2nd Peter chapter 1. And I'm titling the message from
these verses and others, things that are precious. Things that
are precious. If you would look and read 1st
and 2nd Peter, you would find this word precious is used seven
times. Twice here in 2nd Peter and then
five times found in 1st Peter. Now I want us to look at all
these scriptures today and consider what God calls to be precious. And I pray what He calls precious
is indeed precious to you, to your heart. Now some people,
maybe most people, consider many things to be precious. Some talk
of, and they even sing about, precious memories, how they linger. Other people talk about their
precious jewels. Some people maybe call their
health precious. You know, if you've got your
health, they say you've got everything. Well, I don't know about that.
Some people talk about their children, their little children,
their babies, they say, oh, ain't he precious. Well, children are special. While these things do have a
place among us, but to the believer, the only thing we really and
truly consider to be precious, truly precious, are those things
connected and regarding the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You
see, He is precious. To you who believe, He is precious. To every believer, what God calls
precious is also precious to you. If you're a believer, very
precious unto you. And that word means it's of great
value. It means it is of great cost. That word precious means it's
honorable. That word precious also means
it's highly esteemed. And what God calls highly esteemed
and precious among believers is also highly esteemed and precious. So let's look at these seven
different places. I have five different things
that I want to show you. The first one we read about here
in 2 Peter chapter 1 is precious faith. Precious faith. You see verse 1, Simon Peter
servant and an apostle he was a bond slave sent of the Lord
Jesus Christ to them that have obtained notice they didn't earn
faith they obtained like precious faith Precious faith. Underscore those two words. Faith
is precious. With us, through, notice, through
the righteousness of God, the righteousness of God our Savior. God our Savior is Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. Now, let me ask you a question.
Why is faith precious and of great value and highly esteemed
to every believer? Why so? Let's see if we can find
out. Hold your place here and find
Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6. Here's what it says. Without
faith, it is hard to please God. Without faith, some would say,
well, you know, it'd be difficult to please God. But look what
it says right here. Hebrews 11 verse six, but without
faith, it is impossible. It's just not difficult. It's
not hard. It's impossible. It's impossible
to please God. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. Believing God what a privilege
to believe God and he that and for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that Diligently
seek him Without faith it is impossible to please God wouldn't
you say that faith is very precious? It's a precious commodity. It's
the gift of God the sinner who is without faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ is the person without salvation. The person without
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a person without forgiveness
of sin. A person without faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ is a person who is not pardoned. He's guilty
before God. Now let's see if we can make
good on that. Turn to John chapter 3. John chapter three, verse
36. John chapter three. Without faith
it is impossible to please God. John chapter three, verse 36. He that believeth on the Son,
what does he have? Everlasting life. He that believeth
not the Son, talking about God the Son, shall not see life,
but the goodness of God will abide on him. It doesn't say
that, does it? What's that word? Wrath. The
wrath of God. Well, I thought God loved everybody.
Not so. Not so. The wrath of God abides
on that person that does not believe. Turn again to John chapter
5. John chapter 5, look at verse
24. John 5, verse 24, "...verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, has everlasting life." Well, I'd say faith is
pretty precious, wouldn't you? "...and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life." Turn to John chapter 6,
verse 40, and we could read many more. John chapter 6 verse 40
this is the will of him that sent me that everyone would see
it the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and
I'll raise him up at the last day Lord give me faith I want
to believe that I may have everlasting life The sinner who is without
faith in Christ is a person without salvation. A person who does
not have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a person without regeneration
as well. He that believeth Jesus is the
Christ is born of God. Born of God. Secondly, why is
faith called precious? Why is faith called precious?
