Why does God test us?

It will be noticed that nothing is to escape our recollection in God's past dealings with us; we are to remember all the way which the Lord has led us in the wilderness, that we may discern more clearly the object He ever had in view in the various sorrows, trials, and afflictions through which we have passed. When in the circumstances which distress us it is seldom that we can estimate them aright, because we do not sufficiently connect them with the Lord's hand, nor keep His end before our souls. Hence the need of surveying the past in order to apprehend the needed lessons. The first thing Moses brought before the minds of the people was the testing God applied to them to see whether they would "keep His commandments or no." And for this it was necessary to humble and to prove them. And why? Because of the incurable character of the flesh, which ever loves to gratify its own inclinations and to exalt itself even in the presence of God. Pride, as well as the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, lurks in the heart at all times, combined with unbrokenness of will, and even where, sometimes, it is least expected. This will explain many of God's dealings with us. He puts us into trying situations, brings crosses and obstacles across our path, suffers us to have disappointments and adversities, in order that we may know what is in our hearts, and that the flesh is never subject to His word. In one word, He has been teaching us to "keep His commandments"; and to effect this our wills have had to be broken, and we have had to be humbled. Let us not forget it, for then we shall experimentally understand that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to His purpose.

We try various things with the object of displaying either their badness or their goodness, and thus God works oftentimes with men. When God allows special trials to overtake natural men, it is to lead them to turn to Him in them, to teach them that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will" (Daniel 4:17), and that He is able to abase him who walks in pride.

But trials of similar character to those found among the "children of this world" are found also among God's children. Oftentimes God's desire in thus dealing with them is to manifest to themselves the evil of their own natural hearts (but this is not always necessary); and what is always necessary and of far greater importance in God's sight is to make then, faith shine more brightly. This was the desired end in His dealings with His servant Job, though in the same trials Job also learnt deep lessons as to nature's (i.e., his own) vileness. (Job 42:5-6) God sees faith in His children: this He values, and the trial is a trial of faith. Thus God takes the distinct ground in our trials of helping us. This is in order that faith (which, it may be, He sees is so feeble) may be strengthened. I believe there is no exception, but that every trial of a Christian is a trial of faith. (1 Peter 1:7.)

There are other trials which have their root in unfaithfulness. God permits such, but does not directly send them, and surely controls and guides to a gracious result, for His mercy endureth for over. Such trials become rods in His chastening hand; but when God sends trial to a faithful saint it is for the purpose of proving faith, which is more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, and of giving further lessons in the school of faith. The fruitful branch is purged that it may bring forth more fruit. More fruit is God's object. Hidden things may be in the heart of the faithful unknown and therefore unjudged. The trial is sent to disclose the hidden thing that it may be purged away. Not all trials are chastisements. We should gravely err if we judged every suffering saint to be under discipline through failure. Where there is faithfulness we often see what appears to be heaviest trials, but in truth it is for the display of the sustaining power of grace that others may see and learn.

Secondly, we are reminded that there is a need for these sorrows, for these trials are for “a season, if need be”. The Father does not cause His children a needless tear. The needs be is to prove our faith. This does not mean to prove whether we have faith, but rather to make manifest the preciousness of the faith we have. Gold is not put into the fire to prove that it is gold, but to bring out the precious qualities of the metal. So God proves our faith by various trials to bring out the precious qualities of our faith. Faith, counting upon God in the trial, leads to submission to what God allows: faith in God enables the soul to wait in patience (James 1:3). Faith in God enables the believer to be steadfast against the attacks of the enemy (1 Peter 5:9). The soul may have true faith, but when the trial comes these blessed qualities of faith — submission, patience, steadfastness, confidence and dependence upon God — become manifest.

Thirdly, we learn that trials have a blessed answer in the coming day of glory. The manifestation of these qualities in the day of trial will lead to praise and honour and glory in the day of Jesus Christ. We are apt to think that a time of deep trial, which may prevent us from taking part in active service for the Lord, is all lost time. No, says God, it will be “found to praise” at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

"Temptations" in this passage is more what we generally understand as "trials." It is the same word in verses 13, 14, and this will help us to apprehend its use. God's "temptations" are really tests, as verse 3 shows, where the reason given for rejoicing when we fall into divers temptations is that we know that the trying (or proving) of our faith works out, in the issue, patience or endurance. It is in the same sense that we read of God tempting Abraham - that is, that He tested him by the command to offer up Isaac. But when we come to verse 13 (which again is a contrast with verse 12) James speaks of temptation to sin; and, as he teaches us, with this God cannot have anything to do. There is therefore the widest possible difference between the two temptations. On God's part, if He "tempt" us, it is with the object of proving us, of letting us see what is in our hearts; and thus our blessing is the end in view. On Satan's part, for it is he who acts upon our flesh and seeks to stimulate its lusts, it is that he might destroy our testimony, even if he cannot compass our destruction. As another example of the usage of the word, reference may be made to 1 Cor. 10:13. The character of the "temptation" is not here specified; but it is manifest that the Corinthians were assailed by trials which tested their fidelity. To encourage their hearts the apostle assures them that there was nothing extraordinary in what they were passing through, that it was only what was "common to man." Then he brings in God in the most beautiful way, God in His faithfulness, as the support of their souls, and tells them that He will not suffer them (for He was watching over them) to be tempted above that they were able; but will with the temptation make a way of escape, that they may be able to bear it. Blessed assurance and a blessed stay for the tried and desponding heart. It will then be seen from these and similar scriptures that the temptations in which we are to rejoice are those which, meeting us in the wilderness path, test our confidence in God, and show us in how far we are depending on Him for our strength and support. Peter also speaks of these temptations, and in connection with the trial of our faith in the light of the future - at the appearing of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7.)

