4 Minute Devotions: Testing the Faith

I only failed one test when I was at university. It happened in my first semester and of all things to fail, I failed New Testament. The professor and I didn’t see eye to eye, so I think I was marked out for a humbling experience. I missed the pass grade by half a point and he wouldn’t round it up. There were no do-overs or extra credits at the Divinity Faculty, so I had to live the next semester with my failure. I guess if I had studied more, been better prepared, and had gone unnoticed in the class, I might have squeaked through a pass. Whatever the case, it was my own fault, but I learned my lesson. Throughout the next six years at the Faculty, I never failed a class again and finished up with an Honors degree.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?

Testing our faith is something that we don’t pay a great deal of attention to these days, but in Paul’s time, it was very important. People had to truly know within their hearts if their faith was real because Christians were being persecuted at the time. When believers put their trust in Jesus, they were also laying their lives on the line. To call Jesus “Lord” was a capital offense against Caesar and the Roman Empire, so followers of Christ had to be sure they wanted to be Christians. If they didn’t test their faith from time to time, then they may have been found wanting when a real trial came their way.

But what about us today? How do we properly test our faith? I think we’ve got to ask ourselves if our faith is a leisure pursuit, a life style choice, or an everlasting commitment. We may never be asked to lay down our lives for Jesus, but we may feel pressured to worship on an irregular basis because of other commitments. Or we may hold back from giving our time and resources for Christ’s church because of insecurity or insensitivity. Or we may neglect growing our faith and be led astray by New Age teachers and prosperity Gospel preachers without realizing it.

I think the best way to test our faith in different situations is to honestly ask ourselves would Jesus approve or do this. If the honest answer is “No” and we ignore it, then we have tested our faith in Christ and failed. During those times, we need to seek His forgiveness and allow Him to help us start again. Christianity is not easy and it is not comfortable, but when we do the right thing and please the Lord, it is the most spiritually rewarding faith in the entire universe.

Prayer: O Lord Jesus, we fear failure in our lives and we don’t like to lose in our society. We forget that our faith competes with our decisions and choices every day. Help us to remain faithful to You, so that when we are deeply and sorely tested, we will not fail You. And if we do fail, enable us to sincerely and humbly come to You for forgiveness. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Contractual Agreement

Audio Version here

Psalm 25:10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. (NIV)

I had to sign a contract this morning for our Scottish folk band, Glenfinnan. We’re due to make three appearances at an all-day Celtic music festival which is being held on Saturday September 22 in Dandridge, Tennessee. The contract states that we will play two sets in the afternoon at the hospitality tent and headline the evening concert next to the dam. The contract also stipulates that no matter what the weather is like, the performances will still take place. I guess it is standard procedure for organizers to have these contracts signed, but it is the first time our band has had to sign one.

Covenants in the Bible are a bit like contracts, except that God is usually the one to initiate and complete them. Part of my seminary education at Glasgow University was to read about the covenants in the Old Testament. Time and time again, God makes a covenant with His chosen people. Time after time, the Hebrew people break the covenant, so God has to get them to re-commit themselves to Him. Finally, God chooses to initiate one last covenant, one last witness to His faithfulness, which we call the New Testament. Jesus Christ seals this new covenant with His blood on the Cross at Calvary. There are no more options, no more testaments, no more covenants after His death – after all, how could God top the sacrifice of His Only Son?

The way in which we can keep this new covenant is to believe that Jesus died for our sins and that through Him alone we are reconciled and restored to God. All other covenants are futile. All other ways fail.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for the everlasting covenant that You made with humankind through Jesus Christ, Your Holy Son. In Him, we have forgiveness. Through Him, we are given salvation. To Him, we covenant our lives. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.