Tested by Fire

Jesus endured the cross, despised the shame, because of the joy that was set before Him.

The same principle applies to us.  In 1 Peter 1:6-7, God tells us to rejoice in the glorious salvation Jesus has won for us, BUT... "if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Trials are God's testing to determine how genuine or real is our faith, and to allow us a very tangible way to honor and glorify God.  The Lord is pleased with every godly choice from giving a child a glass of water to laying our life down for our faith.  There is no joy like being able to give glory to God, which lasts forever and is worth a million times the cost now.

Life is filled with opportunities to grow.  Actually, maturing comes from making good choices that make godly qualities a part of our nature.  Everything starts with applying God's gift of faith to accept Jesus and be born again.  2 Peter 1:5-10 would then tell us to add to our faith, virtue, and to our virtue, knowledge, and to our knowledge, self-control, and to our self control, perseverance, and to our perseverance, godliness, and to our godliness, brotherly love, and finally, to our brotherly love, the agape God-kind of love.  When we practice and acquire these qualities, the Word promises we will never fail.

Scripture warns about those who say, Lord, Lord, and then do not do the will of God.  Jesus had very strong words of condemnation for the behavior of the hypocritical Pharisees.  There is a need to demonstrate that we don't just believe and love in word, but in word and deed.  There is parable about two sons that Jesus told in Matthew 21 where the first refused to obey and the second said, "Oh yes, I will."  However, he did not.  But the first son who first refused, repented and did the work.  None of us in our flesh want to obey God, our flesh will not and cannot please God.  It requires a choice, by the power of the Spirit, to put to death the deeds and desires of the flesh.   

God also promises to refine us as fire, so don't think it strange when the fiery trial comes but rather rejoice.  James would give the same instruction, to count it joy when various trials come because they produce patience, that we may be "perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  Psalms, as well as Isaiah and Zachariah, explain that God refines us as silver is refined.  Silver is melted over a fire so the impurities float to the top.  Then the master skims off the impurities.  The fire continues, and the master continues to skim off the impurities until He can see the reflection of His own face in the silver. 

So trials are necessary steps to help us get rid of the baggage of fallen nature and choose to walk in the Spirit.  God, being God, is a very present help in times of trials and openly offers the Spirit's help to will and to work for His pleasure.  Truly, God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We will be tested by fire.  Rather than dreading the trials, we are invited to see the joy set before us, as God uses these as opportunities to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith and to let Him perfect us through them.  Notice the purpose and fruit of trials in this end-time passage in Zachariah (13:9) about the effect of trials for the people of Israel, "I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God. ”  Trials by fire refine us to declare and confirm that Jesus is Lord of our lives.