Tested By Suffering

This morning, we resume our study of a letter written by the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, sometime around 62-64 A.D. This is a general epistle, a letter written to believers scattered throughout five Roman provinces in northern Asia Minor; in what is today the country of Turkey. These followers of Christ were experiencing persecution and suffering for their faith, and one of Peter’s main goals was to instruct them in how to think about their suffering, and how to respond to it. Previously, we looked at 1 Peter 4:12, in which he tells them:

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12)

We looked at four reasons why they might have been surprised at their suffering, and why they, and we, should not be surprised when suffering comes.

• We shouldn’t be surprised that our suffering seems unjust, for although it is unjust, the injustice will be remedied when Christ returns.

• We also shouldn’t be surprised that God is not protecting us from experiencing suffering, because our suffering in this life will last only a short time compared to eternity, and our faithful response to suffering brings glory to God.

• And finally, we shouldn’t be surprised when the suffering comes from those close to us — including our friends and family — or when the attacks on us seem out of proportion to the supposed offense. Because those around us who do not know Christ have been blinded, and the aroma of Christ which we bear is the stench of death to them. Therefore, we should be patient, and pray that God will open their eyes to the truth of the gospel.

This week, we continue with 1 Peter 4:12-19. Peter has told them they shouldn’t respond to suffering with surprise. How then, should they respond? Let’s look again at verse 12:

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12)

“The fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you.”

Likewise, Psalm 11:5 tells us this:

“The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” (Psalm11:5, ESV)

And so at least one reason for suffering and persecution is to test us. Now, you might ask, why does God need to test us? Doesn’t he already know what is in our hearts? Indeed he does. He knows everything about us. He knows every thought, every intention, every secret desire, every unexpressed emotion. As the author of Hebrews writes:

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13)

This idea—that God sees what is in our mind’s eye, what is in our imagination, and that he hears our inner monologue—is found throughout the Bible. When King David, in the Old Testament, was charging his son Solomon with the responsibility of building the temple, he said this:

““And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.” (1 Chronicles 28:9)

He “searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought”. So yes, God knows what is in our hearts, everything that we are thinking and feeling. And yet he tests us. Why? The key is in the meaning of the word “test”. A test can be for the purpose of discovery or demonstration. We use a test to discover something when we start from a position of ignorance, or a lack of knowledge. For example, you might test to see if a cake is done by taking a straw and inserting it into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done baking. If it comes out with pieces of cake batter attached, it needs a few more minutes in the oven. Or a farmer might conduct a test of the soil in his fields to see what nutrients he needs to add. That’s testing for discovery.

A test for the purpose of demonstration, on the other hand, is a test that reveals something which is already known. It’s a way of bringing to light something that is hidden or unseen. For example, if a student has studied calculus diligently; if they have completed all of the practice problems and understood the concepts, then a test in math class is an opportunity to demonstrate that they know their integrals from their derivatives. The student is confident that she has mastered the material. But her knowledge of calculus concepts is hidden; no one can see it. And so a test reveals her level of understanding.