Because it is the gift of God. Notice what it says back in the
text. to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through
the righteousness of God our Savior, Jesus Christ. Faith is
the gift of God obtained, not earned by the sinner, but obtained
by the righteous sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
God our Savior. Faith is precious, precious,
precious. We know Ephesians chapter 2,
don't we? For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. You see, faith is sovereignly
given to those ordained to life as a purchased gift of God by
the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. The reason we have faith
is because it's a purchased gift obtained at a great cost. It
cost him his life to enable me to believe. You see, faith is
not the product or the virtue of the flesh, is it? Faith doesn't
find its origin in this old rotten nature. Now the only thing that
we find native to this old rotten nature is unbelief and rebellion. Faith is something that's outside
of us that is the gift of God given by His grace, given by
His purpose. Faith is the gift of God and
faith is the very means that God has ordained for us to lay
hold of Eternal life now listen to scripture first Timothy 6
verse 12 Fight the good fight of faith the good fight of what
faith and lay hold of eternal life Someone said faith is the
hand that reaches and grasps. I Take my hand and I would lay
hold of that glass. I That's what faith does. It lays hold of a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ. It is a means, a very means,
that God has ordained for us to receive Him who is salvation. He is God, our Savior. Thirdly, why is faith called
precious? Turn to Romans chapter 5. Romans
chapter 5. Being justified by What? Faith. We have peace with God. You see Romans 5? Romans 5 chapter
1. The just shall live by faith. Romans 5 verse 1. Therefore being
justified by faith. Saving faith looks where? Saving
faith looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. Saving faith doesn't
look to a feeling, to experience. Saving faith looks back to the
one who gave faith, to the author and finisher of faith. Therefore
being justified by Christ, we can read it that way. Faith lays hold of and looks
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have peace with
God Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham believed
God and it was imputed to him for righteousness. Oh, my friend,
you see how precious faith is? That's why he says, to them that
have obtained like precious faith. Faith is precious, precious,
precious. It makes me cry out with the apostles when they said,
Lord, Lord, increase our faith, increase our faith. Faith is
the precious, precious gift of God. Here's the second thing
we see in 2 Peter chapter 1 that is called precious. Did you notice
down in verse 3 and down in verse 4 he talks about precious promises. precious promises and he's talking
about the Word of God according as his divine power have given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness salvation
and morality through the knowledge of him that have called us to
or by glory and virtue whereby are given unto us precious promises
precious promises that are exceeding that are exceeding and great,
and their precious promises, that by these promises, God has
promised in His Word to save sinners, that by these promises
you might be a partaker, a partaker of the divine nature. That's what happens in regeneration. God raises dead sinners and makes
them new creatures in Christ, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust." Now, why are these promises
of God made through the written Word exceeding and great precious
promises? Well, I'll give you several reasons.
They're the sure promises of God based upon His Word. You know there's something that
God cannot do? You know that? God cannot lie. It's impossible for God to lie.
The sure promises are based upon the unfailing eternal word of
truth. Turn over here to Titus, the
book of Titus chapter 1. Titus chapter 1, right before
Hebrews. We have a sure word of prophecy. All scripture is given of God.
Look what it says in Titus chapter 1 verse 1, Paul, a servant of
God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, there's that faith again, the faith of God's elect, and
the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in
hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, He promised
eternal life. before the world began, but hath
in due time manifested his word through preaching which is committed
unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior." Why are these
exceeding great? Why are these promises great,
exceeding, and precious? Because they're based upon the
word of truth. Let God be true and every man,
every man a liar. Secondly, they are exceeding
great and precious unto us, because by these promises made in the
word of God, we receive mercy, grace, peace, and love through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice what it says down there,
that by these promises of God, you might be a partaker of a
divine nature. Now, by natural generation, what
do we have? In Adam, what did we inherit? We inherited a corrupt nature,
right? In Adam, all sinned. In Adam,
all died. In regeneration and in a new
birth, you hath he quickened who were dead, we received by
his grace and by his power a new nature, a divine nature in regeneration. That's what he's talking about.
We are partakers of a divine nature having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust. made new creatures in Christ. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creation. Now, how does this happen? How
does this happen? By the Word of the Lord. Of His
own will begat he us with the Word of truth, the precious promises
of God. And it's according, as it says
there in verse 3, 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 3, according as His divine
power You see, we only have a divine nature by divine power. You see that? according as his
divine power hath given unto us all things, not some things,
all things of his fullness have we all received grace for grace,
that pertaineth unto life, salvation, godliness through the knowledge
of him that hath called us, he called us out of darkness into
his marvelous light, that we might show forth the praise of
His glory. He called us out of darkness.
He called us to glory and virtue in the Lord Jesus Christ. Regeneration by the power of
God. Yes, we still have that old nature,
but thank God we have a new nature too. A new man in Christ. Thirdly, these promises of God
are exceeding and great and precious because all these promises of
salvation and forgiveness of sin, redemption through His blood
are all found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me show you that
in Scripture. Find 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. All the promises of God, now
they're not found in the church. They're not found by the hand
of the preacher. They're not found in covenant theology. They're
found in Christ. In Christ. Oh, that I may win
Christ and be found in Him. 2 Corinthians Chapter 1 verse
18, but as God is true our word our preaching toward you was
not yay and nay For the Son of God Jesus Christ who was preached
among you by us even by me Silas and Timothy was not yay and nay,
but in him in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes the liver verse 20
all the promises of God in him that is in the Lord Jesus Christ
are Yes, is there a promise of salvation? Yes In Christ is there
forgiveness of sin? Yes, but only in the Lord Jesus
Christ. All the promises of God, the
exceeding great and precious promises of God are in Christ,
are in Him, are yes, and in Him Amen, so be it unto the glory
of God by us. Exceeding great and precious
promises found in the word of the Lord. Now, turn to 1 Peter
chapter 2. Here's the third thing. It's
called precious. We have given unto us a precious
Savior. To you who believe, look what
it says down in verse 7. This is 1 Peter chapter 2 verse
7. unto you therefore which believe."
