H. Michael Brewer
Crescent Springs Presbyterian
14 November 2004
MORE PRECIOUS—AND MORE COSTLY—THAN GOLD
1 Peter 1:3-9
British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who became a Christian before his death, said late in life,
“Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially
desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, everything I have learned, everything that
has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through
happiness.”
That’s one perspective. On the other hand I met a Christian woman who had written a book on
how suffering creates character. The title of her book is wonderfully honest. This book about the
benefits of suffering is called, “But, Lord, I Like Being Shallow!”
As Christians, what are we to make of trials and struggles? When the bad stuff comes along, has
God failed us somehow? The First Letter of Peter was written to Christians undergoing trials and
persecution. There are a couple of verses in the first chapter that may not answer all our questions,
but certainly will give us food for thought. Listen to what Peter says to Christians who are struggling
to get through the day: “In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various
trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is
tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
To unpack this passage it’s helpful to look at two key words. One of those is the word “trials” that
translates the Greek word peirasmos, a word that appears often in the New Testament. This word
can mean “test” or “trial” or “temptation.” The meaning of the word depends on the context. Let me
put that another way. How we respond to a particular challenge in life determines whether that event
is a test, a trial or a temptation. When we face a test in school, we can use that test as an opportunity
to grow or to fail. The same is true of trials in life. A difficult trial can be a means of growing in faith
and courage or it can become a temptation to surrender and defeat. It all depends on how we
respond.
When trouble comes, we may turn to God in prayer or we may become bitter. We may become
quiet and thoughtful or we may begin to complain. We may grow tender and compassionate, or we
may become harsh and cruel. We may find courage or we may give in to fear. We may draw close to
God or we may turn away. The same event will lead to vastly different results depending on how we
respond.
The second word worth noting is the word “rejoice.” Joy is a difficult word to define. We know
that joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness depends on outward circumstances.
Happiness ebbs and flows with the events of the day. But joy is deeper and more profound because
it comes from God. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Simply put, joy emerges from a healthy and
satisfying relationship with God. When we are satisfied with God, we have joy even in the hard times.
G. K. Chesterton called joy “the gigantic secret of the Christian life.” Joy, he said, is always at the
center for the Christian; trials are at the periphery of life. Joy is the ability to face reality, the good and
bad, the happy and the sad, the positive and the negative, the best and the worst, because we are
satisfied with God. This is why Peter can talk about facing trials and rejoicing in the same breath.
Peter says several things about trials. First he assures us that our trials will only last “a little while.”
Of course, that “little while” seems to last forever when we are in the fiery furnace. But our trials don’t
really last forever. That’s Peter’s point. Compared to eternity, our burdens are brief and momentary.
It’s a matter of perspective. If I’m holding my breath, two minutes is a long time. If I’m in a
bookstore two minutes goes by in a heartbeat. Our sufferings and trials are very real, but as
Christians our perspective is bigger than this world. When I was boy, my family went to Disney
World, and I was so excited and eager to get there. It seemed to me that the drive to Florida would
go on forever, but once we got to Disney World, I forgot the drive; all that mattered was that I was
there.
I don’t for a second want to deny the reality and importance of life in this world, but we have a
kind of spiritual nearsightedness that views this world as the main event and treats eternity as
something secondary. But in fact this life is the prelude, the preface, the warm-up act. God never asks
us to deny the harsh reality of our trials, but God does invite us to cultivate a larger perspective. No
matter how it may feel at the time, our trials don’t last forever. Our struggles will end, and we will go
on.
So our trials are for a little while, says Peter, and then he tells us that our trials are necessary.
“You have had to suffer,” Peter says, and the Greek there carries the idea of something necessary.
Hard times come to every believer, and they may come repeatedly. No Christian is exempt from
trials, because those trials are necessary to help us grow spiritually. Martin Luther said adversity is
“the very best book in my library.” Our trials are a kind of proof that we belong to the Lord. John
Duncan put it this way: “If we have not got a cross, alas! We may conclude that we have not Christ,
for (the cross) is the first of his gifts.”
Why are these trials necessary? What do trials do for us? Listen to Peter: Trials come “so that the
genuineness of your faith … is tested by fire.” Trials have a purpose, to test and purify our faith. Peter
speaks of testing the “genuineness” of our faith. That word genuine translates the Greek word
dokimos, which means to test something in order to prove that it will not fail.
When Chevrolet tests Ford pickup trucks, they do it to prove that Ford trucks won’t pass the
test. But when Chevrolet tests its own trucks, they do it to prove that their trucks will pass the test.
That’s the Greek word used here, to test something in order to prove that it will not fail. God puts our
faith to the test by allowing hard times to come, not to destroy us but to demonstrate that our faith is
genuine.
Peter compares our faith with gold. He says gold has to tested with fire. Your faith is infinitely
more precious than mere gold so don’t be surprised if your faith also has to pass through the fire.
Someone told me it takes four tons of ore to produce one ounce of pure gold. During the refining
process, the gold ore is heated in a giant furnace until it liquefies; the dross or waste material is
skimmed off, leaving only the pure gold at the bottom.
Trials are the furnace that burns away our greed, our impatience, our unkindness, our anger, our
bitterness, our hatred, our lust, and our selfishness. The faith that remains is the real thing, not just
pious phrases or conditional discipleship, but a strong and proven faith. In ancient times goldsmiths
knew they had pure gold when they could look at the gold and see their reflection. That’s what God
intends for us. God wants to look into our hearts and see the reflection of Jesus there. For most of us,
that’s a lifetime process. But that’s the goal, that we pass through our trials with such faith that the
image of Jesus is formed in us. Hard times make strong saints. There is no other way to forge that
kind of faith.
Peter says one more thing that is truly wonderful. The testing and proving of our faith, he says, will
“result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” I think that means two things. It
means that our Lord is glorified and exalted by our faithfulness. When we bear our trials faithfully we
honor our Savior.
But I think it also means we will receive praise and glory and honor. We will receive Christ’s
approval when he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Not that our deeds will win our
salvation, but to hear the note of pride in the voice of our Savior, what a treasure that will be! What
will it mean to those who suffered much in this life, those who endured ridicule or persecution for their
faith, those who suffered illness with joy, those who lost their possessions but not their faith, those
who walked a hard road but never gave up, what will it mean to have our faithfulness in a few things
recognized and honored by our faithful Lord?
When Jesus Christ is revealed, so too will the meaning of our lives and purpose of our trials be
revealed. Trouble is meant to draw us closer to our Lord, not push us further away. Like Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego in the story from Daniel, when we are thrown into the fiery furnace, that’s
when we discover we are not alone. Someone else is there in the inferno with us. Just when we need
him most, Christ is there. Can we learn that lesson outside the furnace? I don’t think so.
So let this be our prayer in good times and bad:
Whatever it takes, Lord, do your work in me.
Whatever it takes to purify my heart, do your work in me.
Whatever it takes to build my faith, do your work in me.
Whatever it takes to make me like Jesus, do your work in me.
If that means fiery trials today and more tomorrow,
do your work in me so that I may become what you want me to be.
Soli Deo Gloria!