Its Testing
“And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.” — Matt. 6. 13 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear; but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.” — PCO 10. 12;:13 “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.” — James 1. 2-4
i approaching the subject of the testing of the Christian life I want to speak of the purpose and process thereof. The present life of the Christian is preparatory and progressive. Nothing is more evident in a study of the New
Testament than that the people of God are finally a heavenly people. I do not mean by that that they are indifferent to the present world, or that they are to live the life of a physical separation from it, or shut themselves within walls to escape it. But the fact remains that the Christian life, as to its ultimate purpose, can never be perfected in this life. This is our school-time. We are in training, We are growing and developing towards maturity of life, in order to the perfect service of the ages to come. Our true service will commence when this probationary
life is past, and the life of heaven has begun. Paul, in his
letter to the Ephesians, reveals the vocation of the Church to be heavenly in its nature. In the ages to come in union with Christ, she will witness to principalities and powers in the heavenlies of God’s wondrous grace and wisdom. Of course, while all this is true, the Church has a present
“service and responsibility, and it must never be forgotten
that we are saved to serve even here and now. The communication of the life of Christ to the soul is not merely
for personal salvation, but in order that through the saved
Christ may carry forward His great work of saving others.
Our present work is that of showing forth the excellences “4 THE LIFB OF THB CHRISTIAN i of God, and so revealing to men the perfection of His — government. It is only as our hearts are set upon the heavenly calling that we shall be able to fulfil the earthly calling. It is only as the radiant vision of the vocation to come is before us, that we shall be able to fulfil the vocation of the shadows and the mists and the mysteries of the little while. Each one of us is called to some specific work. Not all are called to the work of preaching or teaching, but all are responsible concerning this ministry of revelation. These two facts concerning service must be remembered. The Church is created supremely for service hereafter. There is also a service here, partial, incomplete, and transitory, yet important and glorious. All the present, however, is but preparatory to the future, and temptation means the testing of those who are being prepared for service, as to their fitness for their work. All through the process of present service temptation will be the portion of the Christian. All through these days of discipline and preparation for the final service, testing will be necessary. The word temptation is often misunderstood, being used as if it meant only seduction toward evil, whereas that isa process of temptation. Temptation is not all alluremen toward evil necessarily. Allurement toward evil is a method of temptation. “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations,” and no inspired apostle would charge us to count it all joy when we find ourselves in the presence of evil, and feel the pull of its allurement. But the purpose of the testing or temptation was in the mind of James when he wrote those words. The purpose of testing or temptation was also in the mind of Paul when he wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can ooo Rea eee ty ithful, Who -w’ ot suffer you to be; that ye are able, but will with the tempn make also the way of escape.” In the New Testanent where this word is made use of, while it is used to describe the alluring of the soul by evil, it nevertheless - always indicates the fact that by such allurement the work — of testing is going forward. This testing may come in
other ways, and that is why I have chosen to speak of testing fe
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rather than temptation. I want to make two propositions and consider them each a little. The first is that testing to the Christian is always in the line of and with a view to — ‘ preparation for service. The second proposition is. that
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the whole process of testing is under the direct supervision
of God. (7 “<= Testing is always necessary as part of preparation for me a service. It reveals the strength or weakness of the life at — any given moment, and thus creates confidence, or calls
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of weakness. If in the process of testing I am victorious, es 7 é = eed then my strength is thereby revealed, and I am prepared
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ik to Christ in order that there may be strengthening of that - * a in z 2 % 8 bi e in me which is weak and the putting away of that which ‘caused the failure. While it is true that we do fall under .- temptation, it is also true that there is no necessity for any such falling. If such a statement is startling, let us remember a; the wor ds “God will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.” It will be objected that being tempted we fall before we are aware of it, but that there is.no necessity for any such defeat is evident from the words — “y7ho will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are - io ie: = * P Ss Epa
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able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape.”.
