Trials & Temptations
86
What's the Purpose?
Have you experienced trials and temptations? Do you know the difference between them? How about from where they originate? What is the purpose of trials and temptations? I hope you join me as we embark on a journey through the Bible to answer some of these questions.
The First Test
Let’s begin at the beginning in the Garden of Eden. God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden. Do you wonder why He did this? Could it have been placed there to try or test Adam’s faith in God’s Word? God told him that the day he ate of it, he would surely die.
Adam obeyed for awhile, until Eve was created and fell under the temptation of the serpent. Eve failed the ‘test’ by eating of the tree, then went and tempted Adam, who also failed the ‘test’ of God by doing the same.
Well Jam 1:13-14 states, “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: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
Absolutely. God didn’t tempt them; He tested and tried their faith; Satan tempted them with evil intent. Throughout all time, since the testing of Adam and Eve, God and Satan operate in this fashion and for good reason.
The Trial (Proof) of Your Faith
By grace we are saved through faith, right (Eph 2:8)? Consider 1 Pet 1:7 “That the trial [testing/proving] of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried [proved/approved] with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
The word ‘trial’ is 6884 tsaraph (tsaw-raf’): to fuse (metal), i.e. refine (lit. or fig.): - cast, (re-) fine (-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try.
How about Rev 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried [refined] in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
Look at Mal 3:12 “But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire.”
There are times when the phrase “trying of your faith” is translated "testing of your faith" and/or “proving of your faith”.
Everyone knows the story of Job. In summary, God allowed Job’s faith to be tried through the temptations of Satan. Trial and temptation are not the same thing. Job did not give into temptation, yet his faith was certainly tried by those temptations and proven more precious than gold, refined in the fire, when it was all said and done. And God blessed Job with more than he ever had before!
Job 23:10 “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Now look at 1 Pet 4:19 "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to Him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Purify My Heart
Consider David’s writings in the Psalms:
Ps 7:9 “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.”
Ps 17:3 “Thou hast proved mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”
Ps 26:2 “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”
Ps 66:10 “For Thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.”
Ps 105:19 “Until the time that His word came: the word of the LORD tried him.”
Ps 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.”
God Tests Abraham
The story of Abraham is a great example of a trial of faith. He was told by God to take his son of promise, Isaac, up to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him. Abraham obeyed God, yet had faith in his heart that God would provide a substitute when the moment came. What faith! We believe that God knows all things beforehand, so why would He ‘test’ Abraham in this way? Was it indeed a test? The Bible tells us it was:
Gen 22:1 “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [test] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”
Heb 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried [tested], offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.”
Look at what God said to Abraham as he raised the knife in Gen 22:12: “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.”
Because Abraham passed the test, God blessed him and his seed throughout all generations to come. It was through Isaac’s lineage God would eventually come to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
An interesting observation, before we continue, is the Greek word used in this testing of Abraham. It is 3985 peirazo (pi-rad’-zo): to test (obj.), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline: - assay [determine the content or quality of], examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try. Notice there are both positive and negative definitions within this word. The next section uses the negative aspects.
Temptation
As we know, Jesus was born through the lineage of David. When He reached the age of 30 and was baptized by John the Baptist, Mat 4:1 tells us, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
To tell the difference between temptation and a trial of faith we must pay attention to the motive behind the testing. Peirazo also has an evil intent, to tempt us to rebel against God’s Word. Satan himself tempted Christ in the desert; and though he was defeated there, he continued to work through people Jesus came in contact with.
Mat 16:1 “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven.”
Mat 19:3 “The Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?”
Mat 22:35-36 “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Luke 20:23 “But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye Me?”
John 8:6 “This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.”
Tempting GOD
Have you read Jesus’ words to Satan in Mat 4:7? “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt [to test thoroughly] the Lord thy God.”
Yes, Satan tempted the Lord God. People are not to tempt the Lord either!
1 Cor 10:9 “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.”
Acts 5:9 “Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
The Lord is With Us
If we understand that the trial of our faith can happen through temptations of the devil, it will help us pass the test by standing firm against the devil’s wiles. Just as God limited what Satan could do to Job in the trial of his faith, He will not give us more than we can bear. He is building our faith!! Have you asked the Lord to increase your faith? (Luke 17:5)
1 Cor 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [allow] you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Heb 2:18 “For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour [rescue] them that are tempted.”
