“. . . and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:23)

What was the original sin? In Part One, we established that the first actual sin was the iniquity found in Satan (Ezekiel 28:15). That iniquity likely had its source in Satan’s lack of faith in God’s love for him. His doubt led to many other sins—pride, self-exaltation, desire for power and control, vanity due to his wisdom and beauty, and ultimately, violence and rebellion.

To avoid repeating Satan’s mistake, we asked an important question: Do we truly understand how much God loves us? Jesus Christ answers this in John 17:23, confirming that God loves us as much as He loves Christ. Based on Jesus’ authority, each of us can say that God loves no one in the universe more than us—no one, including Jesus Christ!

This astounding fact led to a deeper understanding of Christ’s question in Luke 18:8: “[W]hen the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” At its base, the faith Christ refers to is our belief in how much God loves us. It will take unwavering faith in that love for us to endure to the end. Just as Christ had this faith in God’s love during His time on earth so He could endure to His end (I John 4:17), we also need this same faith to endure to our end (Matthew 24:12-13).

Being so much weaker in faith than Jesus Christ, we need to dig deeper into the question: Do we really believe how much God loves us?

Wrestling with Fear and Worry

I John 4:17 gives us the master key to endurance—faith in the depth of God’s love for us—that Christ Himself demonstrated. This faith gives us what we need to face our trials and endure successfully. The apostle John writes, “God’s love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like Him with regard to love.” (GOD’s WORD Translation [GWT]) Just as Christ fully trusted in God’s love throughout His trials, as we face our trials in this world, we are to be exactly like Him with regard to belief in God’s love for us.

John goes further in verse 18:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

If understanding how much God loves us and believing in it is so important, how can we tell where we stand in the strength of that belief? Verse 18 gives part of the answer. If fear and worry are present, it may signal that we still need to grow in our faith in how much He loves us. When we fully believe that the God of infinite power and wisdom loves no one in the universe more than us, what do we have to fear or worry about? Perhaps we need to absorb the supreme, divine encouragement of Isaiah 41:10:

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

What good parent would not use every available resource to protect his or her children’s well-being? For the same reason, we are in the second-by-second care of Almighty God (Isaiah 27:3; Job 7:18). This comforting thought should fill us with confidence, expelling worry and fear.

As Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Isaiah 43:13 adds this powerful promise from God: “I am God now and forever. No one can snatch you from me or stand in my way” (Contemporary English Version [CEV]). Nothing can stop God from fulfilling His plan to save us (John 6:39-40; 10:28; Philippians 1:6).

With one exception: ourselves. Even though God’s plans for us are powerful, we still have the choice to cooperate or neglect so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3).

The story of Job is a powerful example that God will do His part. Herbert W. Armstrong once said in a radio broadcast, “Job was one of the hardest men for God to ever bring down to repentance that has ever lived on the face of this earth.” Despite the patriarch’s stubbornness, God knew exactly what trial he needed, even though it was a painful one.

God knows the buttons to push and the pressures to apply to set each of us straight, even if it requires the Tribulation (Revelation 12:17; 13:7). As Job 36:15 explains, “But God teaches people through suffering and uses distress to open their eyes” (Good News Translation). Even in extreme hardship, we have no reason to fear because we can trust that God is shaping us for our good.

What Is Our Response?

Another way to measure our faith in God’s love is by how we respond to trials. If we truly believe in His love, we understand and accept that trials are for our growth and part of His greater purpose. Knowing this, we can trust that trials are never random or meaningless (James 1:2-4). They are not accidental events happening beyond His awareness or concern. As we grow in faith, we realize He allows them to build our character (Romans 5:3-4).

Good times were trials that ancient Israel often failed, and Laodiceans today follow that same pattern (see Revelation 3:14-22). But more often, God sees what kind of character we have during adversity. How we handle these challenges shows the strength of our faith, providing an opportunity from God to learn to make our faith even stronger.

Martin Collins, in his September 14, 2024, sermon, “The Genuineness of Your Faith,” emphasizes this truth:

We all know something of this condition of trial and trouble and of a feeling that God somehow does not seem to care. He does not seem to do anything about it. But if you look at every aspect of your trial, you will see God’s hand in the little things along the way. He is intervening. You are just not recognizing it.

