Seeing God’s Blessings in Trials
I Peter 1:6-7
Verse 6, Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
I. Wherein ye greatly rejoice.
A. The rejoicing is done because of what God has done for us.
1. There is great rejoicing.
a. Our religion ought to be a source of great joy.
b. Not the "ho hum" joy evidenced by so many "Christians".
c. Our salvation and hope is a life changing experience, and is not taken lightly by the person who is truly born again.
2. We rejoice because:
a. Verse 3 - Mercy of God.
b. Verse 3 - Begotten of God.
c. Verse 3 - The lively hope of our future life after present death.
d. Verse 4 - Because of our future inheritance.
e. Verse 5 - Being kept to all this by the power of God through faith.
B. The sense of the verse is that we will have great rejoicing in the very midst of many trials.
1. This is the supreme trial of true religion.
a. A religion that won't give joy in a time of trouble is not the true religion.
b. When there is sorrow because of trouble, there ought also to be great joy because of our salvation and life to come.
2. True religion will not only sustain the believer during times of trouble, it will actually make them happy during their trials.
C. There is no rejoicing because of what we have done.
1. When we know what we have done, it causes us sorrow, but joy.
2. The person who has only joy in themselves, will have no true, lasting joy in what God has done for him.
II. Though now for a season.
A. The thought of the verse is that our afflictions are temporary, not permanent.
1. II Cor. 4:7 - For our {light affliction}, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2. I Peter 5:10 - "...after ye have suffered a while..." This passage is talking about the suffering of pastors.
B. If our afflictions were upon us for the whole of our lives, that is still just a little season when compared to the vastness of eternity.
III. If need be.
A. Someone will surely suggest that if a person has true religion, his God will keep trouble from him.
1. II Tim. 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall {suffer persecution}.
2. Consider Job, who was a righteous man, yet suffered much trouble.
B. Note the carefulness with which Peter handles the afflictions of others. He uses the word "if" instead of "there must be".
1. There is no doubt that he knew the afflictions in his life had been necessary for him to grow in Christ.
2. He is making no such assumption concerning others.
3. He will let them come to that conclusion themselves.
4. If we would point out errors in the lives of others, let us do so with the utmost caution, Matt. 7:1-5.
C. It is also necessary to understand that if it were not for flaws in our Christian character, we would not have to endure some of the afflictions put upon us.
1. If we would constantly study the lives of Bible characters, we would soon discover the relationship between sin and punishment; and trials and the building of Christian character.
IV. Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.
A. The word "temptations" rightly means "testing".
1. James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man that endureth temptations..."
2. These are the kinds of testing that try our faith.
B. There is a heaviness or sorrow that comes because of testing.
1. The heaviness is the result of having to undergo testing.
2. It is not a heaviness because of religion, or sin.
C. Manifold temptations.
1. The word "manifold" means there are many temptations (testing).
2. The testing might be poverty or prosperity; sickness or health; persecution or freedom; or a gentle leading to return to the former way of life (into sinfulness once again).
D. I believe it is very important to look at our afflictions every once in a while simply to discover why things happen the way they do. Are things falling apart on the job? Are things falling apart in your home? Is your car falling apart? Are things around the house breaking up? Are things falling apart in your hobby? Why does God allow these things to happen, when He has the power to keep them from happening? What is He teaching us by these afflictions? Have you lost something? Then why won't God show you where it is?
1. There is a reason for everything.
2. Nothing happens by chance.
3. God intends every event in our lives to be used by us as a means of us learning:
a. Who we are.
b. Who God is.
c. His purpose in our lives.
Verse 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.
I. That the trial of your faith.
A. Some would be unwilling to put their religion to the test of life, but it is very necessary. The test will reveal what kind of religion a person has.
B. Our religion will be tested!
1. James 1:3 - "...the trying of your faith worketh patience."
2. James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man that endureth temptations..."
C. What are some kinds of trials?
1. Prosperity - Many a Christian has failed to serve God because they had too much of this worlds goods.
2. Intelligence - Many Christians fail to understand the simplicity of living their life God's way.
3. Adversity - Many Christians believe they won't have adversity if they simply obey God. The very opposite is true; if Christians will obey God, they will suffer persecution.
4. A sudden transition from one or the other. Christians are like everybody else and want stability in their lives. When they don't have stability, it is a great strain on their faith.
II. Being much more precious than of gold that perisheth.
A. The thought here is not that gold will perish when tried in the fire, anymore than true faith will disappear when tried in the fire.
1. Gold will not disappear when put in a furnace.
2. Gold will be purified when in the fire.
B. The thought is that gold will perish at the end of the world. True faith will not be needed when the world is destroyed by fire, for we will see God face to face.
III. Though it be tried with fire.
A. Gold, which will one day be completely destroyed, is a very precious mineral even before it is put in the furnace.
1. Our faith, which is eternally indestructible, is very precious before it is tried, but after it is tried in the fire of life, is even more precious.
2. It is more important to try faith than gold because gold is not spiritual.
B. Rev. 1:14 - It would be much better to be tried with the fire of trials on this earth, then to be tried with the fire of the eyes of Jesus at the judgment.
IV. Might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
A. The end result of our trials is that we will be instruments of delight to others and to God, not to ourselves.
1. Phil. 2:10 - Things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth shall rejoice in God because of what he has done in us.
2. There is no way we can understand just who or what will be rejoicing in God at the end of time. It is our place to reveal His glory in us.
B. The source of rejoicing in us.
1. Praise.
2. Honor.
3. Glory.
C. The time of God's rejoicing in us.
1. When He appears - the rapture or when He reveals Himself to all the world, and the creatures of the world.
There is much confusion in this world about who God is and what He is doing, but when He appears, all things will be made clear, all doubts will vanish, and all rejoicing will be directed toward God.
There are some other points that come to mind.
God’s blessings are always the overcoming of difficulties (tribulation) caused by sin. We must come to the place of being able to understand the difficulties in our lives are not the end of the road, but God has a blessing for us just around the corner. We may not be able to see the blessings just then, but we need to believe that God will send a blessing presently.
God’s blessings always come after tribulation.
Matt. 11:28-30 - The burden of God is light. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
If the burden we’re carrying is very heavy, then we must be carrying the wrong burden. Maybe we’re carrying our burden and not the Lord’s burden. But how do we change burdens?
Phil. 4:4-9 - Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.