Heb 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Jam 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [trials], Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. “
Rev 3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [trial], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Jam 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation [trial]: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”
An Anointed Hub by Pratonix!
- Christian Perspective on Suffering
unc.edu This is a message that I heard in church last Sunday, and it is so important that I believe it needs wide coverage over the Internet. It is a message of great comfort for all suffering people,...
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (7)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome (4)
- Beautiful (1)
- Interesting
Sounds like the Lord is testing and exercising your faith, brother! You've gotten stronger, and you are able to resist those temptations ~ even before they come!! lol Stay prayed up ~ stay strong in the faith! God bless you!
Great hub... I believe that God teaches us, then cleans us, then tests us.. even if it is Satan tempting us, still it is God, because Satan can do nothing without God's approval like in the case of Job... Satan is just a tool in God's hand, even if he would like to think otherwise.. but God will always let His elect ones overcome, because they obey God... many blessings to you.. :)
You said it well, Marliza! While the actual tempting to do evil does NOT come from God, He, as with Job approves or limits what Satan can do to His children. I have a hub called "Satan's Purpose", which shows his attributes ~ one of which is that he's used as the discipline of the Lord. I think of 1 Cor 5:5 where the son that was sleeping with his father's wife (had given into temptation and rebelled against God) was 'turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his soul might be saved in the last day'.
People tend to fall into idoltary ~ it could be wealth, a job, a relationship, a home...With Abraham, it could have been Isaac, the only, promised son of he and his wife; with Job it could have been his great wealth and good health. Through trial, they were proved men of great faith, not given to idolatry.
God may test our faith through times of trial, but if we stand in Him, He will reward and bless even more. I've seen this happen in my own life.
God bless you, sister :-)
Thank you for this edifying, informational, inspirational hub. I like the way you got right to the point distinguishing the biblical difference between trials and temptations and how they correspond with each other.
Many Blessings!
Hi brother, thefount! How have you been? So good to hear from you! I so appreciate your edification in the Lord! I do hope this hub is clear and helps all of us grow in faith, trusting that God is truly in control of our lives, orchestrating all things for our good, because we love Him (Jer 29:11)!! Praise God! Thank you! God bless you!!
Thanks for another excellent hub. Many of your readers won't know the difference until they digest your explanation. Many of the rest of us appreciate the reminder.
In college, the local Episcopal priest, one of the most erudite men I have ever met, made a comment to me about the Lord's prayer that has stayed with me for decades now. I don't remember if he criticized St. Jerome's Vulgate, but he said that for the clause "lead us not into temptation" the correct Latin is not "temptatio" (I have no idea if I've spelled it right) but "seductio". Again, I'm not sure about the spelling, but the former means a time of trial, and as Father Jim observed, the latter is self-explanatory.
BTW, in studying James several years ago, I learned that there are two Greek words for "test." In one, the person doing the test expects a positive outcome. In the other, the person doing the test either has no expectation or expects to prove a failure. God's way of testing, of course, is always intended to demonstrate the superiority of his plan and, as in Job's case, that the person he is testing will remain faithful through it.
Wow! Awesome commentary, allpurposeguru! This truly blesses my heart and confirms so strongly the message in the Word the Lord would have us, as His children, understand. We can fully trust Him throughout our lives, in every circumstance. Yea, He will bring us through!! (Ps 23) Amen!! We can count it all JOY!! Thank you for sharing and God bless you!!
Thanks, JD. Isn't it great to know that we have a God who tests us so we grow in Him. Keep the hubs coming!
Great hub. I am blessed to have found you on hub pages.
GOOD JOB!I certainly don't welcome being tested, but I have to admit, I have come away with more faith from the battle.
Hi lifegate!! AMEN! When our faith is such that we can endure a trial, God then may bring a stronger one...I consider it boot camp ~ get ready, for we 'ain't seen nothin' yet'!! He is preparing us for the work of faith we will need in the coming times. Rejoice and be glad!! Yea, right...humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. He is awesome!! Praise Him through all things! God bless you!!
Thank you, drcrischasse! I look forward to coming over to your HubPage, too! I am blessed you came by and that you were blessed!
Hi sister, bayoulady :-) I hope you don't mind I changed your name around for that little rhythmic line ~ ladybayou; God bless you! Mr. HOO was used by the Lord to inspire me to write this hub, using his favorite Bible version (KJV), too. Whether he comes to read and grow in the knowledge of the Lord in this area is up to him; but there are many like him. I think of Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (KJV) ~ :-)
Today I pondered John 15:2, which confirms to us the Lord's purpose in testing and trials: "every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." I, like you, don't necessarily enjoy the pruning experience, but I know the plans He has for me (Jer 29:11) and you, too!! Thank you so much for coming by and leaving sum luv!!