So, we have to make a definite and heartfelt attempt to see God’s hand in whatever is going on in our lives, especially during the trials. The fact that God permits these things and that He often appears to be quite unconcerned about it all really constitutes the trial of faith. Those are the conditions in which our faith is tried and tested. And God allows it all.

When we face hardships, we must remember that God is still with us (Psalm 23:4¹), guiding us even when we do not immediately see it. Though they may be severe, God allows trials to test and strengthen our faith to prepare us for success. James 1:12 reminds us, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (English Standard Version).

Are We Waiting for God’s Timing?

Our faith is also tested when it comes to timing. We often long for things that seem out of reach—money, jobs, relationships. But Psalm 84:11 gives us the proper perspective: “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

This verse reminds us to trust God’s timing, even when life presents us with unmet desires, unanswered prayers, or unfulfilled needs. However, trusting in God’s timing is often the most challenging aspect of faith, particularly when what we long for appears good in our eyes yet remains out of reach.

If we are walking uprightly, our lack of a desired thing is in itself a pointed indication that it is not good for us at this time, no matter what we might think to the contrary (Isaiah 55:8). Otherwise, Psalm 84:11 would not be true. God has each of us exactly where we need to be at this moment because He, in His love and wisdom, knows what is best for us.

Conversely, getting what we want instead of what we need can do us immense spiritual harm. Such things will frequently lead us away from dependence on God, as shown by the Laodiceans’ spiritual regression (Revelation 3:17). That church’s story reveals that their faith was in themselves, not God and His love for them, and spiritual disaster resulted.

Trusting God’s timing shows strong faith because we recognize that He sees the end from the beginning and understands the bigger picture far better than we do (Isaiah 46:10; 55:8-9). What feels like a delay or even a “no” is God often preparing us for something better or protecting us from unseen dangers. It is a helpful exercise to reflect on past trials, and as Martin Collins wisely advised, “make a definite and heartfelt attempt to see God’s hand.” Looking back is important because it is not uncommon to recognize some of God’s interventions only after the trial—sometimes long after.

For example, a man faced a delay early in life, causing considerable frustration. After two years, he perceived God’s miraculous solution to his immediate problem, realizing it would not have been the perfect answer if it had occurred earlier. Yet, twenty years later, he recognized God’s delay had also protected him from a long-term issue that would have negatively affected his future work life. His experience teaches us that even when we cannot see the complete picture, God’s timing is always perfect, protecting and preparing us for what is truly best for now and in the future.

This practice of searching for signs of God’s interventions and remembering them points to an essential lesson ancient Israel never seemed to learn: They repeatedly forgot God’s interventions, miracles, and deliverances. This forgetfulness led to weak or non-existent faith and disobedience (Psalm 78:11; Judges 8:34; Hosea 13:6). In His Word, God displays Israel as an example to remind us not to make the same catastrophic mistakes (Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 10:11), especially by forgetting what He has done for us and how He timed it all perfectly (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11). By remembering God’s perfect timing and past interventions, we strengthen our faith, allowing us to trust Him more fully in the present and future.

A way to ensure consistent remembering is to establish a regular habit of applying Deuteronomy 4:9 (New Living Translation; our emphasis throughout):

But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

Do We Know Better?

A final way to measure our faith is to ask ourselves if we sometimes think we know what is better for ourselves than God. We reveal this as our position when we take control of our lives, question His goodness, or doubt His promises. These attitudes say, “I am superior to God in this area.” This mindset weakens our faith and challenges the very nature of who God is: love.

This same attitude was at the root of Satan’s fall. Created with beauty, wisdom, and power (Ezekiel 28:12-15), Satan doubted God’s love and thought he could do better. This doubt led to his rebellion against God, rejecting God’s love and authority (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Trusting in God’s deep love helps us discard the idea that we could ever love ourselves more than God does. When we believe in the depth of His love, we avoid self-reliance and mistrust, which leads to destruction. Human nature, influenced by Satan’s rebellious spirit, often chooses sin and death over life and peace.

