Proof of faith....

Not me · Feb 1, 2021

1 Peter 1:7 (NASB)
so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith says; I do not know, but God does..

Faith says; I do not see, but God does..

Faith says; I do not understand, but God does..

Faith says; I can not, but God can..

Faith says; not I, but Christ in all things.

For just as true as it is, that God knows those that are His, He too knows those that are trusting in Him.. For all that are His, are trusting in Him to a degree... It is in this degree of trusting is He at work in one’s life..

For scripture says the proof of one’s faith is more precious than gold..

Why is it that the proof of one’s faith is more precious than gold?

Because faith is that thing that brings God and man together.. And the fruit of that joining is the most precious of things.. For the restoration of the image of God is the purpose of the salvation there is in Christ.

For to the degree one trusts in God to that degree can it be said that that one knows God... For no one touches God without faith, but the one that does touch God with faith, that one receives to the degree of that faith.... For to the degree of one’s faith will be the degree of one’s praise and glory in the day of the revealing of Christ..

For no higher joining can there be but in one being joined with Christ in His death, and then in His resurrection, whereby faith makes these, one’s own.. So that as Christ was raised out of death into life, we too, that have faith in the operation of God in us might be raised to a newness of life, as the new man is formed in the time of this life, faith being it’s food...

Be blessed all and eat well in the meal of faith set before one, as the fires come, that one might learn to trust and then receive the fruit of that trusting....

A fellow servant of His, Not me

St_Worm2 · Feb 1, 2021

Hello @Not me, thank you for bringing up this verse for consideration (and as a result, the passage that surrounds it too

).

I thought that I'd share what one of my commentaries has to say about v6-7 as a way of looking a bit further into this verse, though this will make for a long post that I will have to divide (I was fascinated by much of this, but perhaps particularly by the comments that are made concerning the Biblical Greek word translated as "rejoice", and the one or two other things that I put in bold below).

2. Joy in spite of suffering (1 Peter 1:6-7)

6. The word this in the phrase In this you rejoice is best understood to refer to the entire future hope discussed in 1 Peter 1:3-5. It cannot refer to ‘salvation’, for that would require a feminine pronoun in the Greek text, whereas the pronoun in the text can only be masculine or neuter.

Grammatically the word ‘this’ might also be translated ‘whom’, referring to God the Father or to Jesus Christ in verse 3. But these antecedents are too far from ‘this’ to be understandable to the readers without further specification. Furthermore, the flow of thought in the context makes the combination of rejoicing in hope of the future (vv. 3–5) and suffering grief in the present (vv. 6–7) a very appropriate one here.

Rejoice represents a verb (agalliaō) which is not used by secular Greek writers, and which always in the New Testament signifies a deep spiritual joy, a rejoicing in God or in what he has done. Mary uses it in the Magnificat: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’ (Luke 1:46–47). Believers who have suffered will ‘rejoice and be glad when [Christ’s] glory is revealed’ (1 Peter 4:13). The Philippian jailer ‘rejoiced with all his household’ that he had believed in God (Acts of the Apostles 16:34). This kind of joy could be called ‘the joy of salvation’ for it is always a spiritually prompted joy. In fact, the LXX uses a cognate noun to translate David’s prayer, ‘Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation’ (Psalms 51:12).

Though rejoice could be either indicative (‘in this you are rejoicing’) or imperative (‘rejoice in this’), it seems unlikely that Peter is commanding believers to rejoice in the great blessings mentioned in verses 3 to 5: rejoicing would be the natural response to such blessings. Furthermore, this entire section is devoted to declaring facts about the believers’ lives, whereas his commands concerning the Christian life do not seem to begin until verse 13. It is better therefore to translate, ‘in this you rejoice’, or, bringing out more explicitly the force of the present tense, ‘in this you are continually rejoicing’.

When they think about their future inheritance, the Christians to whom Peter is writing respond with intense ‘salvation joy’ which continues throughout their earthly lives. He thinks such rejoicing in heavenly realities to be a normal part of the ordinary Christian life.

