Monthly Archive for February, 1997

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1 Peter 1:8b

Published on February 18, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”

 

Whom having not seen you love
 
Remember that Jesus challenged Peter to love Him in John 21. Jesus interrogated Him three times about this love. Now Peter expresses his love for Him many years later.
 
The Bible promises reward for those who love him: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him,” (James 1:12).
We should love the Lord because He first loved us; “We love Him because He first loved us,” (I John 4:19). Once we come to grips with the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our personal sins (in our place), we cannot help but love Him. It melts our heart. No one ever loved us like the Lord Jesus.
Principle:
We love the Lord Jesus because he took the initiative to die for our sins.
Application:
If Jesus does not mean anything to you except a name in a history book, then you are not a Christian. You may be religious but you are not a true Christian. A true Christian loves the Lord.
You can always tell when a person loves the Lord Jesus by the way he or she talks about Him. People do not talk about Julius Caesar the same way they talk about the Lord Jesus. Everything we have is because of Him.
“If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” (I Corinthians 16:22). Do you love the Lord Jesus, yes or no? You reply, “Well, I am neutral. I don’t know. I’ve never heard it put quite like that.” But the truth is that if we do not love the Lord, then from God’s viewpoint we are “accursed.”
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1 Peter 1:8

Published on February 17, 1997 in 1 Peter. 2 Comments
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“Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”

 

Whom having not seen you love
 
The Greek says “toward whom you now do not see.” Our faith finds full expression in the direction of our faith – the Lord Jesus. We find joy in a person.
 
The emphasis in this phrase is upon the person of Christ – “whom.” The Greek implies the idea of “toward whom” placing emphasis upon the direction of our faith toward a person.
Joy resides in a person. He is the ground of our joy. God accomplished salvation through the work of His Son Jesus Christ. Joy stems from the possession of that salvation.
The word “seen” means to catch a glimpse. Asia Minor’s Christians had not even caught a glimpse of the Lord Jesus on earth yet they loved Him. They never had eye to eye personal contact with the Lord yet they loved him dearly.
We do not need a picture of Jesus to love Him. We do not rely on some artist conception of Him to appreciate what He has done for us. However, we cannot love someone unless we have a clear conception of who that person is. We must know a person before we can love him or her properly.
I John 4: 7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
To know Him is to love Him; to know Him better is to love Him better.
The Old Testament’s saints had not seen Him either yet they lived by faith (Hebrews 11). The Holy Spirit paints a vivid portrait of Him in the Word. Without the Holy Spirit’s revelation of Him in the Word, we cannot love him. Romans 5: 5 says, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” If you do not know the Lord Jesus you are missing out on life with a capital “L.”
Napoleon made a powerful point about the Lord Jesus when he said, “An extraordinary power of influencing and commanding men has been given to Alexander (the Great), Charlemagne and myself. But with us the presence was necessary, the eye, the voice, the hand. Whereas Jesus Christ has influenced and commanded His subjects without His visible bodily presence for eighteen hundred years.”
One day we will see Jesus: “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads,” (Revelation 22:4). Do you anticipate the day that you will see the Lord Jesus Christ? Unless we have the eye of faith in time, we will never see His face in eternity.
Principle:
The more we know the Lord Jesus the more we love Him.
Application:
We did not fall in love with our spouses before we saw them! A marvel is that multiplied millions have fallen in love with the Lord Jesus without ever seeing Him. Very few people saw Him during the brief 33 and a half years He spent on earth, yet thousands have given their lives for Him.
When we utilize God’s provision for us in time, the result is a wonderful love affair between us and God. The focus of a believer’s faith is not on abstract knowledge but on the person of Christ. Yet we cannot know the person of Christ without the Word of God.
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1 Peter 1:7g

Published on February 16, 1997 in 1 Peter. 1 Comment
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

at the revelation of Jesus Christ
 
The word “revelation” means unveiling. This refers to the return of the Lord Jesus.
1 Peter 5:4 says “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
1 John 2:28: “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Principle:
God will manifest the eternal value of the life of faith when Jesus returns
Application:
Do you anticipate His return? He may come today.
The three results of the glorification of the believer: praise, honor and glory will take place at the coming of Christ. God honors those who prove their faith.
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1 Peter 1:7f

