Topic: The Trails of Faith

Text: Genesis 22:1-19

A test is a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something,

especially before it is taken into widespread use. Another word for test is trial, try out, examination,
etc.

In today’s Bible reading, we could see that Abraham trusted God to perform His word and fulfil His
promise. That is faith.

A trial of faith is simply put as “whatever tries your faith!” For faith to be TRIED, faith must be
challenged. The challenge is whatever questions the faithfulness of God.

I must clarify that a test or trial is different from temptation. Tempt means to entice or try to entice
(someone) to do something that they find attractive but know to be wrong or unwise. Other words
for tempt are entice, persuade, convince, induce, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, etc. James 1:13-15 says
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor
does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires
and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
brings forth death.”

There are two statements that pinpoint the emphasis of today’s study: Genesis 22:1, Scripture says
‘Some time later God tested Abraham’; and Hebrews 11:17 – ‘By faith Abraham, when God tested
him, offered Isaac.’ This simply shows that where there is true faith in God, that faith will always be
tried and tested. It is impossible to be a believer and not be tested (Hebrews 12:5-11; 1 Peter 1:7).

How is our faith tested?

The Bible is full of illustrations of men and women whose faith was tested. There is no one way to
how people are tested. We cannot premeditate the way God will test us.

1. Our affections - Sometimes in the testing of faith our affections are touched, as was the case
with Abraham in today’s reading, and we hear the Lord saying to us, ‘My child, put back into
My hands what I have given you.’
2. Part of our bodies - Sometimes the test comes in the realms of our bodies, as was the case
with Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.
3. Sometimes the trial of faith involves the loss of position.
4. It can be the upsetting of our carefully laid plans.

Some Christians think that they have a guaranteed way to escape trials. They point to and recite
biblical promises that God will intervene for those who have faith in his Son. However, God not only
promises to help us in our trials—he also promises us trials! Christ did not come to bring us a
trouble-free life. Instead, he warned us that we would have strife within our families because of him
(Matthew 10:34-36), that we would have trials (John 16:33) and that we would be persecuted (John
15:20). We enter the kingdom through many trials (Acts 14:22), and every Christian will suffer
persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). We should not think it unusual when trials afflict us (1 Peter 4:12).
Jesus suffered when he was in the flesh; that should remind us that we will also suffer.
There is no testament or testimony without a test of faith. Trials are opportunities for reward. It
brings us out of unbelief.

One thing we must note is that as faith grows it is tried and tested according to its measure. Faith’s
testing is always for God’s glory and for our good, and our part is to rejoice in the truth - Job 23:10;
Romans 8:28.

So precious is the testing of faith to God, and so profitable is it to the child of God, that we should
not only expect it but rejoice in it - James 1:2; knowing that it is our living and sovereign Lord who is
directing the testing of our faith, and that His hand will never cause His child a needless tear. Let us
notice three aspects of the trial, or the testing, of faith.

God will always give back to us far more than He asks us to give up for Him. He may do the giving
back in this life, but if not, He will most certainly grant us an abundant reward in the life to come – 1
Peter 4:12-19