Gold
Peter has just been talking about the mercy God revealed through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This is the basis for our rejoicing.
The Resurrection is the ultimate demonstration of God's ability to turn tragedy into new hope. But Peter has another transformation he wants us to consider...
To be purified gold has to be melted. Being a heavy metal, gold sinks to the bottom and the impurities (dross) float to the top. Although God is not the author of our trials, He does allow them to come and then uses them to transform our suffering and to bring about our growth and development as people and as believers.
This is not easy - the smelting of our faith - reducing it to the fragile liquid form - is traumatic for us. We fear the process, even though the results, if we remain in the hands of the Master Craftsman, are beautiful.
| In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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. (1Peter1:6-7) |
