Titus II Lesson -- February 22nd

First Peter

How Shall We Then Live in a Post-Christian Culture

“A Faith that Saves”

1 Peter 1:8-9

Review

First Peter can easily be divided into four sections: (1) the Salvation of Believers (1:1-12), (2) the Sanctification of Believers (1:13-2:12), (3) the Submission of Believers (2:13-3:12), and the Suffering of Believers (3:13-5:14). In 1 Peter 1:1-12, Peter establishes theological truths about the salvation of believers. He wants us to clearly understand what salvation means to believers. We have learned that we were chosen by God (1-2), that we have the promise of a great future (3-5), and that there is a design for our distresses (6-7). This week we will consider a faith that saves (8-9).

I. The Salvation of Believers (1:1-12)

A. Chosen by God (1:1-2)

B. The Promise of a Great Future (1:3-5)

C. A Design for our Distresses (1:6-7)

D. A Faith that Saves (1:8-9)

E. A Much Admired Salvation (1:10-12)

Text

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Transition

If proven, genuine faith brings glory to God. What does that saving faith look like? To assist us in seeing what that saving faith looks like, let us consider:

· The nature of faith

· The object of faith

· The outcome of faith

The Nature of Faith

First, let us consider the nature of faith. It is easy to see why suffering righteously requires faith on the part of the saint. Our hope is to be completely fixed on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). Yet, our present experience (i.e., our suffering)is often an apparent contradiction to our future hope. Faith is required because our hope must be based upon Scripture and not upon sight. It (faith) must be based upon the promises of God and not upon the painful reality of suffering.[1]

We hear much about faith – faith in God, faith in the Church, faith in the Fathers, faith in the unseen, blind faith, faith in man, etc. But what is the nature of the faith that saves? What is the nature of the faith that Peter is talking about in this epistle? While a detailed theological treatise could be written, let us consider a very simple definition of saving faith.[2]

1. It is a Gift From God

First, saving faith is a gift from God. We read in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…” I won’t get into the Greek textual debate whether the “that” refers to faith or the whole act of salvation.[3] Either way, faith is included as being a gift. This explains how you reconcile John 6:44-47. John 6:44 reads: "No one can come to Me," implying in faith, "unless the Father who sent Me draws him." Verse 47 says: "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes has eternal life." These verses come together to say that the Father draws you by eliciting the faith given to you. Faith is a gift from God.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon did not always believe that faith is a gift from God. Spurgeon recounts his discovery of this truth at the age of 16: “When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me...I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul — the thought struck me, ‘How did you come to be a Christian?’ I sought the Lord. ‘But how did you come to seek the Lord?’ The truth flashed across my mind in a moment — I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, ‘I ascribe my change wholly to God’”[4]

2. It is to be Received as a Gift

So it's a gift. Another element of saving faith is that it is to be received as a gift. Luke uses the pericope of Jesus calling the children “to Himself” (Luke 18:15-17) as an object lesson to teach us that:[5]

· Membership in the kingdom of God is a gift (the right to membership)

Luke writes: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such as these belongs the kingdom of God.” The kingdom of God does not belong to “these” (toutwn) little ones whom He held, but to “such as these” (toioutwn).[6] Jesus is not stating that “these” infants/little children are members of the kingdom of God. Rather, the infants/little children are being used as an object lesson. What is that lesson? It is that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are utterly helpless. An infant, a little child (one who must be carried or escorted by their parents) is powerless. They are dependent, not upon themselves, but upon others. The right of membership in the kingdom of God belongs to those who are incapable of saving themselves. The right of membership is a gift given by a gracious God. The kingdom of God belongs to “such as these.”

This periscope is also used as an object lesson to teach us that:

· Membership in the kingdom of God is to be received as a child receives a gift (the manner in which membership is to be received)

The second part of the object lesson found in this passage relates to the manner in which membership in the kingdom of God is to be received. Jesus stated: “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child shall never enter it.” What is the manner in which membership is to be received? It is to be received as a gift. It is not something that is earned, merited, or warranted. Membership is not obtained by completing works that must be performed to earn membership. It is to be received as a gift. The infants/little children are used as an object lesson to demonstrate to the disciples the manner in which membership in the kingdom of God is to be received – it is to be received as a child receives a gift.

