Diamond-Encrusted Faith

Diamond formation

Karen and I have celebrated fourteen years of marriage. November marked fifteen years since I proposed to her. I used a family heirloom engagement stone set in a new ring for our engagement. Karen still has that ring, though she does not still have her wedding band. That was lost six years ago during our move to a new home. After “rescuing” both of these rings from a nightstand before moving it, I put the rings in my pocket. At the end of the day, only the engagement ring emerged. I still sometimes look for that ring. On quiet August nights, I swear I can faintly hear the tinkling of a lost diamond wedding band.

The formation of diamonds is fascinating. According to geology.com, virtually all the diamonds sold by jewelers were formed deep within the mantle of the earth ninety miles or more beneath the earth’s crust. This pressure, combined with temperatures in excess of two thousand degrees Fahrenheit, transforms carbon deposits into diamonds. Then, a volcanic eruption brings the diamond to the surface. Many people think coal is the source of diamonds, but apparently the only time coal was used in diamond forming was in the movie Superman 3, when Superman crushed a piece of coal in his bare hand to simulate the pressure and then cut the resulting diamond facets with his heat vision.

The hostile environment in which diamonds are formed reminds me of the hostile environment in which our faith is formed. Throughout the centuries Christians have experienced the intense pressure and heat of living out their faith in a world hostile to the things of God.

Today, religious persecution is experienced at higher levels than at any other time in history. When we look back at historic persecution of Christians, that’s saying something. Our experience of relative religious freedom is a small cocoon among many other nations where Christians and those of other faiths are persecuted. We are outliers. Even so, hostility is on the rise even in our culture. This should actually be expected.

The Apostle Peter wrote about this in 1 Peter 3:13-18 . Please turn their in your Bibles. Peter explained the hostility believers face and called them to stay faithful in the face of it. Why?

Because,

Hostility creates opportunity. It is how diamonds are formed. Our heavenly Father wants to use even hostility to accomplish His good purposes for our lives.

1 Peter 3:13–18 ESV

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Setting the stage a bit, Peter has just urged the believers to stay faithful and reminded them that God actively looks to bless the righteous while opposing those who do evil. Then in verse 13 he asks,

1 Peter 3:13 ESV

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?

Because we know these believers were facing hostility already, we realize Peter wasn’t saying that Christians living out their faith would be left alone. Instead, his message was like Paul’s in Romans 8:31.

Romans 8:31 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Hostility will come, but we serve a God who is greater than any adversary.

Stand out: Hostility brings contrast

So how does hostility create opportunity? It first happens when we Stand out. Hostility brings contrast from the world around us. Peter does not simply ask who will bring harm if we are good. He says if we “are zealous for what is good.” Any of us can look around and say that we do good. We are pretty good, right? But adding the word zealous means we are enthusiasts for what is good. These are people who find joy and energy in actively pursuing righteous living. Some, however, have a more lackadaisical approach to doing what is good.

Do Christians today blend in more than they stand out?

We have a tendency to reduce righteous living to good manners, politeness, and civility. This isn’t bad, but it can be bland. If my neighbor, who does not believe in Christ, can have virtually the same moral lifestyle as I do, then I’m not standing out. The enthusiast stands out. The enthusiast devotes time and more time and energy and more energy to the cause. The enthusiast takes risks and exudes passion and discusses righteous living. The enthusiast is not merely concerned with avoiding the bad but with embracing the good. The enthusiast is zealous to be a force for good.

How zealous are you for what is good?

You can find the zealous sports fans, the true fanatics. They’ll go to a subzero football game shirtless and with painted chests and faces. They’ll stay until the last second no matter what, and their voices will be hoarse. Then there are others in the stands who aren’t wearing team colors, who rarely cheer with more than a polite golf clap, and who leave you not quite sure what team they are cheering. That’s all well and good in the world of sports, but when it comes to our faith, people should not have to look hard to know which team we’re on. We’ve got to stand out.

Kenny Luck describes the value of standing out like this in his men’s ministry book, Sleeping Giant. He describes what kind of men are needed in the church and compares them to diamonds. Luck explains that when you go to a jeweler and are looking at a diamond, every jeweler places the diamond on black velvet cloth. Why? So the gem stands out. When it stands out, you notice its features, brilliance, and beauty. The backdrop is perfect for appreciating the quality of the diamond.

