A trial is a time of difficult circumstances that test you in different ways and make you get in touch with what is at your core, often revealing what is unmerciful and ugly or weak. It's an opportunity for transformation for the better: walking with God with increased trust in and dependence on Him, having stronger faith in God so as to really "walk by faith and not by sight," and reflecting more perfectly to others who Jesus is.
Tribulation is suffering due to people's hostile actions or passive-aggressive behavior against you as they make you their target in some way. For a Christian, tribulation in the world is guaranteed precisely because of one's faith as promised by Jesus.
Select scriptures -on trials: James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-19. -on tribulations: Luke 6:22-23; Matthew 10:16-22, 34-36; John 15:19-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:21-22; 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; Philippians 1:29; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12-19.
There may be overlaps in one's mind as far as those definitions go and the scriptures that refer to them. So, trials and tribulations are often mentioned together. And for a servant of God, a trial or test may be part of any tribulation that is suffered.
Hebrews 3:12-19 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief*, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: nevertheless not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not (were disobedient)**? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief*.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Keeping the commandments of God, that is serving God rather than serving sin.
1 John 2:3-6 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Romans 6:16-18 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.
NB: Jesus did not say, "I kept my commandments for you so you could do nothing or so you can sin and not die like the serpent told Eve that she could."
1 John 3:4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
No one is saved to be a transgressor of the law or a "worker of iniquity".
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know not where you are from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.
Luke 6:46-49 46 “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to me, and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
1 Peter 2:7-10
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected as become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
"We" and "us" generally stand for the writer and the people he is writing to. Let's identify who that is through some verses. Hebrews 6:1-3 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto maturity; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2O the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permits. (Not unbelievers in any case.) Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
(This is in direct contrast to what was said just before in Hebrews 6:4-8 about people who were saved and then fell away. Here "we" is just the writer, it's a polite way to say "I". And "you" are the "beloved," the writer's brothers and sisters in Christ that he is writing to.)
Hebrews 10:21-25 21 And having a high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.
(v 21: Jesus isn't the high priest of unbelievers, Jews or not. v 22: Unbelievers don't have any "assurance of faith" to approach God with; their hearts aren't pure, their sins aren't washed away by Jesus' blood. v 23: No profession of faith applies to unbelievers. v 24-25: Loving one another and assembling together is something believers are called to do; encouragement to fellowship together only makes sense for people of faith, people who know Jesus/have Him as their Lord and Savior.)
Hebrews 10:26-31 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much worse punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done insult unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him that has said, Vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
(The writer is still addressing the same people he had been addressing in the verses before verse 26. They are the body of Christ, the people of God, not unbelievers. v 30: The reminder that "The Lord shall judge his people" is for them precisely.)
"I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5).
That word
was spoken to the people of Israel who had been obedient to God's voice
and were entering the promised land. The people who had been rebellious
and sinning died in the desert; they didn't make it into the promised
land. The apostle Jude thus reminds in verse 5 of his letter: "Now
I want to remind you, even though you are fully aware of these things,
that the Lord who once saved his people from the land of Egypt later
destroyed those who did not believe."*
So,
that word in Joshua and that also appears in Deuteronomy was not spoken
as a promise to people who were being willfully disobedient to God or
in a backslidden state. We shouldn't suppose that word applies to anyone
who is a backslider who has not made up his/her mind to come clean with
God. Such person should urgently repent or will perish (e.g. Revelation
2:5, 2:16, 2:22, 3:3, 3:19 - all these are warnings to backslidden
people who were once saved). People do fall away from the faith (from
being previously in it (Hebrews 10:38-39, 2 Peter 2:20-22).
Jesus spoke similar words in Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
As
in the word in Joshua, attention should always be paid to who is being
spoken to. Jesus was speaking to his disciples who were on fire for Him
and not messing with sin in any way. But it is a fact that people today
keep wanting to apply such a promise to themselves, even as they are
lukewarm and are still deliberately sinning. A relationship with God
implies the faithful obedience of his servants out of love (1 John 5:3),
and that's opposite to going on sinning. It's important to point that
out as false teachings make up most of what "Christian" ministers preach
(1 John 4:1 warning).
In Numbers 15:22-31, a distinction is made between willful sins and unintentional sins. They are treated differently.
Willful sin is rebellion against God and that leads to death (Romans 6:23, 1 John 5:16-17). Scripture passages such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5-10 and Ephesians 5:3-5 list sins that come out of a rebellious heart and that lead to death if the person who has committed those sins does not repent. If someone who has come to know Jesus is guilty of those acts of rebellion, then that person is at risk of being cut off from Jesus as a branch that is not abiding in Him and bearing good fruit (John 15:4-6, 1 John 3:6). That means death, not in the way it was under the Old Covenant (Hebrews 10:28), but spiritual death certainly, and it's not for a man to say when that may happen. One sin is enough to bring that death (Genesis 2:17, Ezekiel 18:20). But God will be merciful on whom He will be merciful (Romans 9:15) and that's not to take lightly. God's mercy toward his once obedient child (1 Peter 1:14) will eventually run out if correction is refused and the person doesn't repent (e.g. Revelation 2:5, 2:16, 2:22, 3:3, 3:19). The Spirit of life, the Holy Spirit, will detach itself from that person who was once saved and brought to life (Ephesians 2:1) by the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2), because he/she has afterwards despised and neglected that great salvation (Hebrews 2:3) and given him/herself over to willful sin.
As
for unintentional sins, they are not committed out of rebellion against
God and his ways. Of course, God knows the intentions of a person's heart
and can't be mocked (Hebrews 4:12-13, Galatians 6:7-8). In God's mercy
He will chastise a person who is his son or daughter (1 Peter
1:14-16, Hebrews 12:4-11) and who has unintentionally committed a sin,
due to some weakness, imperfection of character or lack of knowledge (ignorance).
