God's Faith-Based Grants

Our government likes to give away money, at least to some people. These funds are disbursed through a variety of means but one form is through a grant. A grant is not a loan and you do not have to work for it. It is a free gift. But even though it is free, you must qualify.

Such is what God does for His children. He gives us free gifts of power and comfort. We do not work for these grants, but we must qualify. Let's consider some of them for a moment.

2Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith...

God grants to us a "precious faith." It is interesting that Peter does not go into detail concerning what this faith is. He does not because he is writing to Christians who should already know; but in case you do not, I will tell you. This faith speaks of salvation. The greatest gift God has ever given and the greatest gift a person can ever receive is salvation! Peter calls it "faith" here because faith is one of the two requirements necessary to receive salvation, the other being repentance

But notice that although Peter does not go into detail concerning what faith is, he does describe it. The first word he uses is "precious." Faith is precious because to those who have received salvation, it is their most valued treasure (Matt 13:45-46). Sadly, some who profess Jesus do not seem to value their faith as precious. I can not help but to wonder if they have truly received the precious faith of which Peter speaks.

Peter not only calls this grant of faith "precious," but he calls it a "like" faith as well. This faith is a "like" faith because one size fits us all. Whether we be white, black, yellow, red, or brown if we are saved, we all have the same grant of salvation given to us. I think another reason it is called "like" faith is because it effects us all just alike. Salvation gives to us humility. It effects us all just alike. It gives a common vocabulary to us, all alike. It stirs us to duty, all alike. It creates a loyalty, summons us to service, endows a holiness, and changes our behavior, all alike! This precious faith will not demand of you one lifestyle and me another. No, it is a "like" faith.

2Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you...

Again, God grants grace and peace to you. These two gifts are mentioned throughout the New Testament, often together. If they are together, grace always precedes peace. Why? Because grace is the work God does in and through you that allows you to accomplish His will. Grace is God's labor, God's effort, God's power on you. Peace is the result of God's labor being effective. In other words, if you let God grace accomplish a work in you, peace is what you will experience. If you block God grace, you will not have peace. God grants to His children grace and He wants to give to them peace, but last part of the grant is up to them.

2Peter 1: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises...

And God grants to us His great and precious promises. Oh, what a grant this is! It is by the promises of verse four that we have the divine power that spoken of in verse three. Do you realize that God is not obligated to do anything for us not anything at all except what He has promised to do?! It is God's word that binds God to do all of the things that we count on Him to do (i.e. to save us, to keep us, to indwell us, to raise us, to adopt us and so much more!) Peter says this grant gives to us everything that we need relating to living a life of godliness (vs 3). He goes on to say they have made us partakers in God's very nature (vs 4), freed us from the corruption of this world (vs 4), and helps us to bring glory to God (vs 3). How great is that is grant!