1 Peter 1.6-9
The Purpose of Trials
1 Peter 1:6-9
(September 6, 1998 Sun. p.m.)
Introduction:
They say that when we die we can’t take anything with us.
There is no possession that can go beyond the grave.
Tonight we are going to see that in a sense, there is one possession that does go beyond the grave.
And that is the possession of faith.
Main thought: Trials make genuine faith shine
1 Peter 1:6-9
I. The Testing of Faith
II. The Characteristics of Faith
But before we examine these, let’s recap where we were this morning
1. We have a living hope- an inheritance in heaven that knows no death, sin or fading away. (vs. 4)
2. We have present protection- We are safe within the garrison of God for all eternity (vs. 5)
Peter then goes on in verse 6 to establish the fact that trials will come.
1. Heaviness- The stress that a trial brings.
2. Manifold- various. Different kinds of trials
3. If need be- we don’t purposely go out of our way to suffer, but when it needs to happen, we don’t shrink from it.
I. The Testing of Faith (vs. 6,7)
A. Trials bring out the reality of our faith (vs. 6)
“That the trial of your faith”- dokimion
1. proof, or genuiness. It refers to something which has been tested and proven to be genuine.
2. In this case it refers to genuine faith
3. “the genuiness of your faith is much more precious than gold”
a. gold will not count for eternity, it will one day be gone. But faith reaches into eternity.
b. your faith in the risen Lord Jesus is the costliest item you have. It’s precious, it’s expensive.
4. The analogy of refining gold (vs. 6)
a. Peter here is mixing his words. He is ultimately speaking of the genuine faith that is proven by trials. But he begins to use a living example of gold. Gold goes through a refining process.
b. The facts- A refiner would heat up the gold in a furnace of some sort. The heat from the fire would melt the gold. The impurities would then float to the top. The refiner would then take off the floating layer of impurities. The end product was pure gold. It had been run through the fire, and it was now pure.
c. The point of comparison-
a). Trials are to faith what the fire is to gold.
b). The trials are what test our faith.
c). When you come through the trials, the persecution, the stress of it all, what you end up with is genuine undiluted faith. Times of crisis have a way of doing that, don’t they?
d). Have you ever had a situation that did that? You were faced with some difficulty, and it soon became obvious that the only way to get through was to entrust yourself entirely to the Lord. What you ended up with was genuine faith.
What are you facing today that the Lord wants to use to purify your faith? Oh, it may not be as serious as persecution, or a major crisis. It may be as simple as a nagging problem that faces you every day. It may just be as simple a set of circumstances with which you have difficulty.
Be thankful for that fire. It’s heat, it’s stress draws out the rock bottom, solidness of your faith.
Most of us would like to have a genuine, untainted, strong faith.
But there’s a price. It’s through the heat of trials that genuine faith shines.
I challenge you tonight, thank the Lord for your trials. Thank the Lord for those flames that are licking up around you!
Illustration: When I think of the heat of a crisis, I think of a man who lived long ago by the name of Polycarp (if you are familiar with church history, his name will ring a bell)
Lived from 70-155 a.d.
Studied under the apostle John
Became the leader in the church in Smyrna
It’s possible he was there at the time of the writing of Revelation 3 (where John addresses the church in Smyrna)
Persecution was coming to some of the Christians and
Around the year 155, search was made for Polycarp to kill him. He had lived many years and appears to have been well respected for his service to Christ.
His own desire was not to hide, but after being encouraged to stay out of sight he fled to a home in the country not far from the city.
It was in this house that he was able to be at peace for a time. He spent his time in prayer for the various different churches that had sprung up.
But there came a time that he was forced to move on because his pursuers were getting closer.
Apparently after moving on a boy in the house in which Polycarp was staying was seized and tortured until he confessed to the hiding spot of Polycarp.
It was evening when Polycarp was finally captured. He was lying down in a room from which he could escape if need be. But when he heard that his captors had come, instead of escaping, he went down and talked with them.
As the men talked with Polycarp, they were amazed that so much effort had been put out to catch such a gentleman. He even ordered that they be fed before they all left.
While they were being fed, Polycarp requested that he be given time to spend in prayer.
When the time came Polycarp was conducted to the stadium. Even on the way to the stadium he was encouraged to deny his faith and save his life.
He was brought into the stadium, before a large crowd and when enticed to deny Christ, his response was
“eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
The proconsul threatened, “I have wild beasts at hand.”
Polycarp: “Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil. . .”
The proconsul then threatened Polycarp with fire, to which Polycarp responded in like fashion.
The proconsul then sent his herald to proclaim throughout the stadium “Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian.”
The crowd went crazy. They cried out for a lion to be loosed on Polycarp.
Instead of being given t a lion, he was tied to a stake to be burned. He was stabbed, and then his remains were burned.
Polycarp, before dying prayed to God.
Point: That day, in that stadium, that crowd saw the effects of genuine faith. It shown forth for all to see. The product of a lifetime in the refiner’s fire stood before their very eyes.
Application: Friend, maybe you don’t realize it, but that difficult situation which you face? No matter how great or how small the difficulty, it was placed in your life for a purpose.
The fire tends to hurt sometimes doesn’t? It singes, it burns.
But your responsibility in the fire is to submit to the hands of the refiner. The product of His hand is worth far more than any gold you could find on this earth.
Are you submitting your life to the fire. Make no mistake, you will go through the fire regardless of what you want. You will face trials. But whether you submit to the design of the fire and its working is a choice entirely up to you!
B. The result of genuine faith.
1. That it may bring praise glory and honor
2. The timing- at the appearing of Jesus. Most likely in reference to the judgment seat of Christ.
3. Our faith will bring great honor and glory. Whether it is directed to God Himself or us, is difficult to say. Peter does not say.
II. The Characteristics of Genuine Faith
A. Genuine Faith loves an unseen Savior
1. This is something with which Peter could not identify. Peter had seen Christ. It was no difficulty for Peter to think back upon the very face of Jesus. His readers had no image of Christ in their minds.
2. Present tense- ongoing basis. Didn’t just love him at salvation. It was a continual thing.
3. So it is with those who have genuine faith in Jesus. They love Him for all of their lives.
B. Genuine Faith Believes in an Unseen Savior
1. It has confidence in Someone it hasn’t seen
a. confidence that He will deliver the heavenly inheritance vs. 4
b. confidence that He protects us vs.5
c. Ultimately it is confidence that He can give eternal life
Application: Do you have this kind of faith. The kind of genuine faith that results in eternal life.
It involves
1. Recognizing that we are sinners
2. Recognizing that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again
3. Accepting Him as your Savior from sin.
C. Will One Day Enjoy Eternal Salvation in Heaven
1. It’s the end or “outcome” of genuine faith
2. It is salvation of the soul.
Conclusion:
So tonight we’ve seen that
Main thought: Trials make genuine faith shine
I. The Testing of Faith
II. The Characteristics of Faith
So is your faith being tested this evening? Your faith is the most precious thing you have. Do not take it lightly. Submit yourself to the trials and the One who brings the trials. You will come forth with pure, undiluted faith.
Maybe this evening you would have to say, you know, when I go through a trial, I have to honestly say that genuine faith is not the final product.
The truth is, you have to have raw faith going into the trial to have refined faith coming out of the trial.
Maybe your first step needs to be to confidently receive Jesus at this time. Then you can begin to have your faith refined.