You see how important faith is? That's where we started. Faith
is a foundation grace. Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious. He is precious. We have in Christ
a precious Savior. Now let's go back in 1st Peter
chapter 2 verse 2. Let's read a few verses because
this word precious is used again. As newborn babes desire the sincere
milk of the word that you might grow thereby. That's those exceeding
great and precious promises found in the word. If so be you tasted
that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming? To whom coming? That's what saving faith, the
faith of God the elect does. It keeps coming. It keeps looking. To whom? Coming, as into a living
stone, a living foundation. Oh, he's disallowed indeed of
men, but he's chosen of God. You remember how we started?
Behold my elect, my servant, chosen of God, and precious. Chosen of God. The Lord Jesus
Christ is precious to the Father. This is my beloved Son. This
is my beloved Son. Hear Him. You also, verse 5,
as living stones, I build up a spiritual house, talking about
the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Our worship
is only acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also
it's contained in the Scripture. This is from Isaiah 28. Behold,
there's that word again. Behold, you stop, look, and listen.
Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect Christ is
the elect were chosen in him. He is precious. He's precious
He that now notice this he that believeth on him. There's faith
again He that believeth on him shall not be confounded, unto
you therefore which believe. Christ is all and in all. He is altogether lovely. He's the fairest among 10,000.
He's the lily of the valley. He's a bright and morning star. He's the everlasting God, the
Prince of Peace, the King of Righteousness. To you who believe,
He is precious. Now why is the Lord Jesus Christ
so special, so valuable to the believer? Well I've already answered
the question, but I've got written down three things, so let's go
over them. Because the Lord Jesus Christ is chosen of God to be
our Savior. Now think about that. God Almighty
had chosen and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to be my Savior
and yours if you're a believer. He's indeed rejected of me and
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But to the believer,
he is chosen of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my elect
and we are blessed in him. He's chosen of God. The father
speaks not once but twice from heaven audibly and said, this
is my son, referring to the Lord Jesus. I'm pleased with him. What pleases God, pleases us. Why is the Lord Jesus Christ
precious unto us? Number one, because God chose
him to be my savior. That's precious, that's precious.
Secondly, because Christ is the precious foundation that God
has laid for us to rest upon. Now several men in here are builders.
And when you plan to build a building and put a structure on a building,
what's the first thing you've got to have before you put down
any wood or block? You've got to have a foundation,
don't you? I mean, you lay the foundation and then you build
the structure. And the taller the structure
and the bigger the structure, the foundation's got to go deeper,
doesn't it? To support the building. My friend, the foundation that
God has laid for us to rest upon and to build upon is none other
than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the chosen foundation. Behold, I lay in Zion, look at
verse six, behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect and
precious, he that believeth on him, those who rest on Christ
our foundation, will never be confounded, never be ashamed,
never be confused, never be condemned. Isn't that good news? There is
therefore now no condemnation to those who are in the Lord
Jesus. The Apostle writes this in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. No
other foundation can any man lay. Don't try to lay your own. That won't work. You see, God
has laid this foundation. No other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ
said, I am the rock. Upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail. To those who
believe the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is altogether lovely,
He is. What is He to you? Come on now,
let's shuck right down to the cob. That's what the old country
boy said. Let's shuck right down to the
cob. I was preaching in Mexico one time and Brother Cody was
giving the translation and I said that in a message. Let's shuck
right down to the cob and he goes, huh? He didn't know how
to put that in Spanish. But you understand what I'm saying.