Published on February 15, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

to praise, honor, and glory
“Praise” is the expression of honor. Jesus will express His approval at that day. The word “praise” is a compound of two words “upon” and “a tale.” It meant to tell a tale about someone. It came to mean “praise” with the idea of commendation or approbation. “Honor” is the esteem that someone has for someone else. God will honor our faith when we meet the Lord Jesus.
Proverbs 18: 12 says “But humility comes before honor.” We know little about humility. The station this side of honor is humility. We cannot get to the second station without stopping at the first station. If we receive honor without humility, it might go to our head. We would inflate with our own importance. One day we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We will get our grades then. Some of us will receive more honor than others. Some will have crowns. Some will have none.
“Glory” means to manifest the attributes of a person. This is the glory that results from a good opinion. Does God have a good opinion of us? The New Testament uses “glory” to refer to the blessed estate of the children of God when they are brought into the glorification of the likeness of Christ. God will make a big deal of the quality of our faith on Earth. In the marketplace of eternity, gold will be of little value. The quality of our faith will be of much greater worth.
Very few of us receive glory here on Earth. The reason faith is more valuable than gold is that when we meet God, He will find it to have honor, praise and glory.
Principle:
God has established a day when we will get our due.
Application:
We do not get much praise here on Earth. That’s life. If you are inclined to praise someone down here, don’t hesitate to do so. If you fear that they will think it is flattery, do it anyway.
One day we will receive praise from the most important person of the universe.
1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”
When the Lord comes back and we stand before Him, we will receive our due then.
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1 Peter 1:7e

Published on February 14, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ
God is the one who does the finding here, not us. God will find whether our faith glorifies Him or not. Long after gold is gone our faith will remain. If our faith meets the test, it will redound to the glory of God.
The word “found” means to find after a search. God puts our faith to the test to approve us for the glory of God. Trials put our faith to the test. If we trust Him to meet us in our need, it glorifies Him. It is not the testing of our faith that glorifies God. It is whether our faith meets the test.
The trial of our faith will produce three results: praise, honor and glory. These results are all in the future.
If we reduce 1 Peter 1:7 down to its least common denominator it would read like this, “That the genuineness of your faith…be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Our faith produces something for the future.
2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Trials will not last forever. And God furnishes the equipment to support us while we are in them.
Material wealth perishes; spiritual wealth is imperishable. The person who places spiritual values above temporal values operates on genuine, eternal priorities.
Principle:
The trial of faith is producing something for us in the future.
Application:
Jesus is coming again. When we meet Him, the character of our faith will be manifest. The greater the refining process, the brighter it will appear. Trials will disappear but the luster of the trial will proceed into eternity. This should reconcile us to our present afflictions.
Christians do not judge their life based solely on time but on eternity as well.
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1 Peter 1:7d

Published on February 13, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

though it is tested by fire
The word “tested” means–test to approve, to prove with a view to approving, test for approval. The trials test for proof that our faith is genuine. God wants to certify the worth of our faith. Our faith is the foundation of all other character qualities we possess. If our faith falters, everything falters.
We put metal into a crucible to determine whether it is genuine (Prov 8:10; 17:3). God tests, proves and scrutinizes us by fire to show that we are worthy for His service.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, the apostle and his fellow missionaries were “approved of God to be entrusted with the Gospel.” God gives approval for us to preach after He puts us to the test.
The Corinthians did not find in Paul the proof of the power that they sought (2 Corinthians 13:3). However, Paul reminds them that what ultimately counts is not what men think but what God thinks. God’s commendation at the end of the day is what matters. 2 Corinthians 10: 18 says, “For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”
God proves our attestation in affliction. The pressure put on us when we are under strain will either produce endurance or failure. Suffering produces endurance (Ro 5:3-4). The Macedonians remained both joyous and generous under duress (2 Co 8:2). Testing sifts out authentic believers (2 Co 9:13; 11:19). It attests to our love for God (2 Co 8:8).
God sets the believer under His searching eye. We learn the will of God by testing (Ro 12:2; Ep 5:9-10; Ph 1:10; 1 Th 5:21). Testing protects Christians from caprice and brings them into the sphere of God’s will.
When Jesus prayed for Peter, He asked God to strengthen his faith: “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren,” (Lu 22:31-32). Now in 1 Peter, Peter writes about the importance of faith holding up under fire. Our faith improves by trial.
The nature of our test is a fire-test. The trial of faith is more precious than the test for gold already refined.
Here is a double comparison of the trial of gold with the trial of faith. Gold at the time of writing of 1 Peter was the most valuable of all the metals. Faith is the greatest among Christian values. The trial of faith is of greater value than the trial for gold. Both trials purify. The purification of gold separates the dross from the precious metal. The purification of faith separates the garbage from the Christian life.
Principle:
God uses extreme adversity (”fire”) to force out the impurities and the things that are unimportant in our lives.
Application:
Peter compares our faith to gold that is precious from the human viewpoint. Suffering brings the impurities out of our lives and makes us useful to God. This kind of faith is more valuable than gold. God takes the slag out of our lives.
God does not test our faith in prosperity but in adversity. God kicks out the crutches from our lives. He skims off the slag of dependence on other people, upon our social life, upon health, beauty, sex or material possessions. Trouble will come that can wipe out these things. These things will not sustain us in times of duress. Good times do not sustain us; only God can sustain us by his promises.
How many times have we prayed, “Lord, take it away.” God put it there. He wants it there. He wants us to learn to trust Him in adversity. Some people quote 1 Corinthians 10:13, “but with the temptation will also make the way of escape” with the interpretation that they will “escape” from problems. They want to get out from under the trouble so that it does not hurt anymore. Escape does not prove a thing.
For some people, the only time they think seriously about God is when they are in a jam. If they were honest they would say, “Now God, I’m in this terrible jam. It hurts terribly. Make it stop hurting. Wave your divine wand to make it stop.” That is why they want a God. They want a divine pacifier. As soon as the trouble passes, they forget all about God again.
God’s way of escape is IN suffering. He allows suffering so that we can know joy while going through trouble. We will get out of the trial sooner or later. But that is not the answer. The answer is what we do while under pressure.
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1 Peter 1:7c

