We're going to observe the Lord's
table together tonight. I've entitled the message for
this morning, The Trial of Your Faith. The testing, the trial of your
faith. Now, I've had several weeks to
think about some messages I'd like to bring. I went four straight
weeks without preaching. And so I've thought about some
things, some messages for the next couple of weeks, two or
three weeks I'd like to bring before I resume what I had been
doing. And I've had a lot of time to
think about this particular message. The trial, the testing of your
Look in verse 7, 1 Peter chapter 1, that the trial of your faith being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found. and to praise and honor and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ. The trial of your faith. Now listen to this statement
real carefully. Everybody to ever live has some kind of faith. This is speaking to you. The trial of your faith. This
is speaking to me, the trial of your faith. Everybody has
some kind of faith, even atheists. What kind of faith do they have?
Well, they don't believe in God. That's their faith. Everybody
has a type of faith. Everybody has something they
believe. Well, I pray that God will cause
that faith to be put on trial, to be tried to see if it is real. Now your faith will be tested,
your faith. Boys, girls, men and women, your
faith will be tested to prove whether or not it is real. Let me read some other translations
of this verse. The proving of your faith. The
proven character of your faith. The genuineness of your faith. The tested genuineness of your
faith. The proof of your faith. I like this, the true metal of
your faith. THE PROVEN GENUINESS OF YOUR
FAITH. NOW, THOSE ARE ALL DIFFERENT
TRANSLATIONS THAT LET US KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT HE MEANS
WHEN HE SPEAKS OF THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH. YOUR FAITH PUT ON
TRIAL, MY FAITH PUT ON TRIAL TO SEE IF IT IS REAL. NOW, YOU AND I WILL BE continually
tested to see if our faith looks to Christ alone. That's where you're going to
be tested. You're going to be brought, things are going to be brought
into your path all the time that will test whether or not your
faith is real, whether or not you truly look to Christ alone
because you're going to be tempted not to. You're going to be tempted
to look somewhere else. You're going to be tempted to look to
yourself in some way. You're going to have all kinds
of things that are going to be thrown at you that could be called
the trying of your faith. Now, I think of what John said
when he talked about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes. Pride of life. That's all gonna be thrown at
you. The lust, the pleasure of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
being more concerned about what men think than what God sees.
The pride of life, the desire for power to make you feel good
about yourself. That's gonna be thrown your way
to seek to cause you to look somewhere other than Christ. I think of the parable of the
sower. Remember the stoning ground here? He received the word. He seemed
to believe. He seemed to have faith. But
when persecution arose because of the word, he fell away. I didn't sign up for this. I
didn't expect this. Think about the thorn choked
here. He received the word, but the cares of this life the deceitfulness
of riches. The lust of other things came
in and choked the word. He failed the test. When his faith was tried, it
was made to be not real. Lord, try my faith. I want to know if it's not real.
So by your grace, I will be enabled to believe. The trial of your
faith. Now let's read what led Peter
to make this statement. Verse 1 of 1 Peter 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Now, one thing every
believer knows is they're a stranger in this world. This world's not
my home. I'm just passing through. I'm
a stranger. And look what he says next. I
love this. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father. Matt was reading that passage of scripture in Romans
chapter 9, that great passage with regard to election. And
I remember Henry Mahan saying one time that he got up and read
that passage of scripture with no comment. He just read Romans
9. And somebody stood up red-faced
in anger and said, it doesn't mean that. Oh. Elect. Peter wasn't ashamed of election,
he rejoiced in it. Rejoiced in the God of election,
the God of all grace. Elect according to the foreknowledge
whom he did foreknow. Now foreknowledge doesn't mean
simply he knew beforehand, he loved beforehand. Whom he did
foreknow. elect according to the foreknowledge
of God, the father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Now let me say
this, that doesn't mean your obedience and the sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ. I was talking about his obedience.
Don't dare think of your obedience and put it in the same verse
as the sprinkling of his blood. That's talking about his obedience,
the sprinkling, the saving power of his blood. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Verse three, blessed be the God
and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope. by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. Now, here's why my hope lives,
he lives. He was raised from the dead.