Amen, the above are spiritual principle truths.
Everyone in this world lives by faith. The difference between Christians and unbelievers is not the fact of faith but the object of faith.
The unsaved person trusts in himself and other people, where as those who are saved trust in the Lord.
Satan knows this and will attack the believers faith. Paul's letter to early Christians in Thessalonica illustrates the point. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10
It is written... "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." Romans 10:11
Keep doing your good works in revealing the light of truth Judah's Daughter, God bless you.
Hallelujah, Michael Jon! Right on the mark! I so appreciate your refreshing water to my heart. I will press on!
I am thinking of one of an encouraging quote by Theodore Roosevelt (I know it's not the Bible, but it is powerful to encourage us):
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Blessings abundantly to you and yours!!!
Thank you, JD, for recommending my hub 'Christian Perspective on Suffering'!
Blessings to you.~ Thank you for all your encouragement to a 'newbie'!
Pratonix, I highly recommend, not only your hub, "Christian Perspective on Suffering", but YOU as a writer and a brother in the Lord. What I've read thus far has blessed my heart, and I'm not one for words of 'flattery'. I truly mean it. As we go through trials, hold on to God's Word (so precious), including Gal 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." God bless you as you continue in His ministry here on HubPages!!
Hi JD, most excellent written hub ! God's Bootcamp, I love that one! Our trials/tests are about faith building and strengthening our Love/Fear relationship with the Father. Jesus Christ, our mediator to the Father was truly tested by Satan again and again. Our God is a God of Peace according to St. Paul in his letter to the church in Philipi, Chapter 4 I believe.
If we wear the armor of God and abstain from sin, love the One Father and one another, we are less likely to need testing, but that won't stop the devil.
Amen, brother Artin2010! Thank you so much! I had a little devotional the other day between God's Spirit and mine...I thought about how a person that speaks two languages is a 'mediator' between those of each language. Likewise Jesus (God in the flesh) was both God and Man ~ our BRIGE to that aweful gap of sin that separated us from Him. Awesome!! He is our PEACE.
And, no sooner did I write this hub and witness others moved to write on the same topic, then I am slammed with a new trail ~ see, God doens't want us to just 'know' the truth, but to apply it ~ to WALK IN IT. He's bringing 1 Sam 15:22 to mind even now, which sums it up so perfectly, "Samuel said, 'Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams."
So often people think 'obedience' is following some written law or ordinance ~ it's a work of faith to heed the voice of the LORD and do what He says. Eph 6:13 "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." STAND! Amen!! Luv U, brother!
I also appreciated the distinguishing between trial and temptation in your hub. This also came to mind as a purpose of those trials. Deut. 8:2 “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. I sometimes don't see my tests as pass or fail but a revelation of where I am at in the journey. I think He already knows what is in my heart but would like me to be aware of what is in my heart as well and when testing and trial come it will reveal what is in our hearts. Great Hub. Thanks.
Very good and inspirational word, sister Tamarajo! There are those who truly believe God never tests/tempts (translated as test)/tries anyone, especially under the "New Covenant". I trust this teaching shows that God does indeed do this for the building up of our faith and for our good ~ even as you so beautifully stated. I have and do experience 1 Pet 1:7 with the hope of Rev 3:18. Praise God! I prayed the Lord increase my faith, as the disciples requested of Him in Luke 17:5, and He's been faithful to do just that :-). It surely wasn't/isn't easy, but I can say I'm coming through trials with more steadfastness, trust and hope than I used to.
Thus, the parable of the one who built his house on the Rock! The winds and rains blew...yes, and amen!
My dear brother 'no body' said something so profound to me today. He said something like, "When Satan steps up his attack, God steps up His miraculous works". We can rejoice when we KNOW He is the LORD of that Adversary, whether he likes it or not! Through God-ordained trials we LEARN this! O, that we wait upon the LORD in FAITH! Hallelujah! God richly bless you, sister!
You are right Sister JD! I have noticed just today, the number of hubs on this very topic! A sign of the times maybe?
Anyway--I so enjoyed this hub of yours, as I do all of your hubs. I always learn some new truth through reading them! I think--the fact that we are all enduring more trials or tests means we are making the devil uncomfortable through our Christian walk with God!