3. It is Obedient

Thirdly, saving faith is obedient. The faith that God gives begets obedience. You see, the faith that God gives includes both the will and the ability to conform to His Word. That's right. "For it is God," Philippians 2:13, "who works in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." W. E. Vine says when a man obeys God, he gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes God. Did you get that? When a man obeys God, he gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes God. I mean, what good is it for you to stand there and say, "I believe God but I just don't care what He says?"

But Mark, what about the struggle with the flesh? Saving faith longs to obey but it doesn't perfectly obey, does it? In Romans 7, Paul says I don't do what I want to do and I do what I don't want to do. The believer must still battle with the flesh. But the difference between true, saving faith and false faith is that the wishing to obey is present with saving faith. It wants to obey, it longs to obey, it hungers to obey, even if it struggles to obey. Simply put, saving faith obeys.

4. So it’s a gift. It’s to be received as a gift. It’s obedient. And finally it is permanent. As a divine gift it is neither transient or impotent. It is not something God gives and takes away. It is not something man conjures up and then loses. True faith cannot die. Do you remember Philippians 1:6? "I am confident of this very thing that He who began a good work in you will...what?...perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." Saving faith is permanent.

Let’s pause for a couple of minutes and use this simple definition of saving faith to evaluate a couple of common life situations.

· My brother made a profession of faith at the age of 18 at a youth revival but has not walked in the faith for the past 20 years. Is this an example of true, saving faith? Not likely. True, saving faith is permanent (see Mark 4:3-20).

· My co-worker believes in God. She even reads the Bible occasionally and sends out Christmas cards with Scriptural references. Yet, she lives with a man who is not her husband, cheats on her taxes, and spread false rumors about the boss behind his back. Is this an example of true, saving faith? Not likely. True, saving faith is obedient (see 1 John 2:3-6; 5:3).

· My neighbor regularly attends church. Yet, he is convinced that the basis of membership in the kingdom of God is “good works.” Is this an example of true, saving faith? Not likely. True, saving faith receives faith as a gift. It is not earned.

The Object of Faith

We have considered the nature of faith. Now let us consider the object of faith. Is the object of our faith God? Is the object of our faith what the Church teaches? Is the object of our faith the unseen? In verse 8, Peter does not attempt to minimize dealing with the unseen. But his emphasis is on who is unseen and how our faith enables us to relate to Him. That is, the object of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the preeminent One in this verse.[7] Notice how Peter gives us in verse 8 three specific ways that true, saving faith focuses itself on the object of our faith -- Jesus:[8]

· In our love for Christ (“Though you[9] have not seen Him, you love Him”)

That is, loving Christ means experiencing Christ as precious for all His character and virtue.[10]

· In our trust in Him (“Though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him”)

That is, trusting Christ means experiencing Christ as reliable in all His promises and all His counsel. In other words, love is attracted to the Beloved for who He is. Faith is confident in the Trusted for what He will do.[11]

· In our rejoicing, because of Him (“You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”)

That is enjoying Christ is the deep good feeling of being attracted to Him for who He is and the deep good feeling of being confident in Him for what He will do. So joy is part of love and part of faith. Because it would be a contradiction (wouldn't it?) to say, "I am attracted to the preciousness of what Christ is, but I have no good feelings in this attraction." What is attraction without good feelings for something? It is the same with faith: it would be a contradiction to say, "I am confidently trusting in what Christ will do for me, but I have no good feelings in this confidence." What is confidence without good feelings of hope and assurance in the one you trust? Attraction to the ultimate preciousness of Christ (which we call love), and confidence in the ultimate reliability of Christ (which we call faith) are not less than a deep good feeling, called joy.[12]

The Outcome of Faith

We have considered the nature of faith and its object. Now let us consider the outcome of faith – the salvation of our souls. Peter writes: “…the outcome of your faith (is) the salvation of your souls.” Interestingly, what is conspicuously missing in this passage? There is no conditional language. There is no mention that our salvation is dependant upon our faith. There is no requirement for us to hang on in order to be saved. Why? It is because true, saving faith is permanent. And because it is permanent, it will obtain as the outcome, the salvation of our souls.

