Testing 1,2,3
Throughout scripture God gives us ways to test ourselves and others to determine if all are on track with the will of The Father and Christ. All tests are for our benefit. We find guidance and protection against spiritual corruption as well as understanding and wisdom. See how all measure up to God’s standards.
God waits to be gracious and have mercy on you in order that He will be exalted. Those who wait for Him are blessed and receive justice. Isaiah 30:18
Isa 30:18 And so Jehovah waits to be gracious to you. And for this He is exalted to have mercy on you; for Jehovah is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
God fulfills the vision of those who wait patiently (on Him). Habakkuk 2:1-3
Hab 2:1 I will stand on my guard and set myself on the tower, and watch to see what He will say against me, and what I shall return on my rebuke.
Hab 2:2 And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it on the tablets, that he who reads it may run.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is still for the appointed time, but it breathes to the end, and it does not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, because coming it will come; it will not tarry.
God invites testing to prove His blessings when tithing is done. Malachi 3:10
Mal 3:10 Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. And test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, whether I will not open the windows of the heavens for you and pour out a blessing until there is no sufficiency of room to store it.
Christians are tested by their fruit*. * (Bringing in new Christians) Matt. 12:33
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by the fruit.
No one can say “Jesus is Lord” (and mean it) except by the Holy Spirit. 1Cor.12:3
1Co 12:3 Because of this I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus is a curse. And no one is able to say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
Every spirit that does not confess Jesus came in the flesh, is not of God. 1John 4:3
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit which does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God; and this is the antichrist which you heard is coming, and now is already in the world.
Whoever speaks of Jesus as the son of God, God abides in him & he in God. 1John 4:15,
Romans 10:9
Rom 10:9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
One who seeks glory for himself is not true (of God), but those that seek glory for (Christ) are true and have no unrighteousness in them. John 7:18
Joh 7:18 The one speaking from himself seeks his own glory. But the one seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, this One is true, and unrighteousness is not in Him.
Those who do not hear God’s words are not of God. John 8:47
Joh 8:47 The one who is of God hears the Words of God; for this reason you do not hear, because you are not of God.
Christians are tested in order that they may grow and produce fruit. Mark 4:20
Mar 4:20 And these are those being sown on the good ground, who hear and welcome the Word and bring forth fruit, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundredfold.
Rejoice that testing of your faith develops patience or perseverance. James 1:2-3
Jas 1:2 My brothers count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3 knowing that the proving of your faith works patience.
God will not allow temptation beyond our ability to resist. We are tested by temptations. Look for the way of escape. 1Cor.10:12-13
1Co 10:12 So that he that thinks to stand, let him be careful that he not fall.
1Co 10:13 No temptation has taken you except what is human; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able. But with the temptation, He will also make the way out, so that you may be able to bear it.
Active Christians will be persecuted by the world due to their hating Christ and His Father and the saved being chosen by God. John 15:18-20,23
Joh 15:18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it has hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
Joh 15:20 Remember the Word which I said to you, A slave is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted Me, they also will persecute you. If they kept My Word, they also will keep yours.
Joh 15:23 The one hating Me also hates My Father.
Those who live according to the flesh think about things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit think about things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5, 1Co 2:14
Rom 8:5 For the ones that are according to flesh mind the things of the flesh. And the ones according to Spirit mind the things of the Spirit.
1Co 2:14 But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Those not saved think the message of Christ’s cross is foolishness. 1Cor.1:18
1Co 1:18 For the Word of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God.
Believers are to judge (test) all things (as good or evil) guided by the Holy Spirit who knows the mind of Christ 1Cor.2:15-16, 1Thes.5:21
1Co 2:15 But the spiritual one discerns all things, but he is discerned by no one.
1Co 2:16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord?” “Who will teach Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Isa. 40:13
Pray without ceasing, giving thanks for everything. Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Prophesies. Test all things, holding onto that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1Thes.5:17 -22
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
1Th 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.
1Th 5:20 Do not despise prophecies.
1Th 5:21 Test all things, hold fast the good. 1Th 5:22 Keep back from every form of evil.
Carnal people, and churches, show envy, strife and division. 1Cor.3:3
1Co 3:3 For you are yet fleshly. For where among you is jealousy, and strife, and divisions, are you not fleshly and walk according to man?
By two or three witnesses every word shall be established (proven or tested). 2Cor.13:1
2Co 13:1 I am coming to you this third time. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shall be established.” Deut. 19:15
Test (examine) yourself to know that Christ is in you. 2Cor.13:5
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Or do you not yourselves perceive that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved?
If we say we are in Christ and still continue to sin, we are not practicing truth. If we say we are not sinful ,we deceive ourselves and are not truthful. He who says that he is in the light, but hates his brother is in darkness and is blinded, because those that are in the light love their brothers. 1st John 1:6-8, 4:19-21
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and we walk in darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth.
