I love the stories of men and women of great faith. Among missionary biographies I have read one that stands out is the story of Adoniram Judson – missionary to Burma (now Myanmar) in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Against incredible odds and through humanly impossible tragedy and suffering he translated the Scriptures into the Burmese language. Judson stands out to me as one of those heroes of faith. His story fits alongside the men and women listed in Hebrews 11. I have sometimes wished I had the faith of men like Adoniram Judson.
Possibly there have been times in your life when you have compared yourself to someone else (someone who seems to be a “natural” at faith) and you have felt discouraged that you did not seem to have the kind of faith they had? Maybe you have read biographies of “great men and women of faith” or heard testimonies of amazing adventures of faith and said to yourself, “Wow, I wish I had their faith!” Guess what? You do! Read what the Apostle Peter wrote in the very first sentence of his second letter.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: (2 Peter 1:1 NIV)
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: (2 Peter 1:1 ESV)
In this letter Peter is writing to remind Christians of some very important truths about faith. The people to whom he originally wrote this letter were coming up against some false teaching in the church and Peter wanted to ensure that they not forget what was true and correct – especially in their understanding of faith. So right from the first sentence of the letter he sets out some facts about faith.
Fact # 1: Peter states very clearly that our faith is something we have received – it is a gift. Each one of us who has turned to Jesus has been given a gift that comes from the depths of God’s grace – the gift of faith. Other scriptures tell us how necessary faith is (i.e. Hebrews 11:6) but here Peter tells us where faith comes from. In and of our natural selves we do not have the ability to have faith. Scripture tells us that we were “dead in our transgressions and sins” but that “God made us alive” (Eph 2:1-5). As God’s Spirit calls us to Jesus he enables us to turn in trusting faith and receive from him eternal life. So our ability to believe (to have faith) is a gift from God.
Fact # 2: Peter identifies our faith as a “common” faith – common in the sense that all Christians possess a faith of equal standing. Dr. Kenneth Gangle writes the following.
The words “as precious” translate the compound word isotimon, used only here in the New Testament. It comes from isos (“equal”) and timē (“honor, value”). The word isotimon was used for foreigners who had been granted the privileges of citizenship which were equal to those of the native born. The faith given them by God was of equal honor or privilege with that of the apostles’ faith. Here Peter foreshadowed his purpose by stressing that the faith of the apostles was no different from the faith of any believer. This contrasted with the pre-Gnostic doctrines of the false teachers who spoke of an inner circle of special knowledge attainable by and available only to a privileged few. [1]
Do you see the implications of what Peter is telling us? You and I do not have an inferior faith to that of any other believer – including the early apostles. We all have been given a “common”, precious faith. A feeling of inferiority has no place in the heart and thoughts of a Christian. The faith that God has given us is “of the same stuff” as those giants of the faith that we so often envy. So why is their experience different than ours? Read on…
Fact # 3: In that same compound word Peter describes our faith as being precious, valuable, something to be treasured. When we are tempted to think that we just don’t have the faith of someone else the questions we should really be asking are, What are we doing with this common, precious faith that we have been given? How are we proving that our faith is valuable to us? Are we encouraging our faith to grow? Do we allow God to stretch it, expand it, purify it? How do we respond when God gives us opportunities to test our faith? Writing about trials and suffering, in his first letter Peter states, "These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:7, 8 NIV). When God allows such things to touch our lives, do we in turn allow him to work his purposes in us? How do we respond to trials and suffering? Do we see them as from the hand of God? I will honestly confess that I struggle with this at times. It is so easy to start to question God and to complain and wilt under the pressure and heat of testing. Recently, my youngest daughter has been a powerful testimony to me of how a young Christian woman handles the disappointments and setbacks of life. In every new situation that has come her way she has consistently chosen to see God’s hand in the things she has experienced. As a result I have had the privilege of watching her grow and nourish her own “precious faith. As Peter points out in the verse above, it is in the crucible where our faith is proven, strengthened and deepened. Do you and I truly want to be men and women of “great faith”? How precious is our faith to us? Never take your faith for granted – it becomes too easy to neglect it. Treasure the faith you have been given. Ensure that it is safe from all those things that would erode it.
Fact # 4: Notice that the avenue through which we receive that precious faith is “…through the righteousness of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,…” We owe everything to our beloved Saviour – including our faith. His saving work on the cross for you and me, summed up by Peter in that single word “righteousness”, made it possible for us to be people of faith. That is a fact we must never forget.
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