Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
The testing of faith produces patient endurance, so falling unexpectedly into varied trials is to be counted as joy because of what that testing works. Patience must be allowed to have its complete work until believers are mature and entire, lacking nothing. God permits and uses such trials as purposeful discipline to humble His children, reveal what is in the heart, teach unlearned lessons, and draw them nearer to Him and keep them from self-sufficiency. Under His eye they purify character and remove impurity and dross like gold in the furnace, hewing and polishing rough stones for their appointed place in the heavenly temple. The benefit comes only when trials are rightly received in trust, prayer, and thankfulness without murmuring, by taking every burden and promise to the Lord, relying on His strength, and enduring calmly without complaint until the work is done.
Words and Setting
The testing or trying of faith produces patience, or patient endurance. Falling into various or divers temptations is to be counted all joy because of what that testing works. That joy is conditional on patience being allowed to have its influence upon the sufferer and to complete its perfect work, so that believers become perfect and entire, mature and complete, wanting or lacking nothing. The need for wisdom in trial is met by asking God, who gives liberally and without reproach, but the asking must be in faith without wavering or nothing will be received. Patience is gained by taking every burden to the Lord in prayer and going to the Source of all grace and sufficiency, where rest is given under an easy yoke and light burden, for His arm is not shortened that it cannot save and His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. If instead difficulties are looked at and talked of they magnify, and if burdens are carried to fellow men who are themselves weighed down no knowledge or help is obtained. Enduring temptation is individual work that must be done before labor for others can avail, in which the one tried takes the Word of life personally, brings the promises to the Lord and claims them, relying on the strength of the Lord and not on any human power.
Falling into temptation is different from falling under temptation. It is not necessary to fall under, to give in to temptation, or to dwell on sorrow, but to endure with praise to God as the way to receive blessing. When the trying of faith works patience and not ill will, murmuring, fretfulness or fretting, it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God. This promise is to be appropriated by faith, with help from Jesus as believers look to God for support and strength in every emergency, trusting in Him at all times as strength and shield while trials teach valuable lessons.
The verse concerns falling unexpectedly into varied trials, not deliberately seeking them or entering the enemy's snares. Trials are to be expected in the Christian life and are not strange interruptions, nor merely harmful or pointless. They are appointed means of moral discipline and education to purify and strengthen Christians and to form strong, balanced character. When they come unexpectedly, patience enables believers to endure without being overcome or dishonoring Christ through hasty speech or reckless discouragement, and by drawing near to God and relying on His strength they teach valuable lessons and develop precious graces.
Patience means calm, steadfast endurance under trials, provocations, annoyances, reproach, disappointment, losses, crosses, hurt feelings, slights, falsehood and slander, bearing them without murmur, complaint, hasty words, or outbursts of temper and anger. It follows temperance in Christian growth and must be added to it so slights are not seen or felt, and unless it has its perfect work there can be no being perfect and entire, wanting nothing. It keeps from words and acts that injure the soul and others, controls bad temper, forgets causes of disturbance, answers wrath softly, treats lies with neglect, and leaves reputation with God. Troubles and afflictions are appointed as a refining furnace where, as gold is put in that dross may be removed, trials purify under the eye of the Refiner, to be borne patiently rather than made bitter by complaining, with calm trust in God and counting it all joy to endure for Christ's sake and refusing a sad and disconsolate state of mind. Impatience results from lack of faith, and patience can be cultivated even by those naturally quick to think and act, through self-knowledge, God's grace, and firm determination, which is necessary for reaching perfection and completeness, lacking nothing.
God's Purpose in Trial
God permits trials as purposeful discipline and education rather than as meaningless hardship. They are ordained or allowed to humble His children, reveal weakness and what is in the heart, call for greater effort to keep faith active, teach lessons not yet learned, draw believers nearer to Him, and deepen knowledge of God and salvation. Everyone is brought into trying positions to see whether trust will rest in a power outside and above self, and everyone has undiscovered traits of character that must come to light through trial. Those who are self-sufficient are allowed to be sorely tempted so that helplessness is understood, and the testing may come through trying circumstances and a painful, sometimes prolonged process that develops Christian graces and prepares for conformity to Christ. Such experiences, though not yet understood, give an experience of value for future work, and under them it is the privilege not to become discouraged but to be beautified by patience, devoting all affections and powers to God and leaving results with Him who understands human weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne.
