Like Precious Faith

Introduction

Faith, our faith truly is the victory that’ll overcome the world. Peter, in addressing the saints, told them that he had a faith just like theirs. In fact, turn over to Second Peter chapter one and look at that introduction that Peter makes to his audience. An audience that he says that he had something in common. Second Peter one, beginning in verse one, says, Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter addresses those who had faith. This morning I’d like for us to talk about that faith, this like precious faith. Because there’s not a subject more important in all the world to the faithful Christian than faith.

Because when we examine and we contemplate faith, and when we’re talking about faith, we’re talking about true faith, the faith of a dedicated, devoted child of God. Because faith to that faithful child of God is first of all three things. Number one is it is invasive. It’s all encompassing, and it’s distinguishing. It’s invasive for the faithful child of God. Faith permeates everything that he or she does. Faith is not a category that is isolated for Sunday mornings and for the really strong faithful Wednesday nights. Faith is something that permeates every day of our lives. Every facet of our lives, every relationship of our lives is dictated by our faith. Every decision that is made, and it is not hyperbole to say every word that is spoken is dictated by our faith and directed by our faith.

And so it’s invasive. It’s all encompassing. Because it affects every relationship. Every other thing is decided by this.

1. A Like Faith of Equal Standing

But for the child of God, it’s all about our faith. And so this morning, let’s contemplate the most important facet of our life. And that’s our faith. Peter would say of this faith that to those whom he addressed, that it was a like faith. To those, he said, who have obtained a like precious faith. One translation translates that phrase this way by saying, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours. Well, that’s powerful when you think about it. Because who wrote these words? The inspired apostle Peter. Peter who was there almost every step of Jesus’ walk here upon the earth. Peter who heard possibly every sermon that Jesus ever preached. Who heard many of the prayers that Jesus prayed. Who witnessed at least a majority of the miracles that Jesus performed.

Just think about it from your study of the gospels. What did Peter miss in the life of Christ? How many sermons did he miss? How many miracles did he not witness? Peter was there for all of it. The same Peter that was there in the garden was the Peter who was there in the mountain of transfiguration. This is Peter to whom Jesus, along with the other apostles, would say, You will be given the authority that exists in me. And you will be tasked with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world. And it was this Peter who would stand up on that day of Pentecost and declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the man who wrote to these people, just like you and I, and would say, You’ve obtained a faith of equal standing with mine.

We read and heard in our Bible reading this morning about Thomas, Thomas who finally got to see the flesh, the wounded and tattered flesh of Jesus Christ. And after having seen it, said, I believe. Jesus would reply to that, Thomas, blessed are you because you saw and believed, but blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. He was talking about Peter’s audience. He was talking about us today, who have not seen the things, did not witness the things that Peter had the privilege of witnessing, but have the same faith as them. Jesus would talk about this, I think, back in Matthew chapters 19 and 20. In fact, turn over there. Matthew chapter 19.

After talking about the virtual impossibility of the very wealthy making their way into the kingdom of God. The disciples said, Well, then who could be saved? And after that, Peter stands up and says this, Matthew 19, verse 27. Peter answered and said to him, See, we have left all and followed you. Therefore, what shall we have? A little bit of maybe selfishness and patting himself on the back. Peter says, Look what we’ve done, Lord. We’ve sacrificed more than anybody. What are we going to get? Maybe Peter had this mistaken notion of degrees of reward. Or if a rich person, if another person will make some sacrifices and come to you, they’ll enter the kingdom. But if they’re going to get that, what are we who have left everything going to get?

And after reassuring Peter that he’ll have a position, even maybe a position of prominence in the kingdom, Jesus concludes in Matthew 19 by saying this, verse 29. Everyone who has left houses of brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake shall receive a hundredfold and inherit everlasting life. Many who are first will be last and the last. Now that’s been a phrase that’s probably puzzled us over the years. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. It’s puzzled us maybe in two different arenas. Number one is just really what does it mean? And how does it have application to what Peter and Jesus were discussing here? But then if we’re honest, it’s puzzled us because it sounds unfair.