I also think that these tests will become more and more intense in coming days, and so we must put on our "gear", the 'armor of God' spoken of in Eph 6:10-17
But, one of our best weapons against Satan is our love for one another, and to always bear all things in love. As Christians, if we don't have love, nothing else matters! It is what identifies us as true Christians.
Thank you JD, for sharing your knowledge with us on this important topic, with such love!
Hi sister Laurie! I'm so blessed, once again, by your beautifully edifying comment. Praise God! This is just awesome, when we think of how the trials may get hotter and hotter, and yet God uses them to purify our precious faith ~ faith is indestructable when we are truly in the Lord!! The trials will shake the very foundation of what our 'house' is built upon ~ is it sand or is it Rock? We will know as we go ~ and if we will just trust in Him through it all, we will endure till the end. What is not true will fall away. I'm praying for our brothers and sisters in my heart each day. Our love for each other in the love of God will see us THROUGH this valley of the shadow of death, amen!! God bless you, sister. Thank you so much; you are such a comfort and encouragement to my heart.
One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations. Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as the death of a child, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? Well, no, it doesn’t. The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children and He “works all things together for good” for us (Romans 8:28). So that must mean that the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose.
As usually, your Hub has blessed me. Thank you! I voted-up on your Hub my friend!! Blessings!!!!!
Good word, sister Carlotta! I looked up Luke 22:31-32, oberving Jesus' solution to Satan's request (vs. 31) in verse 32: [31] "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; [32] but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Jesus didn't say Peter wouldn't be tested ~ rather He prayed that his faith would not fail. It's also interesting to see how various versions of the Bible interpret 'once you have turned again', which the KJV translates 'when thou art converted', strenthen thy brethren". It is comforting to know God is in control. While He allows trials, and even temptations, there is a divine purpose, which is for the good. AMEN. Thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement! Blessings to you as well!!
This is an excellent Hub and full of truth.
I can't believe some are arguing that God doesn't try us when it is all throughout the Scripture. And it isn't just before Yahshua came. How could we learn and grow without it.
Ezekiel 21:13
Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD
Psalm 11:4
The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Psalm 139:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Jeremiah 17:10
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings
James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Praise God, Deborah :-) AMEN. When believers understand that it is God who is Lord of good and evil, the testing He does Himself or approves to be accomplished by His Adversary is good and for our good. What a Father; what a LORD; what a Savior! We are to rejoice when trials come, for it is the very opportunity to grow in faith, which is more precious to Him than literal silver or gold tried by literal, refining fire. Thank you for sharing those passages and confirming the truth in love. God bless you!!
I needed this today! I've been feeling a little down lately and the devil has been trying to get under my skin. Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you to supply me with some spiritual food.
I'm blessed, brother David, to be a blessing to you. We are the vessels and all glory to our Lord; amen! Be encouraged; He is working all things together for good because you love Him and are the called according to His purpose. And God cannot lie. Hallelujah!
Judah’s Daughter,
What an amazing hub, my head is spinning from your professorial teaching of scripture. I come away from this with additional respect in “careful what you ask for.” I certainly feel intimidated at the mere thought of further refining right now.
Your Teddy Roosevelt quote was equally impressive. It is hard to remember that there still are those of us with passion for written word, and want of Godly instruction. Thank you.
God Bless.
Bless your heart, brother Jason. YOU are such a BLESSING! What an endearing relationship we have with our Abba Father, in that His trials and tests are meant ONLY for our GOOD! We will come to KNOW Him and not just give Him lip-service (Isaiah 29:13; Mat 15:8). We can trust Him, and this we learn through these experiences ~ and GREAT IS OUR REWARD! (Mat 5:12 and more) :-) May His peace and love reign in your heart. Thank you so much.
Since I am a philosopher/New Testament scholar, I couldn't read your essay without laughing out loud. It is clear that you take stories in the Bible LITERALLY. You lose your audience (educated folks, that is) when you do, except that you are telling Fundamentalist Christians what they already know and believe. Just once, would you write something on Christian faith without quoting the scripture? As I said before, anyone can quote the Bible. It doesn't impress me at all.
Mikio
21 Followers
45 Hubs
Joined 17 months ago
I think your stats speak for themselves, Mikio, since you obviously don't lose your audience (educated folks, that is) by your philosophies. You ask me to write something on Christian faith without quoting the scriptures? What is Christian faith without the scriptures? I guess we're both not impressed with each other...
