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. Rather, he is telling us to make sure that our faith is in Jesus Christ — rather than in ourselves, or in something else.
If your faith is in yourself, you may for a time think you stand. But your faith is NOT real. It is fake; a façade. The only real faith is faith in Jesus Christ, because He is the only One who is faithful and true.
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 façade. This might seem terrible, but it is God’s faithfulness to show us the Truth. It is the only way in which we can build faith 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 God is showing us the Truth so that we can stop putting fake faith in ourselves and begin putting it in His Son.