The Christian life is not all joy, however, for Peter adds though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials. The word though is not explicitly in the Greek text, but it is an acceptable translation of the participle ‘having been grieved’. The adversative sense given by though seems better than any alternative because of the fundamental difference in the emotions of rejoicing and grieving. These believers are rejoicing even though they may suffer grief.

Suffer (RSV) is better translated ‘suffer grief (NIV) or ‘be grieved’. The verb (lypeō) always refers to the emotion of grief, not to the suffering which produces grief (note Matthew 14:9; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 18:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Peter makes the circumstances leading to such grief very general indeed. First, he says not that all his readers are suffering or have suffered, but that they may have to suffer grief in various trials (Gk. text, more literally: ‘if it is necessary’). He does not need to specify the evident fact that he means ‘necessary in God’s sight’, an idea which would greatly encourage his readers.

His purpose was to show that God does not thus try His people without reason, for if God afflicted us without a cause, it would be grievous to bear. Hence Peter has taken an argument for consolation from the design of God, not because the purpose always appears to us, but because we ought to be fully persuaded that it ought to be so, because it is God’s will. (Calvin)

Peter says therefore that Christians will experience grief only as it is necessary in the light of God’s great and infinitely wise purposes for them.

The phrase various trials should also caution us against looking for any specific kind of persecution or suffering as the historical background for this letter. Since no one kind of trial or testing is in view, Peter’s words have their application to all the trials which Christians experience (cf. James 1:2). It is best to understand the word now as referring to the present existence of believers during which for a little while, compared with their enjoyment of eternity, they may have to suffer.

Though some (e.g. Selwyn, p. 127) understand the suffering as having been recently completed (giving the sense, ‘though now for a little while you have just suffered grief in various trials’), such a translation is unlikely since it improbably assumes that all Peter’s readers in many churches had just finished suffering. It is better to translate ‘be grieved’ (aorist participle) to indicate time simultaneous with the rejoicing, for Peter’s argument would lose much of its force if the grieving were already past. It is much more forceful to say that they are presently rejoicing even though they may now (from time to time) be grieving in various trials. This gives the following sense: ‘In this hope of the future you are continually rejoicing, although during this life for a little time, if God deems it necessary, you are grieved in various trials.’

Peter thus shows simultaneous grief and joy to be normal in the Christian life. Grief arises because of many difficulties encountered in this fallen world, but faith looks to the unseen reality beyond this present brief existence and rejoices.

--David
p.s. - here's the passage.

1 Peter 1
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

St_Worm2 · Feb 1, 2021

....continuing on with Dr. Grudem's comments about 1 Peter 1:7.

7. In verse 7 Peter gives a fuller explanation of the divine purposes behind the grief which Christians now experience. They may have to experience grief in various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith … may redound to praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The term translated genuineness (dokimion) is found outside the New Testament with the meaning ‘genuine, proven’; here, with the definite article in front of it, the sense is ‘the genuineness of your faith’, or ‘the proven quality of your faith’.

This word and closely related terms are frequently used of testing or refining metal (see Psalms 12:6; Proverbs 27:21). Peter deliberately employs this analogy to say that situations of testing are occasions when God refines and purifies the faith of his people as precious metal is refined in a fire (cf. Isaiah 48:10, ‘I have tried you in the furnace of affliction’). The trials burn away any impurities in the believer’s faith. What is left when the trials have ended is purified, genuine faith, analogous to the pure gold or silver that emerges from the refiner’s fire.

The genuine faith which emerges from trials is more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire. Though gold for centuries has been a commonly understood symbol for the most precious and lasting of material possessions, genuine faith is more precious (literally, ‘much more precious’) than either gold or, by implication, any other material possession.

Gold perishes even though it is refined or tested (dokimazō, from the same word group as dokimion, above) by fire—in fact, gold is one of the most durable of all substances. Yet Peter says that it ‘perishes’, because he knows that this entire creation is on its way toward final destruction (see 2 Peter 3:7, 2 Peter 3:10-12). Genuine faith is more valuable to God than gold because he is a God who delights in being trusted. And since God’s evaluation of something is the ultimate standard of meaning in the universe, Peter’s readers have a secure basis for a sense of ultimate meaning and importance for their own lives.

