The Trials That Test Us – 2

The second passage we will look at is also found in 1 Peter: “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” (1 Peter 1:6 – 7 ESV). The slide for this passage is as follows:

Breaking the text down as I do helps me see what I want to present. “In this you rejoice” is reference to previous verses and is about:

The rejoice is to result from

• Being born again
• A living hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
• The promise of an imperishable and undefiled inheritance which waits us
  

Our text then points out two things: information about the various trials and the expected results of our trials.

Various trials

• Compared to eternity our trials on earth last only a short time
• These trials are painful, difficult and they cause grief for us
• They are used by God to test our faith to see if it is real and if it is growing

Expected results from the trials that test us 

• It is not listed but is implied that we are not to complain 
• We are to offer up praise and glory and honor, which does not come from our flesh, but from what God is creating within us
• In the midst of the fire that is testing out faith, God will reveal to us more about his Son  the Lord Jesus Christ

It seems that in the western culture we do all that is possible to remove the trial so as to become more comfortable. Maybe we need to slow down and grow through the experience. Life is not all about now, it is about eternity with God and his children.