Faith Futures At Record High - 1 Peter 1:7-9 Series

1 Peter 1:6 In which you rejoice, a little while, if necessary, you may be grieved in multifaceted trials, 7 in order that the proof of your faith (more precious than gold, the perishing through fire, but proved), it may be found toward praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 who, not having beheld, you love, into which not seeing but believing, you rejoice in joy inexpressible and glorified, 9 receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Introduction: Why?

When a little child first learns how to talk, very often the word he falls in love with is, “Why?”

“Why is grass green, Daddy?”

“Because God made it green.”

“Why did God make it green, Daddy?”

“Why are we going to the store? Why is that lady going to the store?”

“Why do we have to go home now?”

“Because I said so.”

“Why did you say so, Daddy?”

I am not totally sure about this, but it could be that God made our kids like that to teach us what it is like for Him to listen to our prayers. Probably the most worn-out prayer there is, is that one-word reaction we always have when we suffer, “Why? Why is this happening?” Anybody here asked that question about your suffering in the past year?

If you are wondering why some painful ordeal is happening to you, or happened to you in the past, and you want me to answer the “Why?” question for you, I’m afraid all I can do is give you twenty-three good answers. When I search the Scripture for places that tell us why we have to suffer, so far I have only found twenty-three different reasons.

If you want that list, it is on the Articles page on TreasuringGod.com under “Benefits of Suffering.” But it is beyond the scope of this sermon to go through them all now. What I would like to do is just focus on the one that Peter gives us in this passage.

7 These [trials] have come so that…

So he is going to answer the question, “Why?” And the answer has to do with faith. God sends suffering into your life because of the effect suffering has on your faith.

Suffering is the stomping grounds for faith. It is where faith lives. One writer said, “What would a bird be without air? What would a fish be without water? That’s what faith would be without testing.” The trouble is the environment faith was created to exist in. Suffering is where faith does its thing. Why did God give us faith? Are you ready for this? Because we will need it! Which is a little scary if you think about it. If you were on a ride-along with a police officer, and you were about to go into a building with him and he stopped and handed you a bullet proof jacket and said, “Put this on – you’re going to need it” – what would that tell you? It tells you the same thing God is telling you when He says, “Here’s the shield of faith. You’re going to need it.”

But it is not just that you need faith to get through trials. The trials have an effect on the faith. When you use two-part glue, the glue is not sticky at all to begin with. But then you put in a few drops of activator, and it turns it into strong glue. Trials are the activator for faith. Suffering has a particular effect on faith. And if we want to find joy in our suffering, it is crucial that we understand how that works.

The Nature of Faith

But before we get into that, let me take just a minute to make sure we are clear on what faith is.

Imaginary Friend?

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy

If we cannot see Him, why do we believe? A group known as the Boulder Atheists purchased a billboard that said, “God is an Imaginary Friend.” People who believe in God are like a little kid who does not have anybody to play with so he makes up a pretend friend. Is that what faith is? Imagination? I went to GodIsImaginary.com where they have fifty “proofs” that God does not exist. At the top of the page it said, “There is no scientific evidence that God exists. … in other words, God is imaginary. It is obvious.” When Peter says, we do not see Him, he is admitting – it is true – there really is no scientific proof that God exists. I have never seen God in a test tube, and yet I believe - is that irrational?