Harry Ironside stated that salvation was like Noah inviting a pagan in his day to place his trust in God's Word and come in to the ark. Some view salvation like Noah offering to put a peg on the outside of the ark. "If you just hang on through the storm, you'll be saved." Salvation is not dependent on our holding on to God, but on our being securely held by and in Christ. And that is why the outcome of true, saving faith is the salvation of our souls.

Practical Application[13]

In closing, I want to try and explain what this concept of “inexpressible joy that is full of glory” means. What gives joy its quality? I don't mean merely its intensity, but its moral character? What makes joy ugly or beautiful? depraved or noble? Dirty or clean? The answer is that the thing enjoyed gives joy its character. If you enjoy dirty jokes and bathroom language and lewd pictures, then your heart is dirty and your joy is dirty. If you enjoy cruelty and arrogance and revenge then your heart and your joy have that character. Or the more you get your joy simply from material things the more your heart and your joy shrivel up like a mere material thing. You become like what you crave. Peter says (in v.8) that Christian joy is inexpressible and glorified. So how does it become that like that? It becomes like that because Christian joy is the joy of craving the preciousness of Jesus and the reliability of Jesus. You become like what you crave. True Christians crave Christ. Therefore they become like Christ. Christ's preciousness and reliability are inexpressibly great, and so our joy is "inexpressible and glorified" because it is joy in loving Christ and trusting Christ who is inexpressibly glorious.

---

[1] Robert Deffinbaugh, “The Glory of Suffering: A Study of 1 Peter”.

[2] Three of the four points have been borrowed from John MacArthur, “The Nature of Saving Faith”: www.gracetoyou.org

[3] “We recognize that some feel that you can't assume that the gift is faith in the Greek because what you have here is a neuter and a feminine. For example, "For by grace you have been saved through faith," faith is feminine in gender, "and that" is neuter. And so some would feel more comfortable with saying "that" must embrace the whole act of salvation. That is fine. If you want to take it to be all encompassing, the grace, the faith, the salvation, the whole thing is a gift from God, I am comfortable with that view. Either way faith is included as being a gift.” – John MacArthur, “The Nature of Saving Faith”

[4] Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Autobiography”, pp. 164-5.

[5] Mark Stone, “Membership in the Kingdom of Heaven: An Exegetical Study of Luke 18:15-17”

[6] Joseph Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke (X-XXIV). (Doubleday: New York, NY, 1985), Page 1195.

[7] The pronoun “he” has Jesus Christ as its antecedent in the last words of verse 7.

[8] Robert Deffinbaugh, “The Glory of Suffering: A Study of 1 Peter”.

[9] Peter says “you” here, rather than “we” because he has seen Him, both before and after His resurrection.

[10] John Piper, “True Christianity: Inexpressible Joy in the Invisible Christ”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

[11] John Piper, “True Christianity: Inexpressible Joy in the Invisible Christ”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

[12] John Piper, “True Christianity: Inexpressible Joy in the Invisible Christ”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

[13] John Piper, “True Christianity: Inexpressible Joy in the Invisible Christ”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

Letter to Zale IT

For the past fourteen years, I have had the privilege of working at Zale Corporation. During those years, I have worked alongside an incredibly talented group of professionals. My departure is bittersweet. My recommendation to eliminate my job (it was in the best interest of the Company) meant that I had to leave innumerable co-workers, mentors, and friends. Yet, my departure allows me to begin a new journey that enables me to take on new challenges and explore new horizons.

