We will begin this study by examining four important words in this verse:
1 Perfect2 Stablish
3 Strengthen4 Settle
Let's look at the word PerfectIn the Greek New Testament, the word "Perfect" means "To put something in its appropriate condition".
It also means "to set up", "equip", "prepare", "accomplish", "refit", "repair" and "to mend".Throughout our study I would like us to remember its meaning of "putting something in its appropriate condition".
As we progress in the Christian Life, God will equip us with appropriate abilities and talents for the tasks He has for us. In ministry situations, He will equip us with the necessary Spiritual Gifts required to enable us to minister effectively for Him.Not only does God equip us, He also prepares us.
In Genesis 1 V 21 We are told that God created great whales. In Jonah 1 V 17 we are told that God prepared a great fish (which we know to be a whale from the gospels).PRINCIPLE: What God Creates He also Prepares
The whale was prepared for a specific task. The Bible tells that "we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God hath afore ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2 V 10). So with equipping us for tasks, God will also prepare us. Preparation can take time. God will accomplish His purposes in our lives.Why does God desire to make us perfect?
"To put us into our appropriate condition".Sometimes God isn't satisfied with our spiritual condition. Our condition sometimes is not appropriate for what He has in store for us.
Lets look at the next word - StablishIn the Greek, the word stablish means "to turn resolutely in a certain direction".
As believers we sometimes have our own desires, wishes, wants & plans. We like to chart our own agenda. We think we know the right thing to do, the right way to go. But God's ways our higher than our ways and His plans are different ours. Not every good idea is God's idea. God's plans are good and not for evil, plans to give us a future and a hope (Jer 29 V 11). His plan for the believer's life according to Romans 12 is good, acceptable & perfect, yet to walk in it requires a sacrifice. What's the sacrifice? Ourselves. So God's ways will cause us to walk in a new direction. A direction different to the one we are headed in. The word stablish also suggests stability. God wants a people who are stable, not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. We are the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord. When a tree is planted it grows, and we as believers are likened to trees and so for us to grow we too must be planted. We need to be planted in the Word of God and also in a local church.The third word is Strengthen. This simply means to be strong. In times of testing, we see our weaknesses. We can say with the Apostle Paul that "When we are weak, then we are strong". When we are weak, we realise that we can't in our own strength overcome situations and be what God wants us to be. So when we are weak we stop trying and God takes over. We start to wait upon Him and He exchanges His strength for ours. When times of testing come we get a glimpse of the ways of God and what He's doing in our lives. We see God's faithfulness, we see we can trust Him, which brings us to our last word.
SettleSettle simply means rest. We learn not to be anxious and worry - we come into rest. We know that God is in control and is working His plans and purposes out in our lives.
These characteristics we have looked at are wonderful and desirable, but how are they obtainable? Not by our own strength and willpower.These characteristics/qualities are born out of suffering. After the suffering these qualities will come forth in our lives.
Let's look at SufferingMost of the time when the New Testament speaks of suffering, it is not referring to physical illness, but enduring persecution for righteousness sake and going through trials. Let's turn to 1 Peter 1 V 6 & 7.
"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ." KJVWe can see some important facts about suffering from these two verses.
Firstly, suffering is for now. We sometimes think it's going to last forever.Secondly, the duration is for a season/a little while. 1 Peter 5 V 10 "After ye have suffered a while ......"
Thirdly, suffering comes if it is necessary. 1 Peter 1 V 6 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be (if it is necessary" ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Who decides if it is necessary? God does. Our opening text began with the words But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish strengthen, settle you.Suffering is a refining process. Character is refined. What's the end result? Praise, Honour & Glory being given to God. Suffering is the "trying" or "testing" of our faith. Both Peter & James acknowledge this. We have all been dealt the measure of faith (Romans 12 V 3). One day the disciples said to Jesus, "Lord increase our faith". Jesus responded by proceeding to say to them that if they "had faith as the size of a grain of mustard seed, they could move mountains". It is interesting that Jesus used a mustard seed as His example. They wanted their faith to be bigger, Jesus talks about something smaller. A mustard seed can't be destroyed by water. Water won't turn a mustard seed sour unlike other seeds. A mustard seed will survive being soaked in water. A mustard seed has a heavy casing over it which protects it from fire. Fire can't destroy a mustard seed. So in relation to Jesus using a mustard seed in answer to the disciples' question, I believe Jesus is saying that it's not the quantity of your faith that counts, but the quality of your faith.
