Reflections
Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Cor 10:12)
Paul is not exhorting us to make sure we are strong enough to stand by faith. He is telling us to make sure that our faith is in Jesus Christ — rather than in ourselves, or in something else. This means that real faith, rather than be born out of our strength, is born out of our weakness. We have come to the place where we see that only in Christ is there any hope — and we are rejoicing in this Truth.
If your faith is in yourself, you may for a time think you stand — because nothing has come along to expose it as false. But your faith is NOT real — it is fake; a facade; natural; perhaps merely emotional or intellectual. The only real faith is faith in Jesus Christ, because He is the only One who is faithful and true.
Real faith is not an emotional state of mind that WE create. Neither is real faith mustered up out from ourselves. . Faith must COME to be in me. Faith COMES to be in me if I, “hear,” that is, embrace, the Truth that God reveals — “faith comes by hearing.” All other “faith” is not real, but merely human and natural.
God is faithful. Therefore, if our faith is fake – not in Christ – God will be faithful to expose us. He will let the crisis come – and the storm will topple our facade. This might seem terrible, but it is God’s faithfulness to show us the Truth. It is the only way in which real faith can be built anew upon the solid Rock.
The trial of faith is like gold tried by fire. (I Peter 1:7) When gold is tried by fire, all of the impurities come to the surface and can be discarded. What remains is a purer gold. In like manner, if our faith is fake, or not pure, God will let a crisis come that is beyond what that fake or impure fake can bear. It will collapse. But thankfully, God is showing us the Truth so that we can escape the lie and begin resting in His Son.