Published on February 12, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

being much more precious than gold that perishes
Gold is a precious metal, but the test of our faith is much more precious than the test for gold.
This phrase describes our faith, not the trial of our faith: “being much more precious.” Similar uses of the phrase “much more” also occur in:
Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Romans 5:10 “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Romans 5:15 “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”
Romans 5:20 “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”
Our faith is much more precious than anything else we possess. We have nothing more valuable than our faith. The closer we get to death, the more we realize how precious it is.
Peter uses the word “precious” seven times in 1 and 2 Peter. We use “precious” for just about anything. We say, “Isn’t that a precious necklace.” The Bible, however, uses this term for that which is of ultimate value.
Acts 20:24 says “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
The word “worth” is the same as the word “precious” in our passage. Paul’s testimony is the value here. Hebrews 13:4 says marriage is precious. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
The contrast between gold and our faith in 1 Peter 1:7 is between material and spiritual wealth. Material wealth perishes; spiritual wealth does not. (Psalm 119:127; Proverbs 8:11)
After gold liquifies in fire, the impurities rise to the surface, where they can be skimmed away. When the goldsmith sees his face in the gold, he knows he can turn down the heat. He knows that the gold is purified. God compares our faith with gold because He deems it a precious commodity. Yet gold is of only temporal value. The Christian’s faith is of eternal value.
Principle:
God deems a faith tested by fire as being of eternal value.
Application:
One day gold will perish. Our faith will never perish. This passage says if your faith is real, it cannot perish. If you lost your faith you never had a true faith in the beginning.
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1 Peter 1:7b

Published on February 11, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

That the genuineness of your faith
The New Testament uses the word “genuineness” in the context of purifying and strengthening metals by passing them through fire. The fire melts the ore and brings the dross to the surface, where it can be skimmed off. After the metal cools, it is much stronger.
If a gold mining company wishes to develop a new site, it sends someone to assay the metal to see whether the gold is genuine and of sufficient quantity to warrant investment in the mine. The assayer takes a sample of the gold to the laboratory and examines it. He then sends his report about the quality of the ore to the company. The report is more valuable than the gold sent with the report. On the basis of the report the company will make a decision as to whether it will proceed with the project. In the same way, God wants a faith that can take the test. God is looking for people He can trust. If God finds our faith one He can approve, then He knows that we stand the tests of life. He wants to know the quality of our faith.
Something is genuine if it is without alloy. An alloy is a mixture of more than one metal. Lesser metals mixed with stronger metals weaken the stronger metals. God does not want the metal (character) of our lives mixed with lesser things.
The fiery tests of our faith bring greater strength to our spiritual lives. They remove the impurities in our lives. We may say that we trust God but we often mix that trust with dependence upon self. Our faith then needs purifying. We need tests to cleanse these impurities.
Principle:
A purpose of trials is to test our faith.
Application:
Do you have a heavy heart? Every Christian faces disappointments and discouragement. Some people get the idea that a Christian should be immune from trouble. But trouble and trouble will come to all of us, in different shapes and sizes.
What does your faith prove? When God sends an ordeal into your life, how do you react? When God gives you a bitter pill, do you swallow it as God’s will? Many wounds make up our lives. It is not enough to simply endure them.
We increase our faith by the assimilation of God’s Word. (Romans 10:17) and by the application of what we know (Hebrews 4:1-3) The approval of our faith is more important than the approval of gold.
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1 Peter 1:7

