[Excerpt From my book, “The Exhortations Of Peter”, p. 185-188]
I Peter 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”
A “fiery trial” is a life-altering affliction. Peter employs industrial terminology to make his point. Those who refine metals, heat the metals to extremely high temperatures so as to burn off the impurities (“dross”), while retaining the desired metal. After sufficient heat is applied over a necessary period of time, the “dross” is burned off leaving the desired pure, usable metal. This analogy was often used in the Old Testament: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” (Isa 48:10); “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” (Zec 13:9); “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3). When the Lord uses such trials in our lives, they are indeed “fiery”; that is, sufficient burden is brought upon us so as to correct the course of our lives, to a manner of living that is pleasing to the Lord. While the Lord does use such “fiery trials” to correct us, in this case, Peter is referring to the trials that the adversarial world inflicts upon the Children Of God, simply because they are seeking to worship in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:23) and are not willing to conform to the ungodly ways of the world around them. In Peter’s day the Church certainly suffered “fiery trial” and has continued to suffer throughout the generations. Our Lord phrased it this way, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Mat 11:12).
Over the years, the Church and those who seek to serve and worship the Lord, have often experienced “the fiery trial” of troubles and persecutions simply because of their affection and dedication to the Lord. Our Lord is not to be blamed for every trial that comes our way, for satan and his villainous minions are actively going about “seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8), and the Lord will hold him accountable for his evil deeds and will provide us “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). When faced with “the fiery trial”, the “Elect” (I Peter 1:2), “born again” (I Peter 1:23) Children of God necessarily turn to the Lord and cry out for grace to help”. Such “fiery trial which is to try you”, serves to sharpen our resolve to serve the Lord, to compel us to lean more heavily upon the Lord than upon ourselves, to openly and clearly proclaim our affection and allegiance to our Lord, and to demonstrate that the Lord is of far greater value to us than our own well-being and lives. “the fiery trial which is to try you” affords the opportunity to exercise our God-given “faith” (Heb 12:2).
The “Elect” (I Peter 1:2), “born again” (I Peter 1:23) Children Of God should not think it unusual or uncommon when they encounter severe trials simply because they put their faith into action. The adversary to God and godliness first appeared in Genesis Chapter Three and has made it his business to plague the Lord’s Church and His people with “fiery trial”. It is his purpose to discourage the Church and to hinder the Lord’s people in their quest to live their lives in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. When these trials come, we should not think that “some strange thing happened unto” us, for while this earth stands “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).