1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
I read this passage this afternoon. Then I read it again. I slowed down, backtracked quite a bit and reread it again.
I had a lot of difficulty reading this passage. I wasn't sure why I struggled with this passage. It wasn't a particularly difficult passage to read. The language was any more complicated than other biblical passages. The message was pretty straight forward... so what was the problem?
Maybe I was having trouble focusing, maybe there was other things on my mind at the time...Or maybe it sounded too good to be true. It was too simple. The promises too good.
An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. Faith shielded by God's power. Faith that when refined by fire may be proved genuine
The cynic in me looked for the catch, the loophole. Or maybe out of guilt that I have not been enduring as faithfully. Ashamed at all I've been blessed with.
These things aside... God is awesome. Despite me. In spite of me.
The faith that is worth greater than worth is not one I have developed myself... any faith that I have... is given to me by God himself. Given new life. Chosen. Born into this inheritance that cannot spoil or fade. A faith that is shielded for me, that I may result in praise, glory and honor... not for me. But for Him who supplies the faith. Its all about Him. What He gives and gives so freely. He gives. And I am thankful.
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