He is Precious

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1 Peter 2:7
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.”
I’ll be speaking in a few moments from the book of 1 Peter 2:7.
The title of our message today is “He is Precious”
Would you turn there to 1 Peter chapter 2? I am going to read in a few moments the first seven verses or I am going to refer to them. But here’s my text in verse 7, just one line: “Unto you, therefore which believe, he is precious.”
Now, I don’t know whether knowingly or unknowingly, whether informed or uninformed, whether on purpose or accidentally, I don’t know, but it seems like that everybody today who talks about salvation talks about salvation in the past tense. Have you ever noticed that?
Someone will come up to you and they will say: “Are you saved or have you been born again?” And the person will reply: “Yes, I’m saved. I was saved in 1951 or 1955 or I was saved in a revival meeting. I got saved here or there.” They always talk about salvation in the past tense.
I imagine you would shock the average church member and the average preacher if when they ask you this question, “have you been saved,” if you will reply “yes; I am being saved.”
Or, if somebody asks you “have you been saved, you reply “I hope to be saved and I hope by God’s good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.” This is the way the Scripture talks about salvation. The Scriptures which make much of a good beginning in faith also stresses a continuing in faith; did you know that?
Now, I know the Bible talks about “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
But that same Bible which stresses a good beginning also stresses a continuing in the faith. You listen to Hebrews 3. You might read Hebrews 3:6 and 14 but listen to verse 14: “For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.”
Salvation does not depend upon my works; nor upon my merit, nor upon my perseverance, I know that. Salvation is in Christ, totally, wholly, and completely by Him, and what He did, what He has done, is doing, and will do.
But those who believe on Christ keep on believing. The Bible which stresses a good beginning in faith also stresses a continuing in that faith. “He that endureth to the end the same shall be saved.”
And the Scriptures which make much of living by faith also make much of dying in faith. The Scripture says, talking about the Old Testament believers; “these all died in faith.” They started life in faith and they continued life in faith and they wound it up believing.
That’s right! Paul said; “I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. I have fought a good fight. Henceforth, is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give to me in that day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing.”
The Bible also gives us many examples of men who did not continue. They had some kind of experience. They made some kind of profession. They got some kind of religion. They followed the Lord Jesus Christ for a time, but they quit and the Bible offers for them no hope.
Judas Iscariot held the highest office in the church. He was an apostle. He was the treasurer of the group. Also, there was Ananias and Sapphira whom God struck dead in the assembly of believers.
And there was Simon Magus who made a profession and was baptized, who got religion, who followed the apostles. But Peter finally said to him: “Your heart’s not right. I perceive; you are in the gall of bitterness in the bond of iniquity. Your heart’s not right with God.”
There was Demas, the companion of the apostle Paul of whom Paul said: “Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world.” There were Hymenaeus and Alexander who made shipwreck of the faith.
You can go on and on and talk about those who did not continue in the faith, who perished. They made a start but they didn’t run the race with patience. They didn’t keep the faith. They didn’t finish the course. Therefore, they perished.
Listen to Hebrews 10:38: “Now, the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Notice, it says, “If any man draw back.” Listen to 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us but they were not of us. If they had been of us, they no doubt would have continued with us.”
And our text in 1 Peter 2:1 through 7; now turn over there a minute. It makes clear that salvation is not a dose of medicine that you take and get fixed up forever. It makes perfectly clear that salvation is not just the acceptance of a Book of facts, mental assent to a creed or catechism.
Salvation is not just a moral reformation or a following a set of rules; salvation is a new life; it’s a creation of a new person. It’s a new being. It’s a living, growing, continuing union with God. It’s the bringing of a person into the family of God and that person continues as a babe, as a young man, and as an elder in Christ Jesus.
Now look at 1 Peter 2:1; it says there in verse 1: “Wherefore, laying aside all malice.” Look at those words “laying aside.” It’s not done once and for all. It’s not finished all at once.
All the way through this life we have to continue to “lay aside all malice and all hypocrisy’s and all guile and all envy and all evil speaking.” It’s a daily laying aside these things. It’s a daily mortification of the flesh. It’s a daily crucifying of the old man.
It’s not on something that you get fixed up and finished at one sitting. If you go all the way through life, some of God’s greatest men were men who had their greatest trials in the closing days of their lives, David, Abraham; just go on through the list.
And then, look at verse 2 if you will: “As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby?” That you may what? “Grow thereby.” Paul said; “I haven’t arrived. I haven’t apprehended. I count not myself to have apprehended. I’m not already perfect.”
He said this in the latter stages of his ministry, not to long before he died: “I haven’t arrived. I forget those things which are behind and I press forward for the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Oh, he said; “that I may win Christ and be found in him; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.”
This thing of salvation is a growth. It’s being in Christ but it’s growing up in Christ and its daily desiring the milk of the Word.
Then, verses 3 and 4; Peter says in verse 3: “If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious; to whom coming (you keep coming to Him), as unto a living stone.” If you have tasted He is gracious you will come back for more.
If you’ve eaten His flesh and drunk His blood you will come back for more. If you have feasted on His mercy and His love and His grace you will come back for more, “if you’ve tasted that the Lord is gracious” you will be back!
You will be a regular; you will be a regular visitor to His table that you might feast upon the good things of our God. Just keep coming, “to whom coming;” just keep coming. Do you see that? It’s a continual thing.
Then, verse 5: “You are a living stone.” You are not a dead name in a book. You’re not just a number in a kingdom. You are a son; you are a person. You are a living stone, living sons in the Lord’s family, living stones in the Lord’s temple, a living person.
You see, salvation, (have been saved, are being saved, shall be saved) it’s a work of God: “We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.”
And then, there in verse 7 in my text and it says: “And to you that believe, (that are believing, that keep on believing) “he is precious.” Christ is precious!
Now, the apostle Peter uses this word “precious” several times in these two Books, 1 and 2 Peter. And I’ve picked out some of them to reveal to you if God gives me the grace and the Holy Spirit gives me the wisdom and the liberty and power to reveal to you a growth in grace, how there’s progressive sanctification, there are degrees of faith, there’s a growing up in the full manhood and full maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we continue in Him.
Now, the word “precious” means valuable; it means to be held in highest esteem. It means to be held in the greatest honor. And so; here are four things and I have tried to put them in an order in which I believe they come.
You may change the order. You feel perfectly free to do that because this is not a Scriptural doctrine, the order in which I place them; this is my order:

First of all: There is precious faith!

Look at 2 Peter 1:1; the apostle Peter says: “Simon Peter a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them who have obtained; (watch these words, they will all mean something) to them that have obtained like precious faith, (valuable, honored faith).”
Now, among precious things, I believe faith has to come first. And the reason I think faith has to come first is that it is doubtful anything spiritual will be held in high esteem if we don’t believe it.
“How can you call on him in whom you haven’t believed?” How can you rest in a promise that you don’t believe? How can you trust in blood that you don’t believe? How can one be precious to you whom you don’t believe?
So, faith has to come first, precious, faith. Do you have faith in Christ? Do you have faith? All men do not have faith in Christ. All men do not believe. Our Lord said to Simon Peter; He said: “Whom do you say that I am?” And Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And do you know what the Lord said? “Simon blessed are you; you are blessed. You have something that all men don’t have; you have faith. Blessed are you, blessed are your eyes they see and your ears, they hear. Flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you Peter but my Father which is in heaven; he revealed that to you. You’ve been given a gift and unspeakable gift, unsearchable riches, the gift of faith to believe in Christ.”
You say: “Preacher; do you think faith is a gift?” I know it is. The Bible says it’s a gift. “It’s given unto us not only to suffer for him but to believe on him.” That’s what the Scripture says. “For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it’s the gift of God.”
The goodness of God led you to repentance. It’s the grace of God that brought us to faith. Faith is not the product of the human heart. Faith is a good work and no good works ever sprung from human flesh.
Darkness is our lot. Unbelief is our lot. “You will not come to me that you might have life. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” Do you have faith; oh what a precious gift.
Do you know why it is precious?

A. It’s precious because of its source.

I told you to listen to each word. “Simon Peter, a servant (and a prophet of Jesus Christ), an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them who have obtained, (not earned, not merited, not bought), but obtained precious faith.” Where did it come from?
We obtained it. We got it from the same place that we got mercy. We obtained mercy. We got it from the same place we obtained grace. We got it from Him. He’s the giver of every good and perfect gift and He gave us faith to believe. God gave me the faith to believe. Even the desire to know Christ is of God.
Not only is faith precious because of its source:

