July 8, 2007
Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

        As we study this letter let’s be careful not to distance ourselves from its message – let’s not miss the opportunity to apply the riches of what Peter has to say here to our lives and to our church. The message of “certainty.”

        The first 2 verses in this letter are foundational to everything else Peter has to say and the hinge here is the phrase “precious faith.” Let’s sum up these first 2 verses by answering 3 questions.

I. How many precious faiths are there? See 1:1.

        The word “faith” here singular – it’s not “faiths” plural – it’s not many “faiths” – it’s one.

        A. One faith means that the Christian faith is the same for all classes,         all groups, all nationalities, and all kinds of people.

                1. One of the central and essential glories of the Gospel of Jesus                 Christ is that it cuts out all artificial human divisions and                 distinctions.

                2. See Acts 10:34. One faith means that the Christian faith is the                 same for all classes, all groups, all nationalities, and all kinds of                 people.

        B. One faith means that the Christian faith today is the same as that of         the apostles.

                1. The people Peter was writing to had obtained “a like                 precious faith with us.”

                2. In many ways, questioning this is the essence of modern                 heresy.

                3. The Gospel that was preached nearly two thousand years                 ago, the Gospel of the apostles, is the very foundation of the                 church. See Eph. 2:14-22.

II. What is this precious faith? See 1:1-3.

        A. Who is at the very center here? Jesus Christ: no Jesus Christ – no         precious faith.

                1. Peter refers to Jesus Christ 5 times just in the first 3 verses                 and 15 times in the first chapter. Jesus Christ has the                 preeminence all through God’s Word: no New Covenant, no                 forgiveness of sin, no heaven, no Gospel, no precious faith apart                 from Jesus Christ.

                2. Put this preeminence of Christ in the context of the world in                 which we now live.

                3. The message today is: “You can go direct to God – pick a                 path.” But look at what Jesus said. See John 14:1-6.

        B. How does someone get this precious faith?

Conclusion

        Man’s problem is not which path to take, it’s how to be just, how to be moral, and how to become righteous before a holy God.

        We are standing before a judge, like Scooter Libby we have been found guilty of the crime, and there is no President to commute our sentence – a penalty must be paid so what can we do? That’s what we’ll deal with next week.

        See 2nd Peter 1:10 again.