christians - why does god test us if he already knows the outcome of everything?

Question

it doesnt seem to make sense for us to be rewarded or punished for something he already knows we will do

Answer 1

This may be the dumbest answer ever...

"God wants to know if we'll remain faithful no matter what.... He knows the outcome of everything because he is all knowing but he still tests us."

Can you believe someone thinks this makes sense ??

How does this person function in life ??

I haven't seen one decent answer yet.

Why?

Because there is none !!!

Yet they keep trying

Answer 2

The key to this question is how we define "test." I've read debates in the answers that are based on differing or incomplete understanding of what "test" really means. If we want to define the word based on our commonly accepted understanding, then I do not believe that we can say God actually ever tests anyone.
"Test" has a few assumptions that are inherent to the common definition:
1. There is a set outcome that will occur from the rest
2. The result of the test will provide an answer to the underlying question of why the test was created/performed
3. The outcome is dependent on the performance of the testee

Answer 3

Because we don't know the outcome. The test is designed to show us how we handle things. Just like a test in school. The teacher already knows the answers, but you take the test to see what you have learned. Same with God. After the test, you know exactly what areas you still need to work on.

Answer 4

God allows our faith to be tested, so we will grow in faith. That means to continually trust & obey as trials of life happen.

But God never tempts us to leave Him for the worldly gods or recreations. It is the devil who tempts us to disobey, do things against Gods Word.

God knows the final outcome, but then God works around our decisions. He doesn't know exactly what we will decide to do. There are going to be conscequences to what we decide that teach us. This makes us more interesting for God. It develops our character. Everyone is different, unique & special. If we make too many wrong decisions, we may die earlier than God planned. If we go the wrong way, make a wrong turn, where the devil has a destructive, lethal trap; we may die early.

Either we react in the flesh or we decide to follow after the fruits of the Spirit. When the trials of life push our buttons, we either curses, yell, etc. or we choose to follow after the fruits of the Spirit; faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, etc... God will not force us to follow after the Spirit. It is a choice our soul makes.


Also, people have sinned sooo bad & God didn't even think about it. When his own people sacrificed their children to devils. This totally grieved Gods heart that he disowned his own people who did this. He turned them over to other nations.

Answer 5

If the "us" in your question refers to those who believe in him, then when we enter into a relationship with him we can expect to be tested -- and corrected, as Job was. On the other hand, those outside of the faith don't need to be tested at all. They have already failed, John 3:18b.

Edit: If everything happens according to His purpose, then God is indeed sovereign. But testing of Man does imply free will, at least to an extent. Therefore, for those outside of the Kingdom, free will leads to only one destination. Those that God has placed inside the Kingdom carry on a relationship that includes testing while God's ultimate purpose of not falling away from the faith will be fulfilled.

For the unregenerate, the answer is easy -- so what, no relationship, no testing either. For the regenerate, the Holy Spirit is active and working in their hearts, but sure enough, when Job was tested, just like Adam, nothing but failure. And this should illustrate for us the need for a complete, total reliance on God, we are as weak as the Bible tells us we are. I remember a children's song about that, "Jesus loves me...we are weak but He is strong."

Answer 6

I'll use a story to illustrate: A highly trained, professional detective is hunting down an escaped convict. He has seen the convict, studied him, and learned all about him. One night the sirens sound, and he learns they have found the convict in a certain part of town. Because the detective knows so much about the convict, he will be able to predict his moves, to some extent. For example, he knows that if the police go here, the convict will run there because it is the most logical choice (for the convict). He knows that the convict will do this, but that doesn't stop him from setting the police out.

God tests us because He wants us to build strength, character, perserverence, faith, and hope.

Romans 5:1-5. 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Tribulations is another word for troubles. God knows what we may do, but we don't, and since we are bound by time, He does this for us anyway, testing us so that we can grow.

Answer 7

Because the test still builds character and strength. If you have a child that loves cookies and will do anything to have one, and you buy some and put them out of reach of the child, knowing that eventually he's going to get to them, why do you bother to put them out of his reach? Would it not be to get the child to understand that he can have one when you allow it, but not when you don't? The point of which is to teach the child that you know better than him when it's ok and when not, and that the child needs to come to you when he wants a cookie and you will decide if it's ok for him to have one. Same with God. We are HIS children and He wants us to depend on Him and His wisdom, so He puts us through tests because, while He knows the outcome, we don't, and the end goal is to have us depend on Him.

Answer 8

God knows each and every thing from front to returned. God provides assessments so as which you will take exhilaration in existence and be glad about what you have and don't have. many anybody is starving, residing with maximum cancers, or have been raised in an orphanage, yet they are grateful for the tiniest issues. God took my brother away whilst i develop into 4 years previous, i won't have the ability to think of how painful that develop into for my mom. I now comprehend it develop right into a attempt of religion. She had no determination yet to be solid and proceed to develop us. i do no longer understand why god took him. I in simple terms comprehend it develop into his time to circulate. once you're nonetheless here that's by fact God nonetheless desires you in this Earth. do no longer hassle approximately those questions now, they're going to be a superb form of time to invite God those questions as quickly as we die.

Answer 9

Who says He does? Free will has to be in there some where.............plus you throw in the fact that we are to pray about everything...............hmmmm And as far as being tested it helps us stand! How many times does a toddler fall while learning to walk? We don't tell him to not even try to get better because we all walk someday do we? We know the outcome yet we are constantly teaching our children to get up and try again when they fall. Because it is through trial and error that we learn life's lessons.

Answer 10

Actually your statement is a bit miss leading, God knows what the outcome to all the different scenarios of our decisions would be. He however, gave us free will so that we can choose which way we want to go.

Answer 11

the truth is that He doesn't test nobody,but the weaker a person in the Faith,the more that one will doubt in his certainty and intimacy,union with the Lord.
When two lovers are in the similar situation the one with the issue is most of the time the one more insecure,and then the belief/suspicion that the other one is making them "endure" trials.
And God?as happy/unawares as yesterday/today and tomorrow,because He loves/knows always...no matter what!
And others walking in darkness of their own "stray"