It is inevitable that every Christian must go through the test from the Lord. Our God is merciful and He loves us. Every test from the Lord is for us to know the status of our strength in Him. Test is a reflecting mirror which shows your true stand in God.

I remembered the story of Lisa Ross. In a matter of days her comfortable world was shaken and she referred to the situation as a faith test; Her husband had a car accident; she was diagnosed with a terrible disease after spending more than six hours in the emergency room; a water pipe under their drive way burst to the tune of thousands of dollars and her future daughter-in-law miscarried a baby she desperately wanted.

Lisa went through hard times, but she did not forsake God. She considered the unwanted circumstances as a test of her faith.

I’ll take you through the scriptures for a full understanding of this topic, and I am sure you won’t be scared of God’s test at the end of the day.

Is the Test from God the same as Temptation?

There are differences between test and temptation. Test reveals how faithful you are to the Lord, while the motive of temptation is to knock you away from God’s salvation. God does not tempt His people, but the devil is the author of temptation.

James chapter 1 verse 13 says: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” This passage warned us not to mingle trial and temptation.

For instance, Clement was tempted to gamble, and he was ambitious to get quick riches. He fell into the trap and he lost all his money. At that point of his life, it is wrong for him to say: “God tested me”. His overzealous ambition to become rich put him into poverty.

The test approved by God keeps you strong in Jesus Christ. This is similar to the test your teachers conducted for you in school. The test is not meant to expel you from school, but to help you know how much of the teachers’ impartation you received.

Holy Spirit is your Great Teacher. So, He allows some good or difficult situations to happen to you as a form of test. The result of such test will let you know how much of the spiritual impartation you received from the Holy Spirit. If your test score is low, then you have the second chance to upgrade yourself in His grace and power.

But, temptation from the devil does not have the facilities for a second chance. The devil tempts us with the motive to steal our joy of salvation, and to oppress our faith in Jesus Christ. John chapter 10 verses 10 say: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

You have a reward for every test you pass, while temptation has destruction for his victims.

Right Perception of Spiritual Test

Many people thought that the spiritual test refers to the hard times and terrible circumstances of life only. That is not true!

• Your good condition in life can also be a test for you.

For instance, the man with one talent in the parable of Jesus was richer than people who had nothing. But, he failed the spiritual test, because he refused to invest the wealth. (Matthew 25:24-28)

The Israelite were also tested in their abundance (Deuteronomy chapter 8).

For instance, the United States was a God-fearing country when the civilization, modernization and economy were not as developed as today. Presently, the rebellious lifestyle and the sodomy in the land are terrible. U.S is going through a trying period…

• Another form of test from God is non-interference to the environmental factors.

Such as; famine, poor economic policy of the government, demoralized society and so on.

God chose not to interfere in all these situations to show you how strong or weak you influenced your life and the society with the word of God. For example; Isaac passed the test from the Lord and his obedience made him and his country rich in the midst of famine. (Genesis 26: 1-12)

• God does not bring evil on innocent people, but He may allow temporal hardship for assessment.

The Lord will restore you after every test you go through. A practical example is the case of Job. Job chapter 42 verses 10 to 16 say: “And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before…”

Seven Advantages of Christian Test

1. It helps you to measure your level of faith.

2. Spiritual test strengthens your ability of perseverance.

3. Your spiritual growth increases.

4. It draws you closer to the Lord.

5. Trials strengthen your relationship with the Lord.

6. Test discloses your true identity (either as; church goer, lukewarm Christian, or genuine Christian).

7. Spiritual test reveals your level of obedience to the teachings of the Lord.

5 Rewards for Passing the Christian Test

1. You will receive the crown of glory. (James 1:12)

2. The Lord will honor you; Abraham passed his test and he received a big award. (Hebrew 11:17)

3. The Lord will make you exceptional – David enrolled for God’s test and he passed, the Lord declared him as someone after His heart. (Psalm 26:2)

Jesus passed the test at the mount Olive and the Lord declared His Name as the Savior (Philippians 2:8-11)

4. Restoration (Job 42:10-16)

5. You’ll Gain Heaven – You will become an heir in God’s kingdom when you pass the test from God. Revelation chapter 3 verse 5 says: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Whatever condition of life you are going through now, either hard times or comfort zone, live your life according to the standard of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is your Teacher, and He will test you when the need arises. And you will pass the test if your lifestyle sticks to the obedience of the Lord’s instructions in the Bible. Stay fit in Christ!