joseph thrown into prison. I'm sure he was tempted to complain to the Lord, "So this is what I get for obeying You? If I would have committed adultery, I would still be working for Potiphar!"

There is no biblical record of Joseph's griping, however. Rather, he was once again found faithful even in prison, and the chief jailer soon put him in charge of all the other prisoners. You just can't keep a good man down!

Again, God did not orchestrate all those difficulties in Joseph's life, nor did He inspire anyone to mistreat him. Yet He did permit Joseph's circumstances and used them all for good.

Again may I ask, how many of us have found ourselves in circumstances beyond our control, but instead of remaining faithful and trusting God, have complained and lost faith? How many potential Josephs are reading this right now who have stalled their spiritual progress by allowing circumstances to push them away from God rather than draw them nearer? If that sounds like you, you can follow Joseph's example, pass your test, and watch your circumstances ultimately change.

### Test Four

Joseph faced yet another major test when he interpreted the dream of Pharaoh's incarcerated chief cupbearer and requested him to entreat Pharaoh on his behalf. Once that cupbearer was restored to his position as Joseph had foretold him, he forgot about Joseph. As a result, Joseph spent two more full years in prison. Think about that. Two more years!

Surely Joseph was tempted to harbor bitterness toward that cupbearer, and surely he was tempted to question God: "Why did You supernaturally help the cupbearer to be released from prison and not me? Why did you give me revelation about his immediate future but not my own immediate future?"

I'm sure you know the end of the story. God eventually gave Pharaoh a dream that Joseph interpreted, and he was consequently exalted to prime minister over Egypt. How old was Joseph when he first caught a glimpse of his divine destiny? Around age seventeen. How old was he when he was exalted in Egypt? Thirty (see Gen. 41:46).

Joseph's journey from slave to prime minister took thirteen years, and another seven years would pass before his brothers arrived from Canaan wanting to buy grain. _Joseph's first divinely-granted dream of his brothers bowing before him was fulfilled twenty years after the dream._ Two years later, his second dream was fulfilled when his father arrived in Egypt.

### The Proper Perspective

At age 49 Joseph was again approached by his brothers who, after the death of their father Jacob, were afraid that he would take revenge against them for their past misdeeds. Joseph's classic response is an inspiration:

Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, _but God meant it for good_ in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive (Gen. 50:19-20, emphasis added).

Earlier he had told his brothers: "It was not you who sent me here, but God" (Gen. 45:8). That's grace!

Joseph knew God didn't inspire his brothers to mistreat him, but he recognized God's sovereign hand in his life. God had permitted it all for a divine purpose.

Like Joseph, the Lord has a unique role for you to fill in His divine plan, "good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). He wants all of us to mature unto the full stature of Christ and find our special function in the body of Christ. God is working to that end. Are you cooperating?

** **

### One of the Bible's Most Precious Promises

Let me close this chapter by making one more mention of the promise, "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

It is unfortunate that some (whom I've earlier labeled the "hyper-sovereignists") have taken this scripture to the extreme by saying that God _causes_ all things, which it doesn't say.

It is just as unfortunate that others (whom I've earlier labeled the "non-sovereignists") have reacted against the hyper-sovereignistic view with another extreme opinion on this wonderful promise. Some of them, trying to wriggle out of the clear meaning of this verse, have devised a strained interpretation, claiming that it is speaking solely about intercessory prayer.

If we take Romans 8:28 in its full context, however, it obviously has application to much more than intercession. I encourage you to read the eleven verses preceding Romans 8:28 and the eleven verses following it in order to see what I mean.

For example, verses 17 and 18 state:

And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, _if indeed we suffer with Him_ in order that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that _the sufferings of this present time_ are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:17-18, emphasis added).

Let's also read verses 33 through 39:

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? _Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword_? Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:33-39, emphasis added).

Within the context, what did Paul mean when he said, "God causes all things to work together for good"? He meant just what he said—God causes all things to work together for good, even things that don't seem to be good, such as hardships, suffering and persecutions. Even when we are "slaughtered like sheep," we "overwhelmingly conquer," as we immediately find ourselves in God's presence.

Notice that the promise doesn't say that God _causes_ all things, or that all things are good. The devil and his people cause many things, and many things are not good. God does, however, cause all things to work together for good, that is, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Once we believe that amazing promise, life takes on a whole new dimension. Circumstances are no longer just circumstantial—they are God-granted opportunities to grow spiritually. Adversities are no longer just adversities—they are opportunities to trust God's Word and believe in His goodness. When you can see God's sovereign hand working for your ultimate good, life becomes an adventure.

** **

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# FIFTEEN

# David's Destiny

David, the son of Jesse, was divinely destined to be king of Israel, and God revealed His plan to him when he was just a young, shepherd boy.

If David was divinely destined to be a king, is it possible that he also was destined to first be a shepherd? Or did God leave the first thirty years of David's life up to chance? Was the Lord just waiting until the shepherd boy reached the age when he would fulfill his divine destiny to be king?

When we look at his story, we soon realize that _all_ of David's life was a preparation for kingship. Beginning as a shepherd was certainly appropriate training for one who would one day shepherd the flock of God.

Let's apply this to ourselves. Often, what we perceive as wasted periods are actually part of God's training process—periods that prepare us for His ultimate purpose for our lives. They, too, are divinely-destined. They are not wasted. God can use even our mistakes to better equip us for the "good works which [He] prepared beforehand" (Eph. 2:10).

So how did God prepare David for the big challenges he would face one day as king? Just as you may have guessed. He used the same method He used to prepare Israel to take Canaan and by the same method He used to train Jesus' twelve disciples. God permitted small difficulties to challenge David as a shepherd. He was tested.

We know that as a boy David had an opportunity to exercise his faith at least twice when he fought with a lion and a bear to protect his flock (see 1 Sam. 17:34-36). Could God have stopped that lion and bear before they got near enough to stalk David's sheep? Of course He could have, but He didn't because He was preparing David for the greater challenges that He would ultimately face.

David's next trial recorded for us in Scripture was a giant one—literally! It wasn't so much his skill with a sling and stone that brought down Goliath. Rather, it was his faith. Every challenge we face can serve as a stepping stone or a stumbling block. It all depends on if we will trust God or not.

### Learning From the Mistakes of a King

David was providentially placed in service at King Saul's palace so he could learn firsthand the evil effects of unrestrained jealousy and the corrupting influence that power can have on those who are not submitted to God. No textbook or university education could compare with what David learned by watching King Saul in action.

On several occasions, David barely escaped with his life as jealous Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. Only those who know danger can learn to trust God for protection in danger. Later, David spent years in the wilderness running for his life from Saul. He learned more valuable lessons about trusting God and the corrupting influence that power can possess. All these things "worked together for good" to prepare David to fulfill his divine destiny.

In God's sovereign plan, David suffered significantly during those years, and the majority of his sufferings were entirely unjust. David didn't deserve the relentless, unkind treatment he received from Saul, whom he had served so well. But did God have a purpose in permitting it? It must be that David was being prepared. Once we've suffered under corrupt leaders, we're more apt to be incorruptible when God promotes us to a place of leadership.

I have many friends who are ministers, and most of them it seems have a story to tell about suffering under the power of some semi-corrupt church board or senior pastor during the early years of their ministries. Only God knows of the many men and women who are not in the ministry today because they grew bitter over being mistreated early in their ministries. They disqualified themselves from being promoted because they quit when the going got rough. _If God has permitted a corrupt person in authority to mistreat you, it may be because He is preparing you for leadership_. Perhaps God is teaching you not to be corrupt when your time of promotion arrives.

### Character Tests and Blunders

David was given the opportunity to take his own revenge against Saul on two occasions when he was fleeing in the wilderness. Both times, however, he mercifully spared Saul's life, returning good for evil. What a test of his character those incidents were! We, too, are commanded to be merciful, just as God is merciful (see Luke 6:36). How can we expect God to promote us if we are not?