B. Secondly: It is precious because of its object!

“To them that have obtained like precious faith; (see the word through), through the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ?” That word is in and through, faith in and through the righteousness of Christ, faith in the righteousness of Christ.
Not just faith in His teaching but faith in His righteousness. That’s how I come to God. That’s how I come boldly to God. That’s how I come boldly to the throne of God’s grace because I know that Christ is my righteousness.
I don’t have to be ashamed. I don’t have to, like Adam, run and hide. I can come boldly before God. I’m a sinner. I have sinful thoughts and sinful words and sinful habits, but I can come to God perfectly righteous in God’s sight in Christ:
“When I stand before his throne
Clothed in beauty not my own
Then and not till then shall I know
How much I owe.”
“With his spotless garments on
I’m as holy as God’s Son.”
Faith is precious because it’s faith in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know why faith is precious? I told you to watch each word: “To them that have obtained like precious faith, like faith.”
Special faith, like Abraham’s faith, like David’s faith, like Paul’s faith, like Peter’s faith. I don’t have faith in the same degree that Abraham had it. I wouldn’t dare say that. But I have the same kind of faith.
It’s just like his faith in nature. It may not be as strong as his, it may not be as great as his, but it is like his is in his nature. There’s just one kind of faith. It may be great faith, it may be small faith, and it may be little faith, but it’s in Christ.
And it’s not the strength of my faith that saves; it’s the power of my Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s right! Look at the vine clinging to the pole. It’s not the strength of the vine. It may be a little old bitty vine not even bigger than a thread but it’s on a strong pole.
It’ll stand. It’ll stand just as long as that vine which is an inch in diameter stands. You take away the pole and both vines would fall. So, it’s not the strength of the vine; it’s the strength of the pole.
Faith, precious, precious, faith; thank God we believe. “He that believeth on the Son hath life.”

II. Precious Promises

Look at 2 Peter 1:4, right on down three verses from that precious faith. He says: “Whereby are given unto us great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust.”
You know, all that the early believers had were the promises of God. Abraham just had promised. Before Christ came, before our Lord died on the cross, Abraham just had promises. That’s all he had was God’s promises. In Romans chapter 4 it says: “Abraham staggered not at the promises of God.”
They seemed impossible. They seemed beyond imagination that he would have; he didn’t even have a son and God was talking about him having “heirs as the sands of the seashore.” God was talking about “Abraham having a people out of every tribe, kindred; out of every nation under heaven,” nations rising up and blessing him and he didn’t even have a son.
And he was 100 years old and his wife was 90 years old. Talk about faith; he believed God. It says; “Being fully persuaded that what God had promised God was able to perform.”
But you and I have it better than Abraham. We have all the promises of God fulfilled in Christ. They are all fulfilled in Christ. The Redeemer has come. The seed of Abraham has come. The Son of David has come. The Messiah has come. The Lord has come.
The sacrifice has been offered. “The high priest has entered into the Holy place not made with hands but into heaven itself to appear before God for you and me.” These are precious promises because they are fulfilled.
They are precious promises because they tell of great and wonderful things! Think about it! God has promised to us forgiveness of sin. “In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of all our sins.” Isn’t that something?
There are not only the promises of the forgiveness of sins but promises of sanctification. He said, “We are accepted in the beloved. We are complete in Christ.” Think about that. The greatest sinner, the chief of sinners, complete in Christ.
Then promises of divine protection and divine direction! “And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, who are the called according to his purpose;” God’s children; everything, good and bad, great and small, works together for our good and his glory.
Promises of daily provision! He says: “My God will supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.” He’ll supply your need. David said, “I’ve been young and now I’m old; I’ve never seen God’s seed begging bread; (I have never seen God’s people deserted).”
Precious promises of eternal life! “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life and shall not come into condemnation.”
Promises of the resurrection! He said: “I will raise him up at the last day. All that my Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh I shall in no wise cast out. I came down from heaven not to do my will but the will of him that sent me. This is the will of him that sent me that of all which he hath given me I will lose nothing, but raise him up at the last day.”
Not a one; Christ won’t lose a one. “I will raise him up at the last day. I won’t lose a one that the Father gave me. I won’t lose a one that came to me. I’ll raise him up,” (promises, precious promises). No matter how dark the valley “I will fear no evil; thou art with me.” I have his Word. “He hath said so that I may boldly say;” that’s the basis of my confidence and my assurance.
And these promises become more precious as our faith grows! As your faith in Christ grows you will have more peace, more rest, more comfort, and more joy. You are able to enter in more and more of those promises.
So, we start with faith. Like the blind man who said: “I don’t know what happened; I just know I was blind but now I see.” You see; that’s just about all some young believers, babes in Christ know. Then they discover the promises of God. And they enter into a rest, joy, comfort, and peace.

III. Precious Blood of Christ

Then, they discover something else that is precious; they discover the precious blood, the precious blood of Christ. He said in 1 Peter 1:18: For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
“Under the blood of Jesus
I’m safe in the shepherd’s fold
Under the blood of Jesus
I’m safe while the ages roll,
Safe though the worlds may crumble
Safe though the stars grow dim
I’m under the blood of Jesus
I’m secure in Him.”

