1 Peter 1:6-9

1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you all rejoice –now being necessary for a little while after becoming sorrowful in various examinations – in order that your genuineness of faith, more valuable than gold that is tested and destroyed through fire, should be found into praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ: after not seeing you all love Him, while not seeing yet while believing into Him and while rejoicing by an inexpressible joy, having been glorified, while receiving a salvation of the soul at the end of your faithfulness.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Peter reminds his audience of a very important fact.  It is necessary to be made sorrowful in life for a little while.  Of course, when I say that it is necessary, I don’t mean that God forces it.  What I mean is that because the world and God have different natures, our testing is necessary.  When we, who are of the world, choose God, becoming of Him, then we will feel a difference.  We will be tested in the world to see if our faith is a passing fad or something that will persevere.  It is easy to have faith and believe when life is easy.  We only see if our faith is genuine when we undergo persecution or trial or hardship and still cling to our faith.  That’s when we know that our faith is truly genuine.

Do you cling to your faith?  When have you experienced trial or hardship and clung to your faith rather than taking the easier road of the world?

Second Thought:

In the middle of this section we get a very unusual analogy that is often lost in our modern understanding.  Peter tells us that our faith is more valuable than gold, which is destroyed in the fire.  I’ve heard many people try to bring this analogy in line with modern wisdom and translate in such a way as to talk about the purification of gold.  That is not what Peter is talking about at all!  Peter is reminding his audience that if you throw a piece of gold, which is very precious, into a fire it will melt and lose its shape.  We consider gold valuable, yet we can destroy its shape with some simple heat.  Faith is better than gold because the shape and structure of true faith cannot be lost under pressure and trial.  Peter isn’t speaking about the purification of gold – although it certainly can be purified through fire and trial.  Peter is talking about the strength of gold to endure and persevere!

Do you think of strength when you think of faith?  When has your faith been the strongest in your life?  Why is it important to understand the strength of faith?

Third Thought:

When it comes to faith, however, what is important is the time to come.  Faith is important now as we have already seen.  But faith is most important in the time to come.  At the revelation of Christ, faith will lead to praise and glory and honor.  This is why we love Him even though we cannot see Him.  This is why we rejoice even though we cannot see Him.  This is why we glorify Him.  As Peter says, we our faithfulness is done and this life is complete, we will receive the end of faithfulness: the salvation of our souls.  As great and as necessary as faith is to our life today, its true greatness is yet to come!

How much do you value your faith in your life today?  How does it feel to think that as much as you value your faith that there are greater things to come?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Peter 1:10-12