Why does that goldsmith take all the pains and spend time over his crucible in which gold is being refined? Because it is such a valuable thing he wants to remove the dross and have it of the finest quality. God permits His people to be put into the crucible and tries them, even by fire, but it is because faith in His estimation is a thing of exceeding value. So we are going to look at our testings in the light of this, God is dealing with us for the refining of faith, and to strengthen it. The fact of the matter is, if we Christians suffer no testings we shall never be anything but weaklings in a spiritual sense: It is the very testings that make us spiritually strong.

Now I am going back for a moment to verse 6. There are two main clauses here. You greatly rejoice in the coming salvation though now "for a season" and "if need be" you are in heaviness through manifold temptations. It is a fact that we shall never be in heaviness through manifold temptations except there is a "needs be" for it. God does not test us capriciously. It is not that He delights in our testings and our heavinesss or even in chastening or rebuking or scourging; we are assured of that in Hebrews 12. So we each have to say to ourselves, If God did not see some spiritual need to be met I should not be face to face with, and under the heavy pressure of, this trial.

The object of the chastening is now fully stated, and this as contrasted with the discipline to which we were subjected by the fathers of our flesh. These chastened us for a few days after their own pleasure, according as it seemed good to them, wisely or unwisely, and often, alas! from mere caprice or a passing feeling. Not so with God. He always has in view our profit, and the object that we might be partakers of His holiness. Such is the great end God ever proposes — our sanctification, conformity to the image of Christ. He seeks this by all the chastenings which we are called upon to endure. Like vines, our poor hearts send out tendrils in all directions, winding themselves around this and that object; and then it is that the Father permits trials or persecutions, or it may be sickness, to come in to snap these ties to objects other than Christ, and by the discovery of Himself and His love to us in these chastenings of His hand, He seeks to wean us from everything that might hinder our progress, and to attract us more fully to Himself.

332 The soul is tested by afflictions as to how far self-will is active; they make manifest the working of sin in us, that we may be able to detect it. God searches us. By this means we learn on the one hand what we are, and on the other what God is for us in His faithfulness and daily care. We are weaned from the world, and our eyes become better able to discern and appreciate what is heavenly. Thus the hope that is already in the heart becomes more lively and clearer. It is in this light we can view all our afflictions, because we possess the key to everything - "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." The providential care of God in this respect is wonderful. "He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous." He thinks of everything that concerns His children, their characters, their circumstances, their trials; He does all that is necessary to bring them to the blessed end of their pilgrimage. After forty years' wandering in the desert, the feet of the children of Israel did not swell, neither did their clothes wear out. He makes all things work together for good to them that love Him.

But the depths of Job's heart were not yet reached, and to do this was the purpose of God, whatever Satan's thoughts may have been. Job did not know himself, and up to this time, with all his piety, he had never been in the presence of God. How often it is the case that even throughout a long life of piety the conscience has never been really set before God! Hence peace, such peace as cannot be shaken, and real liberty, are not known as yet. There is a desire after God, there is the new nature; the attraction of His grace has been felt: nevertheless God and His love, as it really is, are not known. If Satan is foiled (the grace of God having kept Job's heart from murmuring) God has yet His own work to accomplish. That which the tempest that Satan had raised against Job failed in doing, is brought about by the sympathy of his friends. Poor heart of man! The uprightness and even the patience of Job had been manifested, and Satan had no more to say. But God alone can search out what the heart really is before Him; and the absence of all self-will, perfect agreement with the will of God, absolute submission like that of Christ, these things God alone could test, and thus lay bare the nothingness of man's heart before Him. God did this with Job; revealing at the same time that He acts in grace in these cases for the good of the soul which He loves.

The object of all the trial and testing of the wilderness was, as Deut. 8:2 tells us, "to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no." God leads us by a trying and rugged path (Hermon means "rugged") that the naughtiness and pride of our hearts may be discovered. God loves us too well to allow us to be deceived as to our true character as in the flesh. He puts us in the very circumstances that bring it out. Not one of us can escape this testing and sifting. And as our true character is thus brought to light, we fret and chafe and murmur. How inexpressibly vexatious it is to always have something turning up that gives occasion to our hearts to show what is in them. If we only had a path in which we could always acquit ourselves creditably, how different it would be. If things would only go as we should like, how well and happily should we get on. Yes, and how supremely self-satisfied we should become. But God will find us out; and so He causes us to traverse this land of the Hermonites, until our hearts in their bitterness say, "Why does God put me into such circumstances as these? Why does He not make it easier for me? Why does something always occur to overturn my efforts to be good, and to make fruitless all my desires to be holy? If God would order things differently for me, my life would not be the contemptible failure that it now is." Has your heart never uttered such language as this? Do you know what it means? Why, it is casting the blame of your sin upon God; and this is the outcome of Satanic enmity - it is the bite of the serpent. In a thousand ways you have proved the goodness and mercy of God, and yet your heart is capable of turning round upon Him and suggesting that His ordering for you is to blame for all your failure. What a discovery this is of those hidden springs of enmity against God that rise in the carnal mind.