Lesson 3 – I Peter Chapter 1:7-11
So far in the first six verses of First Peter we’ve seen that God has chosen us to be adopted into His family, delivered us to His sanctification process, refined us into Christlikeness, and called us to obedience through the shed blood of Jesus. Because of God’s mercy we are re-born in our spirit, giving us a living hope that is beyond human comprehension, all because Jesus defeated sin, death, and satan.
As a result of Jesus’ victory, every believer becomes an heir of God, guaranteeing them an inheritance, which is being kept safe in heaven. Every Christian who places their faith in Christ, is being kept by the endless power of God, and this will all be revealed at the time of the Rapture.
As believers hold on to these holy truths in their heart, there is an undeniable sense of joy and peace that resides in their souls. It even exists in their hearts when the toughest of trials comes knocking at the door. Nobody escapes trials and tribulations, even the most mature Christian must deal with them. Peter makes a point of saying, “if need be,” which means God orchestrates the needed testing in each of our lives.
Let’s pick up with verse 7
I Peter 1:7
“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,”
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (NLT)
The New American Standard Bible uses the word “proof” instead of “genuineness.” The Greek word proof was used to describe the assaying of metal, which we will get to in a moment.
Now when we read this verse, we can see that this is part of the sanctification process in which our faith gets tested. When you think about it, what good is our faith if it’s never been tested. We can say we have strong faith, but until it is challenged in some way, it’s just words. What it really comes down to is, trials are not for God to see how strong your faith is… He already knows all things. Testing comes so we can experience our own faith and how strong it is, we need to see it.
Our faith is similar to courage. Take a soldier for instance, you can take him and train him with the very best equipment and resources, but until a soldier is tested on the battlefield, you don’t know if he’s a hero or a coward.
Peter compares the testing of the believer’s faith to the refining of gold. And “heat” is what it takes to get the job done. Heat = testing.
The assaying process discovers a metal’s purity, and determines its true content and worth. A common method of refining gold during ancient times was smelting. This involved heating the ore in a furnace until it melted and separating impurities from pure metal by draining them off. The impurities would rise to the top and would be skimmed off.
For each believer, it’s God who has His hand on the thermostat, determining how much heat His child needs to complete the test. God uses trials and testings for the molding, shaping, and the bettering of our Christian lives… hopefully resulting in changes for the better.
When some believers go through a hard time or difficult days, some say, “I don’t see anything good coming out of this trial.” Keep in mind the Bible doesn’t say, “We see all things work together for good to those who love God.” It says, “We know all things work together for good.” (Rom. 8:28) When it comes to our trials or testing, we might not see things working together for good this month, this year, or perhaps even in our lifetime. It’s important to understand the Bible doesn’t say “we see it,” but that “we know it.” Knowing that all things work together for good has to do with our faith as well, trusting that God is in control. Trials strengthen faith.
Rom. 5:3-5
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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.”
We can stand up to trials because of the greatness of God. God is at work, His mercy is at work, and as we go through a trial we must be sure to look for God.
When we finally come to understand trials and testing, we will be able to rejoice in our spirit instead of rebelling, because we’ll see it as a purifying process that will work great things in our life. This is why we study God’s Word as well… His Word purifies our soul.
Psalm 12:6
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”
When we’re going through a hard time, there’s not a lot we can do but pray and wait on God, the master goldsmith, to finish His work. This requires patience on our part, as we trust that God knows what He’s doing.
Isaiah 55:8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.”
Tribulation, trials, or testing… it doesn’t matter how we label it, when we go through it and come out on the other side, Peter continues in verse 7…
That we may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
When we see for ourselves that our faith has been proven and tested to be real, it not only ministers to our hearts, but it will also bring…
Praise, honor, and glory to us and to God… at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Bible commentary: “Incredibly, believers, who in this life are called to give honor to the Lord always, can by their faithfulness in trials elicit praise from the Lord in the life to come.”
II Tim. 4:8
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Peter uses the term glory, which like praise, refers to that which believers receive from God. When we first read praise, honor, and glory we immediately think this goes to God, but in this case, it goes to the believer.
Rom. 2:6-7
“He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.” (NLT)
The word honor likely refers to the rewards God will give to believers because of their service to Him. This is why everything we do on this side of eternity really matters, and we only get one shot at it, so make the most of your time on earth.