If under temptation I fall, what has temptation done for me? It has revealed a point of weakness, and such revelation should drive me back again to Christ, in order that alone with Him I may first make confession of my sin and failure, and then in order that I may anew take hold upon His strength at the point of weakness, and be no more overcome. So that in the life of the Christian testing has always a blessing associated with it. “Count it all joy, my brethren, when-ye fall into manifold temptations.”
Yet Christ commanded us “Pray that ye enter not into temptation,” and thereby defined the true attitude of the soul toward testing. Of this, however, more presently. To return to the subject of the value of testing. “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations,” and why? Because “the proving or testing of your faith worketh steadfastness.” Testing ever issues in blessing to such as abide loyal to Christ. If victorious over it, it has revealed strength which proves readiness for fuller service and larger life. If defeated, it has revealed a weakness, and if the revelation of that weakness does but drive us to Christ, in order that we may take hold anew upon His strength, then even the testing has proved a blessing.
We must be careful to differentiate between temptation and sin. Temptation is in itself a veritable means of grace if only it drive us to Christ. In that way in the largest and fullest sense, we may rise on our dead selves to higher things. A bridge is tested as to its power to carry weight, because the work of the bridge will be that of carrying weight. Metal is tested as to its resistance, because the work of the metal will be to resist. That is ever the true law of
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Pes TESTING 77
testing. It always tries the quality of something which is necessary to the fulfilment of purpose. There are many methods, but the purpose is always the same. Just as a bridge is tested as to its ability to bear weight, because its work is to bear weight; and just as metal is tested as to its power of resistance, because its work is to be that of resistance; so the Christian is tested as to his capacity for that particular form of service to which he is called.
Let us see how this applies to the Christian Church. Take the whole outlook upon the Christian Church, not in its final vocation, but in its present work and service. The apostle said, “Ye are... that ye may show forth the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”* Never was anything more won-
-derful said of the Church than that. She is God’s medium for the manifestation of Himself to the world, the instrument through which the illumination of His own nature and character shall shine upon the ways of men, the vehicle in which the vision of God shall be conveyed to men. The testings of the Church, therefore, from the world, —
- the flesh, and the devil are directed toward her essential fanction of the manifestation of God, her fitness for the realisation and revelation of His excellencies. It is in the realm of her fitness for the fulfilment of that function that testing ever comes, not to hinder her, but to prove capacity. We saw in the previous study that the relation of the Christian to God as revealed in Jesus Christ was characterised by confidence, by communion, and by co-operation. The Church of Jesus Christ will manifest the excellencies of God in proportion as she is living the life of confidence in God, the life of communion with God, and the life of co-operation
1 Peter 2. 9 ate ate he with God. We are to express the truth concerning God to men, to the angels, to the ages. This we are able to do in proportion as our confidence in God is complete, our communion is constant, and our co-operation is consecrated. Within the compass of these facts, therefore, of confidence, of communion, and co-operation, all our testing will come. Such testing of the Church’s confidence has come in times of persecution, in baptisms of blood. In periods of fiery persecution the Church was being tested as to her confidence in God, and if such testing sometimes revealed
lack of confidence and she fell back, yet more often it
manifested the strength of confidence, and made her more strong, so that the testimony of the Church to the world was stronger and purer in those days than in the times when testing was lacking.
