Empowered by God’s Assurance, We Can Pass Every Test

Shared on April 27, 2025

Introduction

The testing of the day may seem so great that some of us truly think we are doomed.  Understand this:  It is only when we begin to believe we will fail that we do fail.  While the testing of the day may seem great, we ought not ever think we’re doomed to destruction.  I want you to know that we will come through the fire and we will pass the testing of today.  We will not only pass, but we will be made brand new.

Is It Strange to be Tested?

As we take a look at 1 Peter 4, I want you to understand Peter’s focus in this part of his letter.  You see, in this chapter, Peter tells us sincere believers how we ought to approach the day of our trials.  In 1 Peter 4:12, Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”

If there is anybody in the world who should know that they are going to be tested on this journey, it should be us, sincere believers.  Why is that?  Because Jesus told us that we will have tribulation while we are in the world (John 16:33).  So, even though the testing of this day is great, we shouldn’t be caught off guard!

We should know that our faith will be tested, just as it is today.  We should know that our worship will be tested, just as it is today.  We should know that the truth we live by will be tested, just as it is today.  Yes, we should know that life – its trials, tribulations, temptations – will test us.  We should know these things because Jesus faced such while He was in the world.

Why Are We Being Tested?

So, for us, it is commonplace to be tested, even though the testing of today is so great.  Yet, many of us will act like it is a strange thing when we have tribulation.  Many believers wonder why God permits us to be tested.  We will even look at the suffering of others and wonder why God permits such tests and sufferings in the world.

Some believe such suffering is happening today because God doesn’t care about us and has abandoned us.  There is a notion, which is rather mistaken, that God permits us to be tested just to see us fail.  These thoughts are far from the truth.

Peter is the perfect person to tell us about why we have tests and how to approach them.  You see, the gospels tell of Peter’s firsthand experience of the day of his greatest test.

Before Jesus was arrested, He told the disciples that we would all stumble and scatter from Him (Matt. 26:31).  Peter, in all of his pride, adamantly refuted the idea of stumbling because of Christ (Matt. 26:33).  Jesus then told Peter that he would go on to deny Him three times (Matt. 26:34).  Again, Peter, refusing to listen to Jesus, adamantly told Jesus that even if he had to die with Christ, he would never deny Him (Matt. 26:35).

However, as the story goes, when John was able to get himself and Peter into the courtyard, Peter’s faith was put to the test.  A young servant girl came to Jesus, saying she had seen him with Christ, and Peter denied knowing Him (Matt. 26:69-70).  Then, when confronted by a group, while he was standing around a fire (John 18:18), Peter denied knowing Christ two more times (Matt. 26:73-74)!

Now, was Peter’s denying Christ a failure?  You may think that way, but I would argue against you.  You see, a failure isn’t truly a failure unless one doesn’t learn from their errors and make corrections.

John 21 shows us that after His resurrection, Jesus had a one-on-one with Peter.  You see, Peter was dealing with great guilt and sorrow for denying Christ.  Jesus repeatedly asked Peter, “Do you love me?”  Peter was adamant, again, that he did love Christ, to which Jesus then instructed him to feed His sheep.

Jesus restored Peter, giving Peter an opportunity to make a correction.  Peter took that opportunity, and he humbled himself.  Peter moved in obedience to Christ’s instructions and fed Jesus’ sheep.  You see, denying Christ wasn’t a failure on Peter’s part, as it was just a momentary setback.  It was a setback that revealed the correct way to move in.

God doesn’t test us to analyze and figure out who we are – He doesn’t have to do that!  God already knows everything there is to know about us.  As David said, God knows our sitting down and our rising up; He knows our thoughts afar off.

Our tests are revelations to us of God’s diagnosis of who we are and what we can be.  Our tests reveal our faults and our flaws to us.  The question we must answer is whether or not we are going to heed God’s diagnosis.  Yes, we must decide whether we will heed our Doctor’s orders or continue going about thinking that there is nothing wrong with us.

Follow the Doctor’s Orders

I encourage you to heed the doctor’s diagnosis rather than disregard it.  The last thing that you ought to do is think that you don’t need to listen to the doctor’s orders.

For improvement and growth

You should regard the doctor’s orders because the Lord does love you.  We are told in Hebrews 12:6-7, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”

I will testify to you today that good parents chasten their children.  I can certainly recall the times of chastening from both my mom and my dad.  Was it pleasant when they chastened me?  Absolutely not.  However, the reason why the chastened me is of great importance.

You see, my parents were strict in their way because they didn’t want me to veer down an unhealthy path.  My parents wanted the best for me and my brother as well.  I would love to imagine that all of your parents would ‘get on you’ when you had done wrong as well.  

As it was for Peter, tests offer us the correction we need so that we can improve, grow, and be a better being.  If the Lord didn’t love you, then He wouldn’t provide you with the diagnosis that will help you to be better.  

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God’s thoughts towards us are not evil but are of peace, a future, and a hope.  1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “No temptation has overtaken [us] such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

There is nothing you are going through today that God doesn’t believe you can’t endure.  There is nothing you’re going through today that God has not made a way of escape for.  We can endure the testing of this day because God’s thoughts towards us are to bring us through these afflictions!

For strength in your weaknesses

When one is sick, or very sick in many cases, we begrudgingly visit the doctor so that we can endure our sickness.

Many of us, when we are weak from tests such as today, will ask God for strength.  God often has a ‘funny’ way of strengthening us. When I say ‘funny’, I mean that God will strengthen us using methods we may not like or understand.  Again, God’s ways are not like ours, and His thoughts are higher than ours.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul tells us of his thorn in his flesh, when he was feeling weak and being tested in his faith.  Paul tells us that he prayed and prayed and prayed.  The Lord revealed to Paul that in such an overbearing test, He is still there.  Not only did the Lord reveal He was still present, but He also revealed that His strength is more than sufficient in our day of weakness!