I Cor. 3:10-15
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
At the revelation of Jesus Christ; this is the moment every believer should place their hope on, the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Once the church is raptured into heaven with their glorified bodies, Jesus will reward His redeemed people. The verse I just quoted from First Corinthians spoke of this, it’s also known as the Bema Seat Judgment which we have talked about before.
Until then…
Luke 12:35-37
“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.” (NASB)
John MacArthur, “None of these passages, however, indicate that believers have to wait until Christ’s return before He finds their faith genuine. The reality of their faith is already validated by their faithful enduring of trials and testings. It is an amazing truth that when Jesus returns for His own, not only will they joyfully serve Him, but also He will graciously serve and honor them.”
I Peter 1:8
“And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,”
This is another verse that has to do with our faith in Jesus. Even though we’ve never seen or been with Jesus, we love Him and believe in Him.
John 20:29
“Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
It’s interesting to see this coming from Peter in verse 8. Out of the twelve apostles excluding Judas, Peter was the only disciple whose faith had failed him while Jesus was in the torment of imprisonment. Not long after Peter denied Jesus three separate times, Jesus, before He ascends into heaven, confronts Peter, and asks him if he really loves Him three times. After that Peter is restored by Jesus, Jesus said to him in John 21:17, “Tend My sheep,” Meaning all was forgiven.
In a humble way, Peter commends those to whom he is writing… the ones who never had the luxury of an up close and personal relationship with Jesus like Peter did.
Yet, Peter says that they love Jesus and believe in Him, even in the midst of their suffering and persecutions.
The Greek word love is in the present tense here, meaning they constantly love their Lord. This love that we see here is the true essence of being a Christian.
In a very direct and strong statement from Paul he says…
I Cor. 16:22
“If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.”
Eph. 6:24
“Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.”
An “incorruptible love” is what we should have for our Lord and Master, whom we cannot see. One pastor says, “The soul that loves Christ cannot help but believe in Him, and the soul that believes cannot help but love Him.”
Mark 12:30
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
We believe in Him… this really goes hand in hand with loving God. Belief in this context means placing your complete faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We trust in Jesus to save us. Love and trust are the two things that connect believers to a living fellowship with Jesus. As a result of this going on in the heart of the believer, it says…
You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…
Now, when we’re trying to express ourselves, we don’t usually go around saying, “I greatly rejoice,” at least I don’t. But the phrase Peter is using, You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, literally means “higher than any speech.” For those who enjoy a full vibrant communion and relationship with the Lord, it’s so heavenly that you cannot adequately express it in words. I think the moment we find ourselves in heaven we will be speechless as well.
Paul speaking in the third person writes…
II Cor. 12:2-4
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago – whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows… such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man… whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows… was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”
When Paul refers to heaven like this I can hardly wait to get there! I guess I can say that I have inexpressible joy, I can’t quite put it into words. And the joy we have is also full of glory, which means “to render highest praise,” this involves our love for God as well.
Believers have a supernatural love…
I John 4:19-21
“We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”
I say the believer has a supernatural love, because in and of ourselves we’re not capable of loving our brother, it’s the working of the Holy Spirit that makes this possible. Then the joy we have is a transcendent joy, meaning it’s supernatural as well.
Gal. 5:22-23
“The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
You’ll notice that love and joy are the first two fruits of the Spirit.
God’s Word is so amazing, how Scripture defines Scripture!
I Peter 1:9
“Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”
When Peter says this, he’s not referring to the future, but to the present. With the word Obtaining… we can see this as meaning “presently receiving for yourselves.” Obtaining: (komizō) is to get back, receive back, recover or also “to receive what is deserved.”
You might be saying to yourself, “Wait a minute, I don’t deserve anything from God but His judgment.” Not true, for the person who confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life, salvation is given as a gift, therefore salvation is deserved. As Peter says, this is the present outcome of their faith.
Also, this is the salvation of your souls… the entire moral, spiritual character, that makes you… you, it’s who you are in Christ. When it comes to salvation, a little faith will take your soul to heaven, great faith will take heaven to your soul. And with our salvation, there is the constant deliverance from the penalty of sin.
