Precious Gift of Faith

 My thoughts have been taken up recently by studied in Peter's 2nd letter, chapter 1. 

It's around 65AD, he's in prison and facing execution for his faith, but still he writes to the Hebrew believers (Paul's mission was to the Gentiles, Peter's more to the Hebrews) about the precious faith given to us as Christians when we come to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. 

Precious faith - a gift from God. 

If something is precious we nurture it, care for it, don't let it out of our sight, protect it. 

Peter talks about how to do this. He instruct us to make every effort to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love - suggesting we add them in a cumulative way, starting with goodness and working through until we get to love.

This all suggests that we can't rely on Agape love (God's sort of love) being a feeling. We can't sit around until we feel like doing the right thing. We can't treat others according to whether or no we like them. We can't expect to know about God unless we study His Word. 

Why do we do this? Is there any help or do we sink or swim by our own efforts?

We read in this chapter that:

Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.

But we still must make the effort as Peter says' "Because of all this make every effort..........."

We have a precious faith given to us freely by our incredible, awesome God. Let us not waste it. 

I close with the blessing:

May grace and perfect peace cascade over you as you live in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.