David wasn't perfect, of course, and he once doubted God as he grew weary of running from Saul. Even though David fully knew that God had promised to exalt him one day to be king, we read of him once saying, "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul" (1 Sam. 27:1). That doesn't sound like faith, does it? David then made the mistake of going to live in the territory of the Philistines for a year and four months. The resulting troubles he faced taught him important lessons about compromising his faith in God. He also learned about God's abundant mercy (see 1 Sam. 27:1 - 30:20 for all the details).

Again, let's apply this to ourselves. When we error, we sometimes feel as if we've ruined all of God's plans for our lives. As a result, we carry regrets with us for years. David's blunder, however, did not thwart God's plan to make him king. God knew David would make his mistake before he was even born, and God could have easily prevented it, but He didn't. God would use David's error to better prepare him to fulfill his divine destiny. David would learn and grow and ultimately be a better king for it.

Our mistakes are no different. God knew we would make them, and He could have prevented them. Even before you were born, however, He prepared a plan to redeem your mistakes and use them to ultimately help you fulfill your divine destiny. Bury your regrets and thank God that He is causing "all things to work together for good" (Rom. 8:28)!

### Pass the Test, and be Blessed

** **

Finally, after the death of Saul, David was exalted to be king of Israel. God's promise was fulfilled. He, like Joseph, was exalted at age 30 after approximately 15 years of preparation, 15 years of MITs (Maturing/Testing Intended Trials) and SITs (Self-Inflicted Trials), as we defined those different kinds of trials in an earlier chapter. David testified that the Lord had tested him:

Thou hast tried my heart; Thou hast visited me by night; Th _ou hast tested me_ and dost find nothing (Ps. 17:3, emphasis added).

David also wrote in another psalm that God tests all of us:

The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids _test_ the sons of men. The Lord _tests_ the righteous and the wicked (Ps. 11:4-5a, emphasis added).

How does this apply to your life? You may not be called to be a king, but you are called to do something that is uniquely yours to fulfill. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10).

Wouldn't it be tragic to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and hear Him say, "You never fulfilled My plan for your life. Certain specific good works that I called you to walk in were left undone. Had you obeyed, it could have resulted in blessings for yourself and others."

Ideally when we stand before Jesus, if we have obeyed His calling upon our lives, we will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master" (Matt. 25:21).

God will indeed reward us according to our faithfulness. What does it mean to be faithful? It means to keep going even when you feel like quitting. No one ever said, "I've been faithful to enjoy ice cream for my dessert every night for a week!" No, being faithful implies a temptation to be unfaithful. It means hanging in there when you feel like abandoning ship.

**David's DIT**

David later experienced a DIT (Disciplinary Intended Trial) when he sinned so grievously, committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging for the murder of her husband. It cost him dearly as God brought him to repentance and disciplined him. Hopefully many other people have avoided DITs from reading about the consequences of David's sin. That is, no doubt, the reason so many DITs are recorded in Scripture. They are "written for our instruction" (1 Cor. 10:11).

How can we avoid DITs? By simply being obedient. How can we always avoid SITs (Self-Inflicted Trials)? By always using godly wisdom. But is there any way we can avoid facing MITs? No, as long as God loves us and we are on the earth, Maturing/Testing Intended Trials will be part of our experience.

### The Pruning of the Father

** **

Before I close this chapter, let's take a look at a very applicable passage of Scripture, right from the lips of Jesus:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that does bear fruit; He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:1-2).

If we are going to mature spiritually, we are going to be pruned by the Father, because as we just read, He prunes _every_ branch that bears fruit.

What does it mean to be "pruned by the Father"? Obviously there is some symbolic meaning that Jesus is trying to convey. We want to be careful that we don't take the symbolism too far by saying that our pruning always happens once every spring, and so on. At the same time, we don't want to ignore the Lord's obvious reason for choosing the analogy of the vine and vinedresser.

At bare minimum, Jesus wants us to understand that to prune a vine, branches must be cut off if the vine is to reach its greatest potential to bear fruit. The untrained observer who watches the vinedresser and who has no understanding of the pruning process might think the vinedresser is making a big mistake. It may seem that, by cutting off branches, the vine will bear much less fruit. The vinedresser, however, knows better. An unpruned vine will produce fruit, but a pruned vine will produce more fruit and fruit of higher quality.

And for that very reason, we must be pruned. When we are, it may look at first as if we are going to bear less fruit than in the past. If, however, we will patiently trust God, we will eventually understand what God is doing. The process will result in greater fruit in our lives.

There are probably a thousand different ways through which God accomplishes His pruning process in the lives of His children. If you've read all of the previous chapters in this book, you have at least some idea as to how He might do it. He is dedicated to our spiritual growth, and He prunes all of us who are bearing any fruit. The Bible promises, "It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13), and "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6). Pruning is part of that process.

** **

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# SIXTEEN

# Paul's Path

But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles... (Gal. 1:15-16a).

Paul, first known as Saul of Tarsus, was another person of divine destiny, just like you. His specific calling was to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

You may not be called to plant churches, but as a member of Christ's body, you are called to do something. Therefore, like Paul, you can say that you were "set apart from your mother's womb" for a divine purpose. The circumstances of your life have not occurred by pure chance.

I'm afraid that too many Christians have a sub-biblical view of their existence. If you ask them, "Why are you here?" they respond with something like, "When two people are married, they usually have babies. I was one of those babies born into the world." They see themselves as a number—another product off the assembly line. Such a sub-biblical view leads to a sub-biblical life. What a tragedy it is for any Christian to live a mundane, purposeless life, ignorant of the special purpose for which he or she was created (and re-created).

### The Unsaved Apostle Paul

** **

Although Paul was set apart from his mother's womb to be an apostle to the Gentiles, when we are first introduced to him in Acts 7, do we find him fulfilling his calling, preaching to the Gentiles? Not exactly. Rather, we find him holding the coats of the folks who were stoning Stephen—the church's first martyr. At that point, Paul was a very zealous, yet misdirected young Pharisee and a persecutor of the church. He wasn't exactly fulfilling his divine destiny. God, however, knew how to get his attention and enlighten him as well. After being struck down by a blinding light on the road to Damascus, Paul wisely decided to cooperate with God from then on (see Acts 9:1-7).

Shortly thereafter, God began to reveal to Paul the destiny that he was to fulfill. When Ananias, whom God commissioned to go and lay his hands on Paul, understandably protested that Paul was not the kind of person whom Christians wanted to be near, God said to him:

Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake"(Acts. 9:15-16).

There you have Paul's divine destiny in a nutshell. He was destined to bear Jesus' name before (primarily) the Gentiles, (secondarily) kings, and (thirdly) the Jews. As a result, he would suffer a great deal for the cause of Christ. If you know his story, you know that exactly what God said is what came to pass.

### Instant Apostles?

** **

How long did it take Paul to fulfill his divine destiny? _The rest of his life_. He began his spiritual journey as a believer who shared with others what God had done for him (see Acts 9:19-22), which is the starting place for all of us.

Even as a young Christian, Paul did a very convincing job proving from Scripture that Jesus was the Messiah. He was so effective, in fact, that some Jews in Damascus schemed to ambush and kill him. Upon discovery of their plot, Paul's converts lowered him over the city wall of Damascus at night, and he escaped. I suspect that episode helped prepare Paul for the larger trials he would later face.

According to Paul's own narrative, after escaping from Damascus he left for Arabia, and later returned to Damascus. Three years after his conversion, he traveled to Jerusalem and stayed with Peter for about two weeks. Following another threat on his life, he traveled to Syria and Cilicia (see Gal. 1:15-21; Acts 9:28-30; 22:17-18). Fourteen years later, he went to Jerusalem again (see Gal. 2:1; that visit was either the one recorded in Acts 11:29-30 or 15:2).

Paul continued preaching all this time, and, according to Acts 13:1, sometime during those initial years he was called to the ministry of a prophet and a teacher. Then, during a prayer meeting in Antioch, he was directed by the Lord to begin his apostolic ministry (see Acts 13:1-2; 14:14).