Escape?

When we go through tough trials, having a proper perspective is essential. John Ritenbaugh, the late pastor of Church of the Great God, explains this clearly in his Bible Study, “Matthew (Part Twenty-Seven)”:

If God used the childrearing techniques that many people use, we would grow up unable to solve our problems because our Parent always solved them for us. God, however, is not a defective Parent by any means.

If it is good for us to go through something, God will make us go through it. If we need the experience, education, or character that can be gained through doing it, He will not remove us from it or it from us. He will make us experience it.

If He “saved” us every time we felt uncomfortable, we would grow up to be unable to do anything—uneducated, untrained, and unfit for His Kingdom. So, because He is love, He cannot answer most of our requests for deliverance since to do so would be detrimental to our developing character.

He must let us go through trials, so why even pray to that end? Why not instead ask Him for the power to overcome it? That He will grant!

John Ritenbaugh ends this section with a comment on prayer:

We should use prayer to ask God for the ability or the power to endure. If we come to regard prayer as merely a means to escape, we will end up bewildered and disappointed.

Why is this true? Paul, in the last part of I Corinthians 10:13, writes about escaping temptation: “God . . . with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” On its face, “escape” cannot be what the apostle meant. If we escape, what is there to bear? We are free.

New Testament writers use the underlying Greek word for “escape,” ekbasis (Strong’s #1545), only one other time, in Hebrews 13:7, where the New King James Version renders it as “outcome.” On his website, Greek-language scholar William D. Mounce defines ekbasis as “way out; outcome, end, result,” not necessarily an immediate exit. Two Bible versions give a more on-the-mark adaptation of Paul’s thought:

» But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape. (GWT)

» [B]ut when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it. (Evangelical Heritage Version)

These translations reveal that God’s “way of escape” is not always an immediate rescue but an opportunity to build the strength to endure and overcome. Rather than asking for immediate relief, we should seek the power to persevere, trusting that God uses trials to shape us. By viewing challenges this way, we see them as opportunities for growth, not just obstacles. This mindset is crucial as we learn to trust God’s love and purpose in every trial.

Can We Trust God’s Love?

Our problems, whether large or small, are exercises God uses to perfect us (Ephesians 4:13). Instead of trying to escape them, we should focus on learning the lessons God is teaching. As the Perfect Parent, God knows what we need to prepare for our roles as kings and priests in His Family (I Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10; 20:6). The faster we learn these lessons, the sooner God can help us move on from them.

However, for the long-lasting, more difficult trials, our way of escape comes through prayer and learning patience and endurance. Like Paul, we can be victorious, not crushed, by our trials (I Corinthians 15:57). With God’s help, we can bear them and be better prepared for leadership in His Kingdom.

The Contemporary English Version renders the last part of Exodus 34:6 as, “I show great love, and I can be trusted.” Jesus and Paul had a deep trust in God’s love. Because of this trust, Paul could write in I Thessalonians 5:18, “[I]n everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” He could thank God for everything, even for his most painful trials, because he trusted God’s love and believed His will worked for Paul’s ultimate good, to refine and perfect him (Psalm 138:8; Matthew 5:48).

We must build our faith in God’s love for us and remember just how special we are to Him. God loves no one else in the universe more than us.

I John 4:17 promises that, by perfecting our faith in His love for us, we gain the strength to face trials with boldness in our day of judgment. This strength of faith is not a feeling but a genuine power that helps us overcome any challenge. When we do this, we follow the example of Jesus Christ, who showed complete faith in God’s love during His trials.

Jesus declares that God loves each of us just as much as God loves Jesus. Do we believe our Savior? Do we truly grasp how much God loves us? Satan did not believe it, and it led to his downfall. At this late hour in God’s plan for us, we cannot afford to make the same mistake.

1 Just as a shepherd uses his rod to protect, discipline, and inspect the sheep and his staff to guide, protect, and care for them, God does the same for us. We should take great comfort in knowing that no matter the trial, our God is our Shepherd, watching over each of us under His moment-by-moment care (Job 7:18).