A complete salvation 9: To be a saint (6): Pass the tests <3>: Hold on to the faith in God firmly.

Dear All:

All glories, praises and thanks be to God.

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparable great power for us who believe." (EPHESIANS 1:17-19)
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (GALATIANS 1:10)

Something special to learn through the tests:

(b) Take hold of faith in God firmly.

To come to and please God, we must have faith in God and prove that our faith is genuine.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (HEBREWS 11:6)
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." (2 CORINTHIANS 13:5)
"So then, men ought to regards us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." (1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-2)
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (JAMES
1:2-4)

1. We must love God more than any gifts He grant us including our lives. Those who can pass the tests will be richly rewarded beyond one can imagine.
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (MATTHEW 10:37-39)
"Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I (Jesus Christ) will give you the crown of life." (REVELATION 2:10)

Abraham and Job are two good examples who passed the tests that they love God more than any granted gifts.
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice." (HEBREWS 11:17)
"And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." (HEBREWS 6:15)
"You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." (JAMES 5:11)

Sacrificing lives are the testimonies of numerous Christians on faith all the time for they know that it is actually a glory. Although it seems that there is no such a chance for us now in US, there still might be chances in other countries.
"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. ... They
were all commended for their faith," (HEBREWS 11:35-39)
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (JAMES 1:12)
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result
in praises, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 PETER 1:6-7)
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange happen to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."(1 PETER 4:12-13)
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (ROMANS 8:18)

2. The journey to the promise land is a journey of faith.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!...To him be the glory forever! Amen." (ROMANS 12:33-36)

How God reveal the profound truth to man and make it understandable by everyone? In the New Testament, Jesus Christ uses the simple parables to make His teachings well understood by anyone even those without any education. In the Old Testament, God use the histories and the experience of individuals to emphasize the lessons that one should learn.

For almighty God, it will be nothing to clear up the land of Canaan and directly catch up the whole group of the Israel people and put them in the promise land. However, with great patience He in a pillar of fire and cloud guided their way while they traveled on feet. He let them to take the long journey to learn the lesson of faith. But most of those people failed. After witnessing so many great wonders, they still complained a lot and were timid of any difficulties encountered. They didn't trust and believe in God's words and promise and even wanted to turn back right before the promise land. Therefore, they were not able to enter.
"Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." (HEBREWS 3:16-19)

Are we any smarter and better than those people out of Egypt? No, most likely not. But we have their experiences as the warnings so that we won't make the same mistake under the similar situation. That is one of the benefits to read Bible frequently: know God's
words and commands well and get familiar with all the history lessons as our mirrors and warnings. One characteristic of the promise of God is that it usually seems impossible from man's judgment and reasoning. There are high walls blocking along the
ways. Yet amazingly, one can always walk through it if one has faith.

What is the promise land for us now from God? - The eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Do you believe in the eternal life through the truth of God and Bible? Or are you limited by what you see with your eyes like those Israelis in front of the promise land and conclude that it is impossible? Do you trust God's words to walk through the seemingly desert to be a saint? Or do you always think of turning back to Egypt to live a slave life? A slave to sins and worries. Now do you still think you are smarter than those people out of Egypt?
"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to
man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 CORINTHIANS 10:11-13)
"'...But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I (God) will not be pleased with him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (HEBREWS 10:37-39)
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (1 PETER 5:10)

Hold on to the faith in God firmly even if you suffer for doing good:
"But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." (1PETER 2:21)
"When they hurled their insults at him, he (Jesus Christ) did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 PETER 2:23)
"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." (HEBREWS 2:10)
"Even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed." (1 PETER 3:14)
"So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 PETER 4:19)

Hold on to the faith in God firmly even if you are insulted or even persecuted for the name of Jesus Christ, e.g., when you try to preach Gospel to others:
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." (MATTHEW 10:32-33)
"Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw
away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. " (HEBREWS 10:32-36)
"...They called the apostles in and had them flogged...The apostle left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (ACTS 5:40-41)
"When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly." (1 CORINTHIANS 4:12-13)
"However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." (1PETER 4:16)

We should not grumble. We should pay attention to guard our mouth and heart on the journey:
"We should not test the Lord, as some of them (Israel people with Moses) did - and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did - and were killed by destroying angel." (1 CORINTHIANS 10:9-10)
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (JAMES1:13-15)
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips." (PROVERBS 4:23)

We should pray and rely on God to walk through the journey:
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise." (JAMES 5:13)
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need." (HEBREWS 4:15-16)
"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek." (HEBREWS 5:7-10)
"Because he himself (Jesus Christ) suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (HEBREWS 2:18)
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (ROMANS 12:12)

To be continued:

Pray, pray and again pray

All glories, praises and thanks to God.
God bless us all to take hold of the faith in Him firmly
in Jesus
servant of Christ