How much time passed from Paul's conversion until he entered into his apostolic ministry? Scholars are divided on the answer because the scriptural chronology is somewhat unclear, but as I see it, the absolute minimum time would be eleven years. It could have been possibly fourteen, or more. Paul was promoted as he was found faithful, which is true of anyone else who works for God.

Paul later wrote to Timothy:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, _because He considered me faithful_ , putting me into service (1 Tim. 1:12, emphasis added).

In order for a person to be found faithful, he _must_ of necessity be tested. Accordingly, Paul also wrote to the Thessalonians:

For our exhortation does not come from deceit or uncleanness, nor was it in guile. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who _tests_ our hearts (1 Thes. 2:3-4, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice Paul said that God had tested his heart, he had been approved, and he therefore had been entrusted with the gospel. You can be certain that Paul was tested in the same manner that Israel, Joseph, David, and Jesus' twelve disciples were tested. _He was tested in trials and temptations._

### God's Refining Pot

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 17:3: "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts."

What is the similarity between refining silver and gold and the Lord testing hearts? When silver and gold are refined, they are heated up until the impurities rise to the surface. Then the dross is scraped off, leaving behind purer metal.

It is in the fire that the pureness of gold and silver are determined, and the same is true for us. If you want to know how much faith a person has, put him in a place of difficulty. If you want to know how much love a person has, put him in a place where people hate him. If you want to know how much patience a person has, put him in a place where he will be tempted to be impatient. If you want to know how devoted a person's heart is to God, watch him when he is tempted to sin. If we understood this, we would realize that we're being tested all the time.

Let us ask ourselves, "When the impurities in me rise to the surface during those times in the furnace, do I recognize them and scrape them off, or do those impurities just settle back into me when things cool down, leaving behind the same vessel?"

I once heard an elderly pastor relate some of his experiences in the first church he pastored. After every service, a certain carping old lady would criticize his sermon as she shook his hand in the back of the church. "You were dangling your participles today, pastor," she would say, and so on.

That elderly pastor said that he constantly had two prayer requests that he made to the Lord each day: (1) "Lord, please make me more like Jesus" and (2) "Please remove that obnoxious lady from my church!" (Most pastors can relate.)

One day the Lord spoke to him after he reiterated those requests and said, _I'm answering your first prayer by not answering your second prayer. I'm using that lady to help you become more like Jesus._ Furthermore the Lord said to him, _I've trained several young pastors through that lady._

_ _

### Back to the Apostle Paul

** **

It took Paul as many as fourteen years from the time his divine destiny was revealed to him until the time he was commissioned as an apostle—the very thing that God had destined for him even before he was born. Isn't it interesting that Joseph and David (whom we considered in previous chapters) also experienced approximately the same time span between revelation of their calling and the beginning of the fulfillment? Like them, Paul first had to be found faithful, just as he said in his first letter to the Corinthians:

Let a man regard us in this manner, as stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy (1 Cor. 4:1-2).

If I had a million dollars, and you were my steward, I wouldn't entrust all of my money to you. I might first entrust you with one hundred dollars to see how you handled it. If you invested it wisely and earned me a profit, I'd be inclined to entrust you with more—perhaps five hundred dollars. If you brought me a good return on that, I'd entrust you with more. Still, it would be a few years before I'd entrust you with all my money! God, of course, is at least that wise. And He'll similarly test us to see if we can be trusted.

As Paul was found faithful, God entrusted him with more and more responsibility and gifting. Many years after he entered into his apostolic calling, God anointed Paul to an even greater degree:

And God was performing _extraordinary_ miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out (Acts. 19:11-12, emphasis added).

How many people do you know whom God is supernaturally using to that degree? I'm not claiming that God wills that all of His children be used to the same degree as the apostle Paul. I am persuaded, however, that there are _some_ of God's children who are called to be supernatural church planters, and it _is_ their divine destiny to be used like Paul—if they will remain faithful and pass the tests that come their way.

### The Final Years of Paul's Ministry

** **

Up until the 24th chapter of Acts, Paul had not yet been given the opportunity to "testify before kings" as God had revealed to Ananias a few days after Paul's conversion. Beginning in Acts 19, however, Paul began to take some Spirit-led steps that eventually opened up an audience for him before a number of kings, and ultimately even to Nero himself. As Roman Emperor, Nero would have been considered as high as anyone could go.

After Paul had met with much success preaching in the city of Ephesus, the record of the book of Acts tells us:

Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome" (Acts 19:21).

Notice that Paul "purposed in the spirit," meaning that he knew in his spirit that God was leading him to travel through Macedonia and Achaia, then to Jerusalem and ultimately on to Rome. And that is the course he obediently followed.

On his way to Jerusalem, after spending several months in Macedonia and Achaia, Paul stopped near Ephesus and delivered his farewell sermon to the pastors there:

And now, behold, _bound in spirit_ , I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, _in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus_ , to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God (Acts. 20:22-24, emphasis added).

Notice Paul declared that he was "bound in spirit." That means the Holy Spirit through his own spirit was compelling him to go to Jerusalem. He had an inward conviction, which is how God leads all of His children. He also said that he really didn't know what would happen to him when he arrived there, but that in every city in which he stopped as he traveled toward Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit was foretelling him that bonds and afflictions awaited him there.

We have a perfect example of exactly what Paul was talking about in Acts 21. When his ship landed at Tyre, he stayed with the disciples for seven days. The Bible says that those disciples "kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem" (Acts 21:4).

Should we assume that the Holy Spirit was trying to warn Paul not to go to Jerusalem? No, not if we read that verse in context of all the other relevant verses in Acts. The Holy Spirit was leading Paul to go to Jerusalem, but the disciples in Tyre sensed by the Holy Spirit that when Paul arrived in Jerusalem that "bonds and afflictions" awaited him there. From a natural standpoint, however, they didn't want their beloved Paul to suffer. _William's_ translation says it this way: "Because of impressions made by the Spirit they kept warning Paul..."

Again, that is a perfect example of what Paul meant when he said that in every city the Holy Spirit testified that bonds and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem. Christians who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit sometimes receive certain revelations, but they then add their own interpretations to these revelations, just like the believers of Tyre did.

Paul also stopped in at Philip the evangelist's house in the port of Caesarea. While he was there, a well-respected prophet named Agabus came down from Judea:

And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles'" (Acts 21:11).

Once again the Holy Spirit was testifying that bonds and afflictions awaited Paul in Jerusalem. Notice that Agabus did not say, "Therefore, Paul, the Lord says that you are not to go to Jerusalem." No, the Holy Spirit was only confirming to Paul one more time what he had perceived in his spirit months before.

Of course, when everyone in Philip's house heard what Agabus predicted, they begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Paul responded: "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

Luke then adds his commentary, "And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, 'The will of the Lord be done!'" (Acts 21:13-14).

Paul, of course, knew he wouldn't die in Jerusalem because God had already told him he would go to Rome after he'd been to Jerusalem (as we have already read).

God was leading Paul to a place that would result in hardship, but He had a divine purpose. Paul's divine destiny was to testify before kings. How could a person in Paul's day get an audience with Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Nero? Would he knock on the palace door and say to the guard, "I'm here to share the gospel with the king. Does he have an hour that he can spare?" Hardly. The only way one could have opportunity to share the gospel with the king was if God gave one the opportunity. That is exactly what God was going to do for Paul.

Unfortunately, some have a hard time accepting this. They think God would never lead us into a situation that would result in hardship. Unless God takes us first class, they are sure it isn't God who is leading! We need to accept the fact that our own personal comfort is much less important than the need of the lost to hear the gospel. Furthermore, God can use adversity to perfect us. He obviously knew full well the suffering that Paul would endure; He knew it before Paul was born—but He still led him to go to Jerusalem.

### Paul Arrives

As he had been warned, affliction awaited Paul in Jerusalem. A Jewish riot started several days after he arrived, and the rioters would have killed him except for the timely arrival of a Roman commander on the scene. No doubt Paul had peace through it all, having been so well-warned in advance.

