I Pet 1:3, we are begotten, made sons into a living hope, according to His great mercy, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And amazingly, we are 'being guarded' by the power of God, through faith.
I am being guarded by the power of God through faith. And because of this, I 'greatly rejoice' amidst trials.
v 7, the 'genuineness of our faith, my faith, and this faith is more precious than gold'. This faith, through testing with fire, brings praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Is this what Peter was referring to in Acts chapter 3 in the healing of the lame man at the entrance of the temple? "Silver and gold I have none, but what I have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise and walk."
Peter was totally and entirely certain and convinced that he had 'something', and in 2 Peter he cannot help but continue to refer to the 'precious faith' obtained by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
The righteousness of Jesus Christ, confirmed by His resurrection, has given to us 'precious faith'. Isn't this the 'faith of God' that Jesus Himself referred to in Mark 11:6?
Isn't it interesting that when Jesus says and as it is translated into English comes across as 'have faith in God', but in fact, the literal translation is 'have the faith of God' (Barnes). There is only one phenomenon where this is possible, and that is the new birth, and the 'package' of salvation. And precisely through justification by grace through faith in Christ alone.
This 'precious faith' is obtained 'through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. If it is 'more precious' than gold which perishes, then indeed, it is a 'treasure', perhaps that which is spoken of, or referred to by apostle Paul in 2 Cor 4:7, 'we have this treasure...that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us'.
So what is this treasure?
2 Cor 4:6, 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, shining in our hearts. This is the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, shining in our hearts.
So we will experience pressure, but we will not be crushed. We will experience perplexity, bit we will not despair. We will be persecuted, but not abandoned. We will experience being cast down, but we will not be destroyed.
Following the theme of this truth, that we have received, or obtained, 'precious faith', we 'walk by faith, and not by sight'. This precious faith is the 'faith of God' through the indwelling Christ living in us through faith, a gift within the gift of salvation.
Christ Himself in us, the hope of glory! Indeed what a mystery!
I am a new creation in Christ; old things have passed away, behold, all things are new. Even my faith is new, renewed by the Holy Spirit, and given as part of the package of salvation in Christ. I am united with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, being guarded by faith.
Now, even the life which I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. So the Son of God lives in me, the hope of glory (future), and I live by faith, in the Son of God. Christ dwells in my heart through faith. And faith is now the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not see. Just as Peter said that we not having seen Christ in the flesh, yet believe, and rejoice with inexpressible joy and glorified, obtaining for yourselves the outcome of our faith - the salvation of our souls.
O Lord my God, may you enable me and empower by Your Spirit to proclaim the gospel to all who comes across my path, and take me to.
I have the 'faith of God', Christ Jesus Himself! And He dwells in my heart through the very same faith He gave to me as a gift through the gospel.
And no wonder the apostles said that it was not pleasing to them to 'forsake the word of God' to serve tables, but they were to 'faithfully engage in prayer and in the ministry of the word', because this was how Christ dwelt in them through faith.
The gift of salvation given by God, in Christ Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is union with Christ which saves us from our sin, delivers us from the kingdom of satan, and translates us into the kingdom of His dear Son, and in that moment of amazing and supernatural birthing of Christ in us, and in that second of regeneration by the Holy Spirit with the word of God, which in turn is Christ Himself, a divine generator begins within our innermost being, likened by the Lord to 'rivers of living water flowing from our inner most being'.
We have access to this inner supply simply by the 'hearing of faith'. This hearing is by the word of the gospel which is the proclamation of Christ's gospel, His Person and works - His life, death and resurrection - again and again, and again!
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