2. A Real Faith (Week 3)

III. Real Faith Promises Help

Real faith is practical, helpful faith. It is fixed on a God who helps us through life’s real challenges. As Peter speaks of the help promised through real faith, he says it provides great cause for rejoicing!

1 Peter 1:6–7 NKJV

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

A. Help in our heavy times

Who hasn’t known the burden of a heavy heart? Every one of us go through seasons of “manifold temptations” - many trails - situations that place heavy loads on our shoulders. Sometimes those around us don’t even know anything about weight that we are carrying.

Yet, the Lord is our help in heavy times and He reminds us that our burdens are only for a season.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 NKJV

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

When we are in the midst of a burden, it seems as if it will go on forever! But it won’t; it is only for a season. Even if our heavy burden last our entire lifetime, they cannot last forever. They are only temporary assignments. An in Heaven, we will be thankful for the blessings God brought to our lives through them.

Romans 8:18 NKJV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Not only are our trails for a season, they are also for a reason. 1 Peter 5:10, gives us a glimpse into some of God’s reasons for allowing trials in our lives.

1 Peter 5:10 NKJV

10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Many Christians learn more about the Lord and grow in their relationship with Him through six months of trial than they could in six straight years of preaching the Bible study. God has a way of doing a special work in our lives during a time of trial.

The trial that God allows are not meant to destroy us; they are meant to strengthen us. They are not meant to cause us to wash out; they are meant to establish and stabilize us.

B. Help in our trying times

These heavy times are trying to our souls, but real faith brings help that is soul-deep.

Peter compared the trying times in our lives to the purification of gold. And the Lord promises us that though we be tried with fire, we will later be found unto praise and honor and glory at His appearing.

Purifying of precious metal requires intense heat. Those responsible for this process will heat the precious metal unit it liquefies and the impurities separate from the valuable substance.

In the same way, Godallows trials to purify our faith and refine our motives for Him.

We can be assured that every fiery trial in our lives is father-filtered. Job knew this, and he clung in faith to the truth that God would bring good out of the furnace he was enduring.

Job 23:10 NKJV

10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

God gives us many specific promises for our heavy, trying times. He promises that nothing can separate us from His love.

Romans 8:35–39 NKJV

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is no fiery trial hot enough to dissolve the cords of God’s love for us. He promises that He is with us and will help us.

Hebrews 13:5–6 NKJV

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

And God promises that He will make all our burdens and trials work for our good and His Glory.

Romans 8:28–31 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

If you’re going through a heavy time, you can know that God is with you and that He will never forsake you.

Real faith promises real help during our real trials.

No wonder God calls our faith precious - more precious than gold.

Conclusion:

Millions of people have a church building in which they meet or a denomination with which they affiliate, but they do not have a real faith. Buildings don’t make a church.

Real church - the kind of church that Christ instructed us to be part of - is a group of people who are bound together around a common faith. It is a faith that promises real hope and a real home in Heaven and real help for today. This is the faith that we celebrate in a real church.

Do you have this faith?

If you have trusted Christ as your Saviour, 1 Peter 1:13, has a word of instruction for you to enjoy the faith you have.

1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV)

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Our faith flourishes when we purposefully reign in our minds and choose to focus our hope on the Lord Jesus Christ and His return!