This is what Paul was getting at in Philippians 2:15, when he wrote,

Philippians 2:15 ESV

15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

God has called us to stand out, and Peter reminds us that the hostile backdrop brings blessing. He writes, “But even - or so even - if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed” (v 14). That blessing is the joy of reflecting the radiance of Christ in the midst of hostility, as we stand out from the world.

Stand up: Hostility enables your witness

Be are not only called to stand out. We are told to stand up. Hostility enables your witness. That may seem counterintuitive. Many of us prefer to avoid conflict and don’t enjoy that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of our stomach when we sense tension. But Peter reminds us not to shrink back in fear. In fact, he provides three keys to stand up, to allow our Christian witness to shine amid the conflict: Don’t fear, honor Christ, and share hope.

Peter provides three keys to stand up, to allow our Christian witness to shine amid the conflict: Don’t fear, honor Christ, and share hope.

Don’t fear

He tells us first to not fear those who would cause harm, to not even be troubled by the threat of suffering. The word suffer keeps popping up. The Greek term is pascho, which is where we get the term passion. It describes the passion of Christ - his crucifixion - in the Gospels. But in no New Testament book is pascho used more than in this letter from Peter. Twelve times he mentions it, referring to the suffering that Christians endure for their faith. So Peter is definitely not sugar-coating the situation, yet he tells us not to let it bother us.

Fear causes us to shrink back, to mask our faith, to be less enthusiastic in our pursuit of right living. Instead of letting our light shine, as Jesus commands, we are more likely to hide it under a bushel. Fear and worry keep us from standing up.

Instead of fearing, we are told to honor Christ. Verse 15 begins, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.” This involves setting Christ apart as the sole object of devotion in our hearts. A preoccupation with potential fallout for our faith limits our ability to revere Christ in this way.

What fears prevent your ability to honor Christ as holy in your heart?

Share hope

The third key to standing up amid hostility is to share hope. More specifically, we are told to always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (v 15). That defense, Peter describes, is akin to a witness stand defense. He uses the term that we call apologetics, or defending the faith. I think Peter would agree that speaking as a witness can happen outside of a defense trial, too. We can explain why we follow Christ when talking to a friend at the park, to a neighbor in our driveway, or to a co-worker during lunch. If we can stand up and share our faith when on trial, we can also share it over coffee.

Many of us, when challenged to share our faith, respond by saying we aren’t ready. Believers say things like, “I’m just not good a talking about my faith,” or, “I stumble over my words and don’t know what to say,” or, “Witnessing isn’t my gift.” If you’ve ever felt like this, you’re in the majority. So let me remind you that Peter is commanding us to do one thing: be prepared to explain or defend why our hope is in Christ. Be prepared. Yes, there are other passages in the Bible that give an even stronger command to share our faith, but here we see that sharing as a response when we are questioned. Be prepared. Peter would not say a thing like this lightly. This word for prepared is the same exact word he spoke to Jesus the night before the crucifixion. He told Jesus, “I’m ready - I’m prepared - to go to prison with you or die for you, Jesus” (Lk 22:33). But he wasn’t ready. Instead of standing up, Peter folded and denied Christ. Only later did Peter learn to stand and defend his faith well. The one who experienced some bitter failure on this front also received forgiveness and later defended the hope in Christ.

You are more prepared to explain your hope than you may realize.

Christian, if you have the hope of Christ in you - and you do; if you have the promise of the resurrection one day - and you do; if you have the guarantee of one day having full freedom from the trials of this world - and you do - then you are prepared to talk about it. Peter says to be prepared to defend the hope IN YOU. Your personal story is your starting point. The more you relate it, the easier it will be. But you can start there. The more you know God’s Word, the more you can bolster your story, but you can start with YOUR STORY.

Stand firm: Hostility builds faith

Our zeal for right living allows us to stand out. Our readiness to share about our hope in Christ without fear is how we stand up. Finally, we are to stand firm, because hostility builds faith. How does it? We find ourselves walking the path of Christ. 1 Peter 3:18 says,

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

We also can suffer as the righteous for the unrighteous, so that we might be used to bring some to God. The life-giving Spirit in Christ resides in us, too.

