The Proving of Your Precious & Imperishable Faith

Suffering Well in 1 Peter 1:6-7

Welcome to Part 2 of NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Holy Note Breakdown, in which we are discussing the issue of suffering well from 1 Peter 1, verses 6 and 7, in response to people like Kathy DeGraw, who teach that it is always God's will to heal.

In Part 1, we were introduced to the martyrdom of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, so if you haven't watched Part 1, do that first. The link is in the description. We've divided the text into three sections, the Realistic Paradox, the Refining Purification, and the Revelatory Purpose of Christian Suffering.

In Part 1, we discover the Realistic Paradox, that the perspective of faith in the midst of distress is a little while, knowing that these trials are necessary as having come from God for my good, so that I have an eternal joy for temporal trials because of what Christ has done for me.

Here in Part 2, I want to call your attention to the Refining Purification. In Part 1, we address the question, How do we suffer well? And found our answer in that Realistic Paradox, greatly rejoicing even though we are distressed by various trials.

The Refining Purification of Faith

And under this heading, we want to answer the question, Why do we suffer well? Look at verse 7. So that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire.

Stop there. Three realities of which we should take note in these words. The proof of faith, the preciousness of faith, and the imperishability of faith. Peter writes, So that the proof of your faith.

The idea here is of divine experimentation upon a Christian, not for their destruction, but for their betterment. The trial, Matthew Henry says, is the search made upon a man by some affliction to prove the value and strength of his faith.

It is by affliction that our faith is tested and proved. The hypercharismatics abuse millions of souls by telling them that faith is proved by how much wealth or healing you claim for yourself. The opposite of what Peter teaches here.

They say that faith is proved by your deliverance from suffering. Peter says your faith is proved by how well you suffer. The charismatics say that if you don't receive wealth, if you don't receive health, it proves your faith to be deficient.

There is a flaw there, but Peter says that if you are not delivered from suffering, it is for God's glory and your good. Peter is speaking in terms of refinement which brings us to the preciousness of faith.

Being more precious than gold. How much gold is your soul worth? Your faith is more valuable than gold. Your faith that remains true in the midst of suffering is more valuable than any precious metal.

Judas figured his soul was worth about 30 pieces of silver, not even gold. But you, your soul, your faith, will through affliction be proven more valuable than all gold. So do not, because of suffering, trade your precious faith for 30 pieces of silver.

When people go through a trial and abandon Christianity, the trial is for you. You ought not to trade it. You see, when gold goes through the refining process, the dross is burned off and the gold is reduced.

But when faith is refined in the furnace of affliction, the dross is burned away and the faith is established and expanded and strengthened. It is precious. And if our faith is refined in the furnace of affliction, then we should not fight against affliction.

The Witness of the Martyrs

John Fox in his Book of Martyrs reports that Mr. Ridley, when being led out to be burned at the stake, lifted up both his hands and looked towards heaven. Then, seeing Master Latimer with a wondrous, cheerful look, ran to him, embraced and kissed him, and comforted him, saying, Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame or else strengthen us to abide it.

With that, he went to the stake, kneeled down by it, kissed it, and most effectuously prayed. And behind him, Master Latimer kneeled as earnestly, calling upon God as he. Not only is faith proved and precious, it is imperishable.

He writes, which is perishable even though tested by fire. Both are tested by fire, as it were, but gold will perish at last. Even gold will be burned up, but you will not burn. Your faith will not perish, because the one who suffered well prays for you.

He prays for you as he prayed for Peter, that your faith would not fail. Gold will burn, but you will not. Once the fire was kindled for the execution of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, the wind shifted the fire so that it quickly consumed Hugh Latimer, who seemed to die with little apparent pain as he entrusted his soul to God.

But the fire under Mr. Ridley was poorly made. The fire remained low and refused to rise, burning up his legs only. A man attempted to give more fuel to the fire, almost concealing Ridley completely under a pile of wooden bundles, but it only made the problem worse.

It made the fire more furious beneath, and when they finally figured out the issue and took the extra bundles off, it revealed Mr. Ridley's lower half nearly burned completely away, with his shirt still unsinged.

John Fox reports, Let the fire come unto me. I cannot burn. When the fire did rise, he leaned into it. The flame touched the gunpowder, and he was seen to stir no more. Beloved, your faith will not perish.

Though all the gold in this world be burned up, though even your own body be tested by fire, you, your soul, you will not burn. Perhaps some of you are in the midst of trial, and you are perplexed. Why is this happening, you ask?

Well, you have your answer. For the proving of your precious and imperishable faith. Are you willing to say now, in the midst of your trial, are you willing to say for the rest of your life, when suffering comes upon you, let the fire come unto me.

I cannot burn. God is faithful to refine and purify. This concludes part two of our three-part series on suffering well. I hope this is helpful to you, especially to those of you who are taught that bad theology that says that God only wants you perfectly healthy all the time, you just have to decree and declare it, because that theology...

Don't you believe those naysayers who says that God's making you do this, making you go through this, so that you can learn something to make you stronger, so he can use it?

No!

I feel like I'm losing my mind. Is everybody in the world blind? Please, Lord, give me a sign, a sign.