The testing of your faith

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

These were his instructions: 'Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.'

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed with oil many people who were ill and healed them. (Mar 6:6b–13)

Matthew tells us that they also raised the dead (Mat 10:5–10).

The need for apostles today

We are not told when these ministry trips took place—perhaps a year or more after our Lord had called the Twelve to follow him. At some point prior to this he'd taken them aside and appointed them as apostles (Luk 6:12–6).

While they'd been with him they'd seen him heal the sick, drive out demons and raise the dead; now it was time for them to do the same. The word 'apostle', in Greek, is apostolos. It means representative, messenger, envoy. It comes from a word meaning to send out. Jesus sent these men out, as his representatives, to do the same things he had been doing.

Some Christians believe that apostolic ministries ceased after the first century AD. They believe that once the church was established and the canon of Scripture complete, there was no more need for them. But that is not what the New Testament teaches.

Eph 4:11–3 tells us that Jesus has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to his church to build it up until we all reach unity in the faith and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.

Have we reached unity in the faith yet? Have we all become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ? I don't think so. I believe that task won't be complete until just before our Lord returns.

Jesus will return for a bride that has made herself ready for him (Rev 19:7): a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or blemish, but holy and blameless (Eph 5:25–7). There is a lot of refining to be done before that day; and the church still needs apostles and prophets to do their work as much as it needs evangelists, pastors and teachers.

One of the main tasks of an apostle is to plant churches. Because of that many view the work of missionaries as apostolic. That may be so, but it doesn't mean that all missionaries are apostles. Paul wrote:

I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles (2Co 12:12).

Signs, wonders and miracles mark a true apostle of God. A New Testament apostle will have the ability to perform such acts, even as our Lord's apostles were equipped to do the same.

First of all apostles

The Bible lists the apostolic ministry as first among all ministries.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then [workers of] miracles, then [those having] gifts of healing… (1Co 12:27–8)

God has placed in the church first apostles and second prophets. That is not surprising when we consider that the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:19–20).

You will note that workers of miracles and those having gifts of healing are listed in addition to apostles, even though apostles can perform miracles and heal the sick. That is because the working of miracles and healing the sick are spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit can give to anyone in the church (1Co 12:7–11), but having those gifts doesn't make a person an apostle.

As only a few are called to this important ministry, what can the rest of us learn from this passage? I believe there are three lessons concerning righteousness, encouragement and faith.

Judas loved money

Firstly, Judas Iscariot had been chosen by Jesus to be an apostle (Luk 6:13–6) and was one of the Twelve he sent out. Consequently he preached the gospel, raised the dead, healed the sick and drove out demons—all by the power of the Spirit—and yet he went to hell (Act 1:24–5). Why was that? Because he loved money.

He was a thief who used to help himself to what was put into the money bag (Joh 12:4–6), and in the end he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Mat 26:14–6).

So we can see why Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and money (Mat 6:24), and why Paul wrote that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; adding that some people, eager for money, had wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1Ti 6:10).

What can we learn from this? Simply that preaching the gospel, healing the sick, driving out demons and raising the dead does not guarantee a person will go to heaven (Mat 7:21–3): living a righteous life, however, does (Mat 25:46).

We are told to make every effort (Greek do one's best) to confirm (Greek make sure, firm, certain) our calling and election to salvation (2Pe 1:10a). That is something we have to do. The Holy Spirit will help us with that task, but it's our responsibility. We do it by living the life God has called us to live (2Pe 1:3–11).

Elijah needed encouragement

Secondly, Jesus sent his apostles out in twos. He did the same with the Seventy-Two (Luk 10:1). I believe that was for encouragement rather than safety reasons.

Satan is a discourager; the Holy Spirit is an encourager (Act 9:31). One of the main weapons Satan uses against the church is discouragement. If he can discourage us we may withdraw from spiritual battles. We can see that in the life of Elijah.

Elijah was a spiritual giant in his day. Single-handedly he took on four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel and defeated them (1Ki 18:15–40), but a threat from Jezebel sent him fleeing into the desert (1Ki 19:1–4a).

That arrow from Satan (Eph 6:16) had a devastating effect on him. He said, 'I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too (1Ki 19:4b,10).' He was very discouraged.

What was the Lord's answer? He told him to anoint Elisha as the prophet to succeed him (1Ki 19:15–6). That wasn't the end of his ministry, but Elisha became his servant (1Ki 19:19–21), which meant he now had a companion.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecc 4:9–10)

That was certainly true for Elijah. Elijah was a man who depended totally on God. He'd spent time alone with him in the Kerith Ravine being fed by ravens (1Ki 17:2–6), but when he was engaged in spiritual warfare he needed the encouragement of others to remain strong.