As we walk in Christ’s footsteps, we become willing to stand out as he did, suffer as he did, and point people toward forgiveness, as he did. We are even to consider ourselves to have already walked in Jesus’s footsteps of suffering. You can see where this thought is picked up again in 1 Peter 4:1-2.

1 Peter 4:1–2 ESV

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

“Arm yourselves,” he says. Fortify your mindset.

Just as Jesus suffered in the flesh unto death, so we must consider ourselves to have suffered unto death as well.

This is not, we shall see, simply a willingness to suffer in this way if we are faced with such a situation. It is rather a consideration that we have already suffered in this way. Paul, in Galatians 2:20, does not say, “I am willing to be crucified with Christ.” He says,

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here’s a reminder, though. You don’t do any of this in your own strength. Paul says Christ lives in us. Peter later explains that we serve with the strength God supplies. It is God working in us. We stand firm - we keep at it, being about God’s business, because God is at work in us. Expect supernatural strength! You don’t follow Christ in your own strength.

Following Christ in our own strength rather than God’s is like pushing a car rather than driving it.

Charles Swindoll writes about Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous pianist, who was scheduled to perform at a great concert hall in America. It was a high-society extravaganza. Present in the audience that evening was a mother and her fidgety nine-year old. She had brought him in the hopes that when he heard the great composer play, he would be encouraged to practice.

As the mother turned to talk with some friends, he slipped away and was strangely drawn to the grand Steinway piano on the platform. Staring wide-eyed at the keys the boy sat on the stool, placed his small fingers on the keys and began to play “Chopsticks.” The roar of the crowd came to a hush as frowning faces pointed in his direction. Someone began to shout, “Get that boy away from there!” “Where is his mother?” Somebody get that kid.”

Backstage the master composer overheard the sounds out front. He quickly realized what was happening and hurried toward the stage. Without one word of announcement, he stooped over behind the boy, reached around on both sides, and began to improvise a countermelody to harmonize with and enhance “Chopsticks.” As they played together, the composer kept whispering in the boy’s ear, “Keep going; don’t quit. Keep playing; don’t stop. Don’t quit….”

It is the same for us as we work for the Lord. Our playing of “Chopsticks” may not be impressing anyone. But about the time we’re ready to give up, we hear the Master say, “Keep going; don’t stop; don’t give up.”

This is God’s message to us. “Don’t give up. It doesn’t matter what others think about what you’re doing. Do it with all your heart unto Me and I’ll help you.”

That is the point of all of this. That we glorify God and in good conscience point others toward Him. Hostility builds faith by leading us through the same suffering and glory Christ endured.

Spiritual gifts entail spiritual enablement. Without God’s power, our service is in our own strength.

In our own strength, we are also less prone to take divinely inspired risks. We play it safe, because we forget God is the One working through us. J. Oswald Sanders states, “A great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution than of bold experimentation with ideas. The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.”

Diamonds, real or lab-grown

As we close, I’ll share that there is another way to get diamonds. It’s by creating them in a lab. Technology is getting better with these, so maybe lab-grown diamonds will one day be how we get them. In my opinion, diamonds from a lab just aren’t the same as diamonds forged beneath the earth. Historically, these lab diamonds have only been useful as coatings for things like saw blades, to make them more durable, while the gems in jewelry come from the depths of the earth.

In our Christian life, we can simulate a diamond experience. We can be sort of zealous for doing right when we find it convenient. We can stand up for our faith when we are around each other but not in those moments when it matters most. We can take a more casual approach that does not quite follow in the footsteps of Jesus’s suffering and so does not truly strengthen our faith. Many Christians settle for a poor substitution rather than the real thing. Which do you want to be, a simulation or the real thing?

Would you rather be a tool or a jewel?

As we pursue following Christ and expose ourselves to potential hostility and even suffering, we find ourselves being formed in his likeness and able to reflect the incredible facets of his glory. It is the promise of our hope, and there are no shortcuts. Hostility creates spiritual opportunity.

If you have a decision you would like to make in response to this message, I would love to hear about it. Perhaps you have been challenged to be more enthusiastic in your pursuit of right living, or to be more bold about your witness. Maybe today is the day that you begin the process by calling out to God to save you from your sins, based on the completed work of Jesus for you. Consider what decision God is leading you to make in response.

[i] https://didyouknowfacts.com/14-comparisons-mess-perception-history-time/

[ii] https://www.rd.com/list/facts-warp-perception-time/