1 Peter 1:6-9 - Genuine Faith

In this episode, we’re diving into 1 Peter 1:6-9 to explore what genuine faith in Christ really looks like—even when life brings trials and struggles. We’ll see how true faith produces an unshakable joy rooted in our living hope, endures various hardships with eternity in view, and stays firmly centered on Jesus Himself. Join me as we unpack these verses and consider where our trust is placed. Let’s dig in and look to Jesus, our true hope!

Transcript

3 - 1 Peter 1:6-9 - Genuine Faith

Intro

• Please take your Bibles and open with me to 1 Peter chapter 1 and find verse 6 as we step back into this letter written by the Apostle Peter to the Elect Exiles.
  • Today we begin to see some of Peter’s purpose in penning this letter to these believers.  
• One of those purposes is for Peter to show us what genuine faith in Christ looks like.
  • So let us consider this before we even read our verses today…
    • By asking from the start what do we mean by “genuine faith”?
  • Perhaps before we even ask that we step back a bit more and ask…
    • What do we mean by faith?
    • And then, what does it mean to have faith in Jesus?
• Faith, as defined in Hebrews 11 is…
  • “...the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
    • To put it differently…
      • Faith is what we believe, or who we believe in, it is where our trust is found, and it is displayed in how we live day by day.
  • At times the clearest display of our faith is when we are found in the middle of a struggle.
    • Let me give you an example…
      • In Luke 8 we find Jesus with His apostles and they are sailing across a sea.
      • Jesus falls asleep and then a storm comes upon them, at that point the apostles begin to panic, they wake Jesus and say…
        • “...Master, Master, we are perishing!...”
      • We know this story well…
        • Jesus wakes up, rebukes the wind and the waves and the sea then is calm.
      • However, in Luke 8 there is an additional detail added, He asks them a question…
        • He asked, “...Where is your faith?...”
    • You see the situation they found themselves in, the storm raging, the Savior sleeping, brought about a situation that put their faith on display.
  • At times this happens to us as well, not necessarily in a literal storm but struggles in life…
    • As we come in contact with whatever that struggle is, what becomes evident is where our faith or our trust is found.
    • When difficulty arises, when struggles are present, when your life feels as though you are being tossed on a raging sea…
      • What becomes evident is where your hope is found.
• For the Christian, let me be blunt about where our faith should be found… 
  • It should be found in Christ and Christ alone, but let me be more specific than that…
  • If we confess that we are Christians then we must believe…
    • That Jesus is the Son of God who has existed from eternity past…
      • Not a created Being but One by which all things exist and all things are held together. 
    • This Jesus came in the flesh and dwelt among us and lived a perfect life…
      • Meaning that He was without sin and did all things as He should.
    • Yet in that perfection He was hated and condemned to die by crucifixion…
      • It was on the cross that He hung, thereby fulfilling the eternal plan of the Father to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
    • He was not forced upon the cross, but willingly went to purchase a people for Himself.
      • That is why we also believe as Christians that there is only one way to the Father and it is through Christ.
      • Jesus Himself confessed this in John 14:6 where He said…
        • John 14:6c - “...I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…”
      • To believe in Christ is to believe that there is salvation in no other name or no other way.
    • It is also to believe that though He died upon that tree and was buried in a new tomb, He did not stay there but rose back to life three days later.
  • The good news that Christians have believed then is this…
    • Though we are dead in our trespasses and sins, through the death of Christ a way has been made to the Father.
    • Therefore anyone who believes and trusts in this message and this Jesus and turns from their sins will be saved.
    • That is our faith, that is what we believe, that is what we live for and where our hope rests. 
  • When we talk about genuine faith, as we will today, let's remember, this is where it starts…
    • It begins with the message of the cross and then works to transform our lives. 
• Now as we prepare to read our verses…
  • The question that Jesus asked the apostles in Luke 8:25 after He calmed to storm is the same question that I want us to consider at the start of our time today…
    • Where is your faith?
    • As you think about that, let's read our passage together and open in prayer.

