Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations: that the trial
of your faith, being much more precious
than Gold that perisheth, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and
other and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
though now ye see him not, yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls.
I Peter 1: 6 -- 9
Temptations and trials affect every person on the face of this earth not just Christians. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is that your faith in Jesus Christ is what is being tried in the face of manifold temptations and persecutions. Peter states that we can rejoice during this season of our life on the face of this earth. During these times of Temptations and persecutions and trials your faith is being tried as though it has been tried like golden that during the fire of the dross is removed. Faith is not faith if it sees the actual reality. A Christian has faith in the unseen but has the revelation of God revealing who He is and what He is doing to save those who have put their faith in Him and in the One He has sent. This faith in the unseen that has its foundation in your belief founded upon Scripture as to who Jesus Christ is and what He has done brings to you unspeakable joy and fills you with glory for He has brought to you salvation.
Salvation is not your thought! Salvation is the thought of God! Often people in their attempt to mitigate the pains and sorrows of trials and temptations look to experience divine solace. The salvation of God is not an experience. Yes, when we come to believe and convert to Jesus Christ there is an experience and it is only a gateway by which salvation comes into our conscious life. We are in never to preach experience; yet this is what many churches do and they never seem to get around to the great thought which is salvation by God by leaving it behind in their preaching and teaching. Preach it is not for us to proclaim that man can be saved by his own works can be saved from Gehenna and to be made moral and pure. We are to convey the good news which is the gospel about God.
Jesus Christ taught many things and as He did so the element or judgment is always brought out. Why? This judgment is the sign of God's love. How? This judgment reads the earth of those who will never receive the gospel and convert and would not believe upon Jesus Christ. These are the ones that bring upon Christians trials, temptations, and persecutions. It is true that as Christians we often do philanthropy to aid others in their times of trial. We are to never sympathize with the person who finds it difficult to get to God. Remember sympathy can be described as a person who sits down to another person who was crying and simply joins in that crying with that person. That is of no help! Empathy on the other hand sees that person crying and helps the person to find the answer to their times of trial. God is not to blame as many do blame him and wonder why He doesn't act to rid the earth of all of this problem. Well, He has a time in which you will do just that but until that time rejoice for you are alive and if you believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved not for a time but for eternity. God is not revealed to all of his plan (Jeremiah 31:31) but he has given us enough to know that he is good and keeps his promises. We do not know it in the present their reason why things have not been handled yet by God but we are not to worry over this for God and His sovereignty has everything under control. God and his Word has given us enough truths to show us what is wrong. Until a person comes to understand their need for salvation and that God will judge them harshly, even to their destruction eternally, the gospel will bring to them and the Spirit of God locates for each person what is needed for that person.
Jesus Christ is God, therefore, what ever He has commanded He can and will fulfill. If He did not He would be a liar and place upon as a barrier that mixes to have an inability to obey. If we believe such it means that we are telling God that there is something that he has not taken into account. Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Yes, we are weak and are dependent upon God what is this that makes for the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest his power.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it:
if a man would give up all the substance
for love, it would utterly be condemned.
Solomon's Song 8: 7
God's love cannot be quenched
Richard L. Crumb
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