So, we have an admonition for the body of Christ to actively participate in bearing the burdens of tempted people. We, as believers, ought not only to overcome our own bouts with temptations, but we ought to sustain other brethren through their temptations and save them in their failed errs from the truth, as well.
This is the view taught by James. I enjoy learning the Spirit-led views of the apostles, especially when they so clearly match (especially in their vocabulary words) the very same views of other apostles. It helps me to accept by faith the many difficult positions in Scripture that we must embrace.
One such view that James shares with Peter is the position that temptation should be an enjoyable, albeit successful, trial. Both James, in chapter one, and Peter, in chapter one of his first book refers to it as such. I find this position difficult to embrace. It’s hard to believe that someone can actually enjoy the process of temptation that leads to personal victory.
I have surely experienced victory over temptations and determine it is sweet, but these men go so far as enjoying the anticipation of victory, in the face of temptation. They come to believe that whether enduring or escaping temptation, the process is even sweeter to them than MY victories are to me!
We see this plainly taught in First Peter 1:6, “Ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Notice that they are not only experiencing individual acts of joy in their temptations, but that they are experiencing repeatable acts of joy. That’s what rejoicing means. It is joy that repeats itself!
Why are they in this time of temptation? Peter says, “Because you need to be”! Though they are in heaviness because of God’s determination that they need to experience a season of temptation, they are rejoicing over it all. How easy does that seem to comprehend for you?!
But then, Peter defines what he means when he uses the word temptation, for the word temptation in our passage is followed in the Bible with a colon (:). A colon is a punctuation that precedes an explanation.
So, we know that Peter is now going to explain what a temptation is. His definition is found in the next phrase: the trial of your faith. The word trial means “examination.” The word faith is the word “confidence, or dependence.” God is going to examine Who or who your faith is depending upon. In who or Whom is your confidence? If it is in the flesh, you shall fail. If it is IN the Lord, you shall be safe.
So, we can conclude that what the devil determines to be a temptation, God intends to be an examination. It’s an examination that we may learn to discern the position of our heart. Are we IN Him or on the verge of being IN sin?
These folks found manifold temptation (or various trials of our dependence) even more precious to them than temporal treasures. For Peter discerned, “the trial of [their] faith” was “much more precious than of gold that perisheth.” How do you find such faith that would find its trials of temptations to be a priceless reward worthy of rejoicing? Of course, this faith is the faith that often lies dormant within us, for it is the seventh fruit of the Spirit. It is not my faith. It is His faith.
Peter taught these “strangers” in Asia (verse one) that, even though their faith is “tried with fire,” it should be “found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” This appearing of Jesus Christ is NOT referring to His second coming. It is referring to His consistent outpouring. It is Christ APPEARING to others in the midst of our adversities.
Print This Post