1 Peter 1:6-9

• Let’s dive right into our verses and consider that…

Genuine Faith Produces Joy

• This point builds from the context of our verses and is found in what we examined last week.
  • Let me direct you to the start of our verses and consider how this passage begins, or continues rather…
    • Verse 6 is not a new thought that Peter is starting with, but rather a continued thought that connects our faith to what he wrote about previously.
    • Look again…
  • He writes, “In this you rejoice…”
• So what is the “this” that we are to rejoice in?
  • If you would look back you may recall that as we covered verses 3 and 4 last week we learned and were reminded of the living hope that we have in Christ.
  • We examined the inheritance that is found in Him and how we look forward to a place that is…
    • Imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, a place kept by the power of God and for those who are found in Christ.
    • This is guaranteed to us by the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead.  
  • Our faith in Christ should result in joy unspeakable because of what it means for us eternally.
• I remind you again Christian, just as we talked about last week…
  • That our eternity is as secure as secure can be if we are truly found in Him.
    • Which means that there is nothing in this life, nothing in our death, that can shake what we have received in Christ.
  • That truth, my brothers and sisters, gives us great reason to rejoice.
• More than just rejoicing, this truth should produce in us joy.
  • Genuine faith should produce in believers a real unshakable joy.
    • Let’s consider how this would look in the life of the apostle Paul.
  • Let’s consider his life in a particular moment, as he is imprisoned and awaiting trial…
    • While there he makes the best use of his time and begins to write letters to various churches and regions that he had visited.
    • One of those letters he wrote while in prison for his faith in Christ was the letter to the Church at Philippi.
  • Go ahead and turn there with me, if you would, there are two passages I want us to consider today as we think about how our faith will produce joy.
    • Go to Philippians 1 and find verse 18 to start…
      • Before we read it though let us keep in mind a couple of things…
        • Paul, dealt with some great difficulty in his life, he had experienced beatings, he was shipwrecked, he was imprisoned for his faith on multiple occasions.
          • Even at one point he was stoned and thought dead.  
        • More than that he also experienced those in the church who opposed him because of his past.
        • Lastly, he experienced struggles with others who proclaimed Christ.
          • In Philippians he writes and addresses some of those who preached Christ for their own benefit.
      • Now, before we read this verse let’s imagine we are in his place.
    • We are in a Roman prison and there are those who are free and preaching Christ for their own gain.
      • Would it be easy to be critical of those?
        • To be opposed to them, if you know their motives are not pure and you are in jail while they roam free.
        • I think it would be very easy to be critical and harsh to those who had incorrect motives.
      • However, is Paul critical of them?
        • No, he writes in verse 18…
    • Philippians 1:18
      • Though it would have been easy for him to be bitter or critical, he instead rejoices that Christ is proclaimed.
      • I will say it again…
        • Genuine faith produces joy.
  • While we are here in this section we might as well consider verse 21, jump down there and read it with me.
    • Philippians 1:21-23
      • Paul had something that the jailers could not shake and it was because his eternity is guarded by the power of God.
      • You can read the joy in his writing, in fact the book of Philippians is one of the most encouraging and joyous letters written.
      • And it was written as Paul experienced real persecution.
    • You see his joy was not based upon his circumstances but existed outside of himself.
  • His joy was found in Christ and was secure in eternity…
    • That is why he wrote, to live is to live for Christ…
      • There is joy in living for Christ.
    • However, to die in Christ is unimaginable joy being realized, which is why he says that to die is gain.  
  • Now before we go and say…
    • “Well that was the apostle Paul, he saw the risen Lord, he is different from us…”
    • Let’s consider what he wrote in Philippians 4 to the church, written as a command.
    • Turn over there with me and find verse 4.
      • Philippians 4:4
        • Church, let us abide in this command written by Paul in the authority of the Holy Spirit.
        • Let us choose to rejoice, for we have much reason to have joy on this day.
      • Not because of what is unfolding around us…
    • It matters not what is happening around us, for if we have Christ we have a sure foundation that cannot be shaken…
      • We have a home eternal in the heavens guarded by God.
  • Let us rejoice, for genuine faith produces joy in us.
• Now, let’s turn back to 1 Peter and consider that…

