The Trial of our Faith

I wrote this in 2012

James 1:2- 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;


Our faith is tested in many ways. We may face temptations, afflictions, weariness, health problems, financial hardships, family troubles, and a host of other trials. While no trial is ever pleasant, we can be joyful in trials for they can be beneficial to us if we do not faint. James lists three wonderful benefits that the trial of our faith will produce if we stand and do not faint.

I. The trial of our faith produces patience.

James 1:3- Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

The word patience means perserverance, endurance, and steadfastness. The present trials of our faith strengthen us in in endurance. Just as a weight lifter begins with lighter weights and works up to more reps and heavier weights, God will not allow us to be tested above our ability to handle the test. When the trial of faith comes, if we do not faint, we will become stronger in faith. We increase in steadfastness.

Consider Daniel. His faith was tested when he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the Kings delicacies. (Daniel 1). His steadfastness in resolve and faithfullness prepared him for the even greater trial of the lion's den. God delivered him from all of His trials, and in all of His trials he brought glory to God.

So it will be with us if we do not faint.

II. Endurance in trials produces maturity.

James 1: 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing .

When we continually stand steadfast in trials, without fainting and without wavering, the result is maturity. James said let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. In other words, let the perserverance and steadfastness of your faith finish it's work in you, so that you might reach maturity and be complete in Christ and be filled with the fullness of Him. This is what God is seeking to work in our lives, increasing Christ-likeness. God's desire is to bring us to maturity, growing up into Christ in all things. A mature Christian is a fruitful Christian, prepared unto every good work.

III. Those who are approved by testing receive a crown of Life.

James 1: 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried , he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

When we perservere in faith, even in trials and temptations, we are demonstrating that we truly love the Lord. Those that love the Lord will receive a crown of life at the end of the day. Soon our troubles and trials will all be over, and we will enter the blessed rest of heaven the Lord has prepared for us. Soon the trial of our faith will be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The testing of our faith produces steadfastness, maturity, and an eternal weight of Glory. Hallelujah!
 
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What if our "faith" was not real faith that was being tested, then what happens? Do trials only happen to people who have real faith?
 
What if our "faith" was not real faith that was being tested, then what happens? Do trials only happen to people who have real faith?

Trials or tribulation or testing are all the same and come for the words sake.
Jesus told us we would have these in this world But in Him we have peace.

People tend to push the idea that these come from God to make our faith grow and so many other false idea's. Scripture tells us it is about building patience...

If the faith was weak or not real then it would crumble or better yet the person would crumble under the pressure of the trial.. One can claim they have pure strong faith but have not patience then their faith is about useless.
The definition of Pateince has gotten very sloppy these days........Most people claim it is simply putting up with something...........that is so far from a biblical perspective of patience.

As @Glad4Mercy has said..........
Patience - consistence - constant - consistently constantly being the same at all times.
Not being moved by what you see or hear or feel. Total peace - standfast full of Joy in all situations at all times no matter what......
Blessings
Jim
 
I'll answer the last question first...no

To the first question, If our faith is not real the trial will tell.
Can we use these few scriptures to describe what is taking place?

1Pe 4:12.. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1Co 3:12.. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
1Co 3:13.. each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
1Co 3:14.. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
1Co 3:15.. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
 
Can we use these few scriptures to describe what is taking place?

1Pe 4:12.. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1Co 3:12.. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
1Co 3:13.. each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
1Co 3:14.. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
1Co 3:15.. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

It might be me here but to me these scriptures are talking about deeds done and the others about level of trust or beleif in Gods word,. Like I said it might be the way I am looking at them.
Jim
 
It seems if our faith is real then it will survive any fiery attempts of the wicked one to cause it to fail, thus showing us that it truly does us give a reward by being gold, silver, precious stones, and other benefits as mentioned in James. If we fail that also shows us our faith was only "mental assent" and not real, but we will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
 
It seems if our faith is real then it will survive any fiery attempts of the wicked one to cause it to fail,

I agree with this, but I also believe we need to be dilligent and vigilant, putting on whole armour of God and watching with prayer. We are in a spiritual war that has already been won, but the battle is still raging.

quote- thus showing us that it truly does us give a reward by being gold, silver, precious stones, and other benefits as mentioned in James. If we fail that also shows us our faith was only "mental assent" and not real, but we will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

This is in First Corinthians, and I may be wrong but I also thought this was referring to our works as servants and stewards in the Kingdom and Household of God.

I don't think "mental assent" alone will bring lasting conversion. I believe there must be a heart change as well.The folks who received the seed on stony ground had a great emotional experience and mental assent, but they had no root, because it never got past their head and their emotions.

Perhaps you mean that if the trial reveals that our faith is not genuine, it might bring us to that realization so that we can say to God "Search me, O God and know my heart, and see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way"
 
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We mustn't mix up the Bema Seat judgment of all believers, whose deeds are being judged by fire. However in this life we do experience testing by God.

1 Peter 1:6-9
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Trusting God through the trials of stress and the pressure of disappointment, and of people, given to us to stretch us, brings great reward of spiritual strength and His supply, even in this life.

Jeremiah 17:5-8
This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.


We learn to trust!

Philippians 4:19
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
 
We mustn't mix up the Bema Seat judgment of all believers, whose deeds are being judged by fire. However in this life we do experience testing by God.

