1 Peter 1:3-9 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Faith is perhaps the most central element in the Christian life because it is the means by which we enter into salvation. But that's only the beginning. From then onward, our faith - or lack of it - shapes our lives and determines what happens to us when the winds of adversity blow. I recently had close, dear friends who were faced with adversities or enormous proportions. They were experiencing the most tragic adversities that anyone could ever be faced with. While offering my love, prayers, and what few words of hopeful comfort I could muster in such a time, I became more aware of how they handled it all. Some Christians never lose their footing even in hurricane-force winds. while others are toppled by the slightest gust. To understand why this is true we need to examine the source of our faith
INHERITED FAITH: If we grew up in a Christian home, we probably adopted some of the beliefs of our parents. This kind of godly foundation is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but eventually, each person must assume responsibility for their own beliefs.
TEXTBOOK FAITH: The Bible is the ultimate guide for establishing our beliefs. But that's not the only source of influence. Books, preachers, teachers, and friends all impact our convictions. Our theology may in fact be sound, but faith is merely mental acceptance until it's put to the test.
PROVEN FAITH: Only when we trust the Lord through the fires of adversity will we have faith that can stand. It is no longer based on what others have told us or what we've accepted as true but on our firsthand experience of His faithfulness.
To evaluate our faith, we must consider how we react to adversity. Do we cling to the Lord or get angry at Him? Is our attitude one of rejoicing because He's making us more like His son, or are we bitter? No one can escape adversity, but those with proven faith will benefit from it.
Be blessed!
Faith is perhaps the most central element in the Christian life because it is the means by which we enter into salvation. But that's only the beginning. From then onward, our faith - or lack of it - shapes our lives and determines what happens to us when the winds of adversity blow. I recently had close, dear friends who were faced with adversities or enormous proportions. They were experiencing the most tragic adversities that anyone could ever be faced with. While offering my love, prayers, and what few words of hopeful comfort I could muster in such a time, I became more aware of how they handled it all. Some Christians never lose their footing even in hurricane-force winds. while others are toppled by the slightest gust. To understand why this is true we need to examine the source of our faith
INHERITED FAITH: If we grew up in a Christian home, we probably adopted some of the beliefs of our parents. This kind of godly foundation is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but eventually, each person must assume responsibility for their own beliefs.
TEXTBOOK FAITH: The Bible is the ultimate guide for establishing our beliefs. But that's not the only source of influence. Books, preachers, teachers, and friends all impact our convictions. Our theology may in fact be sound, but faith is merely mental acceptance until it's put to the test.
PROVEN FAITH: Only when we trust the Lord through the fires of adversity will we have faith that can stand. It is no longer based on what others have told us or what we've accepted as true but on our firsthand experience of His faithfulness.
To evaluate our faith, we must consider how we react to adversity. Do we cling to the Lord or get angry at Him? Is our attitude one of rejoicing because He's making us more like His son, or are we bitter? No one can escape adversity, but those with proven faith will benefit from it.
Be blessed!
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