The only hope I have is found in his resurrection, his life,
his death, and his resurrection, and what hope there is in him. Two, an inheritance, incorruptible. and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power
of God through faith. Now this was the faith that's
going to be put on trial. Through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein You greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be. You are in heaviness through
manifold temptations at the trial of your faith. That's
so important, at the trial of your faith. Your faith is gonna
be tested by God, at the trial of your faith being much more
precious than that of gold that perisheth, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ. Now, from Peter's writings, God
the Holy Spirit's writings, he used Peter to do it. But he uses
this word precious, the trying of your faith being more precious
than gold. That's what everybody's interested
in, money and the things money gets, the love of money, it's
the root of all evil. Well, faith is infinitely more
precious than gold, infinitely. That the trying of your faith,
and he uses the word precious four other times in this two
epistles, first Peter and second Peter. And from these four precious
things, the trying of your faith is precious. There's four precious
things that give the marks of saving faith. And if my faith
doesn't have These four marks, my faith doesn't pass the test.
Wherever there is saving faith, wherever there's faith that's
the gift of God's grace, true saving faith, there will always,
without exception, be these four marks. Now, proven faith, faith
that God has tried, that has passed the test, it has a source, It has a ground, it has knowledge,
and it has an object. Wherever there's true faith,
there's a source, a place from which that faith comes from.
There is a ground, a reason, there is a knowledge. Faith always
has knowledge. There's no faith without knowledge.
And it has an object. The source of faith, what's going
to be found in First Peter 1.1, to them that have obtained like
precious faith. Now that is the source of faith. You obtained it. That means somebody
gave it to you. If you have faith, it has a source. Somebody gave it to you. You
didn't decide to believe. Somebody says, well, I made a
decision to believe. You know, that's foolishness. You don't
decide to believe. You find yourself believing.
There was a time when you couldn't believe. You didn't even know
what it meant to believe. You'd hear, believe, and you'd
think, what's that mean? And then you found yourself believing. You didn't choose to believe.
Really, you believed because you had no choice. That's when
you believe, when you have no other options. That's the source
of faith. And then there's the ground of
faith. 2 Peter 1, 4, unto us are given
exceeding great and precious promises. Promises by God. That's the ground of faith, because
God said it. Because God promised it. The
only reason I have a right to believe something is because
it's what God said. God promised it. And then there
is the knowledge of saving faith. You know, Peter said, you know
that you were not redeemed by corruptible things. You know
that you were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Now, everybody that has faith
that has been tried knows this, the reason they're redeemed is
not because of anything they did. You're redeemed by the precious
blood of Christ. And what is the object of this
faith that is tried? Well, Peter once again said in
1 Peter 2, 7, to you that believe, he is precious. That is the object of faith that
passes the test. That is what Peter called faith
into salvation, ready to be revealed. To you that believe, here's the
mark. He, he is precious. That's what we're going to consider,
these four marks, that will prove the reality of our faith. Now first, the source of faith
that passes the test. 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 1, Simon Peter a servant
and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like
precious faith." Now, the word obtained is defined in the Greek
dictionary like this, to receive by divine allotment. That's the literal meaning of
the word to receive by divine allotment. Now, if you haven't
received it, he never gave it. Is that clear? Somebody says
the act of reception is the act of faith. No, it's not. If he
gives you receive, and if you have not received, he never gave
it. Those who receive this gift,
this is the source of faith. It's God. It's not your free
will. It's not a decision you make.
It's not a choice you make. It's not the act of reception.
Faith is the gift of God. That is its source. Ephesians 2, 8, 9 says, for by
grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. It's like precious faith. You know, all of God's elect
have the same faith. Now, some may have stronger faith
than others, but do you know the weakest faith in the world
saves? Because it's the gift of God. And all faith is alike
in the sense that we believe the same thing. I remember hearing
a song once. It says, we all believe, but
not the same thing. Well, I reckon that's true, but
it's not saving faith. We all believe the same thing.
We all believe Christ is all. You believe that? Christ is all. That is the gift of God. I love the way Paul called it
in Titus 1.1, the faith of God's elect. Now those who have faith,
all without exception, know its source. It didn't come from me. It didn't
come because I decided to believe. It didn't come because I decided
to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. You know, I
despise that kind of language. I've decided to accept it. That's
so foolish. Oh, you've decided to accept
him. Congratulations. That's wicked. You don't talk
about the Lord like that. He's the God of glory. Oh, I'm
going to accept him. That's not the issue. Will he
accept you? Will he do something for you?
Now, if you have faith that passes the test, this you will be assured
of. If you have it, he gave it to
you. You know that. I don't have to convince anybody
of that that has faith. If you have faith, you know its
source. It's the gift of God. Now, the next point that will
determine whether or not our faith is genuine and will pass
the test is what is its ground? Upon what basis do we believe? You know, faith is called by
the writer to the Hebrews, in Hebrews 11 one, the substance
of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. Now, I have a hope that all my sins, even the ones
I haven't committed yet, are forgiven. I have a hope that I stand before
God right now, while I'm talking to you, having never sinned. And I will never sin. That's what the Bible calls justification. If you're justified before God,
That means you stand before God without guilt, perfectly righteous. I have a hope that when I stand
before God in judgment, I'll be accepted by Him. He's gonna
say to me, well done, thou good and faithful servant. I really
believe he's going to say that to me. And let me give you a
hint. It isn't because I feel that way about myself. If Christ
did well, I did well. That's where that comes from.
