Sunday, July 25, 2021
The Tester
The prophet Jeremiah warns his own people and he warns us that a time of examination will come upon us. This is a certainty. The uncertainty is this: Will we endure? We may question, we may wonder and we may seek and we will be tested. The many trials we undergo comprise our suffering and for this we must not be angry. Nor ought we to test the Lord ourselves, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:9: We should not test the Lord.
Jeremiah 6:27 – A tester among my people I have appointed you, to search and test their way.
Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve of what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Corinthians 3:13 – The fire [of the Day of Christ’s coming] will test the quality of each man’s work.
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 – Examine yourselves to see whether you are in faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust you will discover that we have not failed the test.
Galatians 6:4 – Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 – Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
James 1:12 – Blessed is the one 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.
1 John 4:1 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Revelation 3:10 – Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on earth.
The Tester is coming so we will want to test ourselves and we will want to determine our personal creed so that we know it by heart. We will want to adhere to what is good and to avoid evil. We will beware of false teachers. We will examine the quality of our own work to see where it is wanting and we will refrain from judging the work of others. We will be persistent and patient as we endeavor to be perfect in our persistence to model Jesus. We will pray for ourselves and others, especially our enemies. We will love what is good. We will spend time with the prophets and the word to see what we might learn for in this is wisdom. In this is our own salvation and the salvation of many.
A Favorite from June 6, 2010.
Image from: http://www.powerpointapologist.org/series_creed.html and http://gloria-deo.blogspot.com/2013/05/need-creed.html
The Noontimes 