In Grief and Trials: 1 Peter 1:3-9
1 Peter introduces a theme that runs through Peter’s letter, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” (1 Peter 1:6 NIV)
The folks to whom Peter writes were living in the last days, just like we’re living in the last days today! The nature of things is we suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
Jesus made it clear the world didn’t like Him much and when we respond to Him and follow Him, like Peter did, they’re not going to respond to us with much joy.
So, we like them are going to find ourselves in grief and trials.
I put several Bible Teaching videos on Youtube each day. Recently, I put one out about how the resurrection of Jesus assures us life beyond the grave in Heaven.
Some guy left a response that went like this; “I don’t know how the algorithm sent me this video. I am an atheist and don’t believe any of your B S, except he spelled out the words, then he wrote the following, “you die and then you rot.”
There it is, the grief and trials Peter is talking about. I decided to respond to the guy, so I said, “Bless you anyway!” I never heard anything else from him.
In 1 Peter 1:3-9, 4 things matter in the midst of grief and trials:
First, 1 Peter 1:3-4, “(3) 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 (4) and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you,” (NIV)
THE FIRST THING THAT MATTERS IS GOD’S MERCY!
Peter praises God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because He functioned and moved in mercy! When you’re in a hopeless situation someone needs to have mercy on you. We were in a hopeless situation, lost in sin and God had mercy on us.
How did God have mercy on us in our hopeless situation? He gave us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Jesus taught about this in John 3:3B, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (NIV) Jesus is responding to a Jewish Pharisee named Nicodemus and is using the occasion to teach him about how to enter the kingdom of God and it tells us how God has extended us mercy through a new birth.
Nicodemus wanted to know how a grown man can be born again. He went so far as to wonder out loud if a person can enter a second time into his mother’s womb!
Jesus explains in John 3:5B – 6, “(5B) I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. (6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit.” (NIV)
Jesus is saying to enter the Kingdom of God you have to be born the natural way, your mother’s water breaks and you’re born of water, then you need to be born of the Spirit, meaning you respond to what Jesus would pay on the cross in faith, and to His resurrection from the dead and the Holy Spirit comes into your life and you’re born of the Spirit.
The new birth is into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus’ death paid for your sin and His resurrection guarantees a living hope, meaning you’re assured of eternal life in Heaven when you come to Him in faith.
I’m told some people inherit large sums of money from their family. That hasn’t happened to me, but I’m on the receiving end of God’s inheritance that can’t perish, spoil or fade, like money and wealth!
God’s inheritance for me, and you, Christ-follower, is kept in Heaven for us. That keeping of our inheritance is perpetual and ongoing until we arrive in heaven, then we receive it.
What exactly is that inheritance? It’s the assurance of resurrection life with God in Heaven for all of eternity. Remember it can’t perish, spoil or fade and is kept for you in Heaven.
It’s like your inheritance is being kept in a safe deposit box for you. Your name is on the box! The executor of your will is Jesus Christ the Lord. When you pass away in this life or when Jesus comes back, He unlocks your safe deposit box and you receive eternal life with Him in heaven, that’s without any doubt. Rest in it!
GOD HAS HAD MERCY ON YOU, AND THAT MATTERS!
Second 1 Peter 1:5-7, (5) 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. (6) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (7) These have come so that your faith — of greater value than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved to be genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (NIV)
WE ARE SHIELDED BY GOD’S POWER THROUGH FAITH!
A Roman soldier in Jesus’ time would have a shield made of wood, covered with thick leather. The leather would be soaked in water before battle to extinguish lit arrows that could be fired at the soldier.
The trooper could kneel behind the shield and shield his entire body from a barrage of arrows. Faith draws on God’s power that sets up a shield to give us cover from grief and trials that are a part of living now. God shields us until the coming of His salvation that’s ready to be revealed in the last time!
We’re in the last time, and His salvation is ready to be revealed NOW! That means the second coming of Christ to take us to heavenly glory and the city of God! He even calls it “a little time!” While we wait, we will suffer grief and trials, but the time is getting short, and He has us shielded until the time is full and He comes to take us home.
Notice the trials will test our faith! Just like gold is heated to a molten state and the impurities are skimmed off the top, the trials test our faith to purify it, and skim the impurities off the top.
All the time you’re still being shielded by God, but your faith is purified so as to bring glory and honor to Christ when He comes back.
WE ARE SHIELDED BY GOD’S POWER THROUGH FAITH AND IT MATTERS!
1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy,” (NIV)
WE LOVE AND BELIEVE IN JESUS WITHOUT SEEING JESUS AND IT MATTERS.
Remember Peter knew Jesus in person here on earth. He spent three years with him, and he was in Jesus’ inner circle. He saw Jesus after He was raised from the dead.
Without the advantage Peter had we love Jesus and believe in Him anyway! Peter is saying such faith without sight like he had will bring inexpressible joy when faith does become sight when Jesus comes back, and we see Him face to face like Peter had.
Such joy thumps grief and trials!
WE LOVE AND BELIEVE IN JESUS WITHOUT SEEING JESUS AND IT MATTERS.
1 Peter 1:9, “For you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (NIV)
WE ARE RECEIVING FAITH’S GOAL, THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS AND IT MATTERS.
Your faith has a goal, the salvation of your soul. Your soul is yourself, your person and your life. The thing we all pursue is the salvation of our life!
Another guy responded to one of my Youtube videos and asked how he can be sure he’s going to heaven. I responded leading him to a conclusive answer about assurance of salvation.
Faith’s goal is to know you’re going to heaven and getting off planet earth with your life!
The language in verse 9 says you have a future salvation, but you possess it in the here and now!
WE ARE RECEIVING FAITH’S GOAL, THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS AND IT MATTERS.
In the midst of grief and trials in this life we have received God’s mercy, are shielded by His power, love and believe in Him without seeing Him and we’re receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls.
Grief and trials come in many forms, and it’s all around us. Recently, the governor of California came out with an ad that quoted Scripture, Mark 12:31, “Love your neighbor as yourself, there is no commandment greater than these.” (NIV)
What was his point? He was saying California loves their neighbors and invites them to come here for an abortion. The trial is the concept someone is so sick he would use Scripture illegitimately to say we love people when we kill a child in the womb.
The grief comes when we understand the governor of the state where I live is misusing the Word of God for the purpose of killing a child in the womb.
My heart grieves for lost children, and I see the entire thing as a trial.
In the midst of such grief and trial, I know we’re receiving the salvation of our souls!