We need God’s diagnosis, especially today, when so many of us feel like today’s test are becoming too much to bear.  Again, many of us believe that the fire of this test will consume.  Yet, the Lord will tell you to think again!  God is with us and His strength will meet the needs of this day!

Grateful For Tests

Even though the testing of this day is unpleasant, I still believe we should be grateful for its revelations.  Repeatedly, scripture tells us that we should count it all joy in the day of our tests (Jas. 1:2-3).

You see, without faults and failures, we’d be perfect.  If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need God!  What would be the point of even having faith?  Yet the revelation of this day has revealed to us that we need God’s help!  

Who among us is without faults?  Who among us is without setbacks?  Who among us is without sin?  I may not ever achieve perfection in this world, but there is a goal to strive for!   There is certainly a better way of living that we can achieve if we follow God’s diagnosis.

Peter speaks of this notion in my key verse for this message.  Peter tells us we are already blessed when we are reproached for the name of Christ.  Why are we already blessed?

I want you to consider all of those tests that you have already endured on your journey.  Again, the testing of this day is not a strange coincidence because we have been tested before.  Because we are still here today, that means we have already overcome tests.  

Did we overcome those tests by our own strength and power?  Absolutely not.  God brought us through those valleys!  You see, I am grateful for those prior tests for times like now!  Those tests have prepared me for times like now so that I am not afraid of the tests, but confident.

Even more, we are already blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us!  God is with us!  Why should I fear the testing of this day when the Lord is on my side!  

Let us recall the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is our Comforter.  The Holy Spirit leads and guides us into all truth (John 16:13).  The Holy Spirit will show us the path through this fire so that we can make it out on the other side!  You see, again, this is why I am so confident about the testing of this day!

In Isaiah 48:10-11, the Lord said, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”  When we make it through these tests, we come out brand new.  We are born with a new perspective and new values.  These new perspectives and values – our new confidence – are why many of those around you need to hear in such times as now!

Every last child of God has a testimony to share, and we ought to be sharing it with all of those who are around us.  You see, we have been here before.  There are many who are filled with so much doubt and are being crushed in this moment.  Yet, our testimony can save souls, and we should be sharing our testimony.

Be Ready to be Tested Further

Because we know that we are going to continually be tested, not just today, but tomorrow as well, we must make preparations.  You see, without preparations, the chances of truly failing are far greater.  Without preparation, the devil will truly have you believing that you cannot pass any tests.

Properly arm our minds for the journey

So, how do we prepare ourselves?  In 1 Peter 4:1-2, Peter tells us to arm ourselves with the same mindset Christ had for His journey.  Christ understood His assignment – He knew that He would face temptation and even suffer.  Christ knew that He would die as a sinner to become our propitiation.

Did Christ fail His assignment?  Did Christ turn and run from His assignment?  When Christ died on the cross, He died to sin but sin didn’t have any authority over Him.  The gospels repeatedly tell us that Jesus chose to give up the ghost at the time of His choosing!

We must approach our journey and all of the tests that are before us with that same mindset.  Yes, we are going to be tested today and tomorrow.  Yes, we are going to be tempted today and tomorrow.  Yes, we are even going to give in to temptation, and we will sin.  Why?  Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Arm yourself with spiritual wisdom for the journey

Yet, the difference between us and the sinner is that sin does not have any rule over us!  So, we must arm ourselves with that spiritual wisdom and knowledge for this journey.  I want you to understand that you aren’t a slave, nor are you a hostage to sin.

In Romans 6, Paul explained the victory that we have as partakers of Christ.  Paul wrote, “If we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him (Rom. 6:8-9).”

Jesus rose again from the grave, right?  Death is the end result of sin.  When I speak of death, I want you to understand that I’m not just speaking about physical death.  I am also speaking of the spiritual death as well.  The sinner will die both a physical and a spiritual death after they are raised and then cast away from God’s presence.

Jesus rose from the grave and then ascended to sit at the right hand of God in His heavenly kingdom.  Jesus told Nicodemus that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life (John 3:16).  Do you believe in the resurrection?  As a partaker of Christ, what this all means for you is that you to will overcome sin and its penalty!

Paul wrote that you and I ought not to present ourselves as instruments of unrighteousness, but rather, we should present ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God (Rom. 6:13).  Even though we give in to temptation, and even though we may sin, we are not convicted sinners.  You and I are justified through our faith in Christ as His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

As Paul said, sin doesn’t have dominion over any of us because we don’t live under the law, but rather, we live under the grace of God (Rom. 6:14).  By His grace and mercy, we find forgiveness of our setbacks.  You, there is no failure in God’s mercy, as His mercy is that second chance we need in order to make corrections.  So, don’t ever turn yourself over to the wicked and the evil as if they have some sort of power over you!

Be a Confident Test Taker

The wicked and the evil want you to feel like they have authority over you.  They desire to rob all of us sincere believers of our victory as they insist that they will win.  Again, I tell you with full confidence that they aren’t winning anything.

The child of God ought to be confident test takers in this day.  You and I ought not to be worried about any failures, as they are simply minor setbacks on our journey of correction.  You see, victory has already been promised and won for all of us, as partakers of Christ’s victory.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  You see, you have assurance that comes from the mouth of God!  I implore you to move with God’s assurance in the testing of this day.  No matter the twists and turns that the testing of today and tomorrow may bring, remain faithful!  

Again, I say to you, remain faithful and move in faith, and you will see that God will never let you fail.  You will see that the victory is yours and not the wicked and the evil of today and tomorrow.