“The End of Your Faith” – 1 PETER 1:1-9

The Jesus that Peter and the disciples/apostles lived with, watched and heard would only spend about three years in publicly teaching and serving. The impact on Peter was to last a lifetime – in fact, an eternity. We cannot touch the Jesus Peter touched, except by fingers of faith. We cannot see the Jesus Peter saw, except by eyes of faith.

Through this precious faith the impact of Jesus upon us can be no less than upon Peter.

The message that the Holy Spirit sends to us from the pen of Peter presses the urgency of an enduring faith (1:6-7). For too many believers, temptation is too much and the end of faith comes in waves of sin. For countless others, hardship discourages and depresses, and the end of faith comes in a sea of distress.

Peter knew far too well the ebb and flow of faith. Truly the power of faith is in separation from the world of trouble and sin through obedience to the Lord of forgiveness (1:2). Clinging to faith, divine grace overcomes sin and peace overcomes pressure. Faith does not have to end when confronted with daily life. Faith must flourish. The