Precious

Q: What does the Bible say about being precious to God?

The Bible describes Jesus as precious to God, chosen as the cornerstone of salvation for His people. 1 Peter 2:4 speaks of Jesus as a living stone, chosen of God and precious. This indicates that Jesus's value is recognized by God the Father, as He is the chief cornerstone of the church, the foundation of faith for believers. God the Father greatly values His Son, which is evident in His act of sending Jesus to bear the sins of His people and to redeem them. The preciousness of Christ derives from His being the perfect sacrifice, chosen and accepted by God to fulfill salvation’s redemptive plan. In this light, when one places their faith in Christ, it recognizes that He is not only precious to God but also enables believers to partake in the value and honor ascribed to Him.

Q: How do we know that Christ's sacrifice is valuable?

Christ's sacrifice is considered valuable because it redeems believers from sin and is accepted by God as atonement. The preciousness of Christ's blood is established in 1 Peter 1:18-19, where it emphasizes that believers are not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish. This blood is valuable because it was willingly shed by Jesus to atone for the sins of His people. The significance of Christ's sacrifice lies in its divine acceptance by God the Father; it fully satisfies God's justice and provides reconciliation for sinners. Consequently, this establishes a permanent ground for believers' salvation. The price that Jesus paid enables His followers to be justified and sanctified before God, emphasizing how invaluable and precious this sacrificial act truly is.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to feel the preciousness of Christ?

Recognizing the preciousness of Christ deepens Christians' appreciation for His grace and fuels their spiritual growth. Understanding the preciousness of Christ holds profound significance for Christians as it directly impacts their relationship with Him. When believers recognize Jesus as precious to them, they are more likely to seek Him continually, as indicated in 1 Peter 2:7: 'Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious.' This acknowledgment enhances their experience of grace, motivating them to grow in faith, reject worldly distractions, and pursue deeper communion with God. Furthermore, this perception fosters a sense of identity as a part of God's chosen people, which empowers believers to live according to God's will. When they embrace the grace of God that Christ exemplifies, it enriches their worship and witness to others, highlighting the transformative power of the gospel in the lives of those who trust in Him.

Q: How does the concept of being chosen relate to being precious?

Being chosen by God signifies that believers are precious in His sight, as He values them immensely for redemption. The Bible expresses that believers are a chosen generation and a royal priesthood, as stated in 1 Peter 2:9. This concept of being chosen underscores their significance and worth in the eyes of God. When God selects individuals for salvation and eternal life, it indicates that they are esteemed and precious because they are set apart for His purpose. This divine choice reflects God's sovereignty and grace, demonstrating that He has lovingly determined to save a people for Himself. As His chosen ones, believers should embrace their identity as precious, which nurtures gratitude and a deeper commitment to Christ. Moreover, the understanding of being chosen connects to the believer's assurance in their salvation, as it highlights that they have been valued and accepted by God, reinforcing their hope and strength in faith.

Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Peter chapter 2, I want to continue with. I'm going to read the first 12 verses. 1 Peter chapter 2. Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, how about that, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed."

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

We start out this chapter with a wherefore, or a because of this. That because is having been born by the word of God, and that is the living word, Jesus Christ, proclaimed by the gospel. We are to throw off, lay aside, get rid of all these things, having been born from above, and desire to hear the gospel. It says to desire the undeceitful and simplicity of the word. That is, desire Christ and Christ alone.

This is how you will grow. This is growing, not morphing. A child of God does not morph into something he is not. They just grow. A child of God has everything they will ever have in this new man. They just get bigger, if you will. They grow up. A child of God has everything. They do this by hearing the gospel over and over again because it says thereby. It is just as a little child, they have everything they were born with. In growing, they just get bigger and more mature. If you don't lay aside these things, you will have problems, you will have sorrows. you will stunt your growth, so to speak. Get rid of them.

Desire to hear his gospel, that gospel which is singular, that is simple, and that is the good news and the word personified. But then Peter throws in a qualification. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. You will not desire the sincere milk of the word if you have not experienced that Jesus Christ is gracious. But there is a question to you and I. Have I tasted, have I been partaker of, experienced the grace of God to me? If not, I will not like this milk. Those like this may put up with it long enough to get home, but they often will cleave to and love lies on God rather than loving the gospel of a gracious God who has manifested himself to his people through the gospel.

I will also say that if you have not experienced this, there's nothing you can do about it. because those who are his, those who are babes in Christ and born of God, all I can do is instruct those that have not had this taste of this graciousness to them, all I can tell them is to cry out for grace and mercy from this sovereign God. And I like what Robert Hawker says about this part of this passage, and I'm gonna read it. Quote.

