PM Reflection on AM Sermon – 1 Peter 1:6-7 – The Centrality of God in Suffering
class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>1) 11-30-08…PM…SBCPM Reflection on AM Sermon – Psalm 119:129-136 – The Centrality of God in Suffering
Discussion Question
What is the outlook of most people (saved and unsaved) when trials come their way?
What are some spiritual lessons most of us need to learn going through trials? – humility, faith, trust, JOY
God uses troubles to humble believers (Deut. 8:3; 2 Cor. 12:7–10), wean them away from worldly things and point them toward heaven (John 16:33; Rev. 14:13; cf. Job 19:25–26), teach them to value God’s blessing as opposed to life’s pain (4:13; Rom. 8:17–18), enable them to help others (2 Cor. 1:3–7; Heb. 13:3), chasten them for their sins (1 Cor. 11:30; Job 5:17; Luke 15:16–18; Heb. 12:5–12), and to help strengthen spiritual character (Rom. 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:4–6; James 1:2–4; 5:11). [1]
1 Peter 1:6-7
Background:[2]
- As a result, they were encased in wax and burned at the stake to light his gardens, crucified, and thrown to wild beasts.
- Seeking scapegoats to divert the public’s suspicion that he had started the great fire of July, A.D. 64 that devastated Rome, Nero pinned the blame on the Christians,
- As a result, they were encased in wax and burned at the stake to light his gardens, crucified, and thrown to wild beasts.
- The readers of the apostle Peter’s letter were confused and discouraged by the persecution they were encountering because of their faith.
- Peter wanted his readers to live triumphantly in the midst of hostility without abandoning hope, becoming bitter, losing faith in Christ, or forgetting His second coming.
- When they are obedient to God’s Word despite the world’s antagonism, Christians’ lives will testify to the truth of the gospel (2:12; 3:1, 13–17).
Teaching:[3]
1- According to the text what was their joy to based on? – their inheritance in Christ not circumstances
2- “This” refers to God’s future inheritance and salvation of v4-5
3- v6 – Peter reminds them that trials are temporary but are not meant to negatively affect our joy in Christ
4- “various trials” (πειρασμός) v6 - to try to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing[4]
· “various” = same used by Peter in 4:10 to reference the diverse quality of God’s Grace
· There is no form of trouble that some facet of divine grace cannot supersede (1 Cor. 10:13). God’s grace is sufficient for every human trial.
5- v7 – illustration of purifying gold – these trials are given to us so that our faith may be demonstrated
6- this purification through trials will bring glory to God and elicit commendation from God in That Day (DOL)
Conclusion:
1- God’s grace is sufficient for every trial we go through
2- All you can control in most trials is your reaction to the trial – the trial itself is usually unavoidable
3- God is using this trial to refine you – are you passing or failing the process of purification?
4- How genuine is your faith and how big is your God?
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[1]John MacArthur, 1 Peter (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004), 42.
[2]John MacArthur, 1 Peter (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004), 3.
[3] Ibid.
[4]Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York: United Bible societies, 1996, c1989), 1:331.