Like precious faith

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: - 2 Peter 2.1

There is one thing that unifies all of us who have trusted Christ as Saviour. We are different in nationality, skin colour, ethnicity, citizenship, gender, social class, and standing in society. We are rich and poor and strong and weak and healthy and ill and fit and unfit and so many other things. 

But there is one thing that unifies us. 

I have not travelled a lot, but I have been with Christians in a few cultures and places. I have been in churches and Bible studies all over America and several parts of Europe. Zeke and I were on a rugby trip to Wales and stopped in to a little church off the beaten path for their prayer meeting. There were 7-8 elderly people there. We found something in common. Mary and I did the same thing on a Wednesday night up in Letterkenny. I had the joy of spending a few days with a wonderful church in Hungary. 

And then we have our little church. We have had believers come through and spend time with us from Ireland, the US (several states), the UK (from England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland), France, Spain, Germany, the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Brazil, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Iceland, Malta, Poland, the Philippines, Canada, and I am sure I missed a couple. 

We have had a lot of differences. There are a lot of fun memories of those differences. 

But, we all have one thing in common. 

We have all obtained that like precious faith. That like precious faith breaks down all those barriers. It makes us all one in Christ. 

And I find that you often sense that unity before you even know the other person. I can remember at least three times when I have met a stranger here and knew there were fellow believers. One of us has eventually asked ‘are you a Christian?’ Our like precious faith should make such a difference that it is obvious to those around us. 

Let’s rejoice in out like precious faith. And lets allow our like precious faith to unite us instead of focusing on the petty differences that divide. After all, it is a good thing when brethren dwell together in unity.