Suffering refines faith. Faith is likened to gold, in fact it's "more precious than gold that perisheth". For gold to be pure it has to be refined in fire to get rid of any impurities and other metals. When gold is tried/refined it is soft, pliable and tender. Before it is refined, it is hard, less pliable and more corrosive. God wants a heart that is soft, tender and pliable. As Solomon said "The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold but the Lord trieth the heart". Our faith is tested by fire. It's not pleasant, but the end result is to the glory of God.In Revelation chapter 3 in reference to the church at Laodicea, Jesus said (Verse 18) "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich." This was a church that was lukewarm, a church that was rich in material goods; yet Jesus said to them that they "were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked"; not in the natural and material sense but in the spiritual. They were not in an appropriate condition. What was Jesus's remedy? "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich."
Buy means that there is a cost. What was the cost for them to get this gold and for us to get this gold (refining of our faith which in turn affects our character)? To get this gold we have to go into the fire to get it because that is where it is. That's the cost. Jesus is our guide. Will you follow Him when He leads you into the fire.Back to our opening text. Peter is talking from experience. Peter had some flaws in his character & Jesus saw that it was necessary to deal with them if Peter was going to be the man God intended him to be. Jesus knew what was coming and He said to Peter and I'm paraphrasing "Peter what you are going to experience is like your world around you is going to cave in. What can go wrong will go wrong, but I have have prayed for you that your faith will not fail. As long as you go on believing Peter and don't give up your faith, everything will be alright." Jesus didn't pray that Peter would be taken out of the trial but that his faith wouldn't fail. This was a test of Peter's faith and Peter passed the test. When we go through suffering, testings etc, Jesus is praying for us also. He is a faithful High Priest who is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities." We will not be allowed to suffer more than we are able to bear. Paul describes his times of affliction as light. "Our light affliction is but for a moment (short time). Jesus said "My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
1 Corinthians 10 V 13 "There hath no temptation/trial taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation/trial also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it."It takes tension/pressure to tune a guitar. Too much pressure and the string will break. Too little and the guitar string weakens and sounds awful!! But the right amount of pressure applied tunes the guitar to a perfect pitch.
2 Corinthians 1 V 3&4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.We gain valuable experience and insight from trials & suffering that we can use to help others who are going through the same/similar circumstances.
Suffering need not be negative. It's positive. James says "Count it all joy". Peter says "Rejoice". The writer of Hebrews says of Jesus on the cross "Who for the Joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" Hebrews 12 V 2.In Psalm 105 V 16-19 we read of Joseph's suffering. He had a dream at age 17. We see clearly at 17 he was immature and lacked wisdom (two qualities he would need to be the person God was going to make him). He waited 22 years for the fulfilment of his dream. Joseph was thrown into a pit, he was sold as a slave and was wrongly accused and thrown into prison. Was he in the will of God? Yes. God sent him to Egypt (Genesis 45 V 7). Despite the suffering, bear in mind he was right in the centre of God's will. God initiated this character change in Joseph and it was painful, but the end result was to the glory of God.
Back to our 4 keywords we started off with. I believe there is a progression here. 4 words were Perfect, Stablish, strengthen & settle. Only when our spiritual condition is made appropriate, then will we turn in a different direction and be strong and at peace.
Suffering in the biblical sense is not negative but positive. Can I suggest you read the following verses from Psalm 119.Psalm 119 V 67,71 & 75
