🌅 How to Come Out of Testing and Trials
“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.” — James 1:13 (NKJV)
🎨 Highlight key: 🟩 = grace / apart-from-works truth · 🟨 = the precious gift · bold = key terms
☀️ The Path Gets Brighter — You Are Righteous
We continue our Romans series from Romans 1:16–17 — the gospel is the power of God unto salvation; in it the righteousness of God is revealed. The path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter to full day. Yesterday’s health should be lower than today’s; tomorrow should exceed today in every blessing. 🌄
Worldly people wonder whether tomorrow will be good or bad. You should have a confident expectation of good — because you are righteous. How are you defined as righteous? Not by deeds or actions — by the blood of Jesus Christ. When someone says you are not righteous, you must know: I am righteous in Christ. That identity is the key to a brighter tomorrow. Amen.
📖 Keep hearing: Israel reached the promised land in ~40 days on the map — yet wandered 40 years because they heard once but did not keep on hearing. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). The more you hear, the quicker the blessing.
📜 Old Covenant vs New Covenant
| 📜 Old covenant | ✨ New covenant |
|---|---|
| Pay first… maybe get paid back later — work, work, work → result (?) | Begin on “finished” — result first, then joyful obedience |
| Focus on the 🍎 fruit first — behaviour, reputation | Focus on the 🌳 root first — who you are in Christ (Colossians 3:3) |
| Repentance → then God’s goodness | God’s goodness → repentance |
🌳 Romans 1:17 (NKJV)
“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed… as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” — Romans 1:17 (NKJV)
Paul speaks to two groups in Romans 1 — those with the identity of righteousness, and unbelievers whose hearts were darkened:
🌳 Romans 1:21 (NKJV)
“…they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful… their foolish hearts were darkened.” — Romans 1:21 (NKJV)
“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness… full of envy…” — Romans 1:29 (NKJV)
❌ Are Trials Required? — No
How many think trials and tribulations are part of life? What you believe is what happens — because God has given you free will. God wants to heal and redeem you, but if you believe trouble is part of life, it remains. Jesus came to deliver you from pain, sin, and curse — Psalm 103 says He took all your sins, pain, sorrow, and sickness at the cross.
🏦 Mortgage paid: Your friend paid your house in full. When the bank demands payment again, will you pay? Jesus already accepted everything for you at the cross — refuse to pay sickness and debt twice. Miracles flow when you accept what He accepted for you.
- 🚫 a) God Won’t Test With Evil — James 1:13
- 🙏 b) Testing and Trials are optional — pray “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13)
- 🧠 c) Be wise to skip Trials and Troubles — a wise person escapes before trouble arrives
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father… give good things…” — Matthew 7:11 (NKJV)
“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…” — Matthew 6:13 (NKJV) — testing is optional; tell the person next to you: you can skip it.
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” — Proverbs 22:3 (NIV)
“You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.” — 1 Kings 5:3–4 (NIV) — Solomon’s reign had no war. “A greater than Solomon is here.” — Matthew 12:42 (NKJV) — Christ in you is wiser still.
⛰️ Transfiguration: Hear Jesus Only
On the mount, Peter wanted tabernacles for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. While he was still speaking, the Father interrupted:
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!“ — Matthew 17:4–5 (NKJV)
Why not Moses and Elijah? They preached the law — be blessed by your obedience, become righteous by your deeds. Jesus preached: righteousness is a gift by His obedience.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” — Romans 5:19 (NKJV)
“…much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life…” — Romans 5:17 (NKJV)
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
“…not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.” — Romans 2:4 (NKJV)
🏆 Identity: Jesus didn’t prove to the devil that He is the Son of God by His works — because He already knew who He is. True faith: Don’t fight for victory — fight from victory. Don’t fight for healing — fight from health. Don’t plead — inherit what your Father already gave you.
🪪 Four Identities That Break Trials
1️⃣ I Am Righteous
Not because of what I did — because of what He did. Old covenant: reward of righteousness. New covenant: gift of righteousness. You are already righteous — now work out your salvation from that root.
2️⃣ I Am Forgiven
Old: forgive so you can be forgiven. New:
“…forgiving one another… even as Christ forgave you…” — Colossians 3:13 (NKJV)
“…forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)
3️⃣ I Am Loved
“…love one another; as I have loved you…” — John 13:34 (NKJV)
“We love Him because He first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 (NKJV)
“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us…” — Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)
4️⃣ I Have No Condemnation
“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” — John 8:11 (NKJV) — Old: sin no more, then no condemnation. New: know you are not condemned — that empowers holiness.
🌳 Water the root, not the fruit. Pour water on roots (identity), and fruit comes automatically. The word of God is the water (Ephesians 5:26). Focus on: righteous, forgiven, loved, no condemnation — fruit follows.
😈 How Jesus Overcame Temptation
Before Jesus performed a single miracle, the Father declared Him beloved. You need not prove righteousness by performance. The devil said “If you are the Son of God…” — Jesus answered from identity, not spectacle.
“If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” — Matthew 4:3–4 (NKJV) — He could turn stones to bread — but He would not perform to prove what the Father already said.
“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down…” — Matthew 4:6–7 (NKJV) — Angels would have caught Him — but identity does not depend on stunts.
“All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” — Matthew 4:8–10 (NKJV)
“Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” — Matthew 4:11 (NKJV)
The more you hear and focus on new-covenant identity, your thoughts, actions, and direction change — and you come out of trials. This is the goodness of God.
🆘 Already in a Trial? — Way of Escape
“…God is faithful… with the temptation will also make the way of escape…” — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
“…He is able to aid those who are tempted.” — Hebrews 2:18 (NKJV)
“…was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” — Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV)
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work…” — 2 Timothy 4:18 (NKJV)
“…the testing of your faith produces patience… that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” — James 1:2–4 (NKJV)
“…we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” — Romans 8:37 (NKJV)
“My grace is sufficient for you… that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
🏆 Pray from Victory — Inherit in Christ
“It is finished!” — John 19:30 (NKJV) — Old covenant: people glorified God only after Jesus healed (Matthew 9:8). New covenant: begin on finished.
“…who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV)
“Having disarmed principalities… triumphing over them in it.” — Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)
“…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…” — Romans 8:17 (NKJV)
“…you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” — Galatians 4:7 (NKJV)
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance… according to the counsel of His will.” — Ephesians 1:11 (NKJV)
🎯 The Takeaway
- ❌ Evil testing is not from God — trials are optional; a wise person escapes
- 👂 Hear Jesus only — gift-righteousness, not law-performance
- 🪪 Root identity: righteous, forgiven, loved, no condemnation
- 😈 Jesus overcame without proving Himself — fight from victory, not for it
- 🏆 Pray and inherit from finished work — more than conquerors in Christ
🎧 Based on a Sunday message on coming out of testing through new-covenant identity. If it strengthened you, share it with someone in a trial today. 💛