Lux Lucet

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, [being] much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. – I Peter 1:6-8

Gold is a fascinating metal. Men have rushed for it, fought for it, lied for it and died for it. Nearly one hundred percent of it ever mined is still above ground and in use. It neither tarnishes nor rusts. First mentioned in the Bible in Genesis chapter 2, it has been called the metal of kings. God commanded the Ark of the Covenant to be overlaid with it. It is universally recognized as a symbol of wealth and financial stability. And despite the best efforts of central bankers to dismiss it, it recently has soared in popularity as investors seek to use it to protect their hard-earned savings from the predations of dishonest paper currencies.

In short, gold is valuable stuff.

And that fact makes Peter’s description of the genuineness his readers’ faith all the more compelling. Had Peter compared their faith to copper or iron or even silver, something would be lacking. These things tarnish and rust. They are used up and must be replaced. But when gold, precious, beautiful gold, can’t measure up to the faith of God’s people, that faith is valuable indeed. The world tends to discount faith, to hold it in contempt. To the world, “faith based” is a term of reproach, and to describe something in these words is to dismiss it as nonsense. Many who name the name of Christ hold faith in contempt as well, attaching to it meanings that it never bears in Scripture. But Christian faith, saving faith, is simply the understanding of and belief in the Gospel. And compared to this God-wrought faith, even gold is a base metal.