. . the impurities
W herein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a sea son, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptation: 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: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the proph ets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Pet. 1:6- 12 ). Little as we may sometimes realize it, it is entirely possible for us, as believers in Christ, to be filled with joy even though we are suffering. We can rejoice in our great salvation and in our glorious Saviour even in the midst of vexatious trials. The Apostle begins this para graph of his encouraging epistle with the word “wherein” —the reference is to his earlier statement in verse five. In the blessings mentioned there—God’s keeping power now, the future glory that lies ahead for us—we can continual ly rejoice. The word rejoice as used here refers to “ the active energetic expression of joy” (W. H. Griffith- Thomas). This life of rejoicing can be ours even though we “ are in heaviness.” The Williams’ New Testament trans lation renders this expression “ although . . . you must be sorrow-stricken.” Did you notice the seeming paradox in Peter’s statement? We can rejoice even though sor row-stricken. The cause of this heaviness or sorrow is attributed by the Apostle to “manifold temptations.” The latter word is often used in the New Testament, as here, in the sense of trials, or afflictions. These trials which the faith-
REJOICING IN TRIALS
Dr. G. Coleman Luck is a member of the faculty of the Moody Bible Institute. He is Book Review Editor of If Moody Mon t h l yand has had six books published by Moody Press. He lives with his family of two boys and one girl in suburban Wheaton, Illinois. THE KING'S BUSINESS
by G. Coleman Luck
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