Everyone possesses things he considers precious. Perhaps they are jewels of great price, family photographs, or even memories that are especially dear. The apostle Peter speaks in both of his letters of precious things – things that are of great value, dear, or costly. Let us consider some things he says are precious.
First, our faith in Jesus Christ is precious; it is of great value. Peter writes in his second letter to those who “have obtained like precious faith with us,” (2 Peter 1:1) that is, with the apostles. Is it not a wonderful thing that you and I can obtain faith of the same value as the apostles? In his first letter, Peter speaks of that faith in this way: “the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire…” (1 Peter 1:7). We know that “without faith it is impossible to please God,” (Hebrews 11:6), but faith that endures and is refined by trials, troubles, and persecution grows more and more precious.
Second, Peter writes of Jesus Himself being precious: “…Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious” (1 Peter 2:4). True, Christ is not precious to all men, for to some He is a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8). But “to you who believe, He is precious” (1 Peter 2:7). Later in chapter two, Peter calls to our attention Jesus’ example in suffering (2:21) and His sacrifice (2:24), both of which are precious. This leads us to another thing that is precious:
The blood of Christ is precious: “…Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18-19). Life is in the blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The blood of Christ is precious because He laid down His perfect life, the only sacrifice that could atone for our sins. And the only way for the alien sinner to contact that blood, the death of Christ (Romans 5:8-9), for the forgiveness of sin, is through being buried with Him through baptism (Romans 6:1-4). It is through His blood that we have salvation, so it is of great value to us!
If Christ is precious to us, we will count his blood precious, not common. We will consider that the cost of our redemption was the life of the very Son of God. We will not consider any sin as some small thing, and we certainly will not want to sin willfully and thus count the blood of the covenant by which we have been sanctified a common thing (Hebrews 10:29), for it is precious! Is it any wonder that it was the Lord’s will that His children partake of the Lord’s Table every first day of the week, remembering the body and the blood of the Lord? Christians will therefore want to assemble on the first day of the week, because His blood is precious!
Do you consider the worth, the preciousness of genuine faith in Christ, faith that will stand unashamed in the face of opposition against truth and against righteous living? Let us be willing to endure tests as those to whom Peter wrote so that our faith too “may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Peter does not portray a Christian’s faith as something casual or common; the genuine faith of a Christian is precious!
Things that are precious to us we will value, esteem highly, and hold dear and close to us. Such is the case with Christ and His blood and our faith in Him. – Larry Jones