The Devotional - A Look at the Book #694

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 694

A precious faith is a faith that is one of a kind. Faith in religion or in one’s personal character is not precious at all. For example; during the reformation many were martyred in the name of religion. Currently, a famed religion martyrs many Christians and Jews. The only precious faith is the One that is found in the perfect Righteousness of our LORD Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1-4

Have you ever given thought to your life in Christ? Recently I was wondering about loving God from a pure heart. A good conscience and a sincere faith is the high calling of God’s command for all believers, 1 Timothy 1:5. If you ask people about their faith, they respond with yes, I love God and I have faith… I believe them and you should too. However here is the rub; how sincere is one’s faith.

You and I are not the ones whom God has called to judge another’s faith as earlier in the epistle of Romans the apostle discusses this very point; do not judge lest you be judged yourself, also in Romans 12:1-21 this whole chapter is dedicated to our behavior to one another as believers and the use of our Spiritual gifts as a spiritual service to God in order that we would prove what is good, acceptable and perfect; that being the will of God.

Using the ministries of God for purposes that do not edify one another as the apostle Paul notes in 1 Timothy 1:1-11 is giving heed to disputes of false doctrine which destroys faith. Our churches today in this country fail to meet this powerful command. People walk away from many services on Sundays without having their conscience and heart challenged to maintain a sincere faith and faith without sincerity is not a faith that expresses the joy of the LORD.

Notice what the apostle Peter has to say in 1 Peter 1:3-12 as he focuses his attention to our heavenly Inheritance. By God’s abundant mercy we are born into His living hope, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is not something that is possible for you and me to have unless God Himself gives it too you. Also once He has given it, He keeps it for you by His power, not yours or mine. I certainly know that within me there is no power to keep anything. I am weak, but He (God) is strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

There is a ton of joy here in Peter’s first epistle and I am poorly touching on a bit of it as he discusses election, but the apostle’s key verse and the one that I wish for us to see is verse eight.

“Jesus Christ; whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”

1 Peter 1:5-7 explains why; those who are sincere about their faith will grieve through the various trials of life their faith grows, a faith that is much more precious to them then life and prosperity in the world that will one day perish. But this grieving will not hold up. At the return of Christ and when our soul sees Jesus this inexpressible joy will be expressed as a new song; as the one we will sing in Revelation 5:8-14… Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.