Testing versus Temptation, what is the difference?
God tests believers, ones who has been born of God, to prove that we will hold true to an already revealed truth. Will we react in accordance with the truth or will we abandon the truth for a lie? The purpose of the test is for God to demonstrate to others and satan that we will indeed be faithful to His truth, but if we should fail, then He will demonstrate to all the greater truth, that He will always remain faithful to His word and us, even when we might fail Him. The purpose of a temptation is for satan to demonstrate to us and God that we will not be faithful to the truth of God, that we will abandon the truth for a lie that satan has dressed up as the new truth. Satan desires that God will curse us because of our failure, but God cannot curse us because He has already executed judgement for our sins through the death of His Son, Jesus.
Gal 3:13-14 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE", (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
God tests us and satan tempts us. But worry not! For whether we are faithful to the truth or prove ourselves to be temporarily faithless, God by His grace has forever fixed the outcome.
2Ti 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
