Plus One

[WordSword]

What a most secure and encouraging truth, that the believer will never again be alone after being reborn. And, not only the Father and Son’s (Rom 8:9; Gal 4:6 1Pet 1:11) Holy Spirit eternally within (Jhn 14:16) but also now and forever connected with all who are Theirs. Often in our trials we can become distracted from minding the truth that the Spirit of comfort (Jhn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) is ever in us—which is the greatest encouragement we can have, because we eventually learn that just knowing God remains in and with us resolves all difficulties. How encouraged the disciples could have been in the “boat” (Mk 4:39; Psa 89:9) if this had already been a part of their maturity. But greater is it when considering that this was merely another lesson (among many as we all know) being used for the maturing of their faith.

The difficulties that distract me the most are those I create, and I momentarily forget that I’m not alone. But regardless of where a trial comes from it is not only foreknown but has also been prearranged to benefit your faith, and this is what we are to remember the most for optimum consistency in our “endurance” (2Tim 2:3).

The difficulties believers encounter are always (regardless of the size) for the testing of our faith, and this is not a pass-fail test but is always a strengthening test from its teaching, like determining the purity of gold when tested (i.e. what gold tests out to be, by acid). We have already been passed, thus it is not as though we are on probation, to see what we will do, but it’s the lesson we learn in realizing our benefit from trusting God in the hardness. Of course, it should easily be understood how impractical this faith lesson would be if we don’t know the permanency of our union with God will never be disrupted; fellowship yes, but never unity.

There is the greatest comfort in knowing that everything results to our benefit, even when we know not what to think, feel, do or say. “For if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (this is matured faith – Rom 8:25). Regardless of your present maturity level, the outcome of the blessing is the same—but the strength of your faith has just again “increased” (Luke 17:5)!

 

 

[Not me]

4 hours ago, WordSword said:

What a most secure and encouraging truth, that the believer will never again be alone after being reborn. And, not only the Father and Son’s (Rom 8:9; Gal 4:6 1Pet 1:11) Holy Spirit eternally within (Jhn 14:16) but also now and forever connected with all who are Theirs. Often in our trials we can become distracted from minding the truth that the Spirit of comfort (Jhn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) is ever in us—which is the greatest encouragement we can have, because we eventually learn that just knowing God remains in and with us resolves all difficulties. How encouraged the disciples could have been in the “boat” (Mk 4:39; Psa 89:9) if this had already been a part of their maturity. But greater is it when considering that this was merely another lesson (among many as we all know) being used for the maturing of their faith.

The difficulties that distract me the most are those I create, and I momentarily forget that I’m not alone. But regardless of where a trial comes from it is not only foreknown but has also been prearranged to benefit your faith, and this is what we are to remember the most for optimum consistency in our “endurance” (2Tim 2:3).

The difficulties believers encounter are always (regardless of the size) for the testing of our faith, and this is not a pass-fail test but is always a strengthening test from its teaching, like determining the purity of gold when tested (i.e. what gold tests out to be, by acid). We have already been passed, thus it is not as though we are on probation, to see what we will do, but it’s the lesson we learn in realizing our benefit from trusting God in the hardness. Of course, it should easily be understood how impractical this faith lesson would be if we don’t know the permanency of our union with God will never be disrupted; fellowship yes, but never unity.

There is the greatest comfort in knowing that everything results to our benefit, even when we know not what to think, feel, do or say. “For if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (this is matured faith – Rom 8:25). Regardless of your present maturity level, the outcome of the blessing is the same—but the strength of your faith has just again “increased” (Luke 17:5)!

 

 

Can definitely see your relationship with Christ in your writings. Thanks for sharing it with us. Very pleasurable read. Thanks for the increase. 

Much love in Christ, Not me. 

Edited June 12, 2018 by Not me

[WordSword]

2 minutes ago, Not me said:

Can definitely see your relationship with Christ in your writings. Thanks for sharing it with us. Very pleasurable read. Thanks for the increase. 

Much love in Christ, Not me. 

Thanks and appreciate the encouragement NM!

Great love and blessings!

[Not me]

3 hours ago, WordSword said:

Thanks and appreciate the encouragement NM!

Great love and blessings!

