1 Peter 1:6-9 - Rejoicing in Trials
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from 1 Peter 1:6-9:
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Summation and Diagnosis
Summation and Diagnosis
Last week we looked at how the Lord causes us to be born again and gives us two blessings as a result of this new birth: 1) A living hope & 2) An inheritance that is eternal. We must remember that Peter’s words would have been encouraging to these exiles. They were living as pilgrims in a world that was not their home. The same is true of us this morning. We live in a world, nation, state, county, and city that is not our true home, and we await Christ’s return from our true home. The babe has come to Bethlehem and now we await His return. As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:20-21:
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Today, just like the recipients of this epistle, we experience trials in lives. In some moments, the trials seem so overwhelming that we cannot imagine making it through them. The burden is too heavy and the weight is too much to bear. Maybe for some of us that moment is right now. A trial that appears to be too much to handle. You attempt to sleep, but no rest can be found. Our passage today will give us insight into why we suffer trials and also provide us hope as we suffer in our trials. We will answer two questions as we look at these verses: 1) Is there a purpose to my trials and sufferings? and 2) What is the outcome of the trials I endure? Again, the two questions we will answer are: 1) Is there a purpose to my trials and sufferings? and 2) What is the outcome of the trials I endure?
1 Peter 1:6-7 - Is there a Purpose to My Trials and Sufferings?
1 Peter 1:6-7 - Is there a Purpose to My Trials and Sufferings?
As we look at 1 Peter 1:6-7, we will be answering our first question, is there a purpose to my trials and sufferings? How often do we ask the Lord, why am I going through this trial? And in the midst of trial we often wish for the trial to be over as quickly as possible. For us, we tend to avoid trials and sufferings at all costs. So, I believe we actually need a new framework for trials and sufferings. The Puritan Henry Wilkinson said it best, “Suffering is the way to prevent sufferings; suffering loss of goods, liberty, life for Christ’s sake is the way to prevent eternal sufferings.” Wilkinson understood that our present day sufferings, for the sake of Christ Jesus, prevents us from the fires of hell.
We need a theology or worldview of suffering like Wilkinson. As I mentioned, our instance response to suffering is, how do I get out of this! Yet, sitting in the trials and sufferings that grieve us is actually what the Lord desires from us until His purpose is fulfilled. We will see why this is the case as we look at 1 Peter 1:6-7.
Peter writes “in this you rejoice”. When we read this our question should be, “what is Paul referring to when he writes ‘in this’?” This refers to all the wonderful truths in 1 Peter 1:3-5. God the Father has caused you to be born again to a living hope and an eternal inheritance. Since this is your’s dear Church, Peter says the response is you rejoice! The word for rejoice used here is future looking by nature. Rejoicing happens now because we know there is a day coming when Christ will return.
This worldview, which is given to us only in Christ Jesus, is radically different than probably how we are living right now. The truth that is revealed in the world “rejoice” causes us to live differently than the world. At this very moment, as we sit together as the church/called out ones of God, we sit on the edge of glory. God has called us out of the world to dwell with Him as the local body of Christ. So, we gather together to worship Him in Word and song. Furthermore, the same is true of you each and every single day. You live as a new creation on earth. Simultaneously, your flesh is pulling you towards the world while the Spirit of God pulls you towards heaven. We live in the “in-between”. The Kingdom of God has been inaugurated, but has yet to be consummated. So, this word rejoice causes us to look forward to the heavenly realities that await us, and in the present, forces us to live as holy pilgrims here on this rock called earth. So, church - REJOICE IN THE GREAT GOD OF MERCY WHO HAS CAUSED YOU TO BE BORN AGAIN!