Paul needed encouragement

The same was true for the apostle Paul. Unlike Elijah, Paul had many threats made against his life. He was imprisoned frequently, stoned almost to the point of death, flogged five times and beaten with rods on three occasions. He said he was ready to die for Christ, and he meant it.

And yet, on his missionary journeys, he didn't travel alone. His first companion was Barnabas, whose name means son of encouragement. Even Paul needed to be encouraged.

The Holy Spirit is the encourager and is the source of all spiritual encouragement. He ministers to our spirits and encourages us in many ways, but he also encourages us through the ministry of others (Rom 12:6a,8a).

Encourage one another

And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:24–5)

What Day is the writer referring to? He's referring to the day of the Lord: the day when Jesus will return for his church (2Th 2:1–4).

Why do Christians meet together? The reasons are many:

Those are all good and valid reasons, but they are not the prime reason. The prime reason is so that we can encourage one another and spur one another on towards love and good deeds. We are told to not stop doing that, but to do it all the more as we see the Lord's return approaching.

Remember that if you're tempted to miss a meeting. You may not feel you need the blessing yourself, but others will need you to encourage them. We have that duty in Christ.

Trials and testings

And thirdly, the Twelve were told to take nothing for their journey except a staff. Why a staff? Because it symbolized the cross, as did Moses' staff in the Old Testament (Exo 4:20).

No food, no bag, no money, no extra shirt: they were to rely on God for everything, even to finding a bed for the night. That would have tested their faith. But contrast that with the instructions given in Luk 22:35–6. What can we deduce from this? That God will test our faith at various times in our lives, but sometimes more severely than others.

Every Christian lives by faith from the moment they are born again (Gal 2:20b), not just for salvation (Eph 2:8), but for every physical need as well (Mat 6:31–3).

We may think it's our job that provides for our needs, but it's the Lord who opens doors for employment and gives us the ability to work (Mat 7:7–8). If we doubt that, he may prove it to us, and then we'll know that we depend on him for everything. Jesus said, '…apart from me you can do nothing (Joh 15:5b).' That is true physically as well as spiritually.

Even with those who've enjoyed a relatively trouble-free life—successful career, happy marriage, good health—the Lord will test their faith at some stage. Why is that?

That you may be mature

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jam 1:2–4)

Do we want to be mature and complete Christians? Then we need to go through trials of many kinds.

Consider Job, a righteous man who enjoyed the blessing and protection of God (Job 1:8–10). Then suddenly, without warning, he experienced a series of disasters (Job 1:13–9; 2:7). What had he done to deserve it? Nothing. So why did it happen? It happened to bring him to maturity. James wrote:

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (Jam 5:11)

Perseverance is continuing in a course of action despite difficulties. Perseverance must finish its work in our lives if we're to be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Spiritual maturity comes at a cost. Trials are not easy; if they were easy they wouldn't be trials. No one looks for them—they can be painful and difficult—but when they come we're to regard them with joy because of the work they are doing in us. Paul wrote:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2Co 4:17)

Light and momentary troubles? There was no one in the New Testament who suffered more for his faith than Paul. If Paul regarded what he went through as 'light and momentary troubles', then so should we.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28 alternative translation)

If you are a blood-bought child of God, then everything God allows to happen in your life is for your good—even the trials and difficulties. Satan had to get God's permission before he could do anything to Job (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7); the same is true for us.

Every trial, every problem we face, every difficulty that comes our way is an opportunity for us to grow in faith. Just as a muscle only strengthens when you exercise it, so faith only grows when you use it.

Refined and purified

Our faith is more important to God than we realize. Peter wrote:

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1Pe 1:6–7)

Do we want a faith that is genuine and will result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus is revealed? Then we must go through trials and testings of many kinds. Also, as the heat of a furnace brings the dross to the surface so the refiner can remove it, so the heat of a trial brings our imperfections to the surface so that God can remove them.

God is the refiner and purifier of his people (Mal 3:3). Jesus is coming back for a church that has been refined, purified and made ready for him. Trials and testings are a part of that process.

Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. (Ecc 7:13–4)

God is sovereign in our lives and every Christian needs trials in order to grow. The strongest trees are those that have been exposed to the winds and the storms. In order to survive, they've had to put their roots down deep into the soil.

Every trial we face brings us closer to God. We're forced to put our roots down deeper into him (Col 2:6–7). Any confidence we had in ourselves is soon gone. We say, 'Lord, I couldn't have done that by myself; it's no longer I who lives, but you who is living in me (Gal 2:20a).'

And that is what he wants us to say. He wants us to depend on him for everything. When he sees in us what he wants to see, there will be no more need for trials.

Michael Graham
May 2008
Revised May 2019

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition). Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved.

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