Our Right Set of Values (1)
—Precious promises, faith, and blood (1Peter)
Peter uses the word “precious”1 a number of times in his letters.
The principle runs through the first epistle that there are certain things which are from heaven that are very valuable and marvelous, and we as Christians should value these things above all else.
We can identify seven things which Peter holds in this high regard. These precious things should determine the set of values on which we make our decisions in life. In this lesson we look at the first three precious things.
1 Precious Promises
1Peter 1:4 At the outset of his first Epistle, Peter reminds us of "an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (1Peter 1:4).
Similarly, at the beginning of his second epistle, Peter reminds us that God has "granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might be made partakers of the divine nature" (2Peter 1:4).
This precious promised inheritance is everything to us Christians.
As Jesus pointed out, we could gain the whole world, yet it would profit us nothing (Mark 8:36) should we lose the precious heavenly inheritance God has granted and reserved for our souls.
2 Precious Faith
1Peter 1:7 Peter refers to the Christian's genuine faith in Christ as "more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire" (1Peter 1:7).
Gold is one of the most precious and least perishable substances on earth, and the furnace purifies and improves it. Yet even gold is perishable. Unlike gold, our faith is everlasting although like gold it is made the more genuine by "fire".
Commencing his second letter, Peter describes Christians as those who have received "a like precious faith" (2Peter 1:1 KJV).
No matter how much the devil turns up the heat on our faith, all he can do is make our faith more genuine. He cannot destroy our faith, and we are "protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1Peter 1:5).
If we lose everything else, but hold on to our faith, we have kept by far the most precious possession we have.
3 Precious Blood
1Peter 1:19 Again Peter compares our set of values with "perishable things like silver and gold" (1Peter 1:18). He reminds us of "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless" (1Peter 1:19).
Because Jesus was the only one able to make a perfect sacrifice for all the world's sin, he received "honour and glory from God the Father" (2Peter 1:17).
It is interesting that the Greek word for honour is timee, the same as the word for precious value. Jesus is indeed the precious Lamb of God, and his blood is the precious blood that paid the price of our redemption
1Note:— The Greek for “precious” is τιμη timee / timios Strong 5092/3.