And I have a hope that everything that happens between now and
then and everything that happened before now is working together
for my good and his glory. Romans 8, 28, we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according to His purpose. You know, if you go
on reading in verse eight, it says, with regard to the Lord
Jesus Christ, in verse Peter one, whom having not seen, you
love. Now these things that I've talked
about, having the hope that all my sins are forgiven, that I
stand just before God, that I'm gonna be accepted on judgment
day and everything that happens to me is gonna be for my good
and his glory. I can't see any of that. I can't
see that I'm just before God. It's not something I can see.
Well, you look at me. Yeah, I can't see I've never
sinned because in my experience, that's all I do. I can't see these things. So
upon what ground Will I believe that these things are true with
regard to me? What gives me the right? How would I dare believe
that I'm without sin before God? Only one reason, because God
said it. 2 Peter 1, verse 4, whereby,
2 Peter 1, verse 4, whereby are given unto us, given. Not just thrown out there and
offered, given, given the gift of God. Who is the us? Whereby are given unto us the
same us as if God be for us, who can be against us? Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises. that by these by these precious
promises, you might be partakers of the divine nature. Having
escaped the corruption that's in the world through lust now. Exceeding great and precious
promises, I could show so many scriptures about how salvation
is according to the promise of God. But let me give you this
one Galatians 318. If the inheritance be of the law, it's no more promise.
If Eternal glory and salvation, the inheritance of heaven be
according to the law. By what you've done, it just
negates the promise of God. But God gave it to Abraham by
promise. Now, here's a scripture I want
to quote that summarizes all these exceeding great and precious
promises. This summarizes all of them.
In 2 Samuel 23, verse 5, the dying words of David. David's
dying and he knows it. It says these be the last words
of David. This is what David, the man after
God's own heart, this is how he summarized these great and
precious promises. He said in verse 5, although
my house be not so with God, Yet hath he made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things. And sure, this is all my salvation
and all my desire, though he maketh it not to grow. Now, what
did David mean when he said, although my house be not so with
God? Now, most people, when they think
about that, they think, well, that's talking about David's
kids, some of his wives. I mean, David had more problems
in his house than Kellogg's has cornflakes. Nobody else like that? But you
know what? That's not what David was talking
about. He wasn't talking about the problems
with his kids. Because, you know, he had some kids that it was
so with him. Solomon. Scripture says the Lord
loves Solomon. I mean, he had Michael for a
while, but he also had Abigail. Boy, she was a fine, wonderful
woman that feared the Lord. So when he says, although my
house be not so with God. He's not talking about his relatives.
He's talking about this house. He's talking about his old man.
He's talking about his old nature. It's not so with God. And you're
aware of that if you're a believer. Although my house be not so with
God yet. He hath made with me. an everlasting covenant. He made this covenant before
time began. And it's ordered in all things. All the promises of God in him
are yea and amen. And sure, and David said, this
is all my salvation. Can you say that? This is all
my salvation. Not only is it all my salvation,
it's all my desire. I don't want anything else. Though
he maketh it not to grow. That's the only faith that will
stand the test that has as its source what God has said, the
promises of God in the gospel. Now, thirdly, the knowledge of
faith. First Peter 1.18, for as much
as you know. Don't miss that. You know this. I love all the we knows and you
knows of the scripture. Like I love when Paul says, and
we know that all things work together for good. Well, how
do you know Paul? Well, that's who God is. And somebody says,
well, I don't know that. Well, I do. I do. Paul is speaking
as a spokesman for every believer when he says, we know. We know. Peter says, you know that you
were not redeemed with corruptible things. Now, corruptible things
is everything but God. Isn't that so? Anything that's
not God is corruptible. God the Father is not corruptible.
God the Son is not subject to corruption. He can't sin. God,
the Holy Spirit is not subject to corruption. He's the Holy
Spirit. That which is born of God is not subject to corruption. The new man look in first Peter,
chapter three, hold your finger there. Verse four, but let it
be the hidden man of the heart in that which is what's it say? Not corruptible. The new nature
is not even subject to corruption. It cannot sin. Now, you know
that you were not redeemed with corruptible things. That's anything
that's not God. I don't care what it is. Such as silver and gold from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
you know, you you know that that traditional religion of man is
nothing but a bunch of vain garbage. You know that, don't you? You
weren't redeemed. by corruptible things. But here's
what you know. You were redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ. You know that. As of a lamb without
blemish and without spot who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you. You know, you were redeemed by
the precious blood of Christ. Now, Christ did not try to redeem.
