The Trials of Christians

I Peter 1:6-9

Live Broadcast

By: Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill

Greater Concord Missionary Baptist Church

Allow me today to reach into the Word of God and pull up a verse that is in the divorce section of Matthew’s gospel chapter 5 verse 45, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Here lately America has experienced catastrophic floods, storms, homes sliding over cliffs, tornadoes, bridges being washed out, people losing their lives, and in some ways everything they own. Some of these are Christians. It rains on the just and the unjust.

The Apostle Peter warns us that there could be tough times ahead. He wanted us to be prepared for them. Now we are experiencing record heat, floods as never before, gun violence is overwhelming, murdering is out of hand, crime, corruption and criminals in high places, crooks in the court system; no justice for the wicked.

Are we Christians prepared for these times? Peter warned us that heaviness through manifold temptations would come. We love to rejoice as Christians, but testing times will cause discouragement. Testing times are present! Some Christians thought they were finished with testing times when they got saved; only to discover. They thought the gospel train would be a gravy train, then reality set in. When reality arrived many were not prepared.

In this world we will experience trouble (John 16:33). Christians are not immune from sickness, financial problems, trouble with their children, problems in their marriages, losses in families. None of these trials have taken God by surprise. He remains the same in all situations (Hebrews 13:8).

How well Peter knew this. The death of Jesus was no surprise to Peter because Jesus had revealed His coming death to Peter. Jesus had even warned Peter that the world would reject Him. Peter had even experienced persecution for his faith. You are one of them, your speech betrays you. Christians have always had trials through the ages. Those who suffer for their faith are in good company.

As I look at Job, he had three so-called friends that criticized him for his faith. They told him he had some kind of secret sin that God was punishing him for; but they did not know that God had allowed Satan to test him. Satan told God that Job served him because he had been blessed well. So Satan removed everything Job had. He took all Job’s children, livestock, even his health. Satan even turned his wife against him. But Job’s trials and faith perfected him. Can’t you hear him saying, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” His faith was like gold that had been purified by the fire. O Praise His Holy Name!

Testing times are for our benefits. They bring praises to God. Just remember when they arrive they are just temporary. You do remember his latter end was better than his beginning. Don’t forget we have Jesus to go through our trials with us. God will meet you in your trials and enrich your faith to meet your needs. He met Jacob’s needs. He was kept by the power of God. Jacob had a guardian angel. When he fled from Padan-aram he was hotly pursued by his uncle, Laban, who fully intended to use force if Jacob refused to return with his family to the house of bondage. It was well within Laban’s power and purpose to seize Jacob’s wives, children, and cattle, and to send Jacob on his way, as beggared and bereft as he had been when he first arrived at his uncle’s house. Jacob had good cause to fear his unscrupulous Uncle Laban (Genesis 33:1-2).

The same mighty spiritual armies camp round about us too, to protect us from not only countless physical perils, but also countless spiritual ones. Above and beyond these agents, God Himself takes a leading part in our protection. Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit unite to keep us.

Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill