Every believer is an adopted son of God and this is one truth that should get us in a celebrant mood. This is the greatest good news the world has received. Through Christ Jesus, we who were once far have been brought near and those of us who were once enemies to God have today been made His beloved. Amen and Amen!

But it is not enough to just scream "I am a son." We need to constantly examine our lives to find out if our actions and decisions inch us closer to God or the devil. We each have to strive daily to be on God's side and this can only happen when we triump over the adversaries we go through. The first thing God does when He calls us His son, is to test us. Adam went through the test of sonship and same was applied to Jesus Christ. When Job pleased God, the Lord again decided to take him through a test. Why does God allow it? We will find out in the rest of the article.

First, it is important to note that God himself tests or tempts no one. He only allows us to go through them, to prove that indeed we have accepted to be his sons.

James 1:13
"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."

The word tempt as used in the Bible means test which comes from the Greek word "peirazo." The literal translation of the Greek word is "to test."

God has a tester, whose name is the devil. He tests us through our flesh and then our soul. Why will God use the devil to do this you might ask? Well Satan, formerly known as Lucifer is the standard of evil. No one can by deeds surpassed the evils of the devil himself. So the devil has become a standard unit and a test agent for sin. This is interesting right?

Adam, was the first son of God and he was tested. We don't have to see the first Adam as a mere creature of God. He was created in likeness and image of God. His only limitation was his physical body.

Luke 3:38
"the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God."

We note from this scripture, that Adam was indeed a son of God. He was not just a creature. God created him in His image and likeness. Jesus Christ, being the second Adam is also the Son of God.

Luke 9:35
"And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Let's then look at the three different kinds of test we go through everyday as sons of the most high, making references to the lives of these two sons.

TEST OF OBEDIENCE
The first test we go through as sons, is the test of obedience. God wants obedient from His sons. We are born to be obedient to God and not to our flesh. Adam was first tested through his flesh but he failed. It was a test of his obedience. Eve was the flesh of Adam and he recognized that when he said: "this is the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bone." So Adam obeyed his flesh to the disobedience of God when he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Jesus Christ was also tested through his flesh. When the devil asked him to turn the stone to bread, Jesus didn't consider his hungry, as long as the voice was not from God, He disobeyed. Job was also tested through his flesh. And so is every son of God also tested through his flesh. Our flesh can become a barrier to spiritual maturity. The flesh hinders growth. It battles the Spirit for superiority. So for our sonship to be sure and firm, we need to first defeat the flesh.

God speaks to us through His Spirit and he needs our fullest corporation via the same medium. We can't obey God in the flesh but the Spirit.

Romans 8:14
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

To obey God, the Spirit must take the lead and not the flesh. Many believers are failing the test of obedience unknowingly. These believers have given in to their flesh to the point of satisfying its sinful desires. You can't be a son of God and still walk in the ways of the flesh. You can never hear God in the flesh. Our five senses are incapable of connecting us to God which is the reason many people are failing the test. The flesh profiteth nothing, it is the Spirit that gives life.

TEST OF HUMILITY
The test of humility is done through the soul. The soul loves glory. The soul can boast and be full of pride. This is where many pastors and leaders of ministries have failed as sons. Adam was tested for his humility but instead of taking responsibility for that, he chose to blame the woman. He missed the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness. His soul was lifted up and he became too arrogant to accept his shortfall. God knew man was not a perfect creature as long as he remained in the body. Jesus' test of humility came from a very different angle when he entered into His ministry.

Matthew 4:8-9
"Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Should Jesus go for the glory by obeying the devil? The soul desires success, fame and riches. Jesus had to go through the humility test Himself. The devil spoke to Him through his mind. He was not standing there in bodily form. The devil is a spirit and Jesus was a man then. Many pastors go through this. Since you have been given the anointing of God, should you use it for the fame and riches of the world? This is a question that has plunged many believers into a dilemma. It is one very difficult moment in the life of a minister, especially when the lust for glory and fame stirs up in his soul. This is the cause of the downfall of many people. They do many things for themselves and not for God. It is either for fame or for the money.

The humility to wait for God's own time to lift you up is key. Jesus became famous at God's own appointed time. He waited for God to lift Him up. He didn't lift Himself up. To be a true son of God do not be in the hurry to chase the luxuries of the world, let the world come to you in its full measure. Do not bow down to material things and the princes of this world. The soul desires many things, but allow the Spirit to lead.

James 4:4
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The moment you become a friend to the world you become an enemy of God. The word of God says in Luke 16:15, that whatever men exalts is an abomination to Him. If you want men to hail you instead of God, you have lost it.  

TEST OF REVERENCE
This is another very difficult area many people are faltering. Normally, miracle workers and healers fail in this test. Reverence for the Spirit of God is very key. God cannot be put to test because He is God. Today many believers are challenging God because of miracles. The Lord has said, He will have mercy and compassion on whom He pleases. He has nothing to prove to anybody. He is all powerful and he doesn't need anyone to confirm that. Believe Him or not, He is God. Whether He heals or not, He is God. No condition or situation can disprove God's existence and His power.

Matthew 4:5-6
"Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Let's study this scripture very well. It is indeed written and the devil was right when he said it is written. But why will Jesus decide not to jump as suggested by the devil? It is because the voice that spoke was not from God. God's power cannot be indirectly used by the devil. Jesus knew that, if he had jumped, He would have traded the power of God with that of the devil. And there is no way God would have commanded His angels to rescue Christ because He can't obey the voice of Satan. Satan cannot speak for God to obey. Never!

Many men of God have transgressed this principle. The devil is pushing them to do miracles to their own downfall. The truth is that anything done to boost your ego as a person is not from God. These days, you will hear of miracle meetings here and there and you will see believers gleefully running to these places. Jesus never called for a miracle meeting but his performed the major miracles in the history of the world. He rather called for a word meeting and in the faith of the word, miracles happened. He has sent us to heal the sick; it is His word that will heal those we lay our hands. Miracles can't be forced out of Him. We can't test Him either.

Surprisingly, many people are not healed at these healing services. Why so? The answer is that, the power to heal is of God and He does what He wants with it. American healing evangelist, Kathryn Kulman quizzed God why He was not healing the people she prayed for at one point in the course of her Minsitry. What she went through thereafter should caution us. Her miracles ceased forthright right from that day until she passed awy. God is God and you have to get this into your head. Healings and miracles rest in His bossom. Nobody can push Him around. Never and again!

Have reverence for God and His power. Do not abuse it. Let the Spirt do what it wants. Be led by the Spirit and not the Spirit. Many ministers want miracles, signs and wonders for their own glory and not God. They simply want to boast with that.

As a Man of God, I believe in what God can do through me and I have resolved not to yield to the wants and desires of the devil. I will strive to ensure whatever I do is inspired by the Holy Ghost. I will not put the Lord God to test.

These are the tests we go through everyday. It is expedient for us to get to know the God we worship and learn how to operate accoring to His Spirit. It is not enough to call yourself a son of God. You need to walk as a son. You need to act as one.

SHALOM
Rev. Eugene Gyakari
eogyakari@gmail.com
Whatapp: +233244185357