Trials purify and strengthen rather than merely harm, and they are not strange interruptions to the Christian life. They cleanse character and remove impurity, roughness, dross and unchristlike traits under the Refiner's eye, as gold put into the furnace has dross removed. The work is painful, like hewing, squaring, chiseling, burnishing, polishing, and pressing stone down to the grinding wheel, but it prepares each person to fill an appointed place in the heavenly temple. Such careful, thorough work is given to no useless material, only to precious stones polished after the similitude of a palace. The bitter cup purifies and cleanses the heart, and meeting difficulties is part of the education needed to form a strong, balanced character.
Testing brings the strength of faith to light and reveals whether it is genuine, true and sincere. It shows whether faith bears the fruit of Christ, is grounded in God's word alone rather than changeable with circumstances like waves of the sea, and whether people can be trusted with sacred responsibilities and will use faith to strengthen those who are weak or tempted. Delay in answering prayer is for special benefit, giving faith a chance to be tested, and discouragement over delayed answer is a great mistake; the believer must bind self upon the altar with strong cords of faith and love and let patience have her perfect work. A person whose faith has a genuine root becomes more firmly established in the truth through temptations and trials. Perfection of character cannot be secured without this testing and proving, for God makes it necessary to call faith into exercise so that faith brings needed results. In this testing the soul must be constantly guarded lest high-mindedness creep in with desire to make a high record and gain glory for self, bringing self-deception; what is needed is simple faith in Christ that works by love and purifies the soul, for genuine faith always means conversion and gives diligence to make calling and election sure.
The faithful will be tried, and enduring trial gives spiritual strength and equips them to help others. The Lord permits hardship to prepare His servants for greater conflicts and to make them ready to labor for others, and their trials are for their good. He uses trial to educate His people to lean wholly upon Him and to become more spiritualized, and when His word is followed in all humility and weakness He brings experiences which, if rightly received, prepare for the work to be done in His name and reveal His power in a marked manner through their lives. Every soul that is saved must share Christ's sufferings in order to share His glory. Trusting God through trials can lighten burdens and help resolve what is now mysterious, strengthening the believer to endure and serve and calling to higher living.
Patience unto Perfection
The testing of faith is to be counted all joy because it works patience, and that patience must be allowed to have its perfect and complete work so that believers become perfect and entire, mature and complete, wanting and lacking nothing. This mature completeness is a wonderful position that believers have the privilege to occupy. The need for wisdom to meet such trials is supplied by asking God, who gives liberally and without reproach, but the asking must be done in faith without wavering, lest nothing be received. Falling into divers temptations is different from falling under temptation, for the trying of faith works patience rather than ill will, murmuring or fretfulness, and when it works patience it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God. Enduring temptation is an individual work that must be done before labor for others can accomplish anything, in which the one tried takes the Word of life personally, brings the promises to the Lord and claims them, appropriating the promise by faith and relying on the strength of the Lord and not on any human power, looking to God with help from Jesus for support and strength in every emergency. Trials are thus permitted to deepen knowledge of God and salvation while patience completes its work toward spiritual maturity and completeness.
Its completed work forms a strong, balanced, steadfast, Christlike character, harmonious, well-balanced, consistent, cheerful and true. This requires singleness of purpose to do God's will, placing body, mind, heart, soul and strength in God's service so that nothing is kept back for self, knowing one is bought with a price and therefore glorifying God in body and spirit which are Christ's. It requires thorough, unsuperficial work on character until life pleases the Lord and example is safe for others to follow, through unreserved consecration, obedience to God's requirements, and holding the Word fast under every circumstance, with the Word cherished as an abiding principle in the heart bringing all entrusted capabilities and undivided powers, even the thoughts, into subjection and captivity to Christ. This is true sanctification, where all parts of experience blend in complete harmony, with no separate religion for business and for church and no unfitting for the common duties of ordinary life, and it is the only safe course for developing the attributes of a true Christian in faith with no uncertainty during probationary time. Difficulties serve as spiritual pruning that calls out patience, strengthens determination, and helps believers gain victories over self and grow toward a pure, Christlike character, so that trials well borne strengthen spiritual life and develop steadfast character and spiritual graces. Diligent obedience to this instruction reveals personal need, and it is especially required of a minister of the Word, because without Christlike character heaven will never be home.
