1st Peter 1:6-7........
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ".
That is a rich and profound statement by Peter. Peter answers the question ALL of us have asked at one time or another:
"What do believers in the midst of trouble need to regain their JOY"?
I say ALL because ALL of us have experienced pain, loss, suffering and emotional problems that haved caused us to question God and if just for a season.........lose the JOY of our salvation.
When Peter wrote his epistle he connected JOY to......
1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Love
You see, JOY is not a shallow and brief emotion. It is something very deep, something tied to faith, hope and love. We all need to understand that our JOY does not come cheaply. The JOY of our salvation cost God His dear Son. It is God who lays up the treasures in heaven for us through the sactifice of His only Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
God provides that JOY through all of our trials and tribulations and sufferings through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He did that so you and me could experience the JOY of being saved.
My dear friends, JOY is produced by things that are much deeper than the things that produce "happiness". Positive circumstances produce happiness, BUT it takes a positive relatinship with the living God through Jesus Christ to produce JOY. "Happiness" comes from positive events, but JOY comes from a deep down confidence that your eternal life is hid with and IN Christ Jesus.
So then........God's purpose in the trouble we experience is to test our faith!!!
WHY? Does God need to test our faith? Does God need to know something to find out is you are real and honest in your acceptance of Him? NO!!!! He knows what is in your heart of hearts.
So then who is the test going to benefit????? YOU and ME.
God tests the believer to reveal whether his or her faith in genuine. Just like He tests gold and it is mentioned in verse #7 tht is tested by fire. Fire equals trials. The gold is your real faith and when the fire comes and all the dross is burned off, the real faith is then revealed.
The source of JOY is then permanaent because it does not come from emothional events, BUT IN JESUS CHRIST. Because of Jesus, we have HOPE and hope brings us JOY. Therein is where our JOY comes from. There is no reason for you not to live in the light of that JOY, absolutlely NO reason at all. That JOY is yours and no one an take it away from you.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ".
That is a rich and profound statement by Peter. Peter answers the question ALL of us have asked at one time or another:
"What do believers in the midst of trouble need to regain their JOY"?
I say ALL because ALL of us have experienced pain, loss, suffering and emotional problems that haved caused us to question God and if just for a season.........lose the JOY of our salvation.
When Peter wrote his epistle he connected JOY to......
1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Love
You see, JOY is not a shallow and brief emotion. It is something very deep, something tied to faith, hope and love. We all need to understand that our JOY does not come cheaply. The JOY of our salvation cost God His dear Son. It is God who lays up the treasures in heaven for us through the sactifice of His only Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
God provides that JOY through all of our trials and tribulations and sufferings through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He did that so you and me could experience the JOY of being saved.
My dear friends, JOY is produced by things that are much deeper than the things that produce "happiness". Positive circumstances produce happiness, BUT it takes a positive relatinship with the living God through Jesus Christ to produce JOY. "Happiness" comes from positive events, but JOY comes from a deep down confidence that your eternal life is hid with and IN Christ Jesus.
So then........God's purpose in the trouble we experience is to test our faith!!!
WHY? Does God need to test our faith? Does God need to know something to find out is you are real and honest in your acceptance of Him? NO!!!! He knows what is in your heart of hearts.
So then who is the test going to benefit????? YOU and ME.
God tests the believer to reveal whether his or her faith in genuine. Just like He tests gold and it is mentioned in verse #7 tht is tested by fire. Fire equals trials. The gold is your real faith and when the fire comes and all the dross is burned off, the real faith is then revealed.
The source of JOY is then permanaent because it does not come from emothional events, BUT IN JESUS CHRIST. Because of Jesus, we have HOPE and hope brings us JOY. Therein is where our JOY comes from. There is no reason for you not to live in the light of that JOY, absolutlely NO reason at all. That JOY is yours and no one an take it away from you.