Your more than welcome. What you wrote is so true. Knowning that God will always be there, has come to make His abode with us, and never leave or forsake us. Like you said, we may lose fellowship with Him and He May hide His face, (when we step off holy ground) but the unity,  we can never lose.

Blessed be you my brother in Christ, Not me 

[WordSword]

14 hours ago, Yowm said:

Trials/temptations are two sides of the same coin. 

The same trial for one person may be a temptation for another.

God uses trials to purify, satan uses temptations to tear down.

HI Y, and thanks for your reply!

Blessings!

[Willa]

In the beginning God uses trials to test the genuineness of our faith.  After it tests as genuine, He purifies it.  

Luk 8:11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Luk 8:12  The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Luk 8:13  And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

 

1Pe 1:6  Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials,

1Pe 1:7  that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—

1Pe 1:8  whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory—

1Pe 1:9  receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Wuest's Word Studies"

Verse 7

In this verse we are informed as to the reason and purpose of these trials, namely, that the trial of our faith might result in praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. The word "trial" is the translation of dokimion the noun, dokimazo being the verb of the same root, the latter referring to the act of putting someone or something to the test with a view of determining whether it is worthy of being approved or not, the test being made with the intention of approving if possible. The word was used of the act of examining candidates for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. It is the approval of our faith which is to resound to the praise of the Lord Jesus. Testing times put our faith to the test, and as we are submissive to God and remain faithful to Him and are ready to have Him teach us the lessons He would have us learn through them, we demonstrate by our actions that the faith we have is a genuine God-given, Holy Spirit produced faith, the genuine article. This faith and its working in our lives is to the glory of the Lord Jesus. It is not the testing of our faith that is to the glory of God, but the fact that our faith has met the test and has been approved, that redounds to His glory. This is made very clear by the Greek grammar involved in the statement.

It is not the approved faith, but the approval itself that is in the apostle’s mind here. For instance, a gold-mining company wishes to buy a proposed site where gold is said to have been found. But it is not sure whether the metal is real gold or not and whether it is there in sufficient quantity so that a mine if sunk would be a profitable venture. It engages an assayer of metals to take samples of the gold ore to his laboratory and examine them. The assayer sends his report to the effect that the ore contains true gold, and that the gold is found in sufficient quantity so that the venture will pay. The report of the assayer approving the gold ore is of far more value to the mining company than the gold he returns with his report, for upon the basis of the report, the company can go ahead with assurance and buy the land and begin mining operations. The fact that God finds our faith to be one which He can approve, is of far more value to Him and to His glory, than the approved faith, for He has something to work with, a faith that He knows can stand the testings and the trials which may come to the Christian. The fact that God can trust a Christian as one that is dependable, is of great value to Him. God is looking for faithful, dependable workers, not necessarily gifted, educated, cultured ones. It is a "well done, thou good and faithful servant" that will greet the ears of the saint at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Peter tells us that this approval of our faith is much more precious than the approval of gold, even though that gold be approved through fire-testing. The words "of gold" of the A.V. are an excellent rendering for a literal word-for-word translation. But the words "the approval of" are necessarily supplied to make clear the apostle’s thought. It is not the approval of our faith that is compared to gold, but to the approval of gold. The picture here is of an ancient gold-smith who puts his crude gold ore in a crucible, subjects it to intense heat, and thus liquifies the mass. The impurities rise to the surface and are skimmed off. When the metal-worker is able to see the reflection of his face clearly mirrored in the surface of the liquid, he takes it off the fire, for he knows that the contents are pure gold. So it is with God and His child. He puts us in the crucible of Christian suffering, in which process sin is gradually put out of our lives, our faith is purified from the slag of unbelief that somehow mingles with it so often, and the result is the reflection of the face of Jesus Christ in the character of the Christian. This, above all, God the Father desires to see. Christlikeness is God’s ideal for His child. Christian suffering is one of the most potent means to that end.

 

[WordSword]

On 6/13/2018 at 2:00 PM, Willa said:

In the beginning God uses trials to test the genuineness of our faith.  After it tests as genuine, He purifies it.  

Hi Willa, and appreciate the laborious reply! Amen, God knows how to strengthen (test) every believer in Christ, so that every believer at His coming will be "found unto praise and honor and glory" unto the Lord Jesus Jesus (1Pet 1:7).

Blessings!