Enduring trials through self-denial and suffering with Christ increases love, perfects trust, and helps believers grow in grace and knowledge of the truth. Faith, meekness, and love often reach maturity through hardship, and forbearance, heavenly-mindedness and trust in God's providence mature amid hardship as a tree grows stronger by withstanding storms. Faith itself grows and is strengthened through continual exercise, for when believers face need or difficulty and calmly trust God to provide, God can use their need as an opportunity to bless them, deepen their love for Him, and increase their faith and hope. Meeting difficulties and obstacles rather than avoiding responsibility brings experience and calls for trust in God and firmness, developing strength and self-reliance. When human support is absent, God supplies the help needed.
The advantage comes only when trials are rightly received in trust and light, for without that right spirit adversities profit nothing. Murmuring and complaining make the bitter cup that purifies and cleanses the heart more bitter and require further trials until the intended work is done, while patience, endurance and prayer make the trial bearable, allow it to accomplish that work, and bring honor and glory to God. Patience must be added to temperance so that slights are not seen or felt, and troubles and afflictions which are appointed must be borne patiently rather than made bitter by complaining, as gold is put into the furnace that the dross may be removed under the eye of the Refiner. The lesson is to refuse a sad and disconsolate state of mind, to show calm trust in God, and to count it all joy when permitted to endure trials for Christ's sake. When life is dark and relief does not come, trusting God and waiting in hope develops patient endurance, so that rather than asking only for the trial to be removed, believers should ask for patience to endure it and grace to overcome, submitting their will to God's. Affliction gives time to examine the heart and carefully review the past life with profit, and draws the whole soul after God for entire conformity to His will, bringing even in suffering courage, peace, revival and strength in the Lord, so that the afflicted can thank God for affliction, prize His promises above any earthly treasure, and rejoice and triumph in Him. Such heavenly refreshing in trial does not mean immediate deliverance has come; it sustains through suffering and prepares for still greater trials ahead. The benefits of trial must be learned and should not bring discouragement, restlessness, faultfinding, fear or a sad state of mind, but require encouraging simplicity of faith and perfect confidence in God, constantly looking and talking on the bright side, turning the mind away from self and from the mistakes and disagreeable things in others to Jesus and His love, since dwelling on defects weakens faith and loses sight of God and His promises.
Tempter and Victory
The testing of faith comes through a cunning and cruel foe who attends every step and works every moment with all his strength and skill to turn people from the right way. He has carried on this work ever since overcoming the first parents in their Eden home, and more than six thousand years of continual practice has greatly increased his skill to deceive and allure. While the power of the human race to resist keeps decreasing, his skill and power to tempt keep increasing, so the temptations of the last days are more severe than those of any other age. Each yielding makes the next yielding easier, for every repetition of sin blinds the eyes, stifles conviction, and weakens power of resistance, leaving the one who yields once spiritually weak and readier to yield a second time.
The temptations assailing God's children are the outworking of Satan's wrath against Christ who redeemed them by His blood, and by ruining souls for whom Christ died he wounds the Saviour. The heavenly universe watches the conflict between Christ in the person of His saints and the great deceiver, and those who recognize and resist temptation are fighting the Lord's battles. Temptation itself is not sin unless it is cherished.
Endurance of temptation means the cultivation of patience, for the tempted soul cannot trust in his own strength of purpose but, feeling utter helplessness, flees to Christ as a stronghold. As temptation grows fiercer he clings more strongly to the Mighty One, passing the temptation over to Christ by faith and leaving it there. Faith in the Saviour's strength and miracle-working power makes him more than a conqueror, arming the Christian to overcome as Christ overcame. Bearing afflictions and resisting temptation by trusting wholly in God brings sufficient grace to help overcome and gain victory, and enduring these trials strengthens and prepares for what comes next, while yielding weakens. Patience, like courage, can win victories, since meekness during trial can lead others to become converts, and when Christians accept an apparent pause in usefulness and rest cheerfully from work they can learn from Jesus and be used effectively even when withdrawn from active labor.
