A Fatal Test

As the Christian life begins by believing in the word of God, so too the whole of the Christian life is to be lived through faith in that same word. God's word speaks to every area of life and addresses everything necessary for our living before Him and glorifying His name. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it and it all exists for His own pleasure and glory. It is God's revelation that tells us what this looks like and what our responsibilities are in all this. When you challenge what God has said in one area, you challenge everything, including His claim to be the creator of all things and if this is challenged, the so too is His authority over all things. When we challenge the truthfulness of God's word we are sticking our finger in His face and calling Him a liar. To do this is to test or tempt the Lord; it is to contradict and defy Him and say, 'What are you going to do about that?' Paul said we are not to tempt the Lord. God is slow to anger and full of mercy, but His patience is meant to lead us to repentance not make us think that He overlooks our sin.