If the Word of God describes the trial of your faith as something precious it means that we have to change our own view about going through such a trial. Remember how the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness in Matthew 4 to be tempted of the devil? When he came through that trial he departed in the power of the Spirit. Faith is not faith until it is tested, but once it has been tried in the fire it comes out as pure gold. That is what makes the trying of our faith so precious…it is the currency of our heavenly connection!

Listen to this sermonThe trial of your faith
05/11/2005
Faith is not faith until it is tested.
God never tempts anyone but he tests our faith. After a test comes promotion. Tests come to see how much we have learned and if we can apply our knowledge. Jesus taught his disciples to pray that they do not enter temptation. Jesus told Peter that he should go and strengthen the faith of his brothers once his faith is strengthened. That is what we should learn to do after our faith has been tested and tried: to strengthen one another’s faith.
If the devil could rob us of our faith in God we would have no way to contact God, to receive from God because it is impossible to please God without faith. By faith we come to God and believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The trial of our faith is precious in the sight of God because it takes our faith to a higher level. 14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

A fiery trial of your faith has a specific purpose: you will find out how much you really believe! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So when God speaks to us our faith grows stronger. During a fiery trial in which our faith and trust in God was severely tested, both Nola and I felt that we probably failed the test because of the way we reacted and things we said during the trial. ‘Then you have passed the test!’ The Holy Spirit told her.
God was not testing our attitude; nor was He testing our behaviour, but He was testing our faith. We learned to separate our faith from everything else. Faith is an action. There are certain actions that determine your faith.
Pura – fire

Pathos – suffering or passion, the passion of Christ

Doxa – honour, dignity, power, strength

Aggaliasis – exceeding joy, welcome,
Aggalio – jump for joy

Sugchairo – share in the joy, to sympathise with joy, congratulate
Chairo – calmly happy

Perhaps you are going through a similar fiery trial of your faith right now.
James 1: 2-4
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Dokimion – trial
Katergazomai – finish, fashion, works fully
Hupomone – patience, cheerful endurance
The trial of your faith or lack of faith is testing your endurance in the place where God has placed you, among the relationships God has placed in your life to see if you could hold onto your expected hope and trust in Christ Jesus, His Son.
Your trial of faith came so that you can show yourself approved unto God – if your faith holds out during the trial it will be like a beam that holds up the structure of a roof. God is seeing if you are willing to follow wherever He leads and if you will stay faithful during your trial while He completes the good work He began in you when you first believed in His Son. Your faith is being scrutinized and disciplined. You fall into things and fail in other things, but remember, God has given you divine authority in the Name of Jesus Christ to rule over the situation you are facing.
Teleios – complete work in growth and moral character

The trial is actually working towards your own benefit. We belong to a holy Brotherhood that all come from the same ‘womb’ being born again by the Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus. Through enduring trials of faith our faith becomes permanently settled – it is engraved in our hearts that we lack nothing in faith: we have all the faith required to succeed in this life. Our faith works like broadband on the internet: 24/7 uninterrupted! We are connected with God all the time. It is God’s Genius at work through the Church of the Firstborn!

If you can say these two vital words at the end of your trial of faith: ‘I believe’, you have passed the test! The trial of your faith is working patience in you.