A few nights later, while Paul was being held in Roman barracks, Jesus personally visited him and told him, "Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also" (Acts. 23:11).

Take note that Jesus did not say, "Paul, what are you doing here in Jerusalem? I tried to warn you not to come here! Now look at the trouble you've gotten yourself into!" No, Paul was in God's will, and he _had_ heard from God months ago when he felt impressed that he would go to Rome.

Now let's think about this particular story for a moment. Jesus got into those Roman barracks where Paul was being held, and He also got out of those Roman barracks. No demon or devil could stop Him. Do you suppose Jesus could have released Paul from those barracks? Jesus had previously supernaturally freed Paul and others from various prison cells (see Acts 5:17-21, 12:1-11, 16:25-30). Yet Jesus didn't free Paul this time. Why not? _Because that is where He wanted Paul._ Behind the scenes, Jesus was arranging for Paul to testify before a few kings—to fulfill his divine destiny.

This helps us understand why God spoke to Paul through such spectacular means, namely, through a prophet and also a visitation by Jesus. When God speaks to us through spectacular means, it is because He knows we'll need the extra assurance of spectacular guidance to bring us through the hardships we'll face.

Paul was held in Jerusalem for a short time and then was moved to Caesarea, where he was held for two years. During that time, however, he was given opportunity to witness of Christ before governor Felix and his successor, governor Festus. Finally, he proclaimed the gospel before King Agrippa and his wife Bernice, which resulted in his being sent to Rome at the expense of the Roman Empire to testify before Caesar.

Do you suppose that Paul sat around and sulked while he was under arrest in Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome? No, he made the most of his circumstances, fellowshipping with the Lord, sharing his faith with the other prisoners and penning letters we still read today. It was during that time in his ministry that Paul wrote:

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear (Phil. 1:12-14).

Now there's a guy who believed that "all things work together for good"! (He should have, since he's the one who originally coined the phrase.)

What about the suffering he had to endure? Paul had a wonderful (and absolutely proper) attitude about that:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.... For momentary, light affliction is _producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison_ (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17, emphasis added).

Glory be! When we suffer for the sake of the gospel, it just means we will have all that much more reward in heaven! Jesus promised:

Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and heap insults upon you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, _your reward is great in heaven_ (Luke 6:22-23, emphasis added).

### On to Rome

** **

I'm assuming you know Paul's story. If you don't, I encourage you to read the last seven chapters of the book of Acts. Paul was put on a ship for Rome and perceived in his spirit that the ship was in danger unless it harbored immediately before the winter arrived. The ship's captain wouldn't listen to him, and his ship was soon caught in a violent storm. The crew jettisoned all the cargo and waited to see what fate would bring them.

Thankfully, at least one man on board knew that he was on the path of his divine destiny. So he stood before the rest to reassure them:

Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete, and incurred this damage and loss. And yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those you are sailing with you." Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God, that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on a certain island (Acts 27:21-26).

Paul boarded that ship as a prisoner, but by the end he was acting like the captain!

If God could save the lives of everyone on board that ship, do you suppose He could have stopped that storm? Of course He could have.

I know some will say He couldn't because Jesus gave His authority to the church. All right, let's say you are correct (which you aren't), and God couldn't have stopped the storm because He gave His authority to the church. But let me ask you: Why then didn't Paul use _his_ authority and rebuke the wind and the waves? Or why didn't the angel tell him to rebuke the storm, rather than tell him that they were going to lose their ship and run aground on a certain island?

Is it possible that God didn't stop the storm or give Paul supernatural faith to rebuke it because there were some people on an island whom He wanted to hear the gospel? That is, incidentally, exactly what happened. Just as the angel had told Paul, their ship ran aground on a reef, was destroyed by the force of the waves, and all 276 people on board either swam or floated on the ship's planks to the shores of the island of Malta.

If you look at a map of the Mediterranean Sea, you'll see that from a natural standpoint, there is about a one-in-fifty chance of a west-blown ship landing on Malta. (One more proof that God is sovereign over the wind.)

Once ashore, Paul was bitten by a deadly snake while gathering firewood, but he miraculously suffered no ill-effects. He didn't have to worry about dying because God had promised him that he would see Rome. The result was that the people of Malta thought Paul was a god, which gave him an opportunity to pray for the ailing father of the island's chief, who was consequently healed by the Lord.

The end result was that all the sick people on Malta came to Paul requesting that he pray for them, and they too were healed. Although the Bible doesn't give us all the details, there is little doubt that quite a few native Maltese, as well as many of Paul's sailing partners, came to know Jesus as their Lord. Once again, Paul could say that his "circumstances had turned out for the greater progress of the gospel" (Phil. 1:12), even though his circumstances (the shipwreck and the snakebite) could certainly have been viewed as tragic. Yet God had caused "all things to work together for good."

I'm persuaded that God will cause all things, even bad things, to work together for good in our lives as well if we'll cooperate with His plan and trust Him. We must, however, look beyond the circumstances, the adversity, the devil, and selfish people—to God who is in sovereign control.

### Destiny Fulfilled

Paul was one who fulfilled his divine destiny. A few years before his martyrdom, as we have already read, he declared during his farewell sermon to the Ephesian elders:

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, _in order that I may finish my course_ , and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus (Acts. 20:24, emphasis added).

It seems that even then Paul realized his divine destiny included martyrdom. He wrote to the Philippians:

That I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, _whether by life or by death_ (Phil. 1:20, emphasis added).

Finally, while being held in Rome, Paul penned these words:

The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, _I have finished the course_ , I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:6b-8, emphasis added).

Will you be able to say at the time of your departure from this earth that you have finished the course God planned for your life? Will you have realized your divine destiny? How will you answer the great Judge when He asks you on that day, " _Did you follow My plans for your life or your own?_ "

# SEVENTEEN

# Job's Test

Some Christians prefer to ignore or avoid the book of Job because it challenges or perhaps contradicts their theology. We must be humble enough to admit, however, that when our theology contradicts the Bible, it isn't the Bible that needs to be changed—it's our theology. Surely God doesn't want us to ignore _any_ book of the Bible, much less one that contains 42 chapters.

Job experienced one of the most severe trials that any person has ever faced. His was a MIT—a Maturing/Testing Intended Trial. Job's friends, however, considered his trials to be DITs—Disciplinary Intended Trials. In their minds, all suffering is a manifestation of God's judgment upon sin, so they assumed Job must have sinned grievously to deserve such severe suffering. Job himself was baffled as to why he was being afflicted. We, however, have a supreme advantage over Job and his faultfinding friends because we have the book of Job to read. There we find the reason why bad things happened to a good man:

Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels?] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And 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." And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered [literally, 'set your heart to'] 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." Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will curse Thee to Thy face." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord (Job 1:6-12).

So we know why Job was afflicted. Satan accused Job of serving God only because of the blessings he received. Supposedly, according to Satan, if God didn't bless Job so much, Job would stop serving Him, and he'd curse God to His face. As a result, Job was tested, and God permitted Satan to take away practically every blessing Job had ever received. Satan (through various means) killed Job's livestock, his children, and most of his servants. He lost everything except his wife and his health. What a test! Our hearts go out to Job when we read his story.

When Job learned of his horrible tragedies, did he curse God? No, amazingly, he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord, saying, "The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Job passed his test with flying colors. Who among us would have done as well?

Obviously Job had no idea that Satan was the one who actually did the taking away, but at least he recognized the sovereign hand of God. His trials could never have happened without God's permission, as we have been reading from the Scriptures.

### Job's Second Trial

Some amount of time passed, and again Satan appeared before God:

And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered [literally 'set your heart to'] 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 _without cause_." And Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse Thee to Thy face." So the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life." 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 (Job 2:3-7, emphasis added).

Still Job didn't react as Satan predicted. Even when his wife encouraged him to curse God, Job said, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not adversity?" (Job 2:10). Job passed his second test. He never cursed God.