Let's get right down to the nitty gritty. What is the Lord Jesus
Christ to you? Is He a firescape, an insurance
policy, or is He precious to you? Do you find in yourself
that you must have Him? That you must look to Him for
all salvation, for all righteousness? You see, The Lord Jesus Christ,
He is the Lord, our righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ may be
a stumbling stone to others, but unto us He is a precious
cornerstone. He's a cornerstone that knits
and binds our hearts together in Him. To you who see your need,
you know that the Lord Jesus Christ meets our every need according
to His riches in glory. To you who see your guilt, you
know that the Lord Jesus Christ has grace for the guilty. Mercy
for the miserable to you who see your ungodliness and ugliness
You know the Lord you see your need of the Lord Jesus Christ
who is our beauty and our righteousness before God You see he is the
Lord our Righteousness. Oh, he's precious to me He's
everything to me. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and in Christ every believer stands
complete. You see how important faith is. Faith looks to Christ. Here's
the fourth thing. We are redeemed. Now, this is
1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. Look at verse 18. We are redeemed. That means we have deliverance
from all sin. That means our sin has been paid
for by the blood atonement of Christ. And we are redeemed,
look at verse 18, for as much as you know. Here's what believers
know, that you were not, there's the negative, we were not redeemed
with corruptible things. We're not redeemed by anything
we bring. We're not redeemed by anything
we do. He mentions here silver and gold. He mentions here vain
conversation. He mentions here tradition of
the Father. We are not redeemed from any
of our sin by what we do, what we bring, what we give. But,
I like that word, B-U-T, but, with the precious blood of Christ. As of a lamb, a lamb without
blemish, a lamb without sin, a lamb without spot, verse 20,
this lamb was ordained before the foundation of the world.
The Lord was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you. Now look at verse
21. Who do believe in Him? that raised him up from the dead,
and gave him glory, that your faith, there's faith again, that
your faith and hope might be in God. God our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, we know this from reading
the Word of God, without the shedding of blood, there is no
forgiveness of sin, right? That's what it said. Without
the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness of sin. But, not
just any blood will do. Now you can shed all your blood
you want to, but you're not going to redeem your sin. by sinning
of your blood. Not just any blood will do. The
blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. It's only the
precious blood of the God-man mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ,
that can make full payment for my sin. Only the precious blood
of the one who is fully God and the one who is fully man can
put away my sin." That's what the Lord Jesus Christ did. Not
with the blood of bulls and goats, but with His own blood. He entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Now listen
to me. It takes the blood of God to
make full atonement for the sin of His covenant people. We read in Acts chapter 20, God
bought us with His, did you get a hold of that? God purchased
the church. He bought the church with His
own blood. Oh, it's precious, isn't it? It's
precious blood. It's precious blood. He bought
us with His own blood. Now again, three things I want
to mention. The blood sacrifice of Christ
was precious to God the Father. Now this is vital. It was satisfying
to God the Father who sent the Precious One, the Lord Jesus,
to redeem us. His blood atonement to the Father
satisfied law and justice on our behalf and God says that
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, He said, Behold the Lamb of God
that takes away my sin is a sweet-smelling savor satisfying to God. Justice has to be satisfied and
the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. He redeemed us from the
curse of the law being made a curse for us. The Father speaks from
heaven and he said, when I see your blood, I'll pass, no, when
I see his blood, I'll pass over you. You see, Christ is our Passover. Secondly, the blood sacrifice
of Christ is not only satisfying and precious unto God, but it's
precious to every believer. We know that we're not redeemed
without His blood atonement. Here in His love, we see the
love of God manifested, don't we? Here in His love, not that
we love God, but that He loved us and that He sent His Son to
be the sacrifice for our sin. We are not redeemed with the
things we bring, with corruptible things, such as our works, deeds,
or ceremonies, or traditions, but with His precious blood. Thirdly, the precious blood of
Christ was not shed in vain, who was verily foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you. for you. The precious blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ was not shed in vain. None for whom Christ
died can perish because He paid their debt. They cannot be eternally
lost or eternally damned because He paid their debt. Now if the
debt's paid, we're set free. There's no one in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died. Those who say, well, He died
for all the sins of all men, and it's available to all men,
they've just got to do something with it. In that scheme of things,
which is totally apostasy, totally heresy, there's not a word of
truth in that. When someone says, well, Christ
died for all the sins of all men, that's not a word of truth
in that. This book doesn't teach that. The blood atonement of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He bought the church with His
own blood. There's no one in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died. There can't be. He paid their
debt. He set them free. We preach what
this book preaches. Particular, definite atonement. Those for whom He died, they're
set free. Those for whom He died, He justified. His blood justified them. Now,
God says, who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
Remember Romans 8, he that spared not his own son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? Who is he that condemneth? Christ
died. He died in my stead, my room. I cannot perish. That's why I
say emphatically, there's none, there's none, excuse me, none
can perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. There's nobody
in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ loves. None at all. Those whom He loves, He saves
with an everlasting salvation. You see, we read Isaiah 42, He
cannot perish. Fail. I don't have a failed Savior. Well, God loves everybody and
some go to hell anyway. What kind of love is that? Come
on now. Well, He loves me, but I'm going
to hell anyway. That's not love, is it? Well, Christ died for
me, but I'm going to hell anyway. Well, His blood got nothing to
do with it then. I mean, if He died for me, I wind up in hell
anyway, then what does His blood have to do with my salvation?
