The Trial of Your Faith

 

 

 

 

I Peter 1:7

 

“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”

 

God knows our faith. He knows whether our faith is real or spurious. True faith is the gift of God. God given faith, is by the revelation of God unto the heart of His children, as it is written: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). And again it is written: “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). “..Faith cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:10). True faith does not come by hearing the traditions of religious professors but by the word of God, as it is written: “..Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).

 

God given faith is supernatural and it is a manifestation of eternal life. Those who possess the faith of God’s elect, are born from above, as our Lord told Nicodemus: “..Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (born from above: writer), he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Those who possess the “light of life” (John 1:4; 8:12) are enabled thereby to “see the kingdom of God”. Through the life that is in them (eternal life) they are enabled to see, hear and understand the things of the Spirit of God. As it is written: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (I Corinthians 2:11-12).

 

The things that happened to Israel of old were written for our instruction and admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, as it is written: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (I Corinthians 10:1-11).

 

The things that happened to Israel, being written for our instruction and admonition should teach us to put no confidence in ourselves as pertaining to the things of the Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul was mindful of this principle, as it is written: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Those who know themselves have no confidence in themselves, that is they have no confidence in their flesh, no! nor any man other except for Christ Jesus. A mark of the flesh is distrust of God, a mark of the Spirit is distrust of self.

 

Regenerate men know that they themselves are sold under sin, as the Apostle Paul saith: “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). Consider the actions of Israel at the Red Sea. Their distrust of God was made manifest by their murmurings against Moses and against God, as it is written: “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 14:10-11)? Unbelief and distrust of God filled the hearts of the Israelites when they saw the Egyptians pursuing them and they cried out against Moses and against God. Reader, do you and I not see ourselves in this situation? If we will be honest with ourself we will admit that all flesh is worthy of no confidence. How quickly does the natural man fall under fear in the face of adversity, when our faith is tried. Had Israel learned nothing by all that they had experienced? If they had learned anything about the faithfulness of God, why did they act as they did?

 

The flesh is weak. Even our Lord Jesus, the Christ of God said: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:4). “The Word was made flesh” (John 1:14) yet He remained Spirit (John 3:13; Romans 9:5). For God is a Spirit (John 4:24). The two distinct natures in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ show forth the properties of both. Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel is both God and Man in one unique Person. And He is the only Mediator between God and man, as it is written: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). As Man, Christ Jesus is the near kinsmen of His brethren (Leviticus 25;25). As God He ever liveth to make intercession for the people of God (Hebrews 7:25).

 

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire” True faith must be tried. Not that God tries our faith so that He can determine whether or not it is true, but that our faith may be exercised by difficulties, afflictions, distresses, frights and the like, as it is written: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:2-5).

 

“Might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”. The children of God shall be received into the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing, as it is written: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13). The highest praise, honor and glory belongs to God who gave the most precious faith to undeserving sinners. Jesus Christ is both the author and the finisher of our faith, as it is written: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

 

The sin that doeth so easily beset the sons of men is the sin of unbelief. It is distrust of the Most High God as concerning His purpose, and means of achieving His purpose. God’s purpose in the trial of Israel’s faith at the Red Sea was to get honor (the respect that is due His name: writer) by the destruction of His enemies and the enemies of His people, as it is written: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them” (Exodus 14:1-7).

 

Pharaoh sought to destroy and enslave Israel; but God purposed to destroy Pharaoh and his entire army as an enduring testimony to the power of God. “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth” (Exodus 9:16). And the Apostle Paul saith: “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth” (Romans 9:17). The pride, greed and arrogance of Pharaoh and His nation turned them to rebel against God, which to them was a token of perdition, as it is written: “And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God” (Philippians 1:28).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com and hear the true Gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.