Do you know the value of the blood of Christ?

The more you learn of the holiness of God, the awesome, immaculate, immutable, infinite holiness of God the more you will value the blood of Christ.
The more you learn of your own sinfulness, the more you learn of your own wretchedness and depravity; “In my flesh dwelleth no good thing;” I am aware more and more of my shortcomings; I fail and come short of the glory of God.
The more you are aware of your sinfulness, your wretchedness, and your depravity, the more you will value the blood of Christ.
And also, as you grow, in the understanding of the awful judgment and wrath of God against sin; God hates sin and God will punish sin. God must deal in infinite justice with all sin; do you know that?
God’s not a big old white-haired granddaddy sitting in heaven with His tongue in His cheek and saying, “Well, if you don’t do too much I will let you get off this time.” No sir; God is an awesome, holy, immaculately pure, righteous, and just God who must deal with transgressions, who must punish sin.
And the more you are aware of that awesome wrath of God against sin, the more you will value the blood of Christ, the more precious the blood of Christ.
I think more and more I can understand something of the thanksgiving in the heart of those fathers and mothers in Egypt when God said “at midnight I will pass through the land and I will smite the firstborn from Pharaoh’s palace down to the cattle on the hillside.”
“But when I see the blood I will pass over you,” not when I see your works, not when I see your promises, not when I see your professions, not when I see your good deeds, but “when I see the blood.”
That’s all that’s between you and the judgment and the wrath of God almighty. And the condemnation of eternity is the blood, “when I see the blood, when I see the blood.”
“What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

His blood has redeeming power,

redeemed us from the curse of the law. His blood has cleansing power: “The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth us from all sin.” His blood has atoning power. His blood “speaks better things than the blood of Abel.”
What does his blood speak and intercede? It speaks of an honored law, it speaks of a satisfied justice, it speaks of a reconciled God, and it speaks of a justified sinner. His blood has keeping power: “By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” His blood’s precious!
“He’ll keep me till the river rolls
Its waters at my feet.
Then he will bear me safely over
Where my Saviour I will meet.”

IV. He is precious

And then last of all and I believe as we grow in grace; I know Christ is precious to every believer but oh how precious he is to those who have grown in grace. How precious, how much more precious He grows every day.
His faith, the faith is precious. The promises are precious. And the blood is precious but 1 Peter 2:7, my text: “Unto you that believe he is precious.”
This is the great evidence of saving faith. Christ is precious. Not just His blessings but Him. Not just His benefits but Him. And He is blessed and precious in everything!
Now, election is wonderful but I’m elected in Christ. Adoption is wonderful but I’m adopted in Christ. Forgiveness is wonderful but I’m forgiven in Christ. The inheritance is wonderful but I’m and heir of God in Christ Jesus. Pardon is wonderful but I am pardoned in Christ.
He’s precious in everything. He’s the key to everything. He’s precious compared to everything. I’m glad our nation’s free but let me tell you something: “I’d rather be a slave and have Christ, than a free man, and not know Christ.”
Now, we are blessed financially. We enjoy a lot that other countries don’t enjoy. But I’d rather do without and have Christ. It’s good to have friends; I’ve got many wonderful friends but I’d rather be alone and have Christ.
Health is good but I would rather be an invalid and know Christ than to be a healthy man and not know Christ. I’d rather have one arm and go through life than to have two and be cast into hell.
Christ is precious compared to anything. You just take anything. And then Christ is precious above all things, “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.”
You know, he says in the book of Hebrews: “He’s greater than Moses, as the Son is greater than the servant, and as he who built the house is greater than the house.”
Christ is greater than the angels. “To which of the angels said he at any time: Thou art my Son?” And He’s greater than all the Old Testament priests. And He’s greater than all the principalities and powers. Our Lord is precious!
You know, over there in 1 John chapter 2:12 the apostle John talks about babes in Christ and young men in Christ and fathers in Christ. And he says of the babes in Christ: “I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven.”
You’ve discovered what faith is and your sins are forgiven and that’s what you know; that’s not all you know is it?
“And I write unto you young men because you have overcome the wicked one.” How did they overcome him? By the blood; young men have you’ve discovered the preciousness of the blood.
You’ve been around a little while and you’ve discovered the preciousness of the blood of Christ but “I write unto you fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning.” You know Him; He is precious.
It becomes not the faith, the promises and the blood; but the person of Jesus Christ, He is salvation!
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