Your faith isn’t tested by fire on your best days, it’s tested by fire on your worst days.

I’ve heard it said, “A faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted.” Now, let’s be honest, we don’t like it when our faith is being tested because we are afraid of disappointment, failure and defeat.

When our faith is tested it can be difficult to understand why a ‘good’ God allows us to go through such trying situations. Now, we can go down several rabbit trails why God allows this trials, but the primary reason is simple: sanctification. God is transforming us into the image of His son, Jesus Christ. God test us for our good; to develop our faith. Testing is not something we should despise because it’s a chance to show the genuineness of our faith and glorify our Lord.

I Peter 1:7 reminds us that, “Trials will show that our faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when our faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring us much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

On a side bar, gold is naturally impure. To purify it, the goldsmith must put it into the furnace repeatedly. With each pass through the fire, it becomes purer. This is why there are different karats of gold (8,16,24). The higher the karat the purer it is, with 24 karats being the purest. If we want our faith in God to be pure and indestructible like gold, our faith must go through the fire again and again and again. Although we’ve been made right with God through our faith in Jesus Christ, the remnant of our sinful nature is still within us. Hence, the reason why salvation is instantaneous, but the ‘work of a saint’ (aka) ‘the sanctification process’ is lifetime.

Furthermore, in order to authentically follow Christ we must pick up our cross and deny ourselves daily. This requires dying to our own desires and ways of thinking. The tests we go through are not designed to fail us, they are designed to kill our flesh so that we can live by the Spirit. Ironically, trials feel like the complete opposite of what life in Christ should be, but it’s not. Again, the purpose of the test is to grow our faith, free us from bondage, and increase our dependency on God. Shallow beliefs and idols won’t last in the trial, they’ll be ruined by the fire. Only what is true and pure will remain.

My brothers and sisters, if your faith is under fire or being tested in this season don’t fear the fire – the tests and trials. The fire isn’t designed to destroy you, but to remove everything that’s holding you back from God’s perfect will. If you remain steadfast, you will glorify God and come to know His power in a deeper way. Your triumph will be a testimony to believers and unbelievers alike. Now, this isn’t to say it will get any easier, but you will become stronger, wiser, and not as easily swayed by storms that come your way. Remember what James 1:2-4 tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#faithtestedbyfire