As I begin this new journey, know that I will embrace uncertainty. Most would choose to eliminate uncertainty. But what would happen if you could eliminate uncertainty? Surprisingly, very little would change. Your five senses would still work the same way. You would still have successes and failures. You would still have good days and bad days. Just no surprises. No unknowns. No guesswork. Yet, the elimination of uncertainty would also change everything. Profoundly. You would suffer an unbearable feeling of loss. The sparkle of anticipation would vanish, the delight in things unexpected would disappear. Hope, all of a sudden, would become a meaningless concept. Life would become bleak. Life would become desolate. Thus, I will choose to embrace uncertainty as a catalyst for shaping my new journey.

Second, know that I will let go of what’s going away. Life doesn’t force upon us any particular reaction to a situation. We each decide how we’ll handle the arrows and bullet that we’re unable to dodge. Some will indulge in suffering, opting for the role of victim and seeking pity for themselves or guilt on the part of others. Some will invest themselves in anger and blame (another victim approach) which more or less presumes that the solution to their predicament resides with those who “caused” the situation to happen. Both of these strategies represent a failure to “let go.” Both are prisons, making us captives of pain and unhappiness, withholding from us the promise of our best possible future. My journey lies ahead – not with things that are going away, but that are yet to come – and this is where I will invest myself.

Finally, know that I will reserve judgment on the present until it becomes the past. Maybe the situation we are experiencing now feels undesirable and difficult. And maybe we expect it to damage our future. But one of these days we are likely to see all this in a very different light. Why? Human beings actually aren’t very good at forecasting how they’ll feel about things later on. It’s because our predictions about how we’ll feel in the future are heavily influenced by our current emotions and state of mind. It’s just our nature to try to do things or create conditions that we’re convinced can make us happy. Likewise, we try hard to avoid situations which we believe would be painful or difficult to endure. Yet, experience proves over and over that people miss-predict how they’ll eventually feel. Good things commonly fail to gratify as we expected and misfortune often ends up being deemed a blessing in disguise. Thus, I will reserve judgment on the present until it becomes the past.

I want to recognize a group of special individuals. First, I want to thank the members of the Senior Leadership Team at Zale for working with IT and considering us a partner in the business. Second, I want to thank, you, the IT Department. For nearly three years, I have had the privilege of working side-by-side with you. And I may say – no SVP or CIO in Zale history has had a staff as proficient, as talented, or as loyal as the Department I leave. I want to thank you for being business-minded. I want to thank you for being creative and maintaining a culture of “cost-saving.” I want to thank you for your commitment to excellence in the chaotic world that we call Zale. I want to thank you for showing me the respect and honor that I never deserved. Third, I want to thank my direct reports, Rick Hill, John Craven, and Mike Meyer. These leaders required only that I set forth a vision, provide them with the necessary resources (empowerment), and then get out of the way. Their knowledge of the business, their deep relationships with the user community, and their commitment to excellence make invaluable to the Company. Fourth, I want to thank my assistant Laurie Womble. Her penchant for detail enables her to stay on top of even the most mundane of tasks. She extended my reach as CIO throughout the Department and Corporation by making sure my schedule allowed for productive work time and informal consultation time. She is an extremely talented assistant that I will sorely miss. Finally, I want to thank my wife. Her love, encouragement, and wisdom have made it possible for me to serve you as CIO at Zale.

To those not specifically named, thank you for the support and the opportunities that you have provided me during the past three years. I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as CIO. If I can be of any assistance during this transition or in the weeks and months to come, please let me know. I would be glad to help.

My time and experience at Zale has been very rewarding. I look forward to continuing relationships with many of you as the years progress. Please look for an invitation to an “open house” that I will be hosting for members of the IT Department as a means of saying “thanks” for all that you have done for me these past three years.

“Those who have the right kind of character don’t tremble at the first sign of adversity.”

