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Originally Posted by Deniz
As for God testing us with hurricanes etc there is no Biblical evidence to this.
This can be a debatable topic but I'd tend to agree with what MrRee said. Take a look at the book of Job where God allowed things to happen to Job. Yet throughout Job's turmoil he never sinned and cursed God. God did reward Job in the end so that Job had twice as much as he had before.
Sometimes the harsh circumstances of life can bring out the best and worst in human nature. It can be used to help us and strengthen us in many ways. It helps build character, perseverence and for Christians it helps us to depend upon God's strength and helps us to learn to trust on Him.
However, despite what I have said what did Jesus say?
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Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Regardless of natural disasters and calamities unless we repent we too will likewise perish. And when Jesus talks about perishing he's not talking about perishing through a natural disaster!
Repentence means to turn away from our sins and it is a very large part of our Christian walk.
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Colossians 2:11 "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,"
Romans 2:28-29 "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
True circumcision is one that occurs within our very hearts. It means to cleanse ourselves from our sinful behavior and our sinful ways. We need to cleanse our thoughts and our actions. This is the very nature of repentence.
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Genesis 17:11-14 "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
Repentence is the very evidence that we have become a born again believer in Jesus Christ. Whoever was not circumcised was cut off from Israel. Likewise whoever is not circumcised in their hearts will be cut off from the Israel of God, the body of Christ.
We need to turn away from our sins and put the deeds of our sinful nature to death.