Before salvation, the wages of sin was death (Rom 6:23), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even though we still struggle with indwelling sin, our current condition as believers is…
Rom. 8:1
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Hallelujah and Amen!
As I said before, faith is the spiritual fuel Christians run on, and now that our faith has been tested and proven, we enjoy fellowship with our Lord. We’re engaged on the narrow path God has carved out for us, and with that, we have the assurance of a protected future and inheritance.
John 15:11
“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
I Peter 1:10
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,”
Of this salvation… or As to this salvation…
Salvation is the sum and substance of God’s grace. In verse 9 we were reminded of our great and glorious salvation, and here Peter continues with this same salvation on his mind, speaking of the prophets who spoke to the people about the hope that was to come.
Heb. 1:1
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,”
Hos. 12:10
“I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”
God used these prophets to spread the news of the coming Messiah. The word they were spreading was so amazing that they had to look into it for themselves. It says the prophets have inquired and searched carefully. The prophesies were written for us so we could benefit from them, and it was the Holy Spirit who guided the prophets as they wrote them. The prophets desired to know the salvation of the believers in Christ.
God used the prophets to speak to the people, and they spoke of many glorious things, but they just couldn’t get a handle on what was to come. Take for example Isaiah 53…
Isaiah 53:1-5
“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”
Through the benefit of hindsight and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can say, “This is surely describing Jesus Christ.”
The prophets just couldn’t understand these things, but they wanted to. We don’t have to feel sorry for these guys, because there is something that we have in common with them, it’s faith! These prophets had the confidence that one day God would do the miraculous for them, to redeem them and reward them.
But at that time, Christ had not yet died to pay the penalty for their sins, so they were not able to go directly into the presence of God when they died, they would go to Abraham’s Bosom.
Eph. 4:8
“Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.”
After Jesus’ death, the barrier was removed and He took them out of Abraham’s Bosom and into God’s presence.
I Peter 1:11
“Seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.”
“They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.” (NLT)
Seeking to know what person… the prophets didn’t know it at the time, but the person they were seeking was Jesus.
Time… in regards to prophesies, we are in the same boat today as the prophets of yesterday were. We know the prophesies pertaining to future events, but until they’re fulfilled, we don’t know the reality of them yet. This is what the prophets experienced.
God doesn’t give revelation to men simply because they might beg for it, or have an intense desire to know something, God has sovereignly put His prophesies in place for us.
The Spirit of Christ within them… the prophets of old were just mouthpieces for God, not inventors of their own new ideas… it was the Holy Spirit directing them, giving them the words to say.
II Peter 1:20-21
“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” (NLT)
Was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ…
The Holy Spirit was speaking through man, foretelling that the Messiah was coming and there was unsurmountable suffering in His path.
Psalm 22:14-16
“My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.” (NLT)
Isaiah 52:14
“But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.” (NLT)
Jesus suffered and died in order to secure salvation for all who would believe, but His suffering was much more than physical, God suffered in His heart. Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) It is certain that the Father approved of Jesus’ work. It is certain that Jesus was innocent. He had done nothing to forfeit the favor of God, but Jesus became sin on our behalf!
II Cor. 5:21
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
At that moment on the cross when Jesus cried out, there was something that happened that had never happened before, nor will it ever happen again… the Father and Son were separated because of sin. God the Father could not look upon His only begotten Son because Jesus took on all of our sin. When this happened, both the Father and Son felt the enormous pain of the cross. We will never know that pain. The sufferings of Christ really can’t be expressed in words.
And the glories to follow…
Glory always follows suffering, always!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… God endured the cross, Jesus drank the full cup of suffering. Now Jesus is glorified! There is the glory of the resurrection, Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and His enthronement at the Father’s right hand.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (speaking of the glory to come)
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”
Dan. 2:44
“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”
Jesus is called “the Lord of glory.” Jesus is the only One with “clean hands and a pure heart” who can “ascend the mountain of the Lord.”
Psalm 24:8-10
“Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.”
Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
We’ll close with a quote from Warren Wiersbe…
“Yes, for Christians, it is glory all the way! When we trusted Christ, we were born for glory.
As we obey Him and experience trials, we are being prepared for glory. When we love Him, trust Him, and rejoice in Him, we experience the glory here and now. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!”