Contact Information:
Email: markastonetx@gmail.com
Blog Site: http://markastonetx.blogspot.com/

[1] Some embedded material has been borrowed from Price Pritchett’s, “The Unfolding”

Titus II Lesson -- February 15th

How Shall We Then Live in a Post-Christian Culture
“A Design for Our Distresses”
1 Peter 1:6-7

Review
First Peter can easily be divided into four sections: (1) the Salvation of Believers (1:1-12), (2) the Sanctification of Believers (1:13-2:12), (3) the Submission of Believers (2:13-3:12), and the Suffering of Believers (3:13-5:14). In 1 Peter 1:1-12, Peter establishes theological truths about the salvation of believers. He wants us to clearly understand what salvation means to believers. We have learned that we were chosen by God (1-2) and that we have the promise of a great future (3-5). This week we will learn that there is a design for our distresses (6-7).

I. The Salvation of Believers (1:1-12)
A. Chosen by God (1:1-2)
B. The Promise of a Great Future (1:3-5)
C. A Design for our Distresses (1:6-7)
D. A Faith that Saves (1:8-9)
E. A Much Admired Salvation (1:10-12)

Text

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”

Transition
In verse six, Peter shows us two great reasons for joy. When he writes: “…in this you greatly rejoice…”, the word “this” refers to the first reason for great joy. It refers back to what we saw last week in verses 3-5. In other words, the first reason for our joy is God’s promise of a great future. While verses 3-5 point out that…

· the inheritance out there waiting for us is imperishable and unfading,
· we are being kept for it, and
· no matter what distresses we face we can look beyond them to the sure future that is coming and take heart

…verses 6-7 teach us that the distresses themselves have a part in getting us ready to enjoy the inheritance to the fullest possible measure. Thus, the second reason for our joy is that God has a design for our distresses in this life. We don't just look beyond the distresses to the sure hope. Rather, we should look at God's design in the distresses and see how God is working the distresses together for our good. [1]

To help you understand this design, let us consider what this passage teaches us about:

• The Necessity of Suffering
• The Nature of Suffering
• The Net Result of Suffering
  

The Necessity of Suffering
First, the necessity of suffering. Suppose, while driving to your Community Group, you are involved in a very serious accident which leaves you permanently injured. While in the hospital, you learn that you had not gotten word that the Community Group had been canceled. How easy would it be to immediately respond: “My suffering was completely unnecessary! It could have been avoided.” Peter says more in this text than suffering is to be expected.[2] Peter says that suffering is also necessary. It is essential that we grasp that our distresses are designed by and are necessary for our good.[3]

Where do I get this idea that our distresses are designed by and are necessary for our good? I get it from the phrase "if necessary" in verse 6 and the word "that" or "so that" at the beginning of verse 7. Verse 6 says: "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials." Who or what is making the distress of these trials "necessary"? The answer is God. Peter makes it plain that Christian distress only happens if God wills it. Peter is teaching that the sovereign will of God governs all the distresses that happen to us and, therefore the design in them is not ultimately the design of evil men or the design of Satan, but is a design of God. So when Peter says in verse 6: "…if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials," he means, "If God deems it necessary."[4]

But why would God do that? This leads us to the word "that" or "so that" at the beginning of verse 7. This gives the reason why God would deem it necessary that we be distressed by various trials: "that (or so that) the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." What this verse does is spell out the design of our distresses. The design is that our distresses would refine the genuineness of our faith the way fire refines gold so that when Christ comes back the quality of our faith would win praise and glory and honor.[5]

Now I know that this raises a painful and troubling question. We are talking about your and my real life this very day. Does God really will the break-up of your marriage, your cancer, your homosexual orientation, the rebellion of your child, the loss of your job, the difficult boss, etc.? I will give you my answer, which I believe to be the Biblical one, based on texts like 1 Peter 3:17 and 4:19. The answer is no and yes. No, in the sense that He does not delight in pain for its own sake. He does not command sin or approve of sinning. But yes, He does will that these things be, in the sense that He could prevent any of those things but sometimes does not. He does not endorse or approve sinning, but He can and does will that sinful acts come about for His own holy designs. When Christ was murdered on the cross, it was sin, but God willed that it happen: "It was the will of the Lord to bruise him" (Isaiah 53:10). And by that will we are saved (see also Acts 2:23).[6]

The Nature of Suffering
The first thing that we can say about God’s design for our distress from this text is that it is necessary. The second thing we can say about God’s design for our distress from this text is that it is diverse, grievous, yet brief.

