God Does Not Perfect Us Through Trials
The Word is God’s method of bringing perfection.
Ephesians 4:11-16 – “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (vv. 11-12).
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 – “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (v.1).
2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
Faith is not developed by trials.
Faith comes by hearing the Word.
The trying of our faith works patience.
James 1:1-8 – “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (v.3).
What you do with your faith and the Word brings perfection.
Patience: to be constant or consistent regardless of the circumstances
God Is Not the Tempter
To know who the tempter is, you must be able to rightly divide the word of truth.
Let no man say he is tempted of God.
James 1:12-17 – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (v.13).
What about Job?
Satan tried to get God to put His hand against Job. God said, “Behold, he is in your power.” Job had let the hedge down by operating in fear. He began to make the same sacrifices continually, proving he had no faith. Satan sent some religious men to tell him that God had done this, but God later said to those men, “…ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right” (Job 42:8). Job prayed for those men in faith and
deliverance came immediately.
The Word chastens and purifies the spirit in such a way that man comes out strong, not weak and condemned.
Chastisement in the Old Testament
Chastisement: punishment by inflicting pain
Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Jesus bore our chastisement (punishment) so we don’t have to bear it.
The Chastisement of the Lord
Old Testament: punishment by inflicting pain. New Testament: to instruct or to train.
Hebrews 12:6-9 – “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (v.6).
John 3:6 – “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
God is a Spirit and uses spiritual weapons, not carnal.
John 6:63 – “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
A loving God would never send sickness or disease to teach.
Jesus never refused to heal anyone in order that He might teach them.
Jesus was the expression of God’s will.
John 14:9 – “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”
Scourge: to beat on
Hebrews 12:6 – “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
God doesn’t scourge the flesh, but the inner man with His Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP) – “Every Scripture is God- breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose and action)” (v.16).
Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two- edged sword…”
One side of the sword is for Satan; the other side is for you.
Ephesians 5:26-27 – “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church…”
The Church will become spotless by the washing of the water by the Word.
Put yourself in subjection to the Word. It trims away the lusts of the flesh and sanctifies it.
2 Corinthians 7:8-9 – “For though I made you sorry with a letter… I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance…”
God reprimanded the people with His Word. It got into their spirits and made them sorry.
Proverbs 17:10 (AMP) – “A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred lashes into a [self-confident] fool.”
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