Faith Eternal

1 Peter 1:5-7
: 5..who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
: 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials
:7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

: 13b Amplified says it a little stronger…set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace that is coming to you when Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is revealed.

Father, this whole chapter in 1 Peter is wonderful! I love it. There is so much here to sit and dwell on!
This week what caught my eye is what I have to look forward to. You speak of the revelation of Jesus Christ and of what will be revealed to me “in the last time.” And later on in 1 Peter 4:13 You speak of the “revelation of His glory”.

The Christians at the time were facing a time of severe persecution to come. Peter speaks of (:13) fixing our hope completely (all of it!) on the grace we will receive when Jesus returns.

In thinking of living as many other believers live today in persecution, it has to be His grace alone that enables one to endure.

I’m talking being tortured, being brainwashed, being stripped of everything we own, and being separated from our loved ones. This is happening today in many foreign countries for the sake of Christ.

Having to live in an environment like that, Peter knows that in order to have hope at all we would need to “fix”, to keep in place God’s promise of the grace that will be revealed to us at Jesus’ second coming.

Peter reminds us of the imperishable inheritance (:4) that is reserved for us in heaven and that suffering tests the purity and genuineness (:7) of our faith.
This proof of our faith results in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, Our Victor returns for us.

I like the way The Message expresses verse 7:
Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith not your gold that God will have on display as evidence of His victory.

I haven’t thought of my own faith as an object that is precious to You Father. A blessing to You, yes. And more like it is pleasing and a foundational necessity in our Christian walk. But the fact that the Word says it is of the highest value and will result in praise, glory and honor is a little different perspective to me.

To live without the expression of faith in this life then becomes vain. To really know and understand that You will utilize pure faith to proclaim Jesus’ victory and as evidence of His triumphant life in His Body, is motivating. It creates in me a greater understanding of its divine value and importance of it being demonstrated in my life.

Its not all about me. It is not about having “more” faith. Faith the size of a mustard seed will move mountains. It is about utilizing the faith (Rom 12:3) You have already equipped us with; it’s about knowing we already have it to accomplish Your perfect will in our lives. It’s about stepping out and doing what You ask us to do.

How else can believers endure the suffering of persecution if it is not by having a fixed faith in our Resurrected Lord and in His promise? They can know that they will be taking into Eternity the faith that sustained them and it will result in praise, honor and glory.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; And the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.