Testing and Temptations: A Guide to Sanctification

by Thomas Murosky

Our America is one where many Christians do not live life like Christ nor do they read the Bible. The average American Christian is not engaged in service and gives less to the cause of Christ than they do for their entertainment. As part of the church, we need to be walking like Christ and encouraging others. Testing and Temptations will guide you through living for Christ in the midst of trials in your life. We all experience many trials that can be either tests or temptations, but little regard is ever given to what these words mean. Have you ever thought about the concepts behind testing and temptations or what role they may play in your life? While listening in on a sermon and constantly hearing the pastor fumble over test and tempt, the concept behind the book Testing and Temptations was born. In this book, we will examine the differences between tests and temptations and examine four key principles of Testing and Temptations: - The Source of the Trial - The Method the Trial Works in Us - Where the Trial Leads Us - The Intention behind the Trial Once we understand how Testing and Temptations are applied in our lives, we will be in a key position to understand how we can leverage our trials in order to grow closer to Christ. Thomas Murosky outlines simple steps to grow closer to God and live a more holy life, dedicated to the service of God.

139 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2014

About the author

Thomas Murosky has a background in the Biological Sciences earning his Bachelors in Biochemistry and Doctorate in Molecular Toxicology. He taught Chemistry at Bucknell University and Western Wyoming Community College. While as a student and professor, Tom worked in several capacities as a children’s and youth worker having served the local CEF board, as a counselor for Christian camps, Awana programs, and other youth outreach including a decade of work in Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America.

Tom stepped aside from teaching and academics to work as a technology consultant to focus more time on writing, blogging, and video production in the area of Christian teaching with a focus on discipleship and sanctification. His first book, Testing and Temptations, is about how we are called to transform our lives to be like Christ in the process of Sanctification. His second book, The Art of Shallow Neighboring is parody book calling us to better Christian discernment in the books we read. His third book, I AM Not Amused calls for sober analysis of the media entertainment industry. In addition to these, Tom does videos on current Christian events and sound theology.

You can find more information and other books Thomas has authored at www.ourwalkinchrist.com.

Reviews

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In looking for good bible studies, I have my favorites and receive some good recommendations from the few blogs I follow. However, I was surprised that I found one on my own thru a Goodreads giveaway. In this short study on Sanctification thru testing and temptations, you will discover the difference between the two and how your faith and love of God grows as you work out your salvation thru sanctification.

All thru 7 chapters you discover the differences between the temptations and testing.

Chapter 1 - Confusing the Tenses, you discover that testing is from God to strengthen your faith and temptation’s source is from Satan to cause the believer to stumble.

Chapter 2 - Your salvation is secure. A great insight that made me think deeper with this is that testing and temptation are for believers. Testing for the believers show faith and is not required for those who have not put their faith in Christ’s work. It is important to realize that our sanctification is a process that we are actively responding to the work of God to produce holiness in our life. (page 15)

Chapter 3 - Author of the Path- God’s sovereignty is evident in our testing of faith. As we prove ourselves to him in service and deed. It is important to have knowledge of who God is and the bible so in our testing we are clinging to the truth. And thru temptation, we are as Christ did, fighting temptation against the word of God.

Chapter 4 –Try or not to try…fighting the sin that entangles us. It first starts with recognizing what sin is and the danger of sin. Fighting sin with the renewing our minds with the word.

Chapter 5-Proximity to the light. –Our proximity to the Light of God decreases temptation while simultaneously increasing our holiness in our character (page 51) . Our drawing close to God in prayer and in the word, is a test itself. Is it one that we take seriously?

Chapter 6 – The Path to Where? Is about the choices we make in deed and thought. Do we see how God is working through our thoughts and choices?

Chapter 7-The Coin and the Helix-this chapter is based on God’s providence and sovereignity. What is meant for evil, God will make it good. The story of Joseph is meant for us even today. Joseph represents Christ, but during this read, I could see how Joseph represents the Christian. Joseph was chosen, same as Christians. Joseph was humbled and if you are truly in Christ, you will be humbled. So many insights as I was reading.

With clarity and each chapter building on the next, you will have a better understanding and appreciation of the work of sanctification.

Thank you Goodreads and Thomas Murosky for the opportunity to read and share an honest review.

[George Hunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Testing and Temptations: A Guide to Sanctification deals with just that - testing and temptations and how they affect our sanctification as Christians. It is a fairly short and easy read at only 104 pages and certainly worth a look for any new believer. I also think it would be a good book to use as a small group study.

When considering content, this book is very informational, but yet has many relevant and personal examples that most readers should be able to relate to. The author touches briefly on topics like salvation, sanctification, justification, preservation of the saints, and other potentially complicated theological concepts, while attempting to make them understandable to the Average Joe Christian. It is also filled with many good and practical examples of how to grow in sanctification.

Some quotes I liked were:

"Many professing Christians tend to make choices that improve their space in this little world. Which option gives us more pleasure? Which gives us better financial opportunity? Which choice is the most comfortable? When these are the questions we ask, we are sadly missing the goal of the Christian life." (p. 22)

and,

"Sin feels good, and so if we are not careful, we will find ourselves buried in it. Passing a test of either studying the Word or acting on what is written takes calculated work and perseverance. It pays off in the end." (p. 48)

I especially liked the author's focus on actively being involved in the process of sanctification and Bible reading, as well as his heart for actively serving others. I did, however, have some difficulty with (what appeared to be) a proclivity towards reformed theology, and would therefore suggest this book may be better suited for those who have similar doctrinal beliefs.