Christ did not make redemption possible. Christ redeemed. Everybody he died for is redeemed. Now, I can't express sufficiently
my contempt for that preaching that says that Jesus Christ died
for everybody, with that exception, and some of those people that
he died for will not be saved. Now, if you believe that, if
you preach that, you believe in salvation by works. You've
never believed the gospel. The gospel is it is finished. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law being made a curse for us. When he had by
himself purged our sins. No help from you. He didn't ask
you if you would accept this. You wouldn't anymore. when he
had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at him finished the
work at the right hand of God. You see his blood is called precious
blood because of whose blood it is. Somebody maybe think how
can the of just one man save so many millions? Because of
whose blood it is. That's why. We're not to, you
know if I died for you, you know how much good it would do you?
Not a bit. Not a bit. If he dies for you, you're redeemed. Your salvation is an absolute
necessity. You know. You were not redeemed
with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ.
I love the way he says, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot, he never sinned. That's why he can redeem you.
And he was verily foreordained before the foundation of the
world. Peter brings that out too. You see, this has always been
the purpose. Before there was ever a sinner, there was a savior.
And he's the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Now where faith is genuine, there
is this knowledge. And if you know that, you know
everything else, don't you? You're redeemed with the precious blood
of Christ. And finally, the object of the
faith that passes the test, 1 Peter 2. I want to begin reading in verse
4. To whom coming. Now that is the
life of faith. You're coming to Christ. Now,
why does a man come to Christ? Well, because he's drawn. Because
he's drawn. No man can come to me except
the Father which is sent me. Draw him. And when you're drawn,
you come because you're a sinner. That's why you come to Christ.
You never come to him as a good man. You come to him in your
need. You come to him because you really
have no choice. You don't have anywhere else
to go. To whom coming? As unto a living stone, Disallowed
indeed of men. Disapproved of men. Men rejected
him. But you know, if you come to
him, you know how much bearing that has on you? Nothing. Somebody
says, I reject Christ. Doesn't change the truth of who
he is in any way. You know, somebody says, I don't
believe him. You know, that doesn't intimidate
me. OK. Believe what you want. But he is, I don't care if men
do disallow him, he's still chosen of God. He's God's elect. He's
precious to God. Disallowed in need of men, but
chosen of God and precious. He also has lively stones or
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices. acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. I love the way the writers in
the New Testament always say, by Jesus Christ. You're not even
gonna talk about anything be accepted apart from him. Verse
six, wherefore also it's contained in the scripture. Behold, I lay
in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that
believeth on him shall not be confounded. unto you therefore
which believe, he is precious. Now, here is the object of our faith. He is precious. And I, you know, that deserves
a whole sermon, doesn't it? I've run out of time. But he
is so precious to me, and the reason being, he's precious to
God. And he's precious to me in that he is my salvation. He
is my salvation. I'm looking to him the same way
God looks to him. In this sense, God looks to him
for everything in my salvation. He doesn't look for a thing out
of me. He looks to Him. You know what? I do too. And
because of that, He is the object of my faith. Not my faith. I
don't look backward to my experience. I don't look at you to see how
I compare to you. I look to Him. He is precious. Precious in His surety ship. Precious in His life. Precious
in his person. Precious in his death. Precious
in his resurrection. Precious in his ascension. He
is precious. I love this acronym, FAITH. F-A-I-T-H. Forsaking all. I trust him. That's what faith is. Forsaking
all. I don't buy his grace. I'm not looking for a thing out
of myself. Forsaking all. I trust. Him. Now, the faith that passes
the test, the trial of your faith. Has. God is at source. Always, and you know it. And
it's ground is the promise of God, the word of God. Its knowledge
is, you know you were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
And it's object, Christ himself. Now wherever that is, there is
faith that passes the test, the trial of your faith. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in the high and
holy name of thy son that we might have this precious gift
of your grace, saving faith. Lord, we ask that we might found our faith only
in what you have promised. And Lord, we look to the precious
blood of your son as all that's needed to make us acceptable
in your sight. And Lord, we confess he is the
object of our faith. He is our peace. He is our life.
He is our all in all. We look to him. Bless this message
for Christ's sake. In his name we pray. Amen.