As we conclude our study of sincere or genuine faith let us keep
in mind the overall picture Peter is giving us.
The Scriptures are abundantly clear that genuine faith is faith in Jesus Christ, believing the good news of
who He is and what He has done (Rom. 1:3-4; 1 Cor. 15:3-5).
But the fact is that this simple trust in
Christ, receiving Him (Jn. 1:12), confessing Him as the resurrected Lord (Rom.
10:9-10) can be confused with something that is not genuine. Mere emotional sadness about one’s sinful
state can be confused with faith; they are not the same though one should lead
to the other. Religious works, whether
prescribed by some religion such as was the case in Judaism in Jesus’ day, or
things that are manufactured in our own hearts and minds, are not faith. These works might make us feel good and
worthy before God but they are actually a form of pride; they are not faith. Matt. 7:21-27 illustrate this kind of
thinking while Heb. 9:14 tells us the work of Christ on the cross will cleanse
our conscience from these dead works. Heb. 6:1 also tells us of the need to repent
of these when we believe in Christ.
Genuine faith is also an issue for those who
have put their faith in Christ. Faith in
Christ brings us into a right standing before God, called justification (Rom. 5:1).
But faith is also the means by which we live in this life, or as Phil.
2:12-13 puts, the way we work out our own
salvation. Genuine faith, faith in
Christ, saves us from the penalty of death; it brings us into the hope of
eternal life (Rom. 6:23). Our faith may
be said to be weak in in need of strengthening.
With this in mind, our passage tells us that
the trials we experience here have the important benefit of revealing the
nature of our faith. Is it, in fact,
faith in Christ? When tested do we turn to
Christ or away from Christ? We
need to have this revealed for the sake of the present salvation from sin’s
power that we need. And it shows us if
our faith is in some sense false. This
is something that we would never want to let slide until we come to the end of
this life and stand before our Creator.
If we only find out then, it is too late to do anything about it. The expression of genuine, saving faith must
come in this life. Genuine faith, as
Peter says, saves the soul, the true
man on the inside. As Jesus said, What profit is it to a man if he gains the
whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for
his soul? (Mt. 16:26).
So Peter says we are receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls. What Peter says to Jewish believers (pilgrims of the Dispersion, 1:2) Paul said
to Gentiles in Phil. 3:8-14. Paul had
not achieved full maturity; he was still pressing toward the goal of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus. He never
ceased to want to know (Christ) and the
power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Our trials are the fertile soil for this continued
growth. Let us greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have
been grieved by various trials.
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