And indeed, under the presumption which the apostle makes, and which is the sure consequence of being born again, the soul hath tasted that the Lord is gracious. This spiritual sense, which belongs only to the regenerate, makes the child of God exceedingly anxious to drink deeper into the glorious truths of Christ and His redemption. For the soul hath now felt somewhat of the plague of his own heart. hath had some views of the glories of Christ, and the suitableness of Jesus to his wants as a poor sinner. And thus, having known somewhat of his own emptiness and Christ's all-sufficiency, the earnest longing of the soul is for the being satisfied with the breast of consolation, and to milk out, and he delighted with the abundance of Christ's glory." The child of God does not only believe the gospel, they certainly do that, but they love to hear the gospel.

They have to have it as their soul is hungry for this heavenly manna and this water where man will never thirst again. This, my brothers and sisters, is constant with the child of God. Oh, I know there might be times where we might feel we do not think about God. Times where we think we are something when we are not. But it is not long until he causes us to see our need of him in everything. But I know it is constant because it says this, to whom coming. An action taken and an action that continues. This is one who we continue, continue, continue to come to.

And this one is disallowed of men. This world will have nothing to do with this God of scripture who is the living God. They just want a God who will tell them how to live so they can go out and be on fire for God. They are not in need of his spiritual food, which is his word, the gospel. But this is all about Christ. Christ is all, as the scripture says, so why would I want anything else?

It is because he is precious, and that's what I want to speak about today. But let me start out by giving you some definitions of precious, meanings from scripture. I want to talk about some of the words used as precious in our text and in 1 Peter, just to get an understanding of what precious is as it relates to our text.

We have first, the first word for precious, it's from 1 Peter 1.19, and you all remember where I read it, where we read, but the precious blood of Christ. That word simply means valuable or had in reputation. It's derived from a word meaning valued. His blood is valuable because it is valued.

That is simple enough, but I will have more on that later. But remember, I'm just trying to give a sense for the meanings of these words for precious. The next word for precious is from our text, 1 Peter 2, 4. to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. I will add, this precious, as it states it here, is precious to God, and that is important. This word is the word, the previous word is derived from, which means valued. This word is also derived from a word that means a value or money paid.

We're talking about precious. So I would say it this way, precious to God because God the Father values the Son, because he gave his only begotten Son to pay the payment needed for the salvation of man. Next we have another word in our text, 1 Peter 2, 7. Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious.

This one, of course, means a value or money paid, or it can mean esteem of the highest degree. But this word is also derived from a word that means, and this is good, to pay a price as a penalty or be punished with. I'll leave that for later, but I want to say this. There is a reason why he is precious to a believer. But then the last one I will throw in for free, and it's from 2 Peter 1-1, where it says, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and Savior Jesus Christ. This one means of equal value or honor, which is derived from the word we just mentioned, which means a value or money paid. This one I won't get into much today. So let's look through these four things, through these three things.

His precious blood, precious to God, and precious to his people. I know this verse is not in our text, but it's totally related to our subject of what is precious. Precious to God and precious to his people. First Peter 118 and 19 we read, for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without The blood of Jesus Christ because of who he is and what was accomplished by the shedding of his blood is valuable without any other things needed to be considered. It says here is a lamb without spot and without blemish.

He told his apostles, Peter specifically, and maybe the people who came to get him in the garden heard it as well, but in Matthew 26, 52 and 53 we read, Then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into its place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels? If it was not ordained to happen, if Christ had not meant it to happen, that is him shedding his blood, then it would not have happened. What did he say in another place?

John 10, 17 and 18. Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father. Remember Jesus Christ is a man like you and I, but he is also God.

We are told that he knew no sin. Had he been pleased, he could have still been living right now today on this earth. But he was not pleased to do that. He died giving up his life and shedding his blood for an ungodly people to save them from their sins being made a curse and sin for them. It says he was a lamb without blemish and without spot. Even when he was marred beyond recognition, he was without blemish and without spot.

Man could not pollute our Lord, because he is precious to the Father, and only the Father can pollute him, if you will. Because what does the scripture say? All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Only God could do such a thing. We better be thankful for that, that He was pleased to do this. He did this for us all. That is, He did this for all those who are sheep, because not all are sheep. It says, all we like sheep have gone astray.

Christ told some this in John 10, 25 through 27. Jesus answered them, I told you and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

This is why his blood is precious, why his blood is valuable and valued, because of who he is and what he has done. Yet it pleased God to bruise him, so next he is valued by God. First Peter 2.4, to whom coming unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Jesus Christ is the elect. He is chosen by God the Father to redeem a people.

He's that cornerstone that men trip over, that stumbling stone. They are not looking for him to build the house. They overlook him to try to build their house and they trip over him. Men and women in this world do not want a Jesus who is all and in all. They want a Jesus who will help them out when they want something. They have something to do for God. They care nothing about what God can do for them or to them for that matter. They despise the elect. If anyone is in Christ, they despise you because they despise the elect. Isaiah 42 one says, behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. God choosing God to redeem a people for his name. Who else would be able to do such a thing for such a people?