1. Diverse
In God's design, our distresses are made up of various trials. Verse 6b: "if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials." J. Hampton Keathley III writes: “It may be cancer or a sore throat. It may be the illness or loss of someone close to you. It may be a personal failure or disappointment in your job or school work. It may be a rumor that is circulating in your office or your church, damaging your reputation, bringing you grief and anxiety.”40 It can be anything that ranges from something as small and irritating as the bite of a mosquito or the nagging of a gnat to the charge of an elephant or having to face a lion in the lions’ den as with Daniel” (Dan. 6).[7]

The point is that the variety of ways that we experience distress is great. God's design is to use a wide range of trials. There is not just one kind of trial in view here. God paints with many colors. God uses many tools in His toolbox. God uses many types of trials. In the design of God, it is something to make us think. It is a method God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives in a way that would never occur without the trial or irritation.

2. Grievous
In God’s design, our distresses are also grievous. The word in verse 6: "you have been distressed by various trials," means grieved or sorrowed. Mark this well. When Peter says -- "In this you are rejoicing, though now for a little while in this life you are grieved" -- we know this is not a mistake. In God's design for our trials there is a place for real, authentic grieving and distress.

3. Yet Brief
In God’s design, our distresses are diverse, grievous, yet brief. Verse 6 again: "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials." Brief is very relative, isn't it? If you say, "He can hold his breath a long time," you mean two or three minutes. That's long for breath-holding. But if you say, "He's been a pastor of the church for a long time, you mean perhaps 15 or 20 years." So it is with the phrase "a little while" in this verse. Compared to others and compared to a lifetime on earth, your distresses may last a long time not a little. But compared to eternity -- compared to the inheritance imperishable, undefiled, unfading kept in heaven for you -- they are only for a little time. Peter shares James' perspective on this life: "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Compared to the length and greatness of the future God has planned for you, all the distresses of this life are very little in deed (cf. 5:10).[8]

The Net Result of Suffering
The first thing that we can say about God’s design for our distress from this text is that it is necessary. The second thing we can say about God’s design for our distress from this text is that they are diverse, grievous, yet brief. The final thing that we can say about God’s design for suffering from this text is that it exposes false faith and reveals genuine faith.

How does suffering expose false faith? Suffering exposes false faith by testing it through affliction or persecution. Our Lord spoke of this in the parable of the soils:

“And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil … And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away” (Mark 4:5, 16-17).

The seed or the gospel that is sown in the “impulsive” heart (i.e., rocky soil) produces a “fruitless” faith. That is, when the afflictions and persecutions of life arise, the faith of these so-called believers is found to be false. They fall away from the faith – not because they lack faith – but because it was a false faith.

We should not be surprised. Peter has already stated in this very epistle that those who:

• God caused to be born again (the “elect”)
• Have an inheritance reserved in heaven because
• Their faith (true faith) is protected by the power of God

Those protected by this power, will never fall away. Thus:

• Those whose faith is not protected by this power
• Will not have an inheritance reserved in heaven because
• They were not caused by God to be born again

That is, they were never given the “salvific” faith referred to in Ephesians 2:8-10. And the afflictions and persecutions of life exposed this “false” faith.