1 John 3:4-6 4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whosoever abides in Him does not sin: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him.
Sin is the transgression of the law
Romans 4:15 .... the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans 13:10 Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:35-40 35 Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Although the Scriptures present sin in different ways as we explore below, it is basically a transgression of God's law, a violation of the divine precept of love, namely love for God with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength, and love for one's neighbor as one loves oneself.
John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love [is what matters].
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome.
1 Timothy 1:5-11 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
Sin as a result of not abiding in Jesus
John 15:4-6 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. 6 If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
While not abiding in Jesus can mean being disconnected from Jesus - not knowing Him (1 John 3:6), being connected alone to Jesus (having a relationship with Him) does not mean abiding in Him. Abiding as a branch in Jesus means remaining connected to Him, the vine, and depending on Him for every need. This dependence on Jesus as the source of life results in producing fruit that pleases God. Therefore, being obedient to Him (not transgressing the law) is abiding in Him.
1 John 3:24 And he that keeps his commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave us.
A branch is by definition a connected part of a tree, so, a branch that is not abiding in Jesus represents a believer who doesn't intentionally continue to have his eyes, heart and mind fixed on Jesus. That branch will eventually be cut off (John 15:6) if no correction is made. Because sin will come from not abiding in Jesus (1 John 3:6), and therefore the believer won't exemplify walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6).
1 John 2:3-6 3 And by this we know that we know Him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that says, I know Him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in Him. 6 He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
Sin is darkness and cannot fellowship with the light: 1 John 1:5-7 5 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Sin as a result of acting in doubt rather than in faith
Romans 14:22-23 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
The topic in the above scripture is what food a person of faith may eat, but a general principle is given about acting in faith versus acting in doubt. Sin arises from having doubts about one's actions, decisions or positions. All these should be a reflection of one's faith. Even weak faith is more pleasing to God than a lack of faith about a matter or course of action. The apostle Paul thus also exhorts in Romans 14 to be mindful of a brother or sister of weaker faith than one's own, and to not sin by judging that brother or that sister. That servant of God shall give an account of himself/herself to God. So, one should not thus put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in that person's way by unwarranted judgments (Romans 14:12-13; James 4:11-12).
The Scriptures thus do not deny that views may differ between believers about the same matter. But each servant of God should exercise the faith he has. God can direct the actions of his servants according to the faith He gives them for his purposes and his glory to be revealed through their lives.
Sin as a result of omission to do the right thing
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
To finish, let us consider Matthew Henry's Commentary on James 4:17:
"V. We are taught, in the whole of our conduct, to act up to our own convictions, and, whether we have to do with God or men, to see that we never go contrary to our own knowledge (v. 17): To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin; it is aggravated sin; it is sinning with a witness; and it is to have the worst witness against his own conscience. Observe, 1. This stands immediately connected with the plain lesson of saying, If the Lord will, we shall do this or that; they might be ready to say, "This is a very obvious thing; who knows not that we all depend upon almighty God for life, and breath, and all things?" Remember then, if you do know this, whenever you act unsuitably to such a dependence, that to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin, the greater sin. 2. Omissions are sins which will come into judgment, as well as commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as well as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned. Let us therefore take care that conscience be rightly informed, and then that it be faithfully and constantly obeyed; for, if our own hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God [1 John 3:21]; but if we say, We see, and do not act suitably to our sight, then our sin remaineth, Jn. 9:41." (Source: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
Whereas professed Christians may be open about their various addictions, sexual sins, dishonest behavior (lying, cheating, stealing, etc.) that they struggle with, virtually no one is signaling a struggle with an idolatrous relationship with money in some form. It must be worthy of note that Jesus singled out Mammon to say "no one can serve both God and Mammon" —that is idolatry. But it's like Jesus had no reason for such a concern with his followers having their hearts divided between God and Mammon. It comes down to one's deep affections and where one really puts his or her trust, in God or in possessions or so-called buying power in this world, for instance, either power one has or thirsts for. Rich and poor can have Mammon as their master (comp. Revelation 13:16), in which case they are either rich or want to be rich in treasures that are passing, that moth and rust do consume, and that thieves do break through and steal (Matthew 6:19). Such loved or desired 'abundance' is worth nothing as far as God is concerned (comp. Revelation 3:17). +Even when one is not driven by a rush to amass material wealth, if money stands as the actual "savior" in any situation and God himself is obscured in his quality of being in control of any situation, then that, too, is idolatry.+ So much hurts God's sensibility when our trust isn't "really" in Him, and our love is for the world rather than Him, according to his word.
You may not know where you really stand until God sends a fiery trial to test you (e.g. 1 Peter 4:12).
Be careful what your eyes are set on, and by extension, what occupies your heart and mind. Have the right mark on your forehead that symbolizes your mind. And be careful about what you do with your hands as a result of what's captivating your eyes/heart/mind. Have the right mark on your right hand that symbolizes your deeds/actions (the things you do).
What you speak is a good indicator of what's in you: Luke 6:43-45 43 For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
2 Timothy 2:19 However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Matthew 5:29-30 29 And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to go into Gehenna.
Matthew 6:22-24 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness. 24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon.
John 8:12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Luke 12:15 He [Jesus] said to them, “Beware. Keep yourselves from all covetousness, for a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
James 4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 The world is passing away with its lusts [desires], but he who does the will of God remains forever.
Mark 8:34-38 34 He [Jesus] called the crowd to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. 36 For what does it profit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a person give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