What do you mean the first will be last and the last will be first? That’s not fair. And if our American culture has taught us anything, and that is life should be fair, shouldn’t it? Do you remember? You can go back that far enough in the traces of your memory. Do you remember elementary school? Only thing I remember from elementary school is standing in line. Maybe I should have learned more, but I learned that. Standing in line. You got in line for everything, didn’t you, in elementary school. Time to get the crayons, get in line. Time for lunch, get in line. Time for play period, get in line. Time for the bell to ring, the buses are coming, get in line. And there was always this ship somewhere at middle and high school, but in elementary school at least, there was always supremacy of being in the front of the line.

So many times that it was often a token of reward. If you behave, you can be in the front of the line. You misbehave, you’ll be in the back of the line. If you do good on the test, you’ll be in the front of the line. You flunk the test, you’ll be at the back of the line. I’ll not ask for guesses of which part of that line I was in most of the time. And so here was the line. People in the front, people in the back. And what if the teacher had announced? If you do good today, if you do good on the test, you’ll be in the front of the line. And so these students work to get to that front of the line.

And then those of us who were slackers were in the back of the line. But then the teacher said, okay, now we’re going to flip that line. The last shall be first. And the first shall be last. In other words, we’ll reverse that line. There would have been wailing and gnashing of teeth, wouldn’t they? Because that’s not fair. But isn’t that what Jesus is saying? The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Well, let’s think about, and in the context of this similar faith with the Peter and the other eyewitnesses, let’s think about really, I think, the meaning of that phrase. Jesus says the first shall be last, the last shall be first. Then in chapter 20, he’s going to tell a parable.

Sometimes we let these chapter breaks confuse us because this is still the continuity of thought. Jesus is going to tell a parable, and then I want us to skip ahead to the end of that parable. First of all, look over in chapter 20. And in verse 16. So the last will be first, and the first last. You see, Jesus starts the parable, the end of chapter 19, by saying the first shall be last, the last shall be first, tells a story, and at the end of that story in chapter 20, verse 16 says, so the first shall be last, the last shall be first. Maybe that story, maybe that parable in between, is going to help us understand what it means when he says the first shall be last, the last shall be first.

So let’s pay attention to the story, to the parable. You remember this parable is one of the most memorable of Jesus’ parables. It talks about the landowner who hired some people in the early mornings of the day. We’re going to have to work all day long, and he’d made an agreement how much to pay them. And throughout the day, the third hour, the sixth hour, the ninth hour, and then finally at the 11th hour, he hired other workers. Some, that last group had only worked an hour. And we remember at the end of the day, at payday, they all receive the same amount of pay.

Regardless of how much work they had given. Sometimes we make an application to this, the idea of it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you become a Christian, you’re going to go to heaven. Well, maybe there’s some truth to that, but I think that misses the point of what Jesus is talking about. He told this parable to Peter, who said, See, Lord, we’ve left everything. What shall we get? We’re going to get paid more, aren’t we? And Jesus says, Peter, the first shall be last, the last shall be first, tells a story about everybody getting paid the same. And says, the first shall be last, the last shall be last.

And so what Jesus is talking about here is not inequity and unfairness, but what he’s talking about here is equality in Christ Jesus. And so when you hear that expression, the first shall be last and the last shall be first, don’t think about Jesus turning the line around, and the people who are in the back of the line now are in the front of the line, and the people who deserve to be in the front of the line are now in the back of the line. That’s not what this parable illustrates, is it? If that was the point, the people that got hired the 11th hour would have been paid more than the people who got hired first thing in the morning. Here’s the meaning of the phrase, the first shall be last, the last shall be first.

Think again of that elementary school line. That here’s the people in the front of the line, there’s the people in the back of the line. But Jesus doesn’t flip that line. Jesus says, everybody come up here, and we’re going to form the line this way. You see, now everybody’s first. The first are in equality with the last and the last are inequality with the first. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Why? Because they’re the same. The reward is the same. And so when Peter, who had left all to serve Jesus, who had seen everything, heard everything, wrote to an audience of people who had seen and heard nothing. Except the message delivered to them by the apostles. He could say, You have a faith just like mine.