Meeting Trial in Faith
Trial is individual work that must be done before labor for others can accomplish anything, by taking the Word personally, bringing the promises to the Lord and claiming them, and relying on the strength of the Lord rather than on any human power. Every burden is to be taken to the Lord in prayer, going to the Source of all grace and sufficiency where rest is given under an easy yoke and light burden, for His arm is not shortened that it cannot save and His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. Looking at difficulties and talking of them only magnifies them, and carrying burdens to fellow men who are themselves weighed down obtains no knowledge or help. Trust is to be wholly in God, with affections and powers devoted to Him and results left with Him, humbling self before Him, waiting patiently, and trusting that He understands weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne, so the enemy does not triumph. Faith can trust even when the answer to prayer is not felt or seen, and bearing little daily trials that are most perplexing and irritating gives strength and knowledge to endure the greater overwhelming troubles that will certainly be pressed upon believers.
The trying of faith is joined to appropriating faith that takes hold of God's promises, especially that anyone lacking wisdom may ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given. This promise belongs to those greatly burdened and sleepless who need counsel from God, and it is to be believed and trusted. Asking must be in faith with nothing wavering, lest nothing be received, with heart service, obedience and pure love, for to obey is better than sacrifice and without obedience and pure love even the richest offering is too poor to present. Pressing petitions to the throne of grace from a felt need for grace and for intelligent knowledge of the truth in order to give the bread of life to the needy receives abundant supplies, and asking to impart to others with humility, sincerity and persevering faith may claim the promise, while asking for spiritual blessing only to please self does not receive the heavenly gift.
The test is reason to remain thankful rather than become restless, faultfinding, discouraging, fearful or sad, and to count falling into temptation all joy because the trying works patience. Falling into temptation is different from falling under temptation, and it is not necessary to fall under; when the trying works patience and not ill will, murmuring, fretfulness or fretting, it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God. Believers are to speak words of faith, light and hope, constantly look and talk on the bright side, refuse a sad state of mind, show calm trust, count it joy to endure for Christ, turn the mind from self and others' defects to Jesus and His love, dwell on God's attributes, and let trustful prayer be heard in the home. Delay in answering prayer is for special benefit, giving faith a chance to be tested to see whether it is true and sincere or changeable like waves of the sea, and discouragement over delay is a great mistake. Patience, endurance and prayer make the bitter cup bearable and allow it to purify and cleanse and bring honor to God, while murmuring and complaining make it more bitter and require further trials until the intended work is done.
Faith will be tried and calls for patience that stands fast without wavering, pressing steadily forward from victory to victory under discipline by divine power joined with human effort. Those controlled by the Spirit rather than slaves of passion will not lose patience and faith and hope in perplexity, but will come to God in every circumstance as a child comes to parents, since He has helped out of past peril and oppressive difficulties and can help out of present trials. Looking to Jesus and believing in Him as a personal Saviour brings through each trial with faithfulness and integrity firm, and enduring strengthens for facing the next trial. Rather than asking only for removal, believers should ask for patience to endure and grace to overcome, submitting the will to God, keeping the trusting spirit of a little child with simple dependent faith even when life is dark and relief does not come and God does not explain trials lest explanation destroy their object.
This means making no hasty moves and not becoming discouraged under pressure over keeping the Paradise Valley Sanitarium and whether to place it under conference control, but clinging to the work, waiting on the Lord, praying and believing, trusting wholly in the Lord and leaning on His power instead of depending on human advice, with assurance that the pressure will not last always, light will break forth and the institution will come out all right. When the right financial manager is lacking the answer is to wait patiently and let God work to adjust the matter and bring forward His man of opportunity, practicing the meekness and lowliness of Christ in trust that His hand is on the helm guiding the ship. When school instruction and helps are removed and character is tested at the turning point where mind and heart are cast for good or evil, each is to decide to be on the Lord's side with whole-souled service rather than follow personal devising and refuse light. Those carrying out greatly needed reforms will have faith and love, patience and constancy proved, and are not to place themselves as helpless prey of the powers of darkness, doing everything possible as far as outlay of means is concerned to keep their special work among themselves, for God is Helper. The foretold affliction after the return to Gorham was such a trial of faith testing faith and producing patience, as was the lingering test of trust when a child's illness stopped worsening yet he remained weak and could not eat.