I think that it is important to take note that when Satan accused Job of only serving God because of what God did for him, the Lord did not reply, "So what if that is why Job serves Me? It doesn't matter to Me!" Obviously, God does not want us to serve Him solely because of the blessings we receive. We should obey God because He is God, regardless of any promised rewards. Perhaps we should ask ourselves how we would react if we were tested to the degree that Job was. How many people have become angry at God as a result of lesser trials?

### Was Job to Blame for His Trials?

Some well-meaning folks who want to exonerate God in this story try to place the blame on Job for all his troubles. If we can find some flaw in Job, then we can let God "off the hook." We need to be careful, however, when we start looking for flaws in a man about whom God Himself said, "There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil" (Job 1:8). In God's eyes, Job was #1 on the planet!

Some have suggested that Job "opened the door to Satan" through his fear. Because Job once said, "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me" (Job 3:25), they lay the blame on his "negative confession." If Job hadn't have been afraid, they claim, he never would have lost his children, servants, health, and livestock.

If Job opened the door to Satan through his fear, however, we must wonder what the point is of the first two chapters of the book of Job. Why did Satan have to appear before God and obtain His permission before he afflicted Job?

And if Job was full of fear (and not faith), why would God brag about him as the one person on the earth who stood out among all the rest? Especially when we know that "without faith, it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6)? Job was a man of much greater faith than the average person, as demonstrated by the fact that he worshiped God after being afflicted. How many of us would have lost all faith in God if we had been in Job's place?

If Job's fear was the reason for his affliction, did he become _more_ fearful after his first test and, therefore, open the door wider to lose his health?

If Job opened the door through fear, why did God or Satan never mention that fact?

If Job opened the door through fear, why didn't the loving God tell him so he could resist Satan and not be afflicted? Or why didn't God mention to Job that he opened the door through fear during the final chapters when He spoke directly to Job? Foremost, why did God say to Satan, "You incited Me against him, to ruin him _without cause_." (Job 2:3, emphasis added)?

I might also mention that Job said in 30:26: "When I expected good, then evil came; when I waited for light, then darkness came." By taking another scripture out of context, we could just as easily (and wrongly) prove that Job opened the door to Satan by expecting good things and by making a "positive confession!"

### A Happy Ending

Job persevered during his months (see Job 7:3; 29:2) of being tested. He spent some of that time debating with a few of his friends who had nicely packaged God into their own theological box. Although they relentlessly tried to convince Job that his suffering was punishment from God because of his sin (a DIT), Job steadfastly maintained his innocence.

Understandably, Job also spent some of his time in prayer, and there were a few times when he questioned God as to what he had done to deserve the treatment he had received. He concluded that God hated him and was treating him unfairly, punishing a righteous man. For that, in the end, Job was rebuked by the Lord Himself:

Then the Lord said to Job, "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.... Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?" (Job 40:2, 7-8).

Job never cursed God, and to that degree he passed his test. Job could have done better, but who can criticize him except God?

True to God's character, Job was blessed at the end of his test:

And 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. And he had seven sons and three daughters.... And after this Job lived 140 years, and he saw his sons, and his grandsons, four generations (Job 42:12-13, 16).

God's blessings made Job even wealthier than he had been before his testing, enabling him to do even more good than he did previously. Job had proved himself, and it became obvious that he did not serve God only because of the prosperity that came with obedience.

### Are God and Satan Arguing About Us?

When we find ourselves in the middle of a MIT, (Maturing/Testing Trial), is it because God and Satan have had an argument about us? I don't think so, but then I don't really know. (Some scriptures do indicate that Satan may still have access to God's throne. See Zech 3:1-2; Luke 22:31-32.)

Satan is referred to as "the accuser of the brethren" in the Revelation 12:10. In fact, the scripture there says, "The accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night." Still, that doesn't prove that every MIT is a result of an argument between God and Satan. To me, this is one of "the secret things that belongs to the Lord our God" (Deut. 29:29). We just don't know everything we would like to know. Job's story, however, does illustrate the same truth that we have seen in other scriptures: _God may allow Satan to afflict us in order to mature or test us._

Most importantly, let us not lose sight of the fact that Job's test came to an end, and it ended very happily. Job regained his health and everything he'd lost. If you are "suffering like Job," you should be preparing for an end of your sufferings.

### What Can Suffering Do For You?

Job became a better man because of his suffering, both materially and spiritually. According to the Bible, suffering can result in blessing. We've already learned that, by passing tests, we can prove ourselves trustworthy to handle more blessings and responsibilities. That's one positive result of persevering under trial. Beyond that, Paul wrote:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, _proven character_ (Rom. 5:3, emphasis added).

By persevering in tribulation, we prove our true character.

James similarly wrote:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that _the testing of your faith produces endurance_. And let endurance have its perfect result, _that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing_ (Jas. 1:2-4, emphasis added).

When we endure during the times our faith is tested, the end result is that we are perfected and completed. That is why we should count it all joy when we face difficulties. They are a part of God's divine plan to make us more like Jesus. God is dedicated to our spiritual growth, and whether we care to admit it or not, Christ-like character is forged in the fires of afflictions, tests, and trials. So keep rejoicing!

# PART FOUR

# Wrapping it Up

** **

# EIGHTEEN

# A Closer Look at Persecution

How I would love to examine the lives of other Bible characters, whom we have not yet considered in previous chapters, as they journeyed to fulfill their own divine destinies. We could walk with people like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Esther, Gideon, Jeremiah, and Daniel. All were born for a reason; all experienced difficulties and were tested; all watched the working of the sovereign hand of God; all matured. All of them, to some degree or another, could be compared to you and me. I encourage you to take the time to read about their lives in light of the principles we've learned so far. You'll be blessed.

In this final section, I want to finish unwrapping the package we've opened. We've considered a lot of biblical truth, but there is more to be said. In this chapter, we'll take a look at the subject of the persecution of Christians, looking for answers to some very perplexing questions.

Although the Bible assures us that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12), persecution of believers around the world varies from place to place and from time to time. Those of us who reside in nations with religious freedom often have little idea of what it is like to live where being a Christian is a ticket to losing one's family, job or life. According to the _World Evangelical Alliance_ , over 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries are currently denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith.

Some years ago I spoke with the late David Barrett, editor of the monumental book, the _World Christian Encyclopedia._ A master at compiling data, Dr. Barrett told me that he conservatively estimated the number of Christians who annually lost their lives for their faith to be around 150,000. In previous years, he estimated it was more than 300,000. These were ordinary Christians who were murdered for following Christ or for committing themselves to a righteous cause because of their faith in Christ. For those of us who live with little persecution, this is difficult to fathom, and we can't help but ask, "Why does God allow wicked people to persecute and even kill Christians?"

Some would answer by saying that Satan is the god of this world and is running everything; therefore, God can't do anything about the persecution of His people although He would like to stop it. I think we've sufficiently proved that idea to be very unscriptural in light of the number of times God has supernaturally delivered His people from persecution.

There has to be a better explanation as to why God sometimes permits His people to be persecuted, and why He does or does not deliver them from that persecution. But let me first confess that I'm not claiming to have all the answers. I don't think that anyone does.

_One possible_ explanation is that trials of persecution fall under the categories of either MITs (Maturing/Testing Intended Trials) or in some cases DITs (Disciplinary Intended Trials). Let's first look at trials of persecution that fall under the category of DITs.

### Persecution as Discipline

Here is an undeniable fact that some Christians would like to deny: God may allow persecution to come upon His people, _if_ they have been disobedient, in order to bring them to repentance. Anyone who has ever read the Old Testament knows that. Time and time again, God permitted foreign nations to dominate Israel to bring them to repentance. There is also evidence in the New Testament of God disciplining His people by permitting persecution.

If you've ever studied the book of Hebrews, you know it was written to persecuted Jewish Christians who were being tempted in their sufferings to revert to Judaism. Did you ever notice, however, that the author indicated that their persecutions had been permitted because of God's discipline? We find that fact in Hebrews 12:3-11:

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." _It is for discipline that you endure_ ; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which we all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but _He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness_ (Heb. 12:3-11, emphasis added).