Peter finally got it. Back in chapter 19 of Matthew, he didn’t get it, did he? What are we going to get? But by the time he wrote his second letter, he says, you’re going to get the same thing I get. Because you have the same faith that I have. Isn’t that a power? I hope that’s a powerful revelation to you. That your faith is on an equal par, not one bit lacking than the faith of Peter and the other apostles. You have a faith of equal standing that will receive an equal reward. It is a like faith, and it is that common bond that binds us all together. Think about what might otherwise separate us. If we’re talking about us and Peter, there’s a lot that could separate us, isn’t there?

2. The Faith That Binds Us Together

There’s language, there’s years of time. But we’re bound together with Peter and Paul and the other apostles because of our faith. Think about just the Christians here at South Bumby. There’s a lot that could divide us, isn’t there?

There’s a lot of differences. There’s economic differences. There are societal differences. There’s differences in our family background. There’s differences in our skin colors. There are differences in our personalities, in our hobbies, our likes, and our dislikes. And if we focused upon those things, fractions could rear their ugly head, and we would split ourselves in so many different ways that when I got done, I would be a congregation of one. And then I might have to withdraw from myself on certain days.

Because this faith is all encompassing.

Not because I like you. Now don’t misunderstand me. I do. But that’s not why. I’m a part of this fellowship. I didn’t scour the earth, scour the country, and find a group of people with whom I can agree politically, economically. That wasn’t the point, was it. We have found a group of people who, despite our many differences and sometimes disagreements, can put all of those things aside, saying, you know what? That really doesn’t matter. Here’s what matters, and ultimately all that matters is the faith that binds us together. That is ultimately all that matters, and that that is of ultimate and primary importance. And we need to be reminded of that. That this is this bond that binds us together. And so that has two repercussions.

Number one is we will not let anything else divide us. We will dismiss as at a maximum secondary to this primary importance, anything else, any other disagreement. We will leave at the end of the day saying that ultimately doesn’t matter, because here’s what matters.

3. A Trusting Faith

With our lives, we will defend that which unites us as we dismiss that which would divide us. And so why do we study the scriptures? Well, there’s a lot of levels and layers to that question. But one layer we’ll peel back and examine this morning is we study those because it’s upon that in which we’re to be united. And really, all that unites us. All. The only thing that unites us is that. And so we’ll study that, we’ll guard that, we’ll protect that with every fiber of our being. And it’s a trusting faith. Look with me in the book of 2 Timothy, chapter 1. Many times the word translated faith in our New Testament could equally be translated trust. Trust. And let’s think about what, at least in the English language, how we have sometimes differentiated between the concept of believe and trust.

Because the New Testament concept of faith involves both. Trust is a deeper form of just belief, isn’t it? And certainly what we would call as an absolute unwavering trust.

But that’s what faith really is. This New Testament faith, this faith that we have in common is this undying, unwavering trust. Notice what Paul said, how he put it in 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 12. For this reason I also suffer these things. Remember, Paul was in prison at this time. For this reason I suffer these things. Nevertheless, I’m not ashamed, for I know.

In my mind at least, that’s a little bit stronger than persuaded, isn’t it? I am convinced. I know, and I am convinced.

Paul would say that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed to him until that day. Trust. The trust in God. That we can truly cast our cares upon Him, that we can put our absolute lives on the line in Him. It’s much more. Faith, biblical faith, saving faith is much more than just an assent to certain facts. Oh, I believe this, I believe that, I believe that happened. I believe that’s true, and I believe this will happen. Now that’s a part of faith, and maybe even the foundational part of faith. But true faith is an absolute trust that I trust, I know, and I am convinced. This faith that we have in common with Peter and others of like precious faith must be an enduring faith.