Genuine Faith Endures Trials

• Let’s read verse 6 again…
  • Vs. 6
• It is interesting that Peter connects joy with trials…
  • However, Peter is not the only New Testament writer to make this connection.
    • We could consider James the half-brother of Christ who writes in the opening verses of his letter to the church…
      • James 1:2-4 - “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
      • Here he connects joy and rejoicing with the trails that we face.
        • Telling us that in the face of trials we should rejoice, we should thank God for the struggles that we face. 
    • It is not just James and Peter, let us also consider Paul, though we could use Philippians again…
      • Instead, I want to share with you another set verses in 2 Corinthians.
        • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light mo-mentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
      • Though he does not call us to rejoice specifically, how could we keep from it?
        • He tells us there…
          • That this affliction that we face is preparing us for our eternal home.
        • Is this not similar to the same thing that Peter wrote in our verses today?
      • It absolutely is…
    • One more reference to consider before we dig deeper into how our faith is meant to endure trials is the words of Christ in Matthew 5.
      • Matthew 5:11 - ““Blessed [or happy] are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account…”
        • We are to be happy with that, how?
        • How are we to be happy when we are being persecuted and reviled and evil is spoken against us.
        • Maybe we are misunderstanding and we need to read the next verse… 
          • Jesus continues…
      • Matthew 5:12 - 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
  • Not only are all of these calling us to rejoice in the face of trials and tribulations and suffering but all of them also direct our gaze toward eternity.
    • We are not to focus on the right now but we are to consider our suffering, our trials, our struggles, through the lens of our eternal hope in Christ.
    • When we do that it is not to minimize the pain or struggles we could face in this life…
      • Instead, what it is meant to do is put them in their proper place…
        • It funnels our pain and difficulties through the cross and through the hope that we have in eternity.  
    • When we do we are forced to agree with what the Bible has to say…
      • Romans 8:18 - “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
    • It does not minimize the pain of our day but it makes it subject to the One who has purchased our salvation with His own lifeblood. 
  • So Peter writes and tells us to rejoice even though we have been “grieved by various trials”.
• Let’s get specific, what trails does Peter have in mind here?
  • Well this word is used 21 times across the New Testament and is translated in three different ways.
    • It is translated as trials, as test or testing, and as temptation.
  • Let’s consider each of these this morning and recognize that Peter is reminding us that our faith is able to endure these various trails.
• Let’s start with the least used way this word is translated, test…
  • To “test” is in reference to God testing us to produce in us growth.
    • We see this used this way in Hebrews 3:8…
      • The author of Hebrews writes…
        • Hebrews 3:8 - “do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,”
      • This is in reference to God testing the people of Israel as they were brought through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. 
      • God tested them, with the intent to grow their faith…
        • For them to learn that He was the Provider, that He was the Sustainer…
        • That if needed He could bring water from a Rock and bread from the Heavens. 
    • Let us keep in mind that God also works this way with us, He will test us with the intent to grow and develop our faith.
  • It is also worth noting that that was a time in Israel's existence where they were on their way to a permanent dwelling.
    • They learned during their sojourning that God could be trusted, or at least they were supposed to learn that, it was a struggle for them throughout their time in the wilderness.  
    • Are we not also sojourning here, looking forward to that permanent dwelling place where we will see His Glorious face?
  • Certainly, we now are living as exiles, sojourning and living during this time and being tested by God. 
    • Yet in the midst of this testing our faith should cause us to endure.
• It is not just translated as testing though it is also translated as trials.
  • It is used this way in 8 places throughout the New Testament, some of which we have already looked at.
    • Perhaps the best consideration for the use of this word in the New Testament is the book we are in currently.
    • Peter writes to the church who is enduring trials…
      • We find throughout this letter he is referencing trials that refer to verbal and physical abuse on account of the Word of God.
    • Like…
      • 1 Peter 2:12 - “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
  • Trials in this sense refer to suffering for the sake of Christ.
    • Again, we have already looked at many verses that point us toward joy in the face of persecution.
• Then we have the final use of the word, the way it is translated most throughout the New Testament is the word temptation.
  • The best place to consider this use is in Matthew 26 when Jesus commands His followers to pray…
    • Matthew 26:41 - “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  • The temptation that Jesus speaks of here was referring to the attack of the evil one.
    • His followers were being tempted to sleep when they were commanded to pray.
    • Here we have a reminder that when faced with temptation if our faith is properly placed then God will enable us to endure.
      • 1 Corinthians 10:13 - “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
• Peter tells us that genuine faith will endure various trials…
  • Various trials point to…
    • Deficiencies that we may have in this life…
    • Verbal or physical abuse brought on by our devotion to Christ…
    • Moments when we are tempted and lured into sin by the evil one…
  • Yet as we experience those things this side of eternity we endure because our faith has been properly placed in the Son of God.
    • One final thing to say before we move on to our final point…
      • Not only do we endure these various trials but as we endure that becomes evidence of the genuineness of our faith.
      • David Helm wrote this in conjunction with his commentary on 1 Peter 1:6.
        • “Enduring during trials is an important indicator of our true status in Christ.”
    • So believer, have you endured?
      • If so then I remind you again today that you have great reason to rejoice even in the midst of trials for this life is but a shadow of what is to come in Christ.
  • Now let’s move on to our final point…

Genuine Faith is Centered on Christ

• Please again turn your attention to 1 Peter 1 and this time verse 7.
  • Vs. 7-9
• There are two points on these verses that I want us to consider.
  • First, take note of the value of our faith.
    • Peter clearly tells us that it is of more value than gold that is refined in the fire.
    • This fits exactly as we would expect if all we have discussed is true.
      • Let me remind you, believer, there is nothing more precious in your life than this gift of salvation that you have received.
        • Nothing…
      • So I urge you to consider it, to cling to it, and to check and see if you are treating it as the most valuable thing that has been entrusted to you.
    • It is a precious thing, it cannot be shaken, it cannot be taken, and it is secure by the power of God.
  • Second though, I want to remind you again as we have already considered, that genuine faith must be centered upon Christ.
    • Peter writes to a group that had not seen the Risen Lord and He commends them for their faith.
      • So it is also of us…
        • We have not seen Him but we love Him…
        • We do not see Him now but we believe in Him…
      • This is faith, believing in that which we cannot see but we are convinced of it nonetheless.
        • That Christ came, He lived, He died, and He Rose again…
        • It is also believing that He will one day return.  
    • This is our hope, this is where our faith rests as Christians.

Closing

• Where is your faith?