pass or fail test from God?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Colby on September 22, 2013 at 11:30pm

Salvation is "pass/fail."  You're either saved, or you're not (Jn3:16-17; Acts 4:12, Col1:20-22).   

Here's God's promise to you regarding salvation.  It comes with no ifs, ands, or buts (no strings attached).  

• "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" (Rom10:-9-10, NIV).
• "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph2:8-9, ESV).
  • God's standard is nothing less than perfection.  
  • So if grace alone were not enough and our salvation in some measure depended on our good deeds and observance of God's laws, we'd all fail: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom3:23, NIV).

Does God test our faith?  If so, why?

• The Apostle Peter gives us the answer: "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is tevealed" (1Pet1:6-7, NIV).
• "It’s true: suffering both tests and refines my faith. ...
  Suffering undoes me.
  It unravels the pride and self-reliance that were woven together with my faith.
  What’s left is alarmingly slender, so it’s just as well that it’s God, not me, who
  holds me here. Faith hangs by a thread; yet it holds, tested and true, stronger
  than spider silk, for the One to whom it clings is faithful. When I am weak,
  God proves to be strong; and, seeing this, my faith grows stronger."
  ~ Jean Williams (Read more here).

• "By the testing of our faith, God causes us to grow and mature into strong disciples who truly live by faith in Him, not by what we see..."   Read more at GotQuestions.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jenny on October 2, 2013 at 11:36pm

thankyou for this 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on October 3, 2013 at 10:21pm

Hi Jenny,

Your post is probably on the minds and hearts of untold numbers of souls echoing your thoughts.                                        Fact of your questions is encouraging for yourself, because you are asking them.

 

To start with, I agree completely with my brother Colby in everything he has said.

 

Now, the folks who say they believe........but really don't.........are the ones we want to try to help. For instance: Matthew 7: 21-23, " Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

Many will say unto Me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?

And then I will declare to them, " I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness".

Also Jesus's parable of the sower in Matthew Chapter 13: 3- 23 is an excellent account about people heeding the Word of God..........then falling away due to external circumstances.

Jesus's illustration of the true vine and His followers as branches tell the story also, in John, Chapter 15. 

 

Yes Jenny, there is a test..... II Corinthians 13:5......"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!

Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test"?

 

Here are some Scriptures to help you take the test = Galatians 6:4, I John 2:6, I John 3: 22-24.

More gauges to check our faith:

Pray regularly....in season and out of season.

Read and study the Bible regularly....(not out of duty).

Living the greatest commandment.....Matthew 22:37-40.

 

If we're not actively seeking to grow  closer to God, we are drawing farther away from Him.

We should look for a growing awareness of Christ's presence as we spiritually mature into His image.

 

I'm not trying to expose anyone, or play "gottcha"......... just sharing God's Word.

 

Grace and Peace.

 

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jenny on October 3, 2013 at 10:35pm

thank you for these thoughts and verses, important things to check out

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Colby on October 4, 2013 at 6:22pm

Richard,

Excellent points, spoken with clarity and grace, which (as you always certain to do) are firmly anchored to and aligned with God's Word. 

Why "test" our faith? Can't we just rest on our laurels  secure knowing that since God gave us faith, we have all that we need, and therefore, we can live on automatic pilot or cruise control?  God wouldn't set us up for failure, putting his free gift of eternal life on the line, time and time again, would he?  He's not like a college professor that delights in springing stress-filled surprise quizzes on his students, is he?

Absolutely not!  But, as LT wrote elsewhere:  faith is never stagnate, it's either increasing or diminishing. Hopefully, for us, it's increasing.  So the only way we can know for sure is to test it.  If we find that our faith is lacking, then we can do something about it.

Bottom line:  testing our faith isn't God playing games with us or setting us up to fail.  It's about what we're doing with the faith he's given us.  It's to our benefit to regularly "test" our faith to ensure that we're spiritually healthy; if we find that we aren't, to take necessary corrective measures.  

As you stated so well, "if we're not actively seeking to grow closer to God, we are drawing farther away from him."  We should all take to that to heart and reflect on it.  Likewise, if we aren't eating a well-balanced diet of healthy and nutrient-rich foods and getting enough exercise, our physical and mental health will start to gradually erode.

Faith, hope and love,

Colby

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jenny on October 4, 2013 at 8:19pm

thank you Richard and Colby for your thoughtful responses. Once again I have so much rich material here to read up on and pray about. 
God bless, 

Jenny

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on October 4, 2013 at 9:34pm

Colby,

Thank you for your kind words.

And  Jenny........You go girl.

 

Grace and Peace.

• ▶ Reply