PRECIOUS FAITH

PRECIOUS FAITH

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours. —II Peter 1:1

            Oh, how precious this faith is that we have!   This faith came “through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” We had no righteousness of our own, but by faith in Jesus we have God’s righteousness. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (II Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our place, was punished for us and paid our sin debt, a debt we could never pay that we could have God’s righteousness through Him.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. —I Peter 1:18-21

            This is all God’s doing on our lives. Without Him revealing Himself to us and drawing us to Himself we would not understand these things. Our response is to love Him, live for Him and let others know about Him.  

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. —Ephesians 2:8-10

            We who have believed on our Lord Jesus are the receptors of His grace.   Salvation from sin and new life in Him is all by His favor upon us for His purposes. Even the faith we have is a gift from Him. We have nothing to boast about but, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (II Corinthians 10:17-18).  This is what counts— to be commended by our Lord!   So let us live in such a way that we would be commended by Him! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyFNAs2jRjU&list=UUf1NPIFOBwzTLVQiEDnq4Cw

Dear Father I thank You for the Faith You have given me. I am grateful to know You and I know that could not be the case unless it was for You drawing me to Yourself. Out of gratitude may I live for You in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son, Jesus. So be it.