Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours …
2 Peter 1:1
As I read this passage this morning, I was struck by the word “precious”. It’s one of those words that is so rich and full of meaning and emotion. “A faith as precious as ours.” I feel the need to pause before the beauty of those sentiments. There is so much here.
Each of us who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus have this precious faith which accomplishes so much in our lives. This faith of ours is literally the very thing that gets some of us out of bed in the morning. This dear faith of ours is truly what gives meaning and substance to each moment of our lives. This special faith of ours enables weak people like us to live in confident, boisterous hope! This precious faith of ours draws us near to the One who is able to save us completely because He always lives to intercede for us. We truly do have a precious, beautiful faith.
But there’s even more. We share a special bond with other people who have likewise entrusted themselves to our Savior Jesus Christ. We recognize our kinship when we cross paths with someone who has “received a faith as precious as ours.” It’s not just that we have friends along the journey. It’s deeper than that. We have people who believe with and for us along the journey. I have often been blessed by the confident assertions of faith that my fellow believers have made. Your faith strengthens my faith. This, too, is beautiful and precious.
But the beauty is not about to let up. All of this, every part of this comes from the goodness and righteousness of our Savior and our God, Jesus Christ. He is the Faithful One who is the trustworthy object of our faith that makes our faith real. Without Him, it would all be sad, deluded, wishful thinking. But with Him, the One who has shown Himself to be faithful and true to each of us, our faith is not wishful thinking, it is precious.
– Deryk Pritchard, Preacher