“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Our nation is enduring a period of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness stemming in part from the tensions and political unrest of these past years of pandemic. Violence, unkindness, and chaos are all around us, driving millions to despair who would be better off if they were driven to the Lord Jesus Christ for we who have faith in Him receive His comfort in His word and in His church, the fellowship of fellow believers.
The church is one of the great blessings which God has given us as indicated here in the epistle of the Apostle Peter. He wrote to encourage believers who were enduring the violence of persecution. They needed to be reminded that they were members of the Church of Christ Jesus which is now the focal point of God’s plan of salvation. In the Church, God has created for Himself a new people, for, as Peter told the believers, they had been born again. They have been granted a new life and were no longer slaves to sin. This is cause for great joy, for those in Christ Jesus are assured that they share in His Kingdom.
Through the grace of God, believers are called to behave with holiness, charity, unselfishness and godliness in the face of temptation and loss. We are called to persevere in our faith in the midst of a culture that is growing increasingly hostile to Christianity. We are guaranteed eternal life, no matter what the world may say or do to us. Our great inheritance of salvation is so much more precious than any material thing including gold and silver. We have a spiritual inheritance that will never pass away. There is nothing we would trade for it, for nothing can compare with its value and excellence. There is no substitute for corporate worship as the Body of Christ with the blessing of the Lord’s table. Our church fellowship with Christ and with one another is far superior to anything which the media, the government, and academia use to unite people and banish fear, hatred, and racism. True unity and love only exists in and through Christ Jesus.