How did you do on your test?

[B-A-C]

Deut 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Gen 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

Exod 20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."

Psa 66:10 For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.
Psa 66:11 You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.
Psa 66:12 You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

Jas 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Jas 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Jas 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas 2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

1Pet 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pet 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

Matt 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

The Greek word translated as “tempted” here is πειράζω (peirazō), which can mean both:

• To tempt (with the intent to cause failure or sin), and
• To test (to prove character or faithfulness).

So then... if God already knows your heart... and He already knows the future... why does He test people?

Job 1:8 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."

Job 1:12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

The thing in the story of Job is... Job passed the first test. So what does God do? Gives him a harder test.

Job 2:3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause."

Job 2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."

... and yet...

Job 2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

So then.... does God know the future of our choices? I believe He does. Does God know if we truly love Him?
If so... why does He test us?

Not only does God test us.. but we are told to test ourselves.

2Cor 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
2Cor 13:6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
2Cor 13:7 Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved.
2Cor 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

Is it possible... that while God is omnipotent, He blocks Himself from knowing certain things?
..or...
Maybe God already knows all the answers... but we don't... Maybe the testing is for our sake... not His.

Here is my personal take on this...
One day people will stand before the judgment seat of God.

God won't judge them on what they "might" have done. He will judge them on what they did or didn't do.
Judgment is based on deeds, not potential. Testing provides the evidence of our choices and character.
You don't graded before the test. You get graded after the test.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

 

[Dave M]

I believe God knows what we will do, he knows everything. I believe like you the testing is for our own sake, and perhaps those around us. Jon testing story certainly benefits many reader of it.

I also believe many are far to hung up on trying to figure out God, we never will be able to fully understand that is why we must have child like faith. God knows better then I do what I need in my life to grow in Christ, but that does not take the responsibility our of my hand.

Just remember Romans

Romans 8:28​

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 

[B-A-C]

Does God Limit His Knowledge?​

Some theologians (especially in Open Theism) suggest that God may choose not to know certain future free-will decisions. However, classical Christian theology generally holds that:

• God knows all things, including future choices.
• But He still interacts with us in time, allowing us to experience growth, choice, and relationship.

So, even if God knows the outcome, the process of testing is still meaningful—for us, for others, and for His purposes.

When I said "He still interacts with us in time," I meant it in the sense of "real time"—that is, within the flow of human history and experience, not that God is delayed or eventually gets around to it.

Even though God is eternal and outside of time (from a classical theological perspective), He chooses to engage with us within the framework of time—responding, guiding, testing, and revealing Himself in ways that unfold moment by moment from our perspective.

This idea is often referred to as "God's condescension" (in the theological sense of stooping down to our level), or "divine accommodation"—God relating to us in ways we can understand, even though He transcends time and space.

 

[B-A-C]

for those who love God

I think it's possible some people read those five words, but in their minds... really skip over them. Those who love God.
Well who loves God? Everyone says they do... but yet...

Deut 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

So while I agree that Rom 8:28 causes all things to work together for the good... it really only applies to "those who love God".

How do we know if we love God? Well there's a test for that.

Matt 15:8
'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
Matt 15:9
'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

(see Isa 29:13)

 

[Dave M]

How do we know if we love God? Well there's a test for that.

Jesus said it best, those who love me will keep my commandments

 

[B-A-C]

While the Bible doesn’t use the phrase “real time,” the concept is strongly supported throughout Scripture. Here are some key ideas and verses that reflect this:

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1. God Responds to Human Actions​

• Exodus 32:14 – “So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.”
  → This shows God responding to Moses’ intercession in a dynamic, time-bound way.
• Jonah 3:10 – “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity…”
  → God’s response to Nineveh’s repentance happens in time, not as a static decree.

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2. God Speaks and Acts in Sequence​

• Genesis 6:6 – “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
  → This shows God emotionally engaging with unfolding events.
• Genesis 22:12 – “Now I know that you fear God…”
  → Spoken after Abraham’s obedience, suggesting a relational unfolding of trust and faith.

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3. God Waits and Times His Actions​

• Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.”
  → God’s actions are not random—they are timely and purposeful.
• Isaiah 30:18 – “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you…”
  → God waits to act, showing patience and timing in His mercy.

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4. Jesus’ Ministry Shows Real-Time Interaction​

• John 11:6 – “So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.”
  → Jesus delays His response to Lazarus’ illness for a greater purpose, showing intentional timing.
• Luke 8:46 – “Someone touched Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.”
  → Jesus responds in the moment, aware of what’s happening as it happens.

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5. The Holy Spirit Acts in Time​

• Acts 16:6–7 – Paul is prevented by the Spirit from going to certain regions.
  → The Spirit’s guidance is situational and responsive, not pre-programmed.

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Summary​

These verses and themes show that while God is eternal and sovereign, He chooses to interact with us within time—responding, guiding, and even waiting. This doesn’t mean He lacks foreknowledge, but rather that He relates to us personally and dynamically, not as a distant observer but as an involved Father.

 

[B-A-C]

Rev 2:10 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

The wording here is a little peculiar. "demanded permission". I tend to think people usually "ask" for permission, rather than demand it.
But perhaps it just means Satan was being more persistent than usual, or perhaps he felt like it was his right to test Peter.

As we know Peter didn't do very well on this test, but in the end Jesus restored him.