4. An Enduring Faith

Most, if not all of us here this morning could talk about what we sometimes refer to as the five steps of salvation. Hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. We can recite those. Most of us could probably put passages of Scripture with those five steps, couldn’t we? Hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. There’s nothing wrong with putting things to memory and even kind of having some mnemonic device to be able to recall those instantly. But don’t let the shortcutting of those steps for memory’s sake diminish the longevity of those things. Every one of those things hear, believe, repent, confess, and baptism. For the child of God, every one of those has life long application and implication. I’ve made this point before, but we’ll repeat it this morning.

Sometimes we, again, shortcutting things for convenience sake, we’ll refer to somebody who’s done that as they obeyed the gospel. And that’s correct. But if we mean by that, that was the time we obeyed the gospel, and we haven’t obeyed it since. We see the problem with that, don’t we? I believed past tense, and not as past tense, but punctilliar sense. There was one point in my life in which I believed and responded to the gospel. Misses the New Testament concept of belief, doesn’t it? That this is a life. And so think of those, if you want to think of them as steps, that’s good and that’s scriptural. That the first step is hear. And then you take that second step, which is believe, and in the third step, you’re going to repent.

5. An Obedient Faith

And then you go up that fourth step, and now you’re going to confess his name. And that fifth step is baptism. If you want to think of them as steps, that’s fine. But think of them as steps on which we are now still standing. An enduring faith. It’s a trusting faith. It’s an enduring faith. And if the scriptures teach us anything, it’s an obedient faith. We don’t have time this morning, but in your private study, reread James chapter 2. Unmistakable. Obedient faith is what God demands and requires of us. And by the way, to tie these points together, if you’re going to have the faith that Peter and the apostles had, this is the kind of faith you’re going to have. If you don’t have a trusting faith, if you don’t have an enduring faith, and if yours is not an obedient faith, then you don’t have a faith like Peter did.

6. A Precious Faith

And therefore, as James would say, you don’t have a saving faith. Now, Peter says it’s a like faith with us, a faith of equal standing. But he says it’s a precious faith. A precious faith. The New King James translates it. Faith of equal standing, again, some translations have it. The word precious is a sweet word, isn’t it? It’s one of those words that even the gruffest, most manliest man has to say it with a little bit of lilt in his voice. Nobody says, isn’t that precious? You say precious.

But it’s certainly a word that’s applicable to our faith. It is precious. It’s to be valued. It’s to be guarded. Because it’s so rare. That’s what makes something precious, isn’t it? It’s rarity. It was rare then it’s rare now. Look in Matthew chapter 11.

Matthew 11, beginning in verse 20, he says he began to upbraid the cities in which of most of his mighty works had been done. Because they did not repent. Woe to you, Corazon, woe to you, Beth Seda, for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, then you would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it’d be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, who will be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works which are done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it’ll be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than in the day of judgment for you.

These cities, these people, these occupants of these cities saw the mighty works of God, the same ones that Peter saw. And they didn’t believe.

Our faith is precious because it’s rare. It’s precious because our salvation depends upon it. There’s the value, and therefore the preciousness ascribed to our faith is because what it will accomplish for us. It’s precious because time has taught you over and over again it’s what will bring you through the crises of life. It’s done that, hasn’t it?

Conclusion

When life brings you down, life is so low and full of inexplicable difficulties. Sometimes all you have left is to say, I know. And I am convinced. It’s precious because it alone gives us hope. Peter would say to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us. We value, we protect, and we honor that which we esteem to have great worth. See your faith for what it’s worth. Guard it with your life. Value it with your heart. And live it in your soul. This like precious thing. Will you pray with me? Dear God and Almighty Father who art in heaven, we love you and we know. We know that you are our God. And we are absolutely convinced, Father, that you have a place prepared for us in heaven.

God forgive our doubts. Give us time to strengthen our faith. Remind us what binds us together. Help us to dismiss the silly things that might divide us. May we grow in our love and devotion to you. May we grow in our love and devotion to one another. And may all these things be accomplished through our precious faith. We thank you and we love you. Be with us as we serve and worship you today. Be with us as we serve and worship you every day of our lives. And then finally, give proof to our faith when we see you and live with you for an eternity. It’s in your blessed Son’s name that we pray. Amen.