I think it should go without saying that God only disciplines those who are disobedient. Persecution is one way that God might do that. (You may also want to take a look at 2 Thes. 1:4-5, which _might_ also be referring to an incidence of God permitting persecution as a means of discipline.)

### Who is Exempt?

Can any of us claim to have been perfectly obedient to God from the day of our initial repentance and new birth? (Certainly not me.) Thus every one of us are candidates for God's discipline.

The author of Hebrews wrote that _all_ of us have suffered God's discipline, yet to many believers, God's discipline is unfortunately an unfamiliar concept. When God disciplines them, they rebuke Satan. What they need to do is rebuke themselves and repent! Take note the apostle James wrote that before anyone resists the devil, he needs to make sure that he is submitted to God: " _Submit therefore to God_. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (Jas. 4:7, emphasis added).

God may discipline us by permitting persecution, but that is not the only means He may use. We've already learned in an earlier chapter that God may permit Satan to bring various trials in hopes of motivating the disobedient to repent. One example of such a trial could be sickness. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians and told them that very thing:

For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world (1 Cor. 11:30-32).

You probably know that the Corinthian church was full of strife. They were transgressing a very important commandment that Jesus gave to the church: "Love one another even as I have loved you" (John 13:34). So it should be no surprise that the Lord disciplined them by the means of sickness. Some had even died.

Paul wrote that we can avoid God's judgment if we judge ourselves (see 1 Cor. 11:31). That means if we will confess our sins and repent, we can avoid God's discipline.

Does this mean that every Christian who is sick has disobeyed God and is being disciplined by Him? Is sickness always a DIT? No, certainly not. Sickness can also fall under the category of a Self-Inflicted Trial (SIT) or a MIT. If you mistreat your body and become ill as a result, for example, that is a SIT.

Undoubtedly, some of the sicknesses that Christians suffer are a result of God's discipline. He removes His protective hand and allows Satan to afflict their bodies in hopes of bringing them to repentance.

If I find myself ill, I do a spiritual checkup to see if I've somehow opened the door to God's discipline in my life. I encourage you to do the same. No need to ask your pastor or Bible study leader or best friend—go to God yourself and find out directly from Him. He lives inside of you by the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, some Christians take this concept to an extreme. Finding themselves ill they say, "God must be trying to teach me something. This sickness must be His will. So I'll just suffer, and if it's His will to heal me, He'll heal me." That is wrong thinking. Yes, it could be true that God is trying to teach you something (if you are suffering a DIT)—such as trying to teach you not to commit a particular sin that you are persistently committing. But if you are suffering a DIT, it is not God's will that you remain sick any more that it is His will that you continue sinning. So repent of whatever you need to repent of, and then trust the Lord for your healing.

### Persecution as a Means of Maturation or Testing

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God may also permit persecution as a MIT (Maturing/Testing Intended Trial).

Some claim that if Christians just have enough faith, they won't be persecuted. With all due respect to those who make such claims, that is simply not true. Jesus never promised us exemption from persecution. Rather, He guaranteed that we would be persecuted (see John 15:20). Paul declared, "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12). He told the saints of Thessalonica that they were _destined_ for persecution (see 1 Thes. 3:3).

Some have gone so far as to say that if we have enough faith, we are guaranteed that we will never be martyred. That is absurd as well. The church's very first martyr, Stephen, is described in the Bible as a man " _full of faith_ and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5, emphasis added).

Moreover, the list of faith heroes found in Hebrews 11 mentions a number of people who were tortured and martyred (see Heb. 11:35-37). All the original apostles (excluding Judas, of course) were martyred, with the possible exception of John. It is estimated that, during the first three centuries of the church as many as six million Christians were martyred. There have been millions more since then, and the Bible predicts future martyrs during the Tribulation.

### Other Reasons Why God May Permit Persecution

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God may permit persecution in order to further the spread of the gospel. Jesus Himself said:

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My names' sake. _It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony_ (Luke 21:12-13, emphasis added).

Paul wrote (while under arrest) to the Philippians:

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in Christ has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear (Phil. 1:12-14).

Through his imprisonment, Paul was able to personally share the gospel with people whom he otherwise could never have reached—just as Jesus promised. Persecuted Christians should consider if their persecution is in some way allowing them opportunities to share the gospel that they would not have had otherwise.

Not only was the gospel being furthered by Paul as a result of his imprisonment, but his boldness in his suffering stirred others who were not imprisoned, resulting in the gospel being spread even more.

If you have ever been around someone who is sold out completely to God, it has a way of shaming you for your lack of consecration. I remember when my father was saved, he immediately began sharing the gospel and winning people to the Lord. Because I had been a Christian longer, I felt ashamed of myself for not being as effective a soul-winner as my father. I repented and started witnessing more. As a result, there are people serving the Lord today because my father's example stirred me into action. The same was true in Paul's case. When your fellow Christians begin to be persecuted and you see their dedication to the Lord, it inspires you.

Not only does persecution have a profound effect upon Christians who witness the sufferings of their brothers and sisters, but when believers endure persecution (especially joyfully) it has a profound effect upon unbelievers. There is hardly a greater witness for the reality of Jesus than a Christian who will endure hardship for the sake of the gospel. When someone is willing to be tortured and even die for his faith, people take notice. When a believer prays for his persecutors and blesses those who curse him, it is obvious to all that he has had a miracle happen in his life. The world looks on, incredulously.

God can also use persecution for good because His people can mature during their persecutions. In that sense, persecution can be a MIT. The God who is kind and merciful to ungrateful and evil people desires that we become like Him (see Matt. 5:39-48; Luke 6:35-36). Even unbelievers love those who love them, but when we love our enemies, it reveals that we are sons of God (see Matt. 5:44-46). Persecution gives us an opportunity to manifest God's amazing love and to develop all the fruit of the Spirit.

### How Spiritual Christians View Persecution

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Truly spiritual Christians count it a privilege to suffer for Jesus' sake.

After the early apostles were threatened by the Sanhedrin and flogged for preaching the gospel, the Bible records that they went on their way "rejoicing that they might be considered worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41). It is an honor when we have an opportunity to suffer for the One who suffered so much for us.

Paul expressed this same idea when he wrote to the persecuted Philippian Christians:

For to you it has been _granted_ for Christ's sake [cause], not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29, emphasis added).

Notice Paul said that it had been _granted_ them to suffer. It must have been _God_ who granted them the opportunity—not that God sent the suffering, but He obviously allowed it.

If someone _grants_ you something, that usually means you're glad to get it. Why would anyone be glad to suffer for the cause of Christ? There are two main reasons.

First, as I have already said, truly spiritual Christians count it an honor to show their love for their Savior by suffering for Him. Second, because those who suffer for the cause of Christ are eventually rewarded proportionately. Jesus said:

_Blessed_ are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. _Blessed_ are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.... Be glad in that day, _and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven_ (Matt. 5:10-11; Luke 6:23, emphasis added).

How great is our reward in proportion to our suffering? Is it really worth it? Read what Paul said:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time _are not worthy to be compared_ with the glory that is to be revealed to us.... For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory _far beyond all comparison_ (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17, emphasis added).

The difference between our sufferings and the future reward is not even comparable. I suspect that those of us who experience so little persecution are going to be wishing we had suffered more once we get to heaven and compare our reward with those who were severely persecuted for their love for Jesus.

### God's Sovereignty and Persecution

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God's sovereign control over persecution is implied in the scripture we just considered in Paul's letter to the Philippians. It said that it had been _granted_ the Philippians to suffer for Christ's sake. Other scriptures make this point even more clear. Writing to persecuted Christians, Peter penned:

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.... For it is better, _if God should will it so_ , that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.... Therefore, let those also who suffer _according to the will of God_ entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Pet. 3:14a, 17; 4:19, emphasis added).

You can't argue with that. Suffering persecution is something that falls under the sovereign, controlling hand of God, just as we have already noticed in the Gospels and in the book of Acts. The idea of God wanting to stop persecution, yet being unable because Satan is the god of this world, is foreign to the Bible.