But God the father delights in his son. His son, Jesus Christ, would not waver and would not fail. You see, this cornerstone has already been laid. You build on any other thing than this cornerstone, your house will fall. His sacrifice and all his works, the Father smells as a sweet-smelling savor. Isaiah 53, 10 and 11.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Just think about it. God the Father will see the travail of the Son over his sin and shall be satisfied. I think Walter did a message on satiated or something like that. That's what that word means, satiated. Totally satisfied.

It is your sins, it is your sins, but yet it is His sins. If He died for you, they were laid on Him, but they were made His. And with that sacrifice for the sins of the people, Him being made sin for them, He satisfied God the Father. God the Father loves the Son and He sent the Son to do what He did. When he done it, God was satisfied, fully and completely. So there's nothing else to be done for sin. If God is satisfied, if the son died for you. God is satisfied, so why would we not be? Some aren't, but his people are, which is my next point. Precious to his people.

First Peter 2.7 says, unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the bidders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.

The angels desire to look into these things, but they cannot. They do not know what it's like to be dead in trespasses and in sin, but then to be redeemed by the Lord of glory. We as fallen sinful human beings have no idea what it's like to be holy, just, a holy, just, and righteous God, and then to be made sin. Some will know the judgment of God, the forsaking of God, but those are not holy, so they will never see the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Only God in the face of Jesus Christ knows this fully and completely. because he did this to redeem a people for his name. But why is he so precious to us? Well, just to say right off, he redeemed us from the curse of the law and made us righteous and holy before this God who forsook his son and he did this for us. Now I want to look at another word used as precious in the scripture, and I believe this passage will give us a glimpse of how there are some who know the preciousness of Jesus Christ the Lord. So if you would, turn with me to Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Matthew 26 and right now, just verse six. Matthew 26 and verse 6.

Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat. The word for precious here, when you look at the meaning of the word, it means this, highly valuable and precious. But it is derived from two other words, one meaning weighty or burdensome, Joe, and the other meaning money paid. When we look at the account in Matthew, she had this alabaster box of ointment. Some say, if I have it right, that this was so costly that it took somewhere around a month's worth of wages to purchase. How she earned her wages come into picture here. looking at the meaning since it's derived from those other two words, so it carries that meaning with it. To see some of this, let's turn over to another recorded scripture of this event in Luke, Luke 7. Luke 7. Luke 7 and verse 36 through 39. Luke 7 verse 36, and one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him.

And he went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in the city which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meet in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner. Now, if you go on to read that, our Lord never tells this Pharisee that, no, you got it wrong. This woman is not a sinner. He just begins to explain what grace is. This grace that he explained only comes to those who are sinners. This woman had something which was highly valuable.

She couldn't or wouldn't just pour it out on the ground. It cost her a lot of work to get this ointment, but getting it was burdensome and weighty. It cost her dearly. All the work of her hands, and this was work done, this work done was costly and it was burdensome, because the work had to keep being done over and over. And what a burden that is. But what did this woman do? She took that which cost her dearly. It was a weight she carried, but she had to have it. She could not do her work without it. In Mark, we won't turn there, but in Mark 14 of this account, it says, she break this precious box of ointment.

Remember in Proverbs where it says, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Must show himself friendly. Those four words meaning this, to spoil, to make good for nothing, to break. This word for break in Mark means to crush completely, to shatter, to break. When a sinner is brought to the Lord, they will break into pieces their works. They will show, they will admit that the works of their hands has only served to condemn them more.

But when she learned of Christ, when she was revealed Christ, what did she do? She laid all her weight and burden, which was costly to her, she laid it or put it on the head of Christ because of what he was going to do. She anointed his feet because his feet are so beautiful. The scripture says, how beautiful are the feet of them that bring good tidings to the poor. Our Lord is our example. He was the one who truly brought good tidings to sinners. He proclaimed that his works would save poor sinners like you and I. This box of ointment was a product of her sins and she put that on his head for his burial.

He was the only one who could relieve her of this costly burden. It was a great price that this ointment was purchased. The cost was death in reality because it was bought with sin and sin. She had to have someone to take that burden from her. Keep in mind, this word is derived from the word for precious in our text in verse seven. One of the words is derived from means to pay a price as a penalty. This woman paid a price for her works, but she laid that on Christ. We have something as fallen sinful men and women that is costly and it's all we have. It is the results of all the works we have done with our hands and our feet. What are we to do? Lay it on him.

Precious

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about being precious to God?

How do we know that Christ's sacrifice is valuable?

Why is it important for Christians to feel the preciousness of Christ?

How does the concept of being chosen relate to being precious?

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Precious

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about being precious to God?

How do we know that Christ's sacrifice is valuable?

Why is it important for Christians to feel the preciousness of Christ?

How does the concept of being chosen relate to being precious?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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