Why do Christians get tested?

[B-A-C]

I've talked about this here before. A lot of it falls into which theology camp you are in.
1. Autoism - I do it all, and God just watches from a distance to see how I'm doing.
2. Theoism - God does it all, I have no choice in the matter ( closely tied to predestination, OSAS, non-freewill ) - these people ask "why is God testing me?" Because they assume God does it all, no need for me to be tested.
3. Synergism - It's a joint, cooperative relationship - God does most of it ( there are varying degrees - according to your theology ) but I myself am responsible for a part of it.

But the fact remains... God does test some people, or perhaps He uses Satan to do it sometimes, but even Satan has to ask for permission.

Exod 16:4; Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.
Deut 8:16; "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.
Deut 8:2; "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Deut 13:3; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Some people are hoarders. They gather up a lot of... "food" ... in case no more mannah comes from God tomorrow. But God tells them not to. Do they pass the test here?

Exod 20:20; Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."

Jdg 2:20; So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice,
Jdg 2:21; I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,
Jdg 2:22; in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not."
Jdg 2:23; So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Jdg 3:4; They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.

This particular verse seems to be more about Paul testing this church than God Himself.

2Cor 2:9; For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.

We are also told to test ourselves from time to time.

2Cor 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?
2Cor 13:6; But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.

But back to God testing us...

Jas 1:2; Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Jas 1:3; knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Jas 1:4; And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1Pet 4:12; Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
1Pet 4:13; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

Gen 22:1; Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
Gen 22:2; He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Heb 11:17; By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

1Pet 1:6; In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Isa 48:10; "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Zech 13:9; "And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

Of course there is Job... it appears God is inviting Satan to test Job.

Job 1:8; The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."
Job 1:9; Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
Job 1:10; "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
Job 1:11; "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."
Job 1:12; Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

Job passes the first test, so God let's him be tested again.

Job 2:3; The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause."
Job 2:4; Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
Job 2:5; "However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face."
Job 2:6; So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."

But I notice Satan could only go as far as God let him. Satan can't do anything to believers without God's permission.

Luke 22:31; "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
Luke 22:32; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

So Satan asks "permission" to test Peter here. Jesus knows in advance it's going to happen, but He doesn't stop it from happening.
We all know the story of Peter denying Jesus 3 times, and at first glance it seems he fails the test. But we also know Peter
came back to Jesus in the end ( unlike Judas Iscariot who apparently "failed" the test ).

 

[B-A-C]

For the "God does it all" theology, testing seems like a waste. If God does it all, why do "I" need to be tested?
But as Paul, James and Peter say above, testing reveals our heart. It reveals our character.
Do God already know our heart? Maybe, I won't dispute it... but yet the Bible says in a few different places.. God tested them .. "to find out"...

Who needed to find out? God? .. maybe. How about you yourself? It's all fine to say I love God, I believe in God, and I'll always pass the tests...
But maybe the testing is to reveal your heart and character to you... not to God. Maybe He already knows... but maybe you don't know yourself as well as you think you do.

A friend of mine who retired from the Army a while back, used to work for the Army corps of engineers. His particular team built bridges.
After the bridge was built, thousands of tons of equipment, with dozens of people aboard, would have to cross the bridge. If the bridge failed, all that equipment, and likely most of those
lives would be lost. So they tested the bridges before anyone crossed them. How did they do that?

"My Sargent told me to get into the heaviest tank we had, and drive across the bridge".
"But what if it falls?"
"Then you didn't do a very good job building the bridge".

It's easy to trust God and praise Him when things are going great, but what about when the storms come? When the testing really starts...
Are you going to trust God when you lose your job? When your spouse leaves you? When you get into financial trouble?
When your very sick or injured?

It's all fine and dandy to say, I know I'll pass the test... but the proof is in the pudding. Get in that tank and start driving.

Have you ever considered... like Job, God is inviting Satan to test you today?

 

[B-A-C]

My personal belief here, is that many stories in the Bible reveal the character of God.

Take Joseph for example... when he was still young, his brothers sold him into slavery. ... ah, don't you love sibling rivalry?
As most of us know, many years later Joseph is second in power only to Pharaoh in Egypt, and he "by chance" runs into his brothers again.

Gen 42:13; But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive."
Gen 42:14; Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies;
Gen 42:15; by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!
Gen 42:16; "Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."
Gen 42:17; So he put them all together in prison for three days.
Gen 42:18; Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God:
Gen 42:19; if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households,
Gen 42:20; and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so.

...as the story goes, the brothers bring Benjamin the youngest back Joseph ( they didn't know if was Joseph yet )
But Joseph was testing them...

Gen 44:1; Then he commanded his house steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.
Gen 44:2; "Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph had told him.
Gen 44:3; As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.

Gen 44:11; Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
Gen 44:12; He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

Joseph wants to know they still value their own selfishness over the life of their youngest brother.

Gen 44:32 "For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.'
Gen 44:33 "Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

.. at that moment, Joseph's question is answered.

Now some of us.. ( myself included ) are slow learners. I have to be tested over and over again. There have been times in my life, I stopped and fell to my knees and asked God..
"Why God why?" "Why do I keep having this same problem over and over again?"

The next day I was talking with one of the church elders, and he was talking about 17 year old grandson...
He said he does pretty good on the driving part, but he has failed the written test 4 times in the last year.
One day the grandson asked when he can quit taking the test. His father said "When you pass it".

God spoke to me in that moment.