The testing of faith produces patient endurance, so falling unexpectedly into varied trials is to be counted as joy because of what that testing works. Patience must be allowed to have its complete work until believers are mature and entire, lacking nothing. God permits and uses such trials as purposeful discipline to humble His children, reveal what is in the heart, teach unlearned lessons, and draw them nearer to Him and keep them from self-sufficiency. Under His eye they purify character and remove impurity and dross like gold in the furnace, hewing and polishing rough stones for their appointed place in the heavenly temple. The benefit comes only when trials are rightly received in trust, prayer, and thankfulness without murmuring, by taking every burden and promise to the Lord, relying on His strength, and enduring calmly without complaint until the work is done.
Words and Setting
The testing or trying of faith produces patience, or patient endurance. Falling into various or divers temptations is to be counted all joy because of what that testing works. That joy is conditional on patience being allowed to have its influence upon the sufferer and to complete its perfect work, so that believers become perfect and entire, mature and complete, wanting or lacking nothing. The need for wisdom in trial is met by asking God, who gives liberally and without reproach, but the asking must be in faith without wavering or nothing will be received. Patience is gained by taking every burden to the Lord in prayer and going to the Source of all grace and sufficiency, where rest is given under an easy yoke and light burden, for His arm is not shortened that it cannot save and His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. If instead difficulties are looked at and talked of they magnify, and if burdens are carried to fellow men who are themselves weighed down no knowledge or help is obtained. Enduring temptation is individual work that must be done before labor for others can avail, in which the one tried takes the Word of life personally, brings the promises to the Lord and claims them, relying on the strength of the Lord and not on any human power.
Falling into temptation is different from falling under temptation. It is not necessary to fall under, to give in to temptation, or to dwell on sorrow, but to endure with praise to God as the way to receive blessing. When the trying of faith works patience and not ill will, murmuring, fretfulness or fretting, it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God. This promise is to be appropriated by faith, with help from Jesus as believers look to God for support and strength in every emergency, trusting in Him at all times as strength and shield while trials teach valuable lessons.
The verse concerns falling unexpectedly into varied trials, not deliberately seeking them or entering the enemy's snares. Trials are to be expected in the Christian life and are not strange interruptions, nor merely harmful or pointless. They are appointed means of moral discipline and education to purify and strengthen Christians and to form strong, balanced character. When they come unexpectedly, patience enables believers to endure without being overcome or dishonoring Christ through hasty speech or reckless discouragement, and by drawing near to God and relying on His strength they teach valuable lessons and develop precious graces.
Patience means calm, steadfast endurance under trials, provocations, annoyances, reproach, disappointment, losses, crosses, hurt feelings, slights, falsehood and slander, bearing them without murmur, complaint, hasty words, or outbursts of temper and anger. It follows temperance in Christian growth and must be added to it so slights are not seen or felt, and unless it has its perfect work there can be no being perfect and entire, wanting nothing. It keeps from words and acts that injure the soul and others, controls bad temper, forgets causes of disturbance, answers wrath softly, treats lies with neglect, and leaves reputation with God. Troubles and afflictions are appointed as a refining furnace where, as gold is put in that dross may be removed, trials purify under the eye of the Refiner, to be borne patiently rather than made bitter by complaining, with calm trust in God and counting it all joy to endure for Christ's sake and refusing a sad and disconsolate state of mind. Impatience results from lack of faith, and patience can be cultivated even by those naturally quick to think and act, through self-knowledge, God's grace, and firm determination, which is necessary for reaching perfection and completeness, lacking nothing.
God's Purpose in Trial
God permits trials as purposeful discipline and education rather than as meaningless hardship. They are ordained or allowed to humble His children, reveal weakness and what is in the heart, call for greater effort to keep faith active, teach lessons not yet learned, draw believers nearer to Him, and deepen knowledge of God and salvation. Everyone is brought into trying positions to see whether trust will rest in a power outside and above self, and everyone has undiscovered traits of character that must come to light through trial. Those who are self-sufficient are allowed to be sorely tempted so that helplessness is understood, and the testing may come through trying circumstances and a painful, sometimes prolonged process that develops Christian graces and prepares for conformity to Christ. Such experiences, though not yet understood, give an experience of value for future work, and under them it is the privilege not to become discouraged but to be beautified by patience, devoting all affections and powers to God and leaving results with Him who understands human weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne.