Unfortunately, due to a few grammatical errors, some sections with fragmented sentences, and a bit of redundancy regarding reformed theology (which I have difficulty relating to), I gave this book a 3-star rating. (Remember: A 3-star rating by Goodreads is described as "I liked it".) The book's dedication states that this is the author's first published Christian work. When considering this fact, I personally believe Mr. Murosky did a fantastic job and fully expect he will progress as an author if and when a future work is published.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Testing and Temptations: A Guide to Sanctification from Goodreads with encouragement to leave an unbiased review. All comments in this review are my own and were in no way influenced by Goodreads or the author of the book.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a bit of a hard time getting through this book, and it's hard to put my finger on why. But I give it an overall positive rating, simply because the author is clearly devoted to truth, and from what I can see, loves God and wants to please him. I may not be in agreement with every single detail of his theology, but there is a lot here that I feel is good and valuable, and may really help someone who needs it, and if so, that is important.

I really appreciated the author inserting his own story into this, even though it was at the end. I almost wish he had started off with it, because it is really the "heart" of the book, I think - "instructionals" will only take you so far. There are bits and pieces throughout, but reading about his changed heart was valuable.

Overall, I guess I would say that the author's writing style really didn't resonate with me. It was rather methodical, academic, and at times dry. It's not that I found it difficult to *read*, since I read a lot and enjoy academics... maybe just difficult to focus on. I guess part of it is that I found some of the grammar frustrating, and couldn't always get a sense for where he was "going" with particular themes. There are times when he expands upon topics in great detail when a succinct summary may have been more useful, and other times when he throws in a lot of Biblical references and makes statements that I think could probably use more explanation.

It didn't take me long to tell that this book had been self-published. As a proofreader, I saw a fair amount of grammar/word errors, tense issues, and inconsistencies. This may not be an issue to some people, but I found it a bit distracting, and I think it makes the book look unprofessional.

Personally, I didn't find a whole lot in the book that was "new" to me. I suppose I would be considered biblically literate, though I have a long way to go. But I worry that if someone is not at all biblically literate (which is probably this book's intended audience), they may have a harder time getting into it, due to the academic way it's written. I don't know.

Anyway, overall, it is a good explanation of testing and temptations. There are probably books on this topic that would be more accessible to a greater variety of people, and professional, but I haven't read them, so I do hope that this helps someone, and am glad the author is willing to let God use him in this way.

(In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received this book for free through GoodReads' First Reads. I was not required to write a positive review.)

[Rhoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, I must disclose that I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This has no bearing on how I've rated the book.

Testing and Temptations has some positive and negative points. The book is short in length, the chapters are in a specific layout - each one covering a specific topic, and the scriptures are listed for the reader to look up.

I noticed quite a few grammatical errors. I also noticed at least one scriptural reference that was incorrect (page 81, referencing Mark 15:36). I looked for what it said it referenced and could not find it, thus leading me to believe that another passage was likely meant. Unfortunately, I was being a little lazy and didn't look every scripture up. Along with this, I came across a misquoted verse on page 83, referencing Galatians 6:7 (should be reap what we sow).

And, lastly, I came across something that is not true on page 26, which says, "...we are not necessarily able to heal in the same manner that Jesus did..." For this, I point out John 14:12.

The one thing I especially liked was when the author included his own personal stories, because I enjoy hearing the testimonies of others. And a huge point in the book, having to do with the title, the major difference between testing and temptations and what these entail, is not something I've ever considered, and I came away with a better understanding of these two things by the time I reached the last page. The author places a lot of emphasis on immersing ones' self in the word of God, which is hugely important to any Christian. Other than coming away with a better understanding of the difference between testing and temptations, I don't think I got much out of this book.

[ღTierraღ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start by saying thank you to the author who gave me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

So many things to say about this wonderful book, but I'll keep it short and sweet.

This book is a wonderful tool for those seeking a better understanding of sanctification.

This book is for Christians and non Chistians alike, and it sheds light on the religious coma that has been in our nation today. I would recommend this book to my friends and I would certainly reread this!

One of the things that I really loved about this book was that the author shared some of his personal experiences which helped to better connect with what he was talking about, And at the beginning of his book he talks about how he didn't grow up in a Christian family so it makes this book relatable for a large number of people.
I encourage people to give this book a try, you won't be disappointed!

[Lance Lumley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be good for a small group Bible study, especially for younger or new Christians. There was not much that was new to me in this book, which is not a knock on the author (He's got books and a Ph.D and I do not). I received this book via goodreads first reads giveaway, which is great that the author is a part of this great site.
The book is an easy read, almost in a pamphlet style, with short chapters that would be great for the small group study, along with verse references that are not discussed in full, which would help the group to look more into the topic.

[Kelly Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I entered this giveaway looking for Biblical advice on how to get through tough times. This book references many verses as well as the authors interpretations as to how to get through these trials within the church and on a personal level. This will definitely be re-read many times in the future.