The Trial Of Our Faith

1 Peter 1:1-9

The apostle Peter is writing this letter to Christians in what we would know as modern day Turkey.

This is a letter to “strangers” that are “scattered” abroad in these places.

“Strangers” is probably the key word to our message today.......

The idea of “strangers” can be stated this way....... “spiritual pilgrims” and/or “aliens to the earth”

Aliens to the earth seems appropriate in its meaning.....because as believers in Christ we look for a city not made with hands.....Hebrews 11:10 “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”.........this speaking of Abraham and all of those who believed God!

What makes believers aliens to this earth, is who and what we believe about Christ and the results of our faith in Christ.........all of that is Heavenly and eternal......the “faith” is spiritual and eternal.......the earth is fleshly and temporary!

Peter, through the Holy Spirit, in verses 3-4 does an magnificent job of explaining, briefly, the point I just made.

Who Christ was on this earth, was not about this earth, it was about God, it is about our reconciliation with God and the inheritance that comes along with that!

When Peter refers to “lively hope”........that word lively is “zao” in the Greek in which after a going through all the different emphasis on this word.......it means “resurrection life”.

I read down through all the meanings that this word could be used for and when I got to the one that pointed to this passage it said “real life”

That might be the best definition that I could of read, because in Jesus Christ is “real life”!

I heard that woman on the movie talk about the world/worldly being a prison with the door open until one day that door will be shut!

This is what we hope in, this is what our lives are lived for, REAL LIFE/Resurrection Life!

This is our inheritance, this is what is promised to those that believe and endure till the end.

In all actuality, the hope of the life of incorruption, undefilement, eternality, is how our lives should be lived.

This is promise for those that believe......it is reserved in Heaven for the believers!

It is sealed and done.........for those of us who are aliens to this earth!

Peter is reminding these “aliens” of this very thing, because these guys were going through or about to go through some severe persecutions.......they were living out their pilgrimage of this world and they were being mocked and persecuted greatly! Peter is preparing them.......reminding them of what they believe and hope for......what their confident, earnest expectation is in......

As we move on to the next few verses, Peter is preparing them for their struggle, explaining the “trial of their faith”..................

Verse 4 refers to the “aliens of this earth”...... “who”........he is about to explain their strengths........I love this because it completely takes us out of the power business and puts in the believing business!

Believers are “kept”.........the literal meaning is “protected or guarded”.........by the power of God!

One of the spiritual gifts in 1 Cor. 12 is the gift of faith.......given to us by God, it is His trait not ours, hence the word gift.....

What really gets to me in our discussions/arguments about these gifts, nobody ever talks about this one rightly............This is a gift of endurance.......

Jesus said in Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Enduring faith..........this is a gift, given by God, it is the power of God in sincere believers, the “true worshippers”

My idea of faith I cannot trust in, but His power of faith I can.........It does not carry in it that we have any power at all, it is God’s power!

I must place my trust, my hope, my life in the power of God’s faithful hands.......

I believe at this point with us as little children trust their father and mother, we also trust our Heavenly Father and rely on His strength, His truth, to bring us to this salvation!

Salvation just simply means being delivered from this body of death and world of death!

Now, Peter tells us to rejoice in what we believe and in being “kept’ by the Power of God......even though you are going through many temptations!

We have conditioned ourselves to be dominated by the things of this world........Colossians 3:1–2 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

It seems that Peter and Paul are dismissive of troubles of this world........Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” .............2 Corinthians 4:17–18 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”