Is My Faith Genuine? Is Yours?

 So that (the genuineness) of your faith (may be tested, (your faith) which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. (This proving of your faith is intended), to rebound to (your) praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (The Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed. 

1 Peter 1:7

My faith is more precious than gold. The trials, the tests, the all out battles all that I have gone through has been to prove my faith. Not for my glory here on earth, but for my praise, glory and honor I will receive when Jesus Christ (The Messiah, The Anointed One) is revealed. 

Doesn’t this make you see and look at your test, trials and battles in such a different way? I know it made me see the things that I have experienced and that I have come through (that’s the key word - through), still standing, my faith even sharper. 

During these times, talking to God, and listening and hearing direction on how to handle this trial, test, or battle,  peace always comes,  and then victory, the promise of God. Nothing is automatic, and somethings are not suddenly, most test, trials and battles are a season, and sometimes more than a season or seasons. But if we keep the faith and let our faith be refined and not  give up, don’t stop studying the Bible, keep praising and worshiping, keep going to Church, keep speaking the Word instead of the problem. All of that makes the difference. Then the trial, the test, the battle will just refine your faith like gold. When you see Jesus He will praise and honor you for your faith is more precious than gold.

Buy Gold Tried With Fire

 “Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, That you may be (truly) wealthy, and White clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see.”

Revelations 3:18 ampc

This is where this study began. With this verse. I always have felt intrigued about fire in the scriptures. Jesus said this to the Lukewarm Church.

Vs 17 - For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.

Then Jesus goes on to say,  

Those whom I (dearly and tenderly) love, I tell their faults and convict, and convince and reprove and chasten (I discipline and instruct them). So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repentance (changing your mind and attitude).

I pulled out my iPad and googled “Buy gold by fire” scriptures. And an abundance of scriptures came up. What I have found is there are threads throughout the Bible of things God wants us to find and follow throughout so we can get a broader and more concise view of Who He is, but also of Who He has chosen us to be.  

There are various threads such as the scarlet thread, I recently found the vine, vineyard, grape thread, which I am doing a study on, and now this gold refined by fire. I pray you will come along with me as we follow this thread and discover and learn what God wants us to learn.