The Hopeful Christian in Hopeless Times, Part 3

TEXT: 1 Peter 1:3-9 

The most powerful thing we have learned so far from this passage is that we as Christians have a cause and reason to hope even when we are facing negative situations. Perhaps, right now, you are thinking of a situation or circumstance that you could not imagine yourself being hopeful in. However, we saw last week that the Christian can "greatly rejoice" even when being afflicted by many temptations, trials, and troublesome situations. One reason why we can be hopeful is that our trials, our temptations, and our troubles have a purpose. This is what we will look at today. 

Peter writes, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." This verse tells us several things about the troubles we face in life. 

First, we see that trials are tests of our faith. Why would our faith need to be tested? Well, until you are tested, you can never know how strong you really are. It is one thing to say, "I have faith in God," when things are going well for you spiritually, physically, financially, and materially. It is a completely different thing to say, "I have faith in God," when you feel cut off from God, when your finances are suffering, when your relationships are broken, or when you are sick and in the hospital.