Trials purify and strengthen rather than merely harm, and they are not strange interruptions to the Christian life. They cleanse character and remove impurity, roughness, dross and unchristlike traits under the Refiner's eye, as gold put into the furnace has dross removed. The work is painful, like hewing, squaring, chiseling, burnishing, polishing, and pressing stone down to the grinding wheel, but it prepares each person to fill an appointed place in the heavenly temple. Such careful, thorough work is given to no useless material, only to precious stones polished after the similitude of a palace. The bitter cup purifies and cleanses the heart, and meeting difficulties is part of the education needed to form a strong, balanced character.
Testing brings the strength of faith to light and reveals whether it is genuine, true and sincere. It shows whether faith bears the fruit of Christ, is grounded in God's word alone rather than changeable with circumstances like waves of the sea, and whether people can be trusted with sacred responsibilities and will use faith to strengthen those who are weak or tempted. Delay in answering prayer is for special benefit, giving faith a chance to be tested, and discouragement over delayed answer is a great mistake; the believer must bind self upon the altar with strong cords of faith and love and let patience have her perfect work. A person whose faith has a genuine root becomes more firmly established in the truth through temptations and trials. Perfection of character cannot be secured without this testing and proving, for God makes it necessary to call faith into exercise so that faith brings needed results. In this testing the soul must be constantly guarded lest high-mindedness creep in with desire to make a high record and gain glory for self, bringing self-deception; what is needed is simple faith in Christ that works by love and purifies the soul, for genuine faith always means conversion and gives diligence to make calling and election sure.
The faithful will be tried, and enduring trial gives spiritual strength and equips them to help others. The Lord permits hardship to prepare His servants for greater conflicts and to make them ready to labor for others, and their trials are for their good. He uses trial to educate His people to lean wholly upon Him and to become more spiritualized, and when His word is followed in all humility and weakness He brings experiences which, if rightly received, prepare for the work to be done in His name and reveal His power in a marked manner through their lives. Every soul that is saved must share Christ's sufferings in order to share His glory. Trusting God through trials can lighten burdens and help resolve what is now mysterious, strengthening the believer to endure and serve and calling to higher living.
Patience unto Perfection
The testing of faith is to be counted all joy because it works patience, and that patience must be allowed to have its perfect and complete work so that believers become perfect and entire, mature and complete, wanting and lacking nothing. This mature completeness is a wonderful position that believers have the privilege to occupy. The need for wisdom to meet such trials is supplied by asking God, who gives liberally and without reproach, but the asking must be done in faith without wavering, lest nothing be received. Falling into divers temptations is different from falling under temptation, for the trying of faith works patience rather than ill will, murmuring or fretfulness, and when it works patience it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God. Enduring temptation is an individual work that must be done before labor for others can accomplish anything, in which the one tried takes the Word of life personally, brings the promises to the Lord and claims them, appropriating the promise by faith and relying on the strength of the Lord and not on any human power, looking to God with help from Jesus for support and strength in every emergency. Trials are thus permitted to deepen knowledge of God and salvation while patience completes its work toward spiritual maturity and completeness.
Its completed work forms a strong, balanced, steadfast, Christlike character, harmonious, well-balanced, consistent, cheerful and true. This requires singleness of purpose to do God's will, placing body, mind, heart, soul and strength in God's service so that nothing is kept back for self, knowing one is bought with a price and therefore glorifying God in body and spirit which are Christ's. It requires thorough, unsuperficial work on character until life pleases the Lord and example is safe for others to follow, through unreserved consecration, obedience to God's requirements, and holding the Word fast under every circumstance, with the Word cherished as an abiding principle in the heart bringing all entrusted capabilities and undivided powers, even the thoughts, into subjection and captivity to Christ. This is true sanctification, where all parts of experience blend in complete harmony, with no separate religion for business and for church and no unfitting for the common duties of ordinary life, and it is the only safe course for developing the attributes of a true Christian in faith with no uncertainty during probationary time. Difficulties serve as spiritual pruning that calls out patience, strengthens determination, and helps believers gain victories over self and grow toward a pure, Christlike character, so that trials well borne strengthen spiritual life and develop steadfast character and spiritual graces. Diligent obedience to this instruction reveals personal need, and it is especially required of a minister of the Word, because without Christlike character heaven will never be home.