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love God whom he has not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And we have this commandment from Him, that the one who loves God also loves his brother.
Do not love the world or the things of the world; the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, or else the love of the Father is not in you. 1st John 2:15-16
1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,
1Jn 2:16 because all that which is in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
We are assured that we know Him (Christ), if we keep His commandments. 1st John 2:3-6, 5:2‑3
1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commands.
1Jn 2:4 The one saying, I have known Him, and not keeping His commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that one.
1Jn 2:5 But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.
1Jn 2:6 The one claiming to rest in Him ought so to walk himself as that One walked.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not heavy.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has also the Father. 1st John 2:23-24
1Jn 2:23 Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son also has the Father.
1Jn 2:24 Then what you heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you will abide both in the Son and in the Father.
Who ever has been born of God does not sin (purposely) and loves others in Christ. 1stJohn3:9-10
1Jn 3:9 Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.
1Jn 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God; also the one not loving his brother.
If our heart (conscience) does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
1st John 3:21
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not accuse us, we have confidence with God.
Whoever sins (purposely) and does not abide (live) according to the doctrine of Christ does not live in God. Whoever lives by the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2nd John 1:9
2Jn 1:9 Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. The one abiding in the doctrine of Christ, this one has the Father and the Son.
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house or greet him, else you share in his evil deeds. Do not even say hello lest you encourage his waywardness. 2nd John 1:10-11
2Jn 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bear this doctrine, do not receive him into the house, and do not speak a greeting to him.
2Jn 1:11 For the one speaking a greeting shares in his evil works.
Those that keep Christ’s commandments abide in Him and He in them. This is proven by the Holy Spirit being given to those that abide in Him. Only those who say Jesus Christ is the son of God, love others and trust in God’s love are in Christ and God. 1st John 3:24, 4:12-16
1Jn 3:24 And the one keeping His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave to us.
1Jn 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love having been perfected is in us.
1Jn 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because of His Spirit He has given to us.
1Jn 4:14 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God in him.
We are told to test people’s spirits to see if they are of God. The specific test is if they confess that Jesus has come in the flesh on earth. 1st John4:1,2
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
1Jn 4:2 By this know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
The reverse is also true as a description of the spirit of the Antichrist. 1st John 4:3
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit which does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God; and this is the antichrist which you heard is coming, and now is already in the world.
The Antichrist spirit speaks the base language of the world and the worldly people listen. 1st John 4:5
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world; because of this they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
Those that know God listen to other godly people. 1st John 4:6
1Jn 4:6 We are of God; the one knowing God hears us. Whoever is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Once a person has accepted Christ and is loving, other Christians are to love them.
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves has been generated from God, and knows God.
If a person does not love others as they should, they are not of god. Only those that love know God, because He is love. (This can also be a self test)
God gave the example of what it is to love by showing the love of Christ to us and for us.
1Jn 4:8 The one who does not love has not known God, because God is love.
1Jn 4:9 By this the love of God was revealed in us, because His Son, the Only begotten, God has sent into the world that we might live through Him.
1Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation relating to our sins.
One Christian loving another is a self test to know that one is abiding in Christ and He in them since He has given them of his spirit. 1st John 4:12-13
1Jn 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love having been perfected is in us.
1Jn 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because of His Spirit He has given to us.
When Christians stand together in faith, and not in fear, they are proof of perdition (hell’s punishment) to the unsaved and proof of salvation to the saved. Philip.1:27-28
Php 1:27 Only behave yourself worthily of the gospel of Christ, so that whether coming and seeing you or being absent, I hear the things concerning you, that you stand fast in one spirit and one soul, striving together in the faith of the gospel,
Php 1:28 and not being terrified in anything by those who oppose, which to them truly is a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and this from God;
Beware, that none cheat you out a belief in Christ through philosophy, deceit, tradition or the base principles of the world which are not in agreement with Christ’s teachings. Faith in Christ is tested by philosophy and deception.
Colossians 2:8
Col 2:8 Watch that there not be one robbing you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.
The gospel is to be spoken so as to please God, not men, as a means of testing the hearts of those who speak it. (When we speak something, we show commitment to it for it becomes public knowledge.) 1Thes.2:4
1Th 2:4 but even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not as pleasing men, but God, the One trying our hearts.
What we speak is important for the things said will eventually become the basis for much of our judgement.
Mat 12:36 But I say to you, that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give an account of it in Judgment Day.
Notice, that all of these check tests do not involve time, gender, location, race or contact with. Their primary concern is for our welfare and our relationship to God. They are not complicated but are as simple as taking one’s temperature. Isn’t it nice that God loves us so. He wants us to judge ourselves now, knowing that if we do not, He will eventually have to.