### Persecution as a Test

Peter offered some additional insight as to why God might allow His people to be persecuted:

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; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.... If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. For _it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God_ ; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?.... Therefore, let those who suffer _according to the will of God_ entrust their souls to _a faithful Creator in doing what is right_ (1 Pet. 4:12-14, 16-17, 19, emphasis added).

Peter plainly stated that their "fiery ordeal" came upon them for their testing. Why were they being tested? Because it was time for judgment to begin with God's household. _Judgment only falls after testing_ , and God may use persecution as a test.

Again, I'm not saying that God sends persecution or inspires anyone to persecute His people. I'm just saying what the Bible plainly states: God will use persecution to test His people. Persecution flushes out phony and uncommitted believers.

Read what Jesus said to the believers in Smyrna in Revelation 2:10:

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, _that you may be tested_ , and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10, emphasis added).

In light of the many other biblical passages that we have studied so far about God's tests, scriptures like these should come as no surprise to us. Jesus stated that some of the Christians in Smyrna would be tested in prison and implied that some would die a martyr's death. (Notice He said nothing about how they should "believe God" and escape their imminent trials, or how they should rebuke Satan in order to avoid them.) God used their persecutions for His divine purposes.

### Suffering Persecution for God's Glory

Finally, sacrificially suffering for the sake of the gospel can bring glory to God. You may want to argue about that, but you'll have to argue with the Bible, not me. The apostle John recorded the following words that Jesus addressed to Peter:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by _what kind of death he would glorify God_ (John 21:18-19a, emphasis added).

Tradition states that Peter was crucified upside down, and the Bible plainly declared that his death glorified God. Paul also wrote that Christ would be _exalted_ in his body, "whether by life or by _death_ " (Phil. 1:20: emphasis added). Suffering persecution can bring glory to God.

So let's briefly review. God may permit His people to be persecuted (1) to cause them to mature, (2) to test them, (3) to discipline them, or (4) that the gospel might be furthered. Furthermore, when Christians willingly suffer for the cause of Christ, it glorifies God. Finally, those who do suffer for the cause of Christ will be abundantly rewarded in the next life. Those are all positive things, which they should be, because God is love, and He "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28)!

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# NINETEEN

# When the Beginning Ends

In every believer's life, there are three days that stand out above all others: the day of one's birth, the day of one's new birth, and the day of one's judgment. Of those three, one's day of judgment is by far the most significant. That day is what gives meaning to the other two.

The foremost significance of your birth was that it set in motion a life that would one day be judged by God. The foremost significance of your new birth was that it marked the beginning of a new life and lifestyle, which, if continued, (see Col. 1:23) would result in inheriting eternal life at your judgment.

Think about how significant every person's day of judgment will be. Those who rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord will on that day be banished to hell, irreversibly. Unlike any previous day—from the day of birth to the day of death—the Day of Judgment ends all opportunity for a sinner to repent.

_This life serves as a test for every one of us._ God gives us a lifetime to make an eternal decision. Will we repent and believe in Jesus, or will we continue in willful unbelief? Will we make Jesus our Lord, or will we continue to serve self and Satan? Our decision will determine if we perish in hell or live forever in God's kingdom.

### The Christian's Judgment

The believer, unlike the unbeliever, has passed God's initial test. That does not mean, however, that he will not be further tested. On the contrary, he will be repeatedly tested in order to determine if he will continue in faith and prove himself worthy of greater blessings and responsibilities.

God will, of course, entrust more to a consecrated believer than to one who is less committed. This fact will never be more apparent than when we stand before God's judgment seat. There, every believer will be recompensed for his works and will receive his position in God's kingdom. We are indeed saved by grace, but we will be judged and rewarded according to our works. This is what the Bible teaches. Consider these three scriptures:

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:10-12).

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God (1 Cor. 4:5,).

Many Christians unfortunately think that when they die, they'll just go to heaven and move into their mansion. Then, once they've settled in, will stroll over to where God lives and stop in for a little chat. They don't realize that they are going to have to first stand before His judgment seat and give an account of themselves.

That won't be a judgment to determine salvation or damnation—it will be a judgment to determine rewards. Each of us will receive praise or reprimand, reward or loss, exaltation or humiliation, all depending on what we did as believers. Some will be called least, and some will be called great (see Matt. 5:19). Those who can be trusted with much will be entrusted with much, and those who can only be trusted with little will be entrusted with little (see Matt. 25:21, 23).

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### God's Eternal Purpose

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I hope you see that God has had an eternal purpose from the beginning. Paul wrote, "This was in accordance with the _eternal purpose_ which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3:11, emphasis added). He has been working since before the creation of the world to bring His plan to pass. That plan included our adoption into His family and our perfection in Christ:

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself (Eph. 1:4-5a).

Some have, unfortunately, twisted scriptures like these to make them say that God has predestined some to be saved and some to be damned. Yet we must be careful that we don't ignore the hundreds of other scriptures that make it clear that we are free moral agents who have been given the right to receive or reject Jesus. Thus, when Paul says that _we_ have been chosen and predestined, he can only be referring to _we_ who have chosen to repent and believe in Jesus. God has chosen to make holy all of those who would make a choice themselves. God has predestined to adopt those who would believe in Jesus.

God's eternal plan was to have an eternal family—free moral agents who would choose to love and serve Him—children who would be holy and blameless. Thus, of necessity, all free moral agents would have to be tested in order to determine who would be qualified to live in His kingdom forever and, among those who qualified, who would be trusted with greater or lesser responsibilities in that future kingdom.

### Questions About Rewards

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In this regard, let's consider a familiar parable of Jesus, one that He spoke a few days before His death:

He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'

"And it came about that when he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him in order that he might know what business they had done. And the first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.' And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.'

"And another came, saying, 'Master, behold your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put the money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' And he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.'

"'I tell you, that to everyone who has shall more be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here, and slay them in my presence'" (Luke 19:12-27).

For the most part, the meaning of this parable is clear. Jesus is obviously the nobleman who received a distant kingdom for Himself. Those of us who have chosen to serve Him are comparable to the slaves who were each given some money by which they were tested. The money can only represent the gifts, abilities and opportunities that we are given with which to serve our Lord. The citizens who hated the nobleman represent unbelievers.

Notice that the two faithful slaves were praised and then rewarded with greater responsibilities. They were to rule over a certain number of cities. The Bible teaches that we will rule and reign with Christ during His Millennial reign, so this parable correlates perfectly with that truth (see 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 5:10; 20:6). Our position of authority in God's kingdom will be determined by our faithfulness during this life _._

Commentators debate if the unfaithful servant in this parable represents one who was at first a faithful believer who became unfaithful or one who was never saved. Regardless of the answer to that question, several points have been well served: God will reward us if we are faithful; those rewards will include promotion to positions of authority in God's future kingdom. And obviously, if rewards are going to be passed out, then the faithfulness of believers is being tested now.

### What Will Be Rewarded?

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Every good deed that we do and in obedience to the written Word of God or His Holy Spirit and for the right motive will be rewarded. Jesus warned that good deeds done for the wrong motives will not be rewarded by our Heavenly Father:

Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you (Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18).

We can't be certain of the motives of others, but we can check our own motives by doing deeds that no one but the Lord will know about.

The apostle Paul had some important insight about the kinds of deeds that will be rewarded when we stand before the Lord:

For we [Paul and Apollos] are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it [Apollos]. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for _the day will show it, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss_ ; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Cor. 3:9-15, emphasis added).

Notice that Paul listed six materials that represent the potential quality of our good works: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw. Obviously, three are very valuable and three are not nearly as valuable. And three are combustible and three are non-combustible.

One day, Paul indicated, every believer's works will be tested by "going through a fire." Although the fire of which Paul wrote may be figurative, I like to imagine a big furnace with a conveyor belt passing through it. I imagine every Christian loading his or her works on one side of the furnace and then walking around to the other side to wait and see what survives the fire. Each Christian's works may well look the same going into the fire—his prayers, his offerings, his deeds of kindness, his sacrifices, the persecutions he endured, and so forth, although every Christian will have different amounts of each.