The testing of the Church will come along the line of her communion with God. That is one of the peculiar perils of the present age. The devil of the medizval ages has passed away as to his methods of manifestation, but he is still with us. One of his methods to-day is starting so many organisations that the Church members have no time for communion with God. The Church is so busy that one cannot move without hearing the clink and the friction of her wheels. Whenever the Church becomes so fussy about her work that she has no time for communion with God, the world looks on, and smiles at her, and helps her in her bazaars, and stays away from her prayer-meetings Oh, that God would turn us back to communion with Himself! Oh, that we might turn back in these days’ to the quiet meditation of those past days! Oh, that we mighr make time to sit at His feet! The trouble is that we have yielded to the spirit of the age so largely. Wherever you
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Be: So hiss the testing of the Church will come e along then “Tine of her co-operation with God. In proportion as the i; fF & Church is in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, counting x ‘that her chief business, co-operating with God in the midst — - of every passing age, in that proportion she is fulfilling te purpose of God. But when the Church is trying to a
catch the spirit of the age, and accommodate herself to
the movements of the age, and express all the great doctines in the terms of the time, she is missing the mark, te Peshe will not exert her influence. ‘
This is the broader outlook. To come now rota ‘the general to the particular, and to speak of individual pies Wis and this still in the realm of service — let us suppose that God i is calling to some place of conspicuous service, some ae 4 Bescon seen and beheld by men, and talked of by the world. ae In that place of conspicuous service the real responsibility = of the saint is that of revealing God. Whether the call be ae to the work of the prophet, evangelist, teacher, or to: “testimony in the circle of society in which we move, or in our business relationshis, our true work is ever that of. ‘3 7 Divine revelation. For any such service there are two re: qualities necessary, courage and humility; daring to come to the front if God calls, accompanied by that ical of spirit which ever recognises the Lordship of Christ = over all His servants, and therefore is free from boasting. — a: - It is in the matter of these essential qualities that testing — = ‘ill come to the man or woman called to the place of con:
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spicuous service. It matters nothing to the argument, who the agent of temptation may be, or along what — particular avenue the temptation may come, the qualities — tested will be the same. The greatest perils of such respon- sibility are cowardice and pride. Moses was tested in the — matter of courage when he asked God “Who’am I?”* — and for the moment was in danger of allowing his own — incompetence to eclipse the vision of the ability of God. — Many have failed because they have not dared to enter on; some path of service clearly marked out for them. There — is a false modesty which is cowardice..
Take a case now exactly opposite. God may have called me into some place of hidden service. The qualities necessary for success are fidelity and contentment; fidelity, the determination to obey, because God has called, even — though no one should criticise or commend, no one help — or hinder. The temptation often comes in the form of — restlessness, and the desire to do some greater thing. It — will suggest the meanness of the task to be done, proposing a change in the life. This will tend to break down fidelity, and make me discontented in the place where God has put me. As capacity for service is the highest fact in Christian life, testing is all-important, as it reveals the weakness or manifests the strength of the instrument.
Now let us approach the second proposition, that the process of testing is under the direction and supervision of God. The book of Job is the supreme book of the Bible illustrating this truth. Satan could not touch a single hair upon the back of a single camel that belonged to Tob until he had met and asked leave of God. We have some strange ideas about the devil. We seem to think he is
1 Exod, 3. 11 d He “ill not pie. you t to be ved en dats Ww. u are pe ‘He will not allow any pressure to pe bro gl
Efe of the ae are all known and eae aa h in check by God Himself. The world, the flesh, and t devil, these are the agents of temptation, and none of them qa will be permitted to bring to bear upon the life of the = believer greater pressure than that life is able to bear. bogs a will permit them to try us up to a certain point, and: we “G oo never need break down, for the door of escape is always i. “ease when the limit of our ability is reached; and we — may. pass out from the process triumphant. aa “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, diate ae he might sift you as wheat.”1 Notice carefully that he was compelled to ask. He could not put these men through — 3 the process of sifting seve under Divine permission. And yet even more’ carefully notice what follows, “But I made G a ip sapplictticn for thee,” that is the provision of the door of ie escape. And that supplication of love prevailed. The faith: 283 these men never failed, nor did their love, even though * their courage did. Faith is confidence in a person, and if in these men, that failed in any respect, it was oy thei 1 Luke 22. 31 2 Luke 22. 2
Bi confidence in His ability to do what they thought He was
about to do. Their faith never failed in Christ Himself. The two men walking to Emmaus, seaking of Him called
Him “a Prophet mighty in deed and word.”* Their hope -
failed, and their confidence in His success, but not their faith in Himself. And men are not saved by believing anything about Jesus, but by belief in Him.
