God tests our hearts, he tells us that in 1Thessalonians
2:4, “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even
so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.” And God has a
lot more to say about his testing of humanity:
Psalm 7:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
Psalm 11:5 The LORD
tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul
hates.
Proverbs 17:3 The
refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the
hearts.
Ecclesiastes 3:18 I
said in my heart, "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests
them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals."
1 Chronicles 29:17
"I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in
uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered
all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present
here to offer willingly to You.
Psalm 11:4 The LORD
is in His holy temple, The LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His
eyelids test the sons of men.
Jeremiah 17:10 I, the
LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to
his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 20:12 But, O
LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, And see the mind and heart, Let me
see Your vengeance on them; For I have pleaded my cause before You.
Zechariah 13:9 I will
bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer
them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my
God.’"
God also has something to say about people testing him:
Deuteronomy 6:16 “You
shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus
said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the
test.’”
Numbers 14:22,23:
22 none of the men
who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness,
and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice,
23 shall see the land
that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall
see it.
Regarding Numbers 14:22,23, it is clear to me that we all
have seen signs from God. Romans 1:18-22 tells us:
18 For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 ¶ because what may
be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse,
21 because, although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be
wise, they became fools,
And Acts 17:31 adds to this, "because He has appointed
a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has
ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the
dead."
So God says everyone knows he exists, and everyone knows he
raised Christ from the dead. But by what exact means has he made these things
known to us? What is the point by point series of logical and evidential steps
God has used? There’s the test, God doesn’t give us those details. And those
details need to be withheld, or people wouldn’t be free to reject God if they
want to. Because God has left some mystery, people are free to walk through the
door marked “unknown,” and choose not to believe in him.
So God has told us what he has made known to us. Let’s think
for a few moments about what God has kept hidden, as Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The
secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed
belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this
law.”
Starting at the beginning, it is unclear to me why Adam and
Eve’s descendants are included in their sin/sinful nature. That’s a mystery. It
is unknown to me what specifically God required of people religiously before
Noah’s flood, and indeed for a long time after the flood. It is not perfectly
clear to me why God chose to give his special revelation/his scriptures,
through the nation of Israel, rather than some more inclusive way. I wish I
knew why God has allowed forgeries and human error into the Bible, as modern
Biblical criticism reveals. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people.
I was once troubled by the question of what happens to those who don’t hear
about Jesus before they die, but I am now satisfied having discovered the
answer offered by Dr. Craig:
I don’t know why the majority of scientific evidence
supports Intelligent Design, rather than Young Earth Creation or Evolution.
There are some good arguments for Young Earth Creation, but in the end, a large
step of faith is required to believe the Genesis creation account in light of
much scientific evidence. Likewise, there are some good arguments for
Evolution, but in the end, a large step of faith is required to believe the
Naturalist account of origins and development in light of much scientific
evidence. It is Intelligent Design/Old Earth Creation that enjoys the force of
the scientific evidence. Here is a huge test for modern man, do we step out in
faith for either Evolution or Creation, or do we wrestle with the God of
Intelligent Design? These are all mysteries to me, and presumably to most people.
They are God’s tests. As Jesus taught in John 6:61-67:
61 When Jesus knew in
Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does
this offend you?
62 "What then if
you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?
63 "It is the
Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you
are spirit, and they are life.
64 "But there
are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who
they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
65 And He said,
"Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has
been granted to him by My Father."
66 From that time
many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
67 Then Jesus said to
the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"