Notice that Peter writes to rejoice even though what? You will have trials that grieve you. You will experience hardship - emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Yet our trials and sufferings pale in comparison of the trials and sufferings of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. The greatest suffering and trial you could have ever faced in this world was done by Christ on your behalf. He experienced the trials of the High Priest, Pilate, and Herod. He experienced being rejected by His own people. He experienced the suffering of the 39 lashes that would have left His back raw. He experienced utter exhaustion to the point where He could not carry the cross up Golgotha. He experienced the wrath of God for your sin. His trials and sufferings far outweigh what we will ever experience. So how can we know to trust the Lord in our trials that grieve us? Because He experienced something far greater for you. As Samuel Rutherford once said:
“Think not much of a storm upon the sea when Christ is in the ship.”
In all your trials and sufferings, Christ is in the ship. No matter how high the waves get, Christ is there with you. Yet, Christ is not the captain of the ship who does not understand your sufferings. Recall Hebrews 2:17-18:
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Not only is He there with you, but He understands the trials you experience.
So, here in our text, Peter knows these Christians rejoice in their sufferings, but what is the purpose for the trials? 1 Peter 1:7 gives us the answer - so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So, is there a purpose for your trials and sufferings? Scripture screams YES! It is so that your faith, which is more precious than gold, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Christ comes again.
Here is the great encouragement Peter gives to these believers who are pilgrims in an alien world, and to us - the trials and sufferings we face have an eternal purpose. James 1:2-4 also speaks to this wonderful reality:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
How does Scripture say we should respond to trials? With JOY! In this world, we face immense difficulties. Some difficulties are harder than others. Some hardships leave us in the darkness night of the soul. There appears to be no way out. The hardship is suffocating. These moments for us force us to wrestle with the faith we claim. Does He really care for me? If He did really care, He wouldn’t make me go through this difficulty! For me, this moment came when our three children died over the course of four years. God, are you actually sovereign over everything? Are you really in control of the lives of ever single person because if you are then these deaths are in your hands! And if that is true, then are you actually a good God who cares for your children?
It was in those moments, that I met the providence of God in Scripture through deep hardship. Psalm 139:13-16 states:
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
God was in control of all three of those lives. He saw Ezra’s, Selah’s, and Brielle’s unformed substances. And in His book, the days in the womb were written. He knew their lives would start in the womb and end in the womb. And He is still a good, majestic God. I firmly believe they are with God in heaven, not because they never committed actual sin here on earth, for as Psalm 51:5 says that all are conceived in sin, but because Christ the Mediator applied His salvific work to their souls. That season was the most difficult trial, yet the Lord sustained faith. And what does James command us to do in times of trials - count it all joy. This means that every situation we face, regardless of how difficult it may be for us, should be met with INTENSE JOY! So, was there a purpose in the losses? A resounding and eternal YES! Why, because the testing of faith produces steadfastness ultimately culminating in our faith becoming perfect and complete which refers to the day when we are with Christ. There our faith will lack nothing.
This is the same truth that we find in 1 Peter 1:7. The tested genuineness of our faith results in praise, glory, and honor when Christ comes again. However, before we get to that truth, do you notice what true faith is more previous than in this verse? Your true faith is more precious that gold that perishes when it is refined by fire. Counterfeit gold is separated from true gold when intense heat is applied. The counterfeit gold melts away and is burned, while true gold remains. The same is true of faith. When intense trials come, which themselves come by the hand of God, counterfeit faith will fade away. However, true faith, which is given by God, will then be refined by God through one’s life through trials.
This is the purpose to our trials and sufferings. We, through trials brought into our lives by God, know that our faith is genuine and more valuable than gold. Furthermore, one day in the future our salvation will be made complete, lacking in nothing and we will receive praise, honor, and glory when Christ is revealed on the last day. Is God there in your trials and sufferings? YES! In these moments, He is causing you to become more holy and here is where your true happiness lies - in being made more like Christ proving your faith is genuine.