If suffering exposes false faith, how does it reveal genuine faith? The key word is proof (see also James 1:2-4). “Proof” is the word dokimion which looks at both the concept of testing which purifies, and the results, the proof that is left after the test. In other words, the Lord uses trials to test our faith in the sense of purifying it, to bring it to the surface, so we are forced to put our faith to work.[9]

The trials and tribulations of life prove not only the genuineness of our faith, but they strengthen and purify our faith as well (see also James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:1-13). God wants our faith to grow, and suffering is one of the best stimulants to that growth. Peter likens the purification process by which God purifies and strengthens our faith to the process by which gold is purified and made precious.[10]

This concept puzzled some women in a Bible Study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining gold and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week the woman called a goldsmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining gold. As she watched the goldsmith, he held a piece of gold over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining gold, one needed to hold the gold in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding US in such a hot spot. She asked the goldsmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the gold was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the gold, but to keep his eyes on the gold the entire time it was on fire. If the gold was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was left silent for a moment. Then she asked the goldsmith, "How do you know when the gold is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh that's easy - - when I see my image on it."

Gold is purified by fire. The hotter the fire, the more impurities are burned off, and the more precious the gold becomes. So it is with our faith. The “fiery trials” (see 1 Peter 4:12) through which God puts His saints purifies our faith, so that when we stand in His presence in His kingdom, our faith will be found to be genuine and precious, resulting in praise, glory, and honor to Him.[11]

Practical Application
In closing, I want to make three additional quick points. First, Peter wants us to think of suffering in a completely different way than before we trusted in Christ. Now we should view suffering as a cause for rejoicing. To begrudgingly concede that suffering is inevitable and unavoidable for the Christian is not enough. Nor is a stoic acceptance enough when suffering comes our way. We are to rejoice in suffering, knowing it is a normal part of the Christian’s experience which God uses in our lives to bring us to faith, to prove the genuineness of our faith, and to purify our faith so that it becomes precious to the glory of God.[12]

Second, suffering itself is not the thing that produces faith or maturity. It is only a tool that God uses to bring us to Himself so we will respond to Him and His Word. It forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources. Ultimately, it is the Word and the Spirit of God that produces faith and mature Christ-like character (Psalm 119:67, 71).[13]

Finally, all suffering is ultimately for the glory of God, but in the context of 1 Peter we must say that the innocent suffering of the saints is to the glory of God. It is also a truth many Christians find hard to accept. It is a truth Satan and unbelievers are unable to believe or accept at all. In the early chapters of the Book of Job, we learn that Satan could not imagine a man like Job could continue to trust in God if God caused him to suffer rather than to prosper. Satan found it easy to believe Job would worship God for blessing him. But he found it impossible to believe that Job could bless God if he suffered (Job 1:9-11; 2:5). We need to learn from Scripture that God is glorified by faith, by the faith of those who trust in Him because of who He is, not because of His blessings. That is the message of verse 7: the faith of the saints will “result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”[14]

[1] John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[2] “No one seriously debates that suffering is a normal part of the Christian life. Jesus clearly indicated suffering would come our way (John 15:20-21), as did Paul (Acts 14:21022; 2 Tim. 3:10-12), and other New Testament writers (Heb. 10:32-35; James 1:2-4). Like other New Testament writers, Peter wants us to understand that suffering is a normal part of the Christian life. He tells us not to be surprised “at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Since we live in a fallen world (Romans 8:18-25) among men who hate the Son of God in whom we have put our trust (John 15:20-21), we should expect suffering.” Robert Deffinbaugh, “The Glory of Suffering: A Study of 1 Peter”.
[3] Robert Deffinbaugh, “The Glory of Suffering: A Study of 1 Peter”.
[4] Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[5] Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[6] Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[7] J. Hampton Keathley III, “The Doctrine of Suffering”
[8] Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[9] J. Hampton Keathley III, “The Doctrine of Suffering”
[10] Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[11] Some of the results of our testing may not be evident until glory. Note the “may be found” in verse 7. The preciousness of our faith which is demonstrated through suffering and trials, is referred to as being found at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This suggests that the immediate proof may not be evident. Is this not parallel with the teaching of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 and 5:10; see also 1 Corinthians 4:1-5? Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
[12] Robert Deffinbaugh, “The Glory of Suffering: A Study of 1 Peter”.
[13] J. Hampton Keathley III, “The Doctrine of Suffering”

[14] Adapted from material by John Piper, “Joy Through the Fiery Test of Genuine Faith”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.