“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 Pet. 1:7 KJV).
THIS verse ended the previous consideration, with our author’s follow-up statement being: Once we begin to reckon (count) on facts, our Father begins to build us up in the faith.
HOW do we grow our faith; how does it become stronger? Well, the answer to that is that it is like anything we want to do and become proficient at, we practice it, exercise, test and retest, adding to ourselves little by little. That is why Peter says our “trials” are “more precious than gold.” He is speaking to our value system for spiritual grow in Christ.
I RECALL telling my students in middle school Bible the lessons from Proverbs in dealing with problems. They can be avoided, deflected, given in to, or engaged to resolution. The right approach – engagement – is the most difficult and often the path least taken. I conveyed to them how I had encountered this dilemma in a recent and personal experience of my own.
I WAS faced with a problem I didn’t want to deal with. There were options, but none that would have brought the smile of Christ at His appearing. It involved another person, as is often the case, and the fear as to how would that person would respond. Again, the words of the Lord came to mind “what is that to you? You follow Me.” (John 21:22). It does little good to exhort my students if I’m not willing to walk the talk myself. Jesus never said it would be easy, this thing of taking up our cross. But it is our unavoidable calling none-the-less if we are to both obey our Master and grow in faith. So, with fear and trembling I did engage, and for the record, once again our faithful Father did bless as he always does, strengthening a week and wavering faith.
I SHARE this as a reminder that we never stop being tested, learning, and growing. Most precious to me, especially as I grow older, are Paul’s words in Phil. 3.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12-14
PAUL wrote this near the end of his life, saying he never achieved full sanctification – no one does – but it didn’t deter him from pressing on; keeping that goal ever before him as his focused pathway. The process never stops, and won’t until the last breath is breathed.
Well, I’ve gone long with this introduction. It’s time to get to our continuing instruction in Principles for Spiritual Growth.
In the wondrous blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa. 30:15 & Job 2:10
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FAITH – 3 …..continued
Once we begin to reckon (count) on facts, our Father begins to build us up in the faith. From his profoundly simple trust in God, [George] Mueller was able to say that “God delights to increase the faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hand as a means. I say—and say it deliberately—trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.”
On this same subject James McConkey wrote: “Faith is dependence upon God. And this God-dependence only begins when self-dependence ends. And self-dependence only comes to its end, with some of us, when sorrow, suffering, affliction, broken plans and hopes bring us to that place of self-helplessness and defeat. And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamt of in the days of fleshly strength and self-reliance.”
J.B. Stoney agrees by saying, “It is a great thing to learn faith: that is, simple dependence upon God. It will comfort you much to be assured that the Lord is teaching you dependence upon Himself, and it is very remarkable that faith is necessary in everything.
‘The just shall live by faith,’ not only in your circumstances, but in everything. I believe the Lord allows many things to happen on purpose to make us feel our need of Him. The more you find Him in your sorrows or wants, the more you will be attached to Him and drawn away from this place where the sorrows are, to Him in the place where He is.” “Set your affection on things above” (Col. 3:2). …..To be continued