Enduring trials through self-denial and suffering with Christ increases love, perfects trust, and helps believers grow in grace and knowledge of the truth. Faith, meekness, and love often reach maturity through hardship, and forbearance, heavenly-mindedness and trust in God's providence mature amid hardship as a tree grows stronger by withstanding storms. Faith itself grows and is strengthened through continual exercise, for when believers face need or difficulty and calmly trust God to provide, God can use their need as an opportunity to bless them, deepen their love for Him, and increase their faith and hope. Meeting difficulties and obstacles rather than avoiding responsibility brings experience and calls for trust in God and firmness, developing strength and self-reliance. When human support is absent, God supplies the help needed.
The advantage comes only when trials are rightly received in trust and light, for without that right spirit adversities profit nothing. Murmuring and complaining make the bitter cup that purifies and cleanses the heart more bitter and require further trials until the intended work is done, while patience, endurance and prayer make the trial bearable, allow it to accomplish that work, and bring honor and glory to God. Patience must be added to temperance so that slights are not seen or felt, and troubles and afflictions which are appointed must be borne patiently rather than made bitter by complaining, as gold is put into the furnace that the dross may be removed under the eye of the Refiner. The lesson is to refuse a sad and disconsolate state of mind, to show calm trust in God, and to count it all joy when permitted to endure trials for Christ's sake. When life is dark and relief does not come, trusting God and waiting in hope develops patient endurance, so that rather than asking only for the trial to be removed, believers should ask for patience to endure it and grace to overcome, submitting their will to God's. Affliction gives time to examine the heart and carefully review the past life with profit, and draws the whole soul after God for entire conformity to His will, bringing even in suffering courage, peace, revival and strength in the Lord, so that the afflicted can thank God for affliction, prize His promises above any earthly treasure, and rejoice and triumph in Him. Such heavenly refreshing in trial does not mean immediate deliverance has come; it sustains through suffering and prepares for still greater trials ahead. The benefits of trial must be learned and should not bring discouragement, restlessness, faultfinding, fear or a sad state of mind, but require encouraging simplicity of faith and perfect confidence in God, constantly looking and talking on the bright side, turning the mind away from self and from the mistakes and disagreeable things in others to Jesus and His love, since dwelling on defects weakens faith and loses sight of God and His promises.
Tempter and Victory
The testing of faith comes through a cunning and cruel foe who attends every step and works every moment with all his strength and skill to turn people from the right way. He has carried on this work ever since overcoming the first parents in their Eden home, and more than six thousand years of continual practice has greatly increased his skill to deceive and allure. While the power of the human race to resist keeps decreasing, his skill and power to tempt keep increasing, so the temptations of the last days are more severe than those of any other age. Each yielding makes the next yielding easier, for every repetition of sin blinds the eyes, stifles conviction, and weakens power of resistance, leaving the one who yields once spiritually weak and readier to yield a second time.
The temptations assailing God's children are the outworking of Satan's wrath against Christ who redeemed them by His blood, and by ruining souls for whom Christ died he wounds the Saviour. The heavenly universe watches the conflict between Christ in the person of His saints and the great deceiver, and those who recognize and resist temptation are fighting the Lord's battles. Temptation itself is not sin unless it is cherished.
Endurance of temptation means the cultivation of patience, for the tempted soul cannot trust in his own strength of purpose but, feeling utter helplessness, flees to Christ as a stronghold. As temptation grows fiercer he clings more strongly to the Mighty One, passing the temptation over to Christ by faith and leaving it there. Faith in the Saviour's strength and miracle-working power makes him more than a conqueror, arming the Christian to overcome as Christ overcame. Bearing afflictions and resisting temptation by trusting wholly in God brings sufficient grace to help overcome and gain victory, and enduring these trials strengthens and prepares for what comes next, while yielding weakens. Patience, like courage, can win victories, since meekness during trial can lead others to become converts, and when Christians accept an apparent pause in usefulness and rest cheerfully from work they can learn from Jesus and be used effectively even when withdrawn from active labor.