Nothing. The point I'm making in a very
crude way, the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ is successful. It is effectual. He put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself so much so that God said their
sin and their iniquity will I remember no more. Those for whom He died,
they're justified. Those for whom He died, they're
already glorified in Christ. It's done. Done. It's done. Now, You see how precious His
blood is? His blood was not shed in vain.
It was shed on purpose for His people and they cannot perish.
I love that. I love that. I love Christ who
cannot fail. I love His atonement that cannot
fail. He obtained for us eternal redemption
with His own blood. Now, having said all that, that
leads up to the last point find first Peter chapter 1 verse 6
here's the fifth thing that he mentions and he calls precious
first Peter chapter 1 verse 6 wherein you greatly rejoice though now
for a season if need be now if need be You are in heaviness
through manifold trial. Temptation. That, verse 7, the
trial of your faith, the trial of your faith now, being much
more precious. Precious. What? Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Trials? Precious? When they come from
the hand of my loving Father, they're precious. if need be,
if need be, that the trial of your faith being more precious,
more precious than gold." Oh, wait a minute. Trials are more
precious than gold? Absolutely. That perishes, gold
perishes, though it be tried with fire. might be found unto
the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, in whom though
now you see him not, yet, yet, here's this believing again.
You see, you can't get away from faith. But yet believing, you
rejoice, with joy unspeakable, full of glory, receiving the
end of your faith." There's faith again. "...even the salvation of your
soul." Precious trials. "...whom the Lord loves, He chasteneth."
Precious trials of our faith are sent by the sovereign purpose
of God, therefore our eternal good. All things work together
for good to them who love God, to them who are called according
to His purpose. These trials, precious trials,
they don't work against us, not if you're a believer. They're
called light afflictions that work for us, for us. David said this, Lord in your
faithfulness you have afflicted me that I might learn thy statutes. David said again, it's good for
me to be afflicted that I might learn thy truth. Our Lord said
this, these things have I spoken unto you that in me you might
have peace. In this world you shall have
tribulations, be of good cheer. Be of good cheer. I've overcome. I cannot fail. Trials that God
sends into your heart, into your life, into mine, are for our
good. Faith is tried to reveal whether
it is real or phony. True faith, when it goes through
the fiery trials, comes out the better, like gold when it's put
in the fire to remove all the dross and tin. True faith will
be found to the praise and honor and glory of Christ. Look at
1 Peter 4, verse 12. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you? But rejoice insomuch as you are
partakers of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be
revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy." Trials are precious, precious.
When the trial has worked its purpose, it purges us of pride,
self-righteousness, to cause us to rest upon the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. Faith is tried and ordered, to
help us. I want to know if my faith is
real or whether it's phony. God sends this trial of our faith
to reveal unto us whether our faith is real or whether it is
not real. Trials do not produce faith,
but they do reveal faith unto us. Faith is tried to reveal
the value of it to me. Nothing is better for us to find
out how frail and weak and sinful we are, how dependent we are
upon Christ, who is the object of saving faith. It is the sufficiency
of His grace in the trial that blesses us to endure. I want
to know this. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter
12. 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 2 Corinthians
chapter 12. Faith is tried to reveal the
value of it to me. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, Luke
verse 7. Lest I should be exalted above
measure, through the abundance of the revelation there was given
unto me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet
me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing
I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient. For my strength
is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution,
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I'm weak, that's when
I'm strong. When I know I'm nothing. have
nothing, am nothing, Christ becomes everything to me. Faith has tried to reveal the
value of it to me and the sufficiency of His grace in the time of trial
to bless us to endure. Now one thing I've noticed in
closing, In each of these five things that we've talked about,
one common thread that runs through all these precious things, I've
tried to kind of key on it. Did you get it? Faith. Faith,
faith, faith is a foundation grace upon which the blessings
of God flow to us. Lord, he increased our faith. Lord, give me faith. You remember
the father that had the sick child and brought the child to
the Lord and said, Lord, help us, help us, help us. Remember what the Lord said?
The Lord said to him, if thou can't believe, all things are
possible to them that believe. Remember what the man said? Oh,
I do believe. Would you help my unbelief? You
see, without faith, it is impossible. It is impossible to please God. Lord, grant me faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ and Lord, cause it to grow. Cause it to grow. Precious things that are precious.