Spiritual School, Part 4: Tests

Introduction

(Here are links to the first,  second, and third posts of this series.)

We’re not in school too long before our teachers want to double-check on how well we’ve been learning. That means tests! Of course, these will vary. A test for a kindergartner looks different than one for a college student, but the purpose for each is the same. We have to show the teacher what we know.

Some tests you can’t prepare for–remember pop quizzes? The only way to get ready for those is to stay current in your assignments. 

Most of the tests we took we knew about ahead of time. Before the exam (sometimes the night before!) we’d reread our textbooks, look over our homework, and review our notes. All to get a decent score.

The longer we stayed in school, the more we picked up tricks of the trade to help inflate our test scores. I remember the monitor of a national exam telling us not to answer every single question. Even if we didn’t know the answer, we were better off taking a guess out of four multiple choice options. At worst, we had a 25% chance of being right, but a blank was guaranteed wrong.

Other exams worked the opposite. If we weren’t certain about an answer, we were supposed to leave the question blank. Wrong answers would lose credit, blanks were neutral, and right answers earned points. Remembering all this gets tricky, but it’s what students have to deal with!

Like students, disciples of Jesus Christ get tested in a variety of ways. Big trials we know are coming, sudden tests of our character, and confusing situations where we worry there’s no right answer.

But there’s no need to panic! The Lord has good reasons for the tests we face. 

God’s Word

First, we can rest in the fact that God allows His own Word to be tested. He doesn’t ask us to go through something He’s unwilling to submit to. 

Here are two similar verses in the Old Testament that refer to the testing of the Word of God:

“As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” – 2 Samuel 22:31 (NASB)

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” – Proverbs 30:5 (NASB)

Students not only take objective exams; they also write papers. Think of the two verses above as speaking about God turning in the Bible as His research paper. The question is, who’s grading it?

We all are! Everyone evaluates Scripture. They analyze it from their perspective of right and wrong and judge it by that standard. Yet God remains confident that His Word can withstand scrutiny. So sure is He that David and Agur (the ones speaking in 2 Samuel 22 and Proverbs 30) announce that Scripture will shield its students! If there’s one thing that people fear in school, it’s getting things wrong. But the Bible gets put through the ringer like no book in history and it comes out successful. God gets an A+ for His Word!

And so do those who trust it.

God’s Work

The Lord calls each of us not only to trust His Word but also to practice it. Discipleship involves more than memorizing verses; it requires applying Scripture to our responsibilities.

Here’s what Paul writes about the foundation of his ministry:

“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. ¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved–even though only as one escaping through the flames.” – 1 Corinthians 3:8-15

For the work of the Gospel to succeed, it depends on many people contributing. Since God has designed each of us in unique ways, we don’t have to compare ourselves to anyone else. If we focus on Jesus, we will do well according to His plans for us.

But at some point, our labor will undergo testing. We question the wisdom of our decisions. Others challenge the legitimacy of our service. The enemy of our souls tempts us to cheat or give up.

And God Himself evaluates our work. In the passage quoted above, the status of our salvation is not at issue. God doesn’t demand that we work to qualify for heaven. Instead, He appraises what we’ve accomplished in light of its spiritual aim. If our deeds exalt Jesus, they’re like gold. If our actions diminish Him, God will treat them as weeds.

It’s easy to interpret this in educational terms. What we do in the power of the Spirit will receive good grades; what we do in the strength of our flesh won’t pass.

Conclusion

Discipleship hinges on knowing and doing the will of God as revealed in His Word. This doesn’t mean that the Lord wants us to do nothing but religious stuff. He has something better! He invites us to learn that the Bible is reliable and doing what it says is a wise way to live. In His spiritual school, Jesus is teaching us how to live in the kingdom of God. He will instruct us and test us so that we can fulfill His good plans.