The fire, however, will burn everything that was done for the wrong motive, as well as everything that was not done in obedience to God's Word or the Holy Spirit.

Now imagine a successful (but selfishly motivated) preacher bringing his works to the judgment seat. He loads his works on the conveyor belt, and then saunters to the other side of the furnace to proudly wait for his reward. Imagine his surprise when all that comes through is a small pile of ashes. "Lord, what about all my sermons? What about that church that I built? What about the books that I wrote, and the crusades I preached?" The Lord replies, "You did it all to be seen by men, and much of what you taught in your books and sermons was unscriptural or only human wisdom."

Now imagine a little old lady who shyly approaches the judgment furnace. She places her seemingly small works on the conveyor belt and meekly shuffles to the other side to wait and see what might survive the powerful fire. Imagine her shock to see, pouring from the furnace, piles of diamonds and rubies along with bars of gold and silver. "Lord, what did I do to deserve all that?" The Lord replies, "You faithfully taught the children's Sunday School class for 36 years. You were a secret prayer warrior. You did just what I called you to do. I'm going to put you in charge of ruling ten cities."

At that judgment seat, we will better grasp Jesus' warnings, "The last shall be first, and the first last" (Matt. 20:16), and "From everyone who has been given much shall much be required" (Luke 12:48).

Even "small deeds" will be rewarded then. As Jesus said, "Whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward" (Matt. 10:42).

### Some Seats Are Already Reserved

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Some future seats of authority during Christ's millennial reign are apparently already reserved. Jesus said to His twelve disciples:

Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life (Matt. 19:28-29).

So the twelve will have jurisdiction over the twelve tribes of Israel during the Millennium. Anyone who has sacrificed anything for Jesus' sake will be repaid in that age many times over by comparison to his sacrifice.

### Thy Kingdom Come

God once said to Daniel, as recorded in the final verse of the book that bears his name: "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again to _your allotted portion at the end of the age_ " (Dan. 12:13). Just like Daniel, your divine destiny will ultimately be realized in the future kingdom. What we do now, in this life, will have eternal ramifications. There is, therefore, nothing more important than passing our tests by trusting and obeying God.

_ _

_Will you fulfill your divine destiny?_

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil (Ecc. 12:13-14).

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### Appendix

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This list contains all the references where the Bible states that God tested a person or persons. As I mentioned in the second chapter, the _King James Version_ does not have any references to God's testing anyone because the word _test_ apparently didn't exist in the English language four hundred years ago. Instead, the _King James_ uses words such as _prove, try, or tempt_ where most modern translations use the word _test_. The _New King James Version_ has done a good job of correcting these words to _test_ in many cases. The following list of references is based upon the _New American Standard_ Bible.

**Test, Tests, Testing, Tested**

** **

Gen. 22:1 – "...these things, that God _tested_ Abraham..."

Ex. 15:25 – "...regulation, and there He _tested_ them."

Ex. 16:4 – "...every day, that I may _test_ them..."

Ex. 20:20 – "...God has come in order to _test_ you..."

Dt. 8:2 – "...that He might humble you, _testing_ you..."

Dt. 8:16 – "...you and that He might _test_ you..."

Dt. 13:3 – "...for the Lord your God is _testing_ you..."

Jg. 2:22 – "...in order to _test_ Israel by them..."

Judg. 3:1 – "...Lord left, to _test_ Israel by them..."

Judg. 3:4 – "And they were for _testing_ Israel..."

Judg. 7:4 – "...and I will _test_ them for you there..."

2 Ch. 32:31 – "... God left him alone only to _test_ him..."

Ps. 11:4 – "...His eyelids _test_ the sons of men."

Ps. 11:5 – "...Lord _tests_ the righteous and the wicked..."

Ps. 17:3 – "...hast _tested_ me and dost find nothing..."

Ps. 26:2 – "... _Test_ my mind and my heart."

Ps. 105:19 – "...pass, The word of the Lord _tested_ him."

Pr. 17:3 – "...for gold, But the Lord _tests_ hearts."

Ec. 3:18 – "...God has surely _tested_ them in order..."

Is. 48:10 – "...I have _tested_ you in the furnace of..."

Jer. 17:10 – "...search the heart, I _test_ the mind..."

Jer. 20:12 – "...Thou who dost _test_ the righteous..."

Zch. 13:9 – "...And _test_ them as gold is tested..."

John 6:6 – "And this He was saying to _test_ him..."

1 Cor. 3:13 – "...fire itself will _test_ the quality of each..."

1 Th. 2:4a – "...but just as we have been _approved_ * by God..."

1 Th. 2:4b – "...but God, who _examines_ * our hearts."

Heb. 11:17 – "By faith Abraham, when he was _tested_..."

Rev. 3:10 – "...to _test_ those who dwell upon the earth."

The Bible also speaks in several passages of God "trying _"_ people. In some of those instances, the Hebrew word translated _try_ is the identical word that is translated _test_ at other times. In the examples below, the word translated _try_ , _tried_ , _tries_ , or _triest_ is the Hebrew word "bachan," which is translated _test_ in these scriptures in the above list: Ps. 11:4, 5, Prov. 17:3, Jer. 17:10, Zch. 13:9.

**Try, Tried, Tries, Triest**

** **

1 Ch. 29:17 – "...that Thou _triest_ the heart..."

Job 23:10_ – "...When He has _tried_ me, I shall come forth..."

Ps. 7:9 – "...God _tries_ the hearts and the minds."

Ps. 17:3 – "Thou has _tried_ my heart..."

Ps. 66:10 – "For Thou hast _tried_ us, O God..."

Ps. 139:23 – "... _Try_ me and know my anxious thoughts..."

Jer. 11:20 – "...Who _tries_ the feelings and the heart..."

*This word can be rightfully translated _tested_ or _tests_. The Greek word is "dokimazo," which is translated _test_ in 1 Cor. 3:13, 2 Cor. 8:22, 1 Tim. 3:10, 1 Pet. 1:7, and 1 John 4:1 in the N.A.S. The _New King James Version_ translates the second usage of "dokimazo" here in 1 Thes. 2:4 as _tests_.

* * *

[1] I realize that the _King James Version_ doesn't say that God _tested_ Israel, but that God _proved_ Israel. I can honestly say that the _King James_ is the only version I know of that translates it _prove_ rather than _test_. Every modern version says _test_ , including the _New King James Version_. It is my understanding that the word _test_ did not exist in the English language four hundred years ago when the _King James_ Bible was translated, and that the word _prove_ had a meaning that was somewhat equivalent to our modern word _test_. So that is why you don't find the word _test_ anywhere in the _King James Version_. But I can assure you, after many hours of research of the original Hebrew, that _test_ is without a doubt the most accurate rendering here and in the other Bible references that I will quote. If you have any doubts, I encourage you to see the Appendix.

[2] See _The Happiest People on Earth_ , pp. 20-22.

[3] The Greek word translated here as "rulers" is often used in the New Testament in reference to demonic spiritual rulers, as well as human rulers.

[4] A similar example is found in 1 Tim. 1:19-20.

[5] There is an element of MITs and DITs in every SIT. In God's sovereign permissive will, we do grow and mature from suffering a SIT, which makes every SIT somewhat like a MIT. During a SIT, the suffering we endure as a consequence of our foolishness has a disciplining effect on our lives, and is therefore somewhat like a DIT.

[6] Keep in mind, however, that truly righteous people aren't greedy, and thus they share their abundance with those who are less fortunate.

[7] This might give us a clue as to why Satan would "cooperate" with God when God permits him to afflict one of His own in order to bring about his repentance. Satan cooperates because he is hoping that person _won't_ repent—which is always a possibility. May I also add that this scripture does not teach us that it is wrong to go to a doctor for medical treatment. It does teach us, however, that if we are sick or diseased because of sin, we'd better repent if we want to get better. When that is the case, doctors can't help.