Published on February 10, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

This verse informs us as to the purpose of trials. Once a person becomes a Christian, does that mean he/she is free from problems? No, the Christian is not exempt from pain and problems. We all experience trouble and setbacks in this life.
That the genuineness of your faith
The word “that” indicates purpose. God’s purpose in trial is our tryout, not our ruin. Two results come from “many colored trials:”
1) they refine our faith
2) they test for approval the reality of our faith.
The word “genuineness” means to test for approval. It means to test to find if something is genuine. This is the act of putting someone to the test to determine whether he/she is worthy of being approved or not. The test aims at approval if possible. Note these New Testament uses of the word “genuineness”:
“I bought five pairs of oxen and am on my way to test them out.” Luke 14:19
“Everyone should examine himself, and then eat the bread and drink from the cup.” 1 Corinthians 11:28
“Being tested severely by the troubles.” 2 Corinthians 8:2
“The testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:3
“When your fathers tested and tried (me).” Hebrews 3:9
Greek literature used the word “test” for examining candidates for a medical doctorate. Candidates for a medical doctorate must be tested. It is crucial to find out if they are the genuine thing. We do not want an incompetent surgeon operating on us. When doctors prove genuine by examining, they meet the attestation.
It is obvious that God wants to discover what constitutes our character. Character is best ascertained when we are placed under duress. God will detect our weakness and strength by giving us an exam. It will be a difficult exam. Get out your blue books. God is about to find out the genuineness of your faith!
Principle:
God refines our faith by trial.
Application:
When it comes to trials, everyone is in one of these three stages: They are experiencing a trial, coming out of a trial or about to go into a trial!
In the Detroit Michigan area there are proving grounds for automobiles. The purpose of these proving grounds is to test the mechanical soundness of cars before they are out on the market. Test drivers run these cars for days without turning off the motor. The cars are put through bumps, curves, water, hills and many more obstacles for long periods of time. The manufacturing companies want to know whether the shocks and brakes are going to hold up under punishment. In the same way, God wants to develop our faith so that we will stand up to the bumps of life.
Have you assayed your life? Have you found it genuine? Will you pass the exam?
Will God regard you as appropriate for His service? God makes His assessment after He puts us to the test. He will judge us to ensure we are real and genuine, and if we are He will approve us for service.
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1 Peter 1:6e

Published on February 9, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.”

 

grieved by various trials
 
“Grieved” means to cause pain, or grief, to distress. It is a state of sadness. Mentally, grief is the anguish of misfortune, death, annoyance, insult, or outrage. The main idea of “grief” is sorrow. (John 16:6; Romans 9:2; Philippians 2:27)
 
Grief leads to empathy. Jesus entered into grief in Gethsemane. We identify with the sufferings of Christ better when we suffer.
Grief is an integral part of the Christian life. It affords an opportunity to grow in the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. Acceptance of grief is acceptance of the cross. (Galatians 6:14; Philippians 3:10-11; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
Christ’s death on the cross plunged the disciples into grief. The very isolation from Jesus brought out the significance of fellowship with him. (John 16:33) The pain of unjust suffering carries a rich reward when accepted in commitment to God. (I Peter 4:21)
Trial means to try, to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting them to thorough and extensive testing — “to test, to examine, to put to the test, examination, testing.”
God permits or sends trials for character development:
I Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
Suffering always causes grief to our souls.
Principle:
God does not test our faith as much in prosperity as in adversity.
Application:
Though we live in hope we still grieve. Hope rises above grief but it does not eradicate it. Christians need the process of sorrow. We need to deal with it, not deny it. We need occasion to hurt and weep. We sorrow, but not as others who have no hope. Glib answers do not help the sorrowing process. We need to learn the value of grief. It will lead us to a fuller fellowship with God.
No one is free from trouble. These are the many colored trials of those who are in the family of God. Trouble comes in all forms: financial, marital, family. A great variety of trouble will come our way over a lifetime. Christians are not immune from trouble. God weaves a certain amount of hurt into our lives to develop our value of eternal things.
God does not enjoy putting us through pain. He does not glee in watching us flinch. Everything that comes into our life, including pain, comes by divine design. God has a reason for everything he does. We may understand it by and by.
Jesus faced trouble – “For if they do these things in the green wood (Jesus), what will be done in the dry (Christians)?” (Luke 23:31) Jesus was the green tree and the fire consumed him. What will happen to us who are dry twigs?
What kind of trouble do you presently face? The problems you face may not seem severe to someone else but they are intense to you.
Has trouble come to you in the large economy-size package? How are you handling your problems? Do you take God’s viewpoint on pain?
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