Title: Truth About Trials
Text: 1 Peter 1: 6-9
Date: January 20, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
When the faith of the saints is spoken of, it is most commonly in conjunction with trial. At your leisure take note of this in Hebrews 11.
· By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house;
· By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
· Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
· By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac:
· By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (Joh 16:33).
1 Peter 1: 6: Wherein ye greatly rejoice,…
Every believer is chosen unto salvation by God the Father, Born again by the God the Holy Spirit, Redeemed by God the Son, Christ Jesus. We have a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have an inheritance reserved in heaven for us. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed. Believers are happy though we are often in heaviness through various trials.
1 Peter 1: 6: Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:…
Temptations does not mean temptations to sin, but the trials which God decrees and permits to come upon us. Believers are happy though we are often in heaviness through various trials. Paul said, "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing." 2 Cor 6: 10.}
1 Peter 1: 7: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,…
Like pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure gold. Genuine faith put through the fiery trial comes out proven genuine faith.
1 Peter 1: 7: That…your faith…might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8: Whom having not seen, ye love
You have never seen Christ Jesus with physical eyes, but with the eye of faith. Whom having not seen, ye love Christ
1 Peter 1: 7:…in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Though you still do not see him, YET BELIEVING, in the midst of trials you continue believing, rejoicing in God with joy unspeakable and glorying in the Lord who keeps you. At the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. every believer shall…
1 Peter 1: 9: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Those who endure to the end shall be crowned by the Lord with eternal glory.
Proposition: Believers have many reasons to count it all joy when we fall into different, manifold trials (Jas 1:2)
Divisions: 1) Trials are only for a little season--v6--now for a season. 2) Trials are given as needed--v6--if need be. 3) Through trials we will be brought to our desired end--v9--even the salvation of your souls.
I. WE REJOICE BECAUSE OUR TRIALS ARE ONLY FOR A LITTLE SEASON--v6--now for a season.
Trials are for the present time--now. There are individual trials we face this week, next month, this year. Then there is this trial of life.
Acts 14: 22…we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
But they are only "now for a season"--for a short time--they may be heavy to us now, but we will find them to be little and light in comparison to the lasting good and in comparison to eternity.
2 Corinthians 4:17: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Illustration: Speaking of our earthly fathers, Paul said…"For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure" (Heb 12: 10). When you were a child--cared for by your earthly father--it seemed like those days would last forever. Now, looking back they seem but a few days. So it is with the trials in this life--now for a season.
We can be sure that the faithful Father who sent the trial has also set the exact time for the trial to end.
Lamentations 3: 31: For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
It may seem that the Lord has cast you off forever: hidden his face forever. that his help is far from us, but the reality is: the Lord never casts off those he has everlastingly loved.
Romans 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded,…{nothing}…shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The child of God has this sure consolation--the compassion of our heavenly Father is sure to follow the grief. Notice what great consolation this is:
Our heavenly Father's compassions are equal to the multitude of his mercies.
Lamentations 3: 32: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Peter calls his mercies--abundant mercy--so too, he has abundant compassion toward his children.
Psalm 103: 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust.
Question: Would you rather be a son of God in this world and suffer the faithful correction of the Father? Or would you rather be left to your self?
Luke 6: 21: Blessed [are ye] that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are ye] that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22: Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23: Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward [is] great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 24: But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25: Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26: Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
II. SECOND REASON TO REJOICE IN TRIALS IS THAT GOD ONLY GIVES THEM AS NEEDED--v6--if need be.
First, we may need to be weaned from depending on the things of this world.
We are prone to seek corruptible things--silver and gold here below. Prone to forget that all flesh is grass. Through trials he draws us to Christ reminds us:
When Christ returns it will not be your gold on display but the object of your faith Jesus Christ the Righteous! It is faith in Christ whereby we are given the victory!
Colossian 3: 2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4: When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Secondly, the trial may be to grow us in grace--especially in humility and patience--to wait on God's time. Peter said, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5: 6). Notice something in Romans 5.
Romans 5: 3: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
When did Christ come and deliver the children of God from our sin?
Romans 5: 6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
When? When we were without strength. When? In due time. Brethren, consider what you were then--ungodly.
Romans 5: 7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then…considering what Christ has done for you now!
Romans 5: 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
In these current trials, when we are brought to behold we have no strength in ourselves--without strength, in due time--God's time--the Lord will exalt you. So we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. This is what James is saying when he says, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James says 1: 4). It was Peter is declaring when he says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5: 6).
Thirdly, the trial may be sent to you that you might be able to comfort your brethren with the same consolation wherewith God comforts you--even Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1: 3: Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4: Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5: For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Example: The apostle Peter suffered a great trial and Christ came to him and so he comforts his brethren in this letter, saying--"cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you".
Application: How often we take our burden to the Lord in prayer. But then go right on carrying the load and worrying--"cast ALL your care upon him; for he careth for you".
Fourthly, the trial may be needful to teach us to redeem the time we have.
1 Peter 4:7: But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Question: Would we value the time we have to teach our children if we knew our life will end in 6 months? What if we knew the world was ending in 6 months? Would our earnestness for the salvation of sinners be greater? Would we value the time we have to teach our unbelieving sons and daughters more than we do now that we think we have much time?
1 Peter 4:7: But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Example: Garden of Gethsemane--watch and pray--spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
III. WE REJOICE IN THE TRIAL FOR THE CHIEF END TO WHICH GOD IS BRINGING HIS CHILD OF MERCY--1 Peter 1: 7: That…your faith…might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
What is the power of God's keeping grace causing you to do believer? It is causing you to endure--to persevere in faith. The peaceable fruit of righteousness which the Spirit yields in the heart through trials is this:
1 Peter 1: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Nobody but a child of God understands how that by suffering through much tribulation--faith and love and hope and rejoicing--can be grown within! But true faith springs up from the soil God has broken, creating a submissive heart and faith grows being watered by many tears. But this is the power of God by which we are kept through faith.
v5--kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation—the power of God gives persevering faith and persevering faith depends entirely upon the power of God to keep us unto salvation.
And being kept by the power of God through faith--here is the chief end for which we are kept and for which we endure.
1 Peter 1: 9: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
James 1:12: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
SO SHOULD WE VALUE THE TRIAL? SHOULD WE REALLY REJOICE EVEN IN TRIBULATION? REJOICE ALWAY!
1. Let us follow Christ!
Hebrews 12: 1:…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God….12: Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13: And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Lamentations 3: 40: Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. 41: Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
2. Let us be in subjection to our heavenly Father with this spirit.
Psalm 119:75: I know, O LORD, that thy judgments [are] right, and [that] thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
3. Let us rest in this assurance!
Psalm 34:19: Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
AMEN!