1 Peter 1:6-9
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Trusting God through the trials of stress and the pressure of disappointment, and of people, given to us to stretch us, brings great reward of spiritual strength and His supply, even in this life.

Jeremiah 17:5-8
This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.


We learn to trust!

Philippians 4:19
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Good point and beautiful post. It does appear that 1 Corinthians 3 is talking about the Bema seat.

Yes, our faith is tested in this life. Not only to show it to be genuine, but also to refine it, purify and strengthen it. And above all, we will see God do His Wonderful works when we trust, just as you said.

God takes stony hearts and turns them into gold...
 
My cell leader sent me this devotional from Charles Stanley this morning. I think it is appropriate for us today!

Oct 08, 2015

When the Odds Are Against You
Judges 7:1-7

Have you ever felt backed into a corner, with the odds stacked against you? In situations like that, Christians too often refuse to acknowledge an important truth. That is, they fail to recognize that God may actually be orchestrating their challenging circumstances.

You may think, No way. God protects me from such things. The world and Satan are doing this to me. Perhaps. Yet maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell you something—and He first needs to get your attention.

Time and again in Scripture, we see that the Lord uses difficulties to build our faith. It’s easy to trust Him when things go our way. However, God often removes comforts and false securities from our lives to remind us that He is the true source of our strength.

Consider today’s passage, in which Gideon was ready to lead a powerful militia of 32,000 men into battle against the enemy. However, the Lord stepped into the situation two different times, whittling the Israelite army down to less than one percent of its original size. We may have replied, “What? It’s impossible to defeat enemy forces with just 300 men!” That’s probably true; 300 men alone couldn’t do it. But the Lord could.

When the odds are not in your favor, don’t think that God has abandoned you. Your money, your success, and even people you thought were friends may disappear, but those wouldn’t win the battle anyway. Stand your ground and stay focused on the Lord. With everything else stripped away, you’ll be amazed at what your heavenly Father will achieve.
 
My cell leader sent me this devotional from Charles Stanley this morning. I think it is appropriate for us today!

Oct 08, 2015

When the Odds Are Against You
Judges 7:1-7

Have you ever felt backed into a corner, with the odds stacked against you? In situations like that, Christians too often refuse to acknowledge an important truth. That is, they fail to recognize that God may actually be orchestrating their challenging circumstances.

You may think, No way. God protects me from such things. The world and Satan are doing this to me. Perhaps. Yet maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell you something—and He first needs to get your attention.

Time and again in Scripture, we see that the Lord uses difficulties to build our faith. It’s easy to trust Him when things go our way. However, God often removes comforts and false securities from our lives to remind us that He is the true source of our strength.

Consider today’s passage, in which Gideon was ready to lead a powerful militia of 32,000 men into battle against the enemy. However, the Lord stepped into the situation two different times, whittling the Israelite army down to less than one percent of its original size. We may have replied, “What? It’s impossible to defeat enemy forces with just 300 men!” That’s probably true; 300 men alone couldn’t do it. But the Lord could.

When the odds are not in your favor, don’t think that God has abandoned you. Your money, your success, and even people you thought were friends may disappear, but those wouldn’t win the battle anyway. Stand your ground and stay focused on the Lord. With everything else stripped away, you’ll be amazed at what your heavenly Father will achieve.

Good and very timely. Thank you for sharing that!
 
This is in First Corinthians, and I may be wrong but I also thought this was referring to our works as servants and stewards in the Kingdom and Household of God.

You are right it does have to do with "works", or "our actions", because our "actions" are based on our faith. If our believing is wrong so will be our actions, which show up while we are in trials, and or temptations.
 
You are right it does have to do with "works", or "our actions", because our "actions" are based on our faith. If our believing is wrong so will be our actions, which show up while we are in trials, and or temptations.

Yes, I agree that our actions are based on our faith, and if our doctrine is wrong it will affect our practice. So the trial of our faith in this life and "the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father" (1 Thess. 1:3), will result in glory and joy at the Bema seat of Christ.

What a reward to hear Him say "Well done..."(even though it's all Him anyways)

Blessings
 
I believe it is in this life while living in these physical bodies that we are "tested by fire", which is why the Apostle Peter tells these Christians to "do not think it strange concerning the fiery trail which is to try you...." not that they will experience it someday after they are dead.

1Pe 4:12.. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13... But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
 
I believe it is in this life while living in these physical bodies that we are "tested by fire", which is why the Apostle Peter tells these Christians to "do not think it strange concerning the fiery trail which is to try you...." not that they will experience it someday after they are dead.

1Pe 4:12.. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13... But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I believe both...but if it helps, I don't think the 1 Cor. 3 passage is talking about literally being burned by fire , and in most cases neither is the 1 Peter passages, (although some Christians did go through literal fire as martyrs for their faith.)

...but their is nothing unsound or illogical about your interpretation of 1 Corinthians 3. It's a passage that sometimes good Christians disagree on. And besides, we agree on the part that is most important and relevant to the discussion of "trial of your faith", that is in this life our faith will be tested and tried, but God turns trials into gold (Keith Green)

Blessings
 
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It seems if our faith is real then it will survive any fiery attempts of the wicked one to cause it to fail, thus showing us that it truly does us give a reward by being gold, silver, precious stones, and other benefits as mentioned in James. If we fail that also shows us our faith was only "mental assent" and not real, but we will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Faith is simply trusting in the unseen. Faith is unseen but trust brings it from being unseen to seen.
 
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