This week was a big test for conservatives and the nation. The Iowa caucus showed more than just who the party supports; it shows what people value the most.
Exit polls reveal that a majority of the party still believes the last election was stolen, despite the lack of evidence and failed legal actions. The sad truth is most people won’t accept the truth if it isn’t what they like. Somewhere along the way, God’s people have forgotten the basics of truth.
- It doesn’t always make us happy.
- It doesn’t always feel good.
- It isn’t accepted by everyone.
I recently disagreed with a former classmate who downplayed the severity of lies. She believes that no one goes to hell for lying. The Bible repeatedly warns us about the dangers of lies, and their consequences (Psalm 101:7, Proverbs 6:16-19, Matthew 15:18-20, Colossians 3:9.)
How can we forget sin entered the world because mankind believed the lie of Satan (Genesis 3:1-7?) We are all cursed because the first Adam failed the test.
Tested
I firmly believe the cliché, “A faith that can’t be tested cannot be trusted. As the people of God, we are called to put our faith in God, not man, things, or a party.
Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus, we don’t get a smorgasbord of faith where we pick and choose the parts we believe or like. God gives us grace for our mistakes, but not permission to fail the tests.
God set His commandments in stone to be obeyed, not chalk to be erased. The Bible assures us that our faith will be tested (Luke 22:31, 2 Corinthians 13:5, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7.) There are consequences for our disobedience —when we fail the test.
Nāsâ
Testing is a very Jewish belief because God tested the faith of Abraham and he passed. The Hebrew word for test is one of my favorite words; because it is completely subject to the context it is used.
Nāsâ has many meanings: test, prove, try, and wait for it, “to tempt!” It’s safe to say that every temptation is a test of some kind. Don’t get confused tests bring us closer to God, temptation leads us away from God (Psalm 66:10, Proverbs 17:3, Isaiah 48:10.)
Do you see the spiritual and physical importance of a test? That is why the Apostle Paul encouraged the church to test teachings for truth. Paul understood his Jewish upbringing and education. Judaism has an intense education system based on passing a series of tests to see who is qualified to continue education, below are the three stages every Jewish boy goes through if they pass the tests.
- Bet Sefer
- Bet Talmud
- Bet Midrash
The final stage is what we would consider discipleship, students seek a Rabbi to follow and learn from and one day share what they learned with others.
However, these disciples have passed every test and know the truth. They did not listen to other teachings or follow the ways of this world. Our Lord Jesus had His faith tested in the wilderness when He was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11) and again in the garden when He chose to obey God (Matthew 26:39.) And because He passed all the tests, He is lifted above all others (Philippians 2:9-11.)
Lifted
Jesus is the first Son raised; everyone else who passes the tests will be joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17.) Truth doesn’t always feel good, but in the scope of eternity, it is good.
That is why we must vote our faith and not our finances. In these hard times God’s people are suffering here and abroad, our faith is being tested. God has a better plan for His people.
There’s nothing this world can offer us that will compare to the glories of heaven. God tests us for Heavenly rewards; Satan tempts us with temporary things.
- Power
- Greatness
- Wealth
The older I get the more I see how cursed this world is. Success blinds us. Money comforts us. Popularity makes us feel good. How easily are the people of God tempted (Nāsâ)!
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