Trial Of Your Faith

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7)

Do you know what Peter found to be more precious than gold? It was, "the trial of your faith".

Please note, Peter didn't say your faith was more precious than gold. He said it was the trial of your faith. Why?

Even though your faith is “tried with fire”. This of course is a metaphor, just like faith being compared to gold was a metaphor. But the only thing that truly alters or destroys gold is the heat of the fire. Or, as Peter is pointing out, the heat actually improves the gold unto perfection.

As it is with faith (gold), it is the temptation (heat) of sin (fire) that alters, destroys, or improves the gold.

When heat is applied to gold it melts it. It also melts and separates all of the impurities mixed into the gold. Only under heat does the dross become separate, apparent, identifiable, and finally, capable of being disposed of.  

So Peter is making such an invaluable point. Your faith cannot reach its perfection until it has experienced the melting heat of the fire when we are able to properly identify sin that’s within us, able to see that sin is not of us, and finally rid ourselves of it for good.

Is the heat of the fire (temptation of sin) the only way to expose, extract and expel sin? No. The moment our spirit quickens to our Lord Jesus Christ our eyes begin to see, not only righteousness and salvation, but sin and death too. The closer to Christ we get the more our spiritual eyes see. This is also why it is most important to recognize repentance as a part of our daily spiritual life and not just a once in a life time event.

Don’t worry or fret when the heat and fire comes, because it will. Understand that this is the way our faith will be found unto, “praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”.

Bill Hitchcock