A difficult reality for our lives is that even though we are God’s children, we face extreme trials and sufferings just like unbelievers. Sometimes we can even watch as evil neighbors live a seemingly great life, while we suffer through horrible diseases. Yet, when you think over the course of your life do you see the refining work of God in these trials? Furthermore, what are the trials you are experiencing in this very moment? Children and teenagers, maybe your trial is the strife you face with your parents as you seek greater independence from them. How is the Lord refining you as you wrestle through your maturation process? Adults, maybe your trial is your job, your marriage, your neighbor, your children, rising inflation rates causing financial stress, your retirement fund, or a body that is experiencing the realities of living in a fallen/sinful world. How is the Lord using these situations to prove to you that your faith is real and how are you responding to Him in the trial? By this I don’t mean how is your behavior, but how is your heart responding to Him in the midst a trial?
Do you see the hand of God making you more like Christ in your trial as He molds your heart? The proof that you are in Christ is the reality that you are being refined by these trials. Instead of desiring for the trial to be taken away, come under the loving arms of the Father knowing the genuineness of your faith is being tested and He is doing this because of His abundant and eternal love for you! In His love, He is causing sins to be burned off your heart so you can experience a fuller relationship with Him. He has given you the Holy Spirit who dwells within you. Let us not run from trials, but rejoice in them looking for the revealing of Christ because when He comes you will receive praise, honor, and glory! This is the purpose of our trials.
1 Peter 1:8-9 - What is the Outcome of the Trials I Endure?
1 Peter 1:8-9 - What is the Outcome of the Trials I Endure?
As we now come to 1 Peter 1:8-9, we will be answering our second question, what is the outcome of the trials I endure? There are three answers and then the reason for these three answers. So, here’s the question again with the answers. Question: what is the outcome of the trials I endure? Answers: 1) You love Jesus, 2) You believe in Jesus, and 3) You enjoy Jesus. Why? The future glory that awaits you has broken into your heart now and has changed you forever. Genuine Christianity that is God-glorifying, Christ-consumed, Spirit-driven, and Word-centered radically changes a person’s heart forever. This person has a burning passion to glorify God in all aspects of their lives. Does this mean that this happens all moments of the day? Of course not! We are both sinner and saint simultaneously and at times experience seasons of apathy. However, the scope of this person’s life would reveal an unwavering passion to live all their life as a living sacrifice to the glory of God because He’s changed them forever.
On the other hand, a person who claims to be a Christian, but has not been changed does not truly know the God of Scripture. They may know a “god” they’ve constructed in their own minds or one the enemy has falsely given to them, but they do not know the Creator of the heavens and the earth. They do not know the God who breathed life into Adam’s nostrils. They do not know the Son of God who hung a cross for the sins of the redeemed. They do not know Christ Jesus who is coming again.
This is where the parable of the sower, found in Matthew 13:3-15, Mark 4:2-12, and Luke 8:4-15, becomes a reality. The seed is the word of God, the precious Gospel of God. The first three soils are those who do not know Christ. The first soil rejects the Gospel immediately because the devil causes them not to hear it. The second soil appear to accept the Gospel at first, but this was not true salvation. This was merely an intellectual acceptance of the Gospel. The third soil seems to be genuine Christians as there is an appearance of growth. However, the cares of this world and it’s riches are the real desire of the person. Without a doubt, we saw this happen in real time over the last few years. Family and friends who may have had the appearance of being a Christian, but now hold no faith. These are the ones where they knew about the God of the Bible, but they did not know Him personally through repentance. The testing of fiery trials brought by God revealed a lack of genuine faith.
However, for those of us in Christ, we experience realities far, far greater as a result of our trials. As 1 Peter 1:8 states, though we have not seen Jesus, we love Him. What is one outcome of the trials we endure? We love Jesus even though we have never seen Him. However, this love that we have for Jesus does not come because of ourselves. 1 John 4:19 says:
19 We love because he first loved us.
Why do we love Jesus? Because He first loved us. Our loving affections towards Jesus come as a result of Him first loving us. As we travel through this Advent season, we put ourselves in the shoes of those in the Old Testament. Faithful men and women who longed to see the Messiah. Though they never saw the Messiah, they loved Him. They loved Him because He first loved them. Long before the days of creation, the Messiah loved them. They anticipated the coming of the Messiah who would save them from their sins. He would one day redeem them and they loved Him! Like them, we have never seen Jesus. He sits in heaven ruling in Session waiting to return. Though, we have never seen Him, we love Him. Does your heart burn with passion for the Messiah who died on the cross for you? Do you spend time with Him each day speaking to Him of your love for Him? We should wake up each morning with a burning love for Jesus. Our hearts should desire to have communion with Him through prayer and the Word. We will also seek to follow all His commandments. As John 14:15 states:
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
What was your desire this morning when you woke up? Was it the desire of your heart to be obedient to Jesus today? Do we do this perfectly? No. However, true followers of Jesus will submit their lives to what the Word teaches. We face these crossroads often as we read the Scriptures. Will we bow our hearts before the Lord seeking to be obedient to Him, or is disobedience our response? This response reveals our heart towards God. A heart that refuses to submit to God’s commandments found in the Word is one that does not love Christ. The trials we endure should not cause us to hide from Christ, but to run towards Him embracing His love and desiring to obey His commandments.
The second outcome of the trials we endure is that even though we do not currently see Jesus, we believe in Him. Hear what Jesus says in John 20:26-29 about those who believe, but have never seen:
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We’ve all heard the saying, “doubting Thomas”. I’d also venture a guess that most of us have heard of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20:
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Most of us have heard this, but how many know the verses preceding? Matthew 28:16-17:
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
Thomas wasn’t the only doubter in Jesus’ band. In these two verses that precede the Commission, you have both worship and doubt. You have glory given to Jesus and hesitancy. Doesn’t this moment perfectly describe our lives? I think we fully believe in Jesus’ ability to save us, but at times we can doubt that He will save us. We theologically believe He can deliver us, but we can doubt that He will experientially. We know the depths of our hearts and the sin that lies within. Will he really save someone like me? Someone whose sin is ever in front of my own eyes? Will He really save me? The good news is that answer is a resounding and reassuring yes. Though we do not see Him now, we know that we believe in Him. There is a future day we will see Him and then He will save us finishing our process of salvation because He is the author and perfect of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Believe in Him and His work in your life!
I believe the third outcome we experience as a result of our trials is perhaps the most astonishing - we enjoy Jesus as we rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory! Take a moment to think about that sentence. We rejoice with a joy that is inexpressible AND FILLED WITH GLORY! Our minds should be brought to the Old Testament when we read this. Think of all the times the glory of God came down. This is the bright, shining, radiant, majestic, brilliant, and weighty presence of God! As a result of being in Christ, you get to experience the glory of God now, and this is just a foretaste of the glory we will enjoy for all eternity!
Furthermore, this should be our desire as we gather together on Sunday mornings. We should as a congregation desire to come into the presence of the triune God and experience His glory. Coming together is not simply of fulfill a religious requirement. We gather because God Himself has commanded and called us to come and worship Him. I’m so thankful for Jeni, Jonathan and Stuart because they pray for our services every Sunday in a small group over there near the doors. Imagine what it would look like if all of us spent 9:40-9:55am in small groups desperately praying for the presence and the glory of God to be made manifest as we dwell with Him in worship. I cannot help but think that our worship would be much more rich, that our fellowship would be much sweeter, and we would corporately experience a foretaste of the glory that is to come.
In closing, we experience these three outcomes: 1) Loving Jesus, 2) Believing in Jesus, and 3) Enjoying Jesus because we are on our way to obtaining the salvation of our souls due to the wonderful work of Christ Jesus. Who is the one who holds us as we go through trials? God because He gives us the trials proving our faith is genuine resulting in our praise, honor, and glory when He returns. Are you wrestling through a trial right now? Run to the Lord! Are you dealing with suffering? Know that your true faith results in you loving Jesus, believing in Jesus, and enjoying Him as a foretaste of His glory here on earth. Dear pilgrims, don’t focus on the trials and sufferings, but to the One who gives them to you. Dear alien on this world, lean into the trials and sufferings with an eye to the glory that is to come. Dear brother and sister, you have a great God who loves us so much that He desires our true happiness by burning our sins off our hearts.