Meeting Trial in Faith
Trial is individual work that must be done before labor for others can accomplish anything, by taking the Word personally, bringing the promises to the Lord and claiming them, and relying on the strength of the Lord rather than on any human power. Every burden is to be taken to the Lord in prayer, going to the Source of all grace and sufficiency where rest is given under an easy yoke and light burden, for His arm is not shortened that it cannot save and His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. Looking at difficulties and talking of them only magnifies them, and carrying burdens to fellow men who are themselves weighed down obtains no knowledge or help. Trust is to be wholly in God, with affections and powers devoted to Him and results left with Him, humbling self before Him, waiting patiently, and trusting that He understands weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne, so the enemy does not triumph. Faith can trust even when the answer to prayer is not felt or seen, and bearing little daily trials that are most perplexing and irritating gives strength and knowledge to endure the greater overwhelming troubles that will certainly be pressed upon believers.
The trying of faith is joined to appropriating faith that takes hold of God's promises, especially that anyone lacking wisdom may ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given. This promise belongs to those greatly burdened and sleepless who need counsel from God, and it is to be believed and trusted. Asking must be in faith with nothing wavering, lest nothing be received, with heart service, obedience and pure love, for to obey is better than sacrifice and without obedience and pure love even the richest offering is too poor to present. Pressing petitions to the throne of grace from a felt need for grace and for intelligent knowledge of the truth in order to give the bread of life to the needy receives abundant supplies, and asking to impart to others with humility, sincerity and persevering faith may claim the promise, while asking for spiritual blessing only to please self does not receive the heavenly gift.
The test is reason to remain thankful rather than become restless, faultfinding, discouraging, fearful or sad, and to count falling into temptation all joy because the trying works patience. Falling into temptation is different from falling under temptation, and it is not necessary to fall under; when the trying works patience and not ill will, murmuring, fretfulness or fretting, it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God. Believers are to speak words of faith, light and hope, constantly look and talk on the bright side, refuse a sad state of mind, show calm trust, count it joy to endure for Christ, turn the mind from self and others' defects to Jesus and His love, dwell on God's attributes, and let trustful prayer be heard in the home. Delay in answering prayer is for special benefit, giving faith a chance to be tested to see whether it is true and sincere or changeable like waves of the sea, and discouragement over delay is a great mistake. Patience, endurance and prayer make the bitter cup bearable and allow it to purify and cleanse and bring honor to God, while murmuring and complaining make it more bitter and require further trials until the intended work is done.
Faith will be tried and calls for patience that stands fast without wavering, pressing steadily forward from victory to victory under discipline by divine power joined with human effort. Those controlled by the Spirit rather than slaves of passion will not lose patience and faith and hope in perplexity, but will come to God in every circumstance as a child comes to parents, since He has helped out of past peril and oppressive difficulties and can help out of present trials. Looking to Jesus and believing in Him as a personal Saviour brings through each trial with faithfulness and integrity firm, and enduring strengthens for facing the next trial. Rather than asking only for removal, believers should ask for patience to endure and grace to overcome, submitting the will to God, keeping the trusting spirit of a little child with simple dependent faith even when life is dark and relief does not come and God does not explain trials lest explanation destroy their object.
This means making no hasty moves and not becoming discouraged under pressure over keeping the Paradise Valley Sanitarium and whether to place it under conference control, but clinging to the work, waiting on the Lord, praying and believing, trusting wholly in the Lord and leaning on His power instead of depending on human advice, with assurance that the pressure will not last always, light will break forth and the institution will come out all right. When the right financial manager is lacking the answer is to wait patiently and let God work to adjust the matter and bring forward His man of opportunity, practicing the meekness and lowliness of Christ in trust that His hand is on the helm guiding the ship. When school instruction and helps are removed and character is tested at the turning point where mind and heart are cast for good or evil, each is to decide to be on the Lord's side with whole-souled service rather than follow personal devising and refuse light. Those carrying out greatly needed reforms will have faith and love, patience and constancy proved, and are not to place themselves as helpless prey of the powers of darkness, doing everything possible as far as outlay of means is concerned to keep their special work among themselves, for God is Helper. The foretold affliction after the return to Gorham was such a trial of faith testing faith and producing patience, as was the lingering test of trust when a child's illness stopped worsening yet he remained weak and could not eat.