What is the nature of true religion? And wherein do lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue and holiness that is acceptable in the sight of God?... (Jonathan Edwards)
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. (1 Peter 1:6-7a NLT)
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 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. You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT)
We probably spend more time scrutinizing the currency we carry around in our pockets than the faith we carry in our hearts! The Treasury Department makes every effort to ensure that the counterfeiter does not win the battle for a safe currency. Do we as believers make any effort to ensure that we have not been deceived either by the enemy or the depravity of our own souls?
"What is the nature of true religion? And wherein do lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue and holiness that is acceptable in the sight of God?... It is a hard thing to be a hearty zealous friend of what has been good and glorious, in the late extraordinary appearances, and to rejoice much in it; and at the same time to see the evil and pernicious tendency of what has been bad, and earnestly to oppose that.
But yet, I am humbly but fully persuaded, we shall never be in the way of truth, nor go on in a way acceptable to God, and tending to the advancement of Christ's kingdom till we do so. There is indeed something very mysterious in it, that so much good, and so much bad, should be mixed together in the church of God; as it is a mysterious thing, and what has puzzled and amazed many a good Christian, that there should be that which is so divine and precious, as the saving grace of God, and the new and divine nature dwelling in the same heart, with so much corruption, hypocrisy, and iniquity, in a particular saint." Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, The Author's Preface
- True Faith? The Apostle Peter is talking to strangers scattered abroad that are enduring many trials yet have inexpressible joy! The trial is the laboratory test to see whose DNA is resident upon the professors faith! A trial by fire to see if the metal is gold or iron pyrite (fools gold).
- True Beauty? The trials also allows the beauty of true virtue to bee seen. The heavier the oppression the more profound the beauty displayed!
- True Growth? The fire burns away all those things that are impure and encumbering. Thus the remaining metal is pure and magnified.
- True Love? Even though we have not seen Christ we love Him! A genuine love of the Savior is seen in the midst of the fire. It grows as a result of the testing. We are not afraid because He is in the midst of the fire with us.
- True Joy? The Joy of Christ is seen also to grow because we have given our trust to Him who is worthy! It is nothing that the world or even the believer can see arriving as if it were some external thing. But Him who gives us strength is also the author of our joy!
So What?
If you find that in the midst of the trial that you experience resentment, fear, discouragement, etc. Then be assured that your faith is in peril. Confess your sin to Him who already knows your plight! He is there waiting to save you and cleanse you and make you white as snow. Beauty from ashes, Love from hate, Growth from death, Faith from unbelief, Joy from sadness. That seems like a great trade!