Judah's Daughter, it's none of my business, but I do wonder if you ever received education in the field of New Testament. Such disciples as Source Criticism, Redaction Criticism, Form Criticism, etc. are taught at universities throughout the land. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to study the New Testament (including Greek) at a grad school in my late 20s, and it helped me realize that the quoting scriptures without proper understanding is a dangerous business. Perhaps, we can talk intelligently when you learn one of the aforementioned disciplines. Redaction Criticism is a good place to start. You can google it and find out what it is, if you haven't heard about it, yet. Peace.
Mikio, if it makes you feel empowered to call me uneducated and not intelligent, then more power to you. Part of the New Testament truth is that God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. Sometimes, more than not, theology schools are bent at indoctrinating their students, which then makes it harder to be open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. For you, I pray you also study the Old Testament, for understanding the New comes from the Old. What I've written here is literal and uses the Hebrew and Greek translations provided to us by Dr. Strong and online dictionaries. You seem to be the only one refuting the truth here, so in that I must question your 'education'. I see a lot of 'Criticism' in your cited sources, and if you have been taught to criticize, you have mastered it. God bless you, as He does, in spite of ourselves.
It is truly embarrassing that you know nothing about biblical scholarship, and yet you think you're well informed because you can quote the bible! We'll talk seriously about Christian faith when you learn Redaction Criticism. Until then, so long.
Wow Mikio,
it seems your sterling education failed in teaching you courtesy and humility. Beyond that, there are plenty of men and women far more educated than yourself who don't hold redaction criticism in the same regard as yourself. The scholars F.F. Bruce and James White come to mind, both whom would disagree with your position vehemently (but with courtesy, I might add).
Sadly, it appears you've clumped all students of the Bible into two camps: The educated-who think like you- and the uneducated- who believe God possesses the power to reveal, preserve, and speak through the Scriptures. This is quite a silly simplification of a complex issue, don't you agree?
While J.D. and I don't see eye to eye on all theological and scriptural issues, I'd be embarrassed to leave such a pedantic, rude and belittling comment as yours. You speak less like a scholar, and more like someone who has yet to graduate high school.
I wish you luck in the sharpening of your very abrasive communication skills. Perhaps we can talk intelligently after you've learned the difference between "disciples" and "disciplines." You can Google it to speed up the laborious process of reading all those big, scary words in the dictionary (you do own one, right?).
Mikio, it would be much more respectable if you shared your 'education' and 'intelligence' by soundly refuting what is written here, rather than telling me to get more 'educated' and become 'more intelligent'. Teaching is what is needed, so if you have some respectable contribution to the topic, do share. Thank you.
jreuter, I am blessed by your admonishment in the Lord to Mikio. I do have a lot of respect for you and appreciate your heart. Thank you, and may God continue to bless you.
Thanks J.D., glad to do it. It just really irks me when the educated can't properly apply that education with maturity and respect. I really, really, can't stand intellectual arrogance, and it seems to be the order of the day for those attacking the Bible.
This was very well written and it enlightened me to other points of view. Thank you!
Thank you, HAexpressions ~ I appreciate the read and that it was edifying to you. Stay blessed!!
Ms. Judah,
I really love this topic. This is well-written and is an inspiration from God! Thank you for the blessing and knowledge needed to overcome and be like fine gold!
Wow! How could anyone have had a problem with what you wrote? I'm new to reading hubs, but I thought it was really good. Mikio seems unaware when she is being tested perhaps.
Thank you, charles wade ~ welcome to HubPages! lol ~ for almost everything you read in the 'religion' category, you will, no doubt, see those who just come along to start sparks, smelling of sulpher...just another 'test' perhaps, as to our resisting the temptation of behaving in the same manner. I appreciate you coming by to read, pray that you were blessed, and want to thank you for commenting!
no body Level 5 Commenter 22 months ago
"But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:14-15) I've always loved this verse because it describes how sin becomes sin. Lust conceived with temptation and "brings forth" sin and sin brings forth death. I know my own lusts and keep on the watch for them so as to "head them off at the pass." The evilness of temptation is they come at your weakest. Flesh and Satan dangling things in front of my lusts. Praise God for His faithfulness in delivering us out of temptation over and over. Delivering us through temptation over and over. And forgiving us after we give in over and over. Great hub sister. Loved it and Love you.