Peter says that his readers may have to experience grief in various trials so that the genuineness of their faith may redound to praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. He does not specify whether this praise is the praise which God gives to his people on the last day (as in Romans 2:29; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Peter 5:4), or the praise which people give to God. It seems more likely that the initial thought is of praise which God gives to his people, since in this context Peter is encouraging his readers to hope in their heavenly reward (v. 4). Furthermore, it is the genuineness of faith which is here affirmed to be more precious (in God’s sight, apparently) than gold. But in this present age faith does not receive much outward or evident reward. Therefore it would appropriately receive a reward as an expression of God’s approval at the day of final judgment.

By the phrase at the revelation of Jesus Christ, Peter is referring to the judgment of the last day when the secrets of all hearts are revealed (cf. ‘the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ’ or similar phrases in 1 Corinthians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:13; and the verb ‘reveal’ in Luke 17:30; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1, etc.). He thus reminds Christians that God’s purposes in present grief may not be fully known in a week, in a year, or even in this lifetime. Indeed, some of God’s purposes will not even be known when believers die and go to be with the Lord. Some will only be discovered at the day of final judgment when the Lord reveals the secrets of all hearts and commends with special honour those who trusted him in hardship even though they could not see the reason for it: they trusted him simply because he was their God and they knew him to be worthy of trust. It is in times when the reason for hardship cannot be seen that trust in God alone seems to become most pure and precious in his sight. Such faith he will not forget, but will store up as a jewel of great value and beauty to be displayed and delighted in on the day of judgment. ~Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, pp. 68–70). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

--David

quote-two-words-will-help-you-cope-when-you-run-low-on-hope-accept-and-trust-charles-r-swindoll-115-36-69.jpg

Not me · Feb 1, 2021

@St_Worm2

Thanks for all the information..

Suffice it to say more faith, more joy..

Be blessed in the experiencing..
As our relationship with Him grows and abounds still more and more... Be blessed in Him..

A fellow believer, Not me

LightLoveHope · Feb 1, 2021

Not me said:
@St_Worm2

Thanks for all the information..

Suffice it to say more faith, more joy..

Be blessed in the experiencing..
As our relationship with Him grows and abounds still more and more... Be blessed in Him..

A fellow believer, Not me

Faith is salvation, the greatest gift God has ever given anybody. Peter seems to be emphasising our faith is valuable above anything else, and suffering testifies to us when we walk victorious through it, our faith is real.

Peter often is concerned about those who come to belief, yet fall away and go back to the world, proving their faith had not taken root. To the faithful it can often appear they lose out to suffer, but Peter wants to declare it is through suffering we share all things with Christ who saves us. On an emotional scale this is so true, that sticking to ones principles and life is the straight path, because this is love and the way of life.

I was thinking recently it is so easy with so many lonely people to get involved in lots of inappropriate relationships, because it appears to fulfil desire, but destroys both parties. Our emotions show us the ebbs and flows of need and opportunity, but are very much in the moment, without context, and with context are often very different. But training our hearts to keep everything in proportion and balanced takes patience and perseverance and often real suffering. But Christ went to the cross to show this is the beauty and power of love that overcomes,

God bless you

Not me · Feb 1, 2021

LightLoveHope said:
Faith is salvation, the greatest gift God has ever given anybody. Peter seems to be emphasising our faith is valuable above anything else, and suffering testifies to us when we walk victorious through it, our faith is real.

Peter often is concerned about those who come to belief, yet fall away and go back to the world, proving their faith had not taken root. To the faithful it can often appear they lose out to suffer, but Peter wants to declare it is through suffering we share all things with Christ who saves us. On an emotional scale this is so true, that sticking to ones principles and life is the straight path, because this is love and the way of life.

I was thinking recently it is so easy with so many lonely people to get involved in lots of inappropriate relationships, because it appears to fulfil desire, but destroys both parties. Our emotions show us the ebbs and flows of need and opportunity, but are very much in the moment, without context, and with context are often very different. But training our hearts to keep everything in proportion and balanced takes patience and perseverance and often real suffering. But Christ went to the cross to show this is the beauty and power of love that overcomes,

God bless you

Yes, faith is salvation, may we drink deeply at this river so we might get our abundant welcomes..

Lord bless you also..

As we learn Christ, Not me

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