There is much that passes for trust in God, that is nothing else but tempting God. Christ endured a great temptation on this point, in order that we might know how to distinguish between trusting God and tempting Him. In the account of Christ's temptation in the wilderness, we read: "Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said unto Him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down; for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning you; and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matthew 4:5-7)
There is such a thing as changing the truth of God into a lie, and that is always done when the devil quotes Scripture. The words which the devil quoted from the 91st Psalm are addressed to those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, taking His truth for their shield and buckler, and not to any who should presumptuously disregarded God's word, and do what He has not commanded.
Christ was kept because He trusted in the Father; but there can be no trust where there is no commandment and no promise. As there was no commandment for Christ to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, and no necessity for it, He could not have claimed any promise if He had done so.
The Lord tells us that where sin abounds grace does much more abound; and then the question arises, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1)
In other words, "Shall we do evil, that good may come?" [Editor's note: it was "slanderously reported" that the disciples taught this false doctrine: "And not rather, {as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,}" (Romans 3:8) Let us do evil, that good may come? Whose damnation is just.]
Not by any means. The grace abounds only in order that we may be saved from the sin in which we find ourselves; to go on deliberately committing the sin after the grace of God has shown it to us, would be to tempt God, instead of to trust Him. It would be trying to get Him to deny himself by giving His grace to condone sin, and to multiply it, instead of to pardon and cleanse from it.
We once knew of a mother who, in her mistaken idea of love for her boy, allowed him to have his own way in everything, never correcting him for any fault. The result was that as he grew older he manifested no regard for her or her wishes, but made himself intolerable, not only to strangers, but even to his own mother, who had fancied that she loved him.
Too late she began to be interested in his salvation, and called in a minister to try to make up for her neglect; but as might be expected, the youth would not listen to a word of counsel or reproof. And then the mother with that spirit of weakness which many mistake for pious resignation, said, "Well, I can do nothing but trust in the promises of God."
But there was no promise in which she could trust. She had ignored: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it," (Proverbs 22:6)
The only word that fit the case, was one in which there was no comfort, namely, "A child left to himself brings his mother to shame." (Proverbs 29:15)
So her supposed trust was nothing but presumption.
Many people to whom a plain duty is made known by the commandments of God refuse to obey, and yet they imagine that they are trusting the Lord, whereas they are only tempting Him. When they ask Him to protect and save them, while refusing to listen to His word, they are asking Him to break His word. But it is written, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matthew 4:7; Deuteronomy 6:16)
When people go to places where they ought not, merely to gratify morbid curiosity, and not to seek and save the lost, they are yielding to the temptation of Satan, which Christ resisted. When they are in the path of duty they may safely trust the Lord, no matter where they are, or what the circumstances; but to go needlessly on the devil's ground is to tempt God, and to court destruction.
The story is told of William III, that in one of his battles he was in a very exposed position, and an officer who had brought a message to him, tarried with him after his business was done. The king told the officer that he was in danger, whereupon the man rejoined, "But your Majesty is in danger also."
"I am safe," replied the king, "because duty calls me here; duty does not demand your presence, and you are not safe."
In a few moments the man was killed by a cannon ball, while the king was uninjured. Whether the story is true or not, it illustrates the fact that the only place of safety for any man is the place of duty. While he is in the way of duty, he may "trust and not be afraid." (Isaiah 12:2)
It is often the case that supposed work for the Lord is done for other motives. Mosheim says, "What is man! The very best often serve God and themselves when they fancy they are serving God alone."--[Editor's note: This comment from Mosheim was made regarding the motives of John Calvin in putting Servetus to death. The quote is referred to in a few other books, but I could not locate the original source.]
Much that is supposed to be defense of the faith, is undertaken at the instigation of the enemy of truth, rather than at the command of the Lord. The professed followers of Christ often allow themselves to be drawn into discussions and contests by unchristian taunts.
When professed Christians engage in controversy because they fear that some will accuse them of cowardice if they do not, they are not following the example of Christ. He would not do anything for the mere purpose of proving that He was the Son of God.
We hear much about the necessity of speaking for God, but very little about the importance of keeping silent for Him. Jesus often held His peace when the scribes and Pharisees tried to provoke Him to speak in order that they might catch up something from His mouth. So we may often show our trust in God, and our confidence in His truth, by keeping silent. Here is an example: "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace even from good." (Psalm 39:1-2)
There is such a thing as casting the pearls of truth before swine, which is forbidden. "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matthew 7:6)
Who can know when to speak and when to keep silence? Who can know what is exactly the right thing to do on every occasion? Christ alone never made a mistake, and only those in whom He dwells can be kept from stumbling. "He that trusts in his own heart is a fool." (Proverbs 28:26)
But the Lord has promised that those who receive His words and cling to them alone, "[Shall] understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path." (Proverbs 2:9)
Then, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)--Present Truth, August 17, 1893--Timeline: II-3 (The Temptation)--Matthew 4:5-7.