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1 Peter 1:6–7
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 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.”
As Christians, we have an indestructible and eternal inheritance that will be our full possession at Christ’s return (1 Peter 1:3–5). This inheritance is the new heaven and earth where righteousness dwells, where pain and sorrow will be no more (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1–22:5). All who have trusted in Christ will surely receive this inheritance. As Peter notes, we are guarded by God’s power through faith until the day when we take hold of it. Ultimately, our omnipotent Creator preserves us in our faith. We must continue to believe, but we do so because of His work in us (Phil. 2:12–13).
The Apostle in today’s passage states that we rejoice “in this”—that is, our inheritance (1 Peter 1:6). Peter’s words could also be translated “in whom,” and it is likely that Peter states that we rejoice both in Christ and in the inheritance that He has purchased for us. Indeed, what makes our inheritance so wonderful is that it is in and through Christ, and our eternal joy will be found in our being with Christ and seeing Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
What makes Christian joy so remarkable is that our rejoicing occurs in the midst of various trials (1 Peter 1:6). The Christian life is blessed, but it is not easy, for suffering characterizes the life of faith from conversion until we enter glory (Acts 14:22). This does not mean that the Christian life is only trials and tribulations; rather, in following Jesus, we inevitably open ourselves up to attacks from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Moreover, because we know that the world is fallen from its original goodness, we are more grieved by the evils that we see than are those who do not know Jesus.
Verse 7 of today’s passage says that we rejoice in our trials because we know that the pain has a purpose—the testing and refinement of genuine faith. Gold is precious and refined by fire, but one day it will perish. Faith, however, is more precious. It can be tested but not destroyed by the fires of our trials, for God is sovereign over our trials and active in them for our good and His glory. Dr. R.C. Sproul comments: “God uses the iniquitous afflictions wrought by human hostility for the ultimate well-being of His children. . . . [His] hand is in earthly trials that are unjustly foisted upon us by wicked people. The hand of God trumps the evil intent of those who wound us, and He uses, in His gracious providence, those various experiences of affliction and pain for His glory and for our ultimate edification.”
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The Venerable Bede writes that “once we have entered our eternal reward, the years we spent suffering here below will seem like no time at all.” Our faith, in fact, will receive praise, glory, and honor from God Himself, as Peter says (1 Peter 1:6–7). We must therefore labor for God’s kingdom, for that which is eternal, and not merely for the things of this world that perish.
For further study
- Genesis 50:15–21
- Romans 5:1–5
The bible in a year
- Judges 13–14
- Luke 10:1–24
- Judges 15–19
- Luke 10:25–11:36