We cannot be tested without the knowledge and watchfulness of God. Just as the refiner of silver sits in the presence of the furnace, and with skilled eye watches until the fire has done its work, and then withdraws the precious metal; so God, in infinite care for His own, governs the heat, and the measure of the fire, and will not suffer any to be tempted above that they are able to bear.
This is equally true with regard to circumstances, or the world. How often we affirm that circumstances are too strong for us! That is never true. God is always mightier than the circumstances, and all the world forces which pull us downward are also under His control. If we live in right relationship to Him, then we are mightier than all the forces of the world. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”* John is speaking there of antichrist, not as a person manifested, but as a spirit and influence. True it is that the spirit of the world is mighty, but that in us which pulls as against the world is mightier still. Consequently while we are allowed to feel the attractiveness of the world for the testing of our life, God knows, watches, and holds in check these subtle forces; but by the Spirit He in us is mightier than the world, as He is stronger than Satan.
So also with the flesh. In the natural life there are appetites which in themselves are perfectly right, but which 1 Luke 24. 19 21 John 4. 4
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4s * * PS ee tend to lead astray by seducing us from the realm of law for their satisfaction. The lust of them, the desire of the flesh, pulls us from the path of rectitude and loyalty. This also He knows, and limits; and the lust of the Spirit is mightier than the lust of the flesh.
Yet there must be this testing of the lust of the flesh, in order that we may know the might of the lust of the Spirit. There must be the testing of the pride of the world, in order that we may know the might of His power. There must be the testing of the adversary in order that we may know the strength of Him Who is mightier than the foe. Life lived in Him is tested by all these forces, but is victorious over them. ee
Not only the agents of temptation, but the avenues also, natural desire, spiritual aspiration, and vocational ambition are all under His control. The only avenues along which the adversary can reach a human soul are these, He exhausted his methods in the wilderness. He approached Tesus first along the line of natural desire as to His hunger; and then through spiritual aspiration as to His trust in God, and finally as to His vocational ambition, in the offer of the kingdoms. The final thing in every life is what it has to do. We are, in order that we may do.
First, then, the natural desires of the physical, which is the lower part of nature, will be tempted. Secondly, the spiritual aspirations. Lastly, the vocational ambitions. The devil has nothing beyond these. He has a thousand baits, but only three avenues of approach. These are all under the control of God. Though all must feel the force of testing, He knows the strength; and is conscious of the “weakest moment, and accordingly He limits the forces of <temptation, and opens the door of escape. Satan can never sift without permission granted. The world or circum- — stances may seem too powerful, but He will act against them in our weakest moment. The flesh may seem to be — wholly on the side of the foe, yet He is able to quicken even the mortal body.
The life in us now being tested is the Christ life. We are Christians because that life is in us. Of that life Christ is Himself the sustenance. The outward expression of the life is Christ, just as its consciousness is His. So the testing of the Christian life is the testing of the Christ life in us. That life has already had its perfect victory. Therefore if we meet the testing of the enemy in its strength, we meet it in the power of a victory already gained. Testing in that energy always issues in triumph.
Many fall under testing. This is always because the laws of the Christ life are not obeyed. This may be proved by going back honestly to the point of failure. Let any such defeat be remembered, and the question asked concerning it, Need I have fallen there if I had absolutely depended upon Jesus Christ? There is not one of us who dare say Yes. We all fall, but always because we did not look for the door of escape, or else did not meet the testing in His strength alone. Failure often comes because we do not remember the spirit and meaning of that petition which our Lord taught us to offer, “Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.”? The principal matter is that we should be delivered from evil. If the final purity cannot be attained save by the way of testing, then we must consent to pass through it. Testing should always be approached with that cautiousness of spirit which results from the con- sciousness of its peril, and yet with confidence that He will finally deliver us from evil.
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In brief, as Christ has given us life, and is able to sustain that life, sc also is He able to make us victorious, “more than conquerors”* over all the forces that are against us; and when we depend on Him in testing, whether it be through Satan, the world, or the flesh, then testing itself becomes a means of grace, a fiery process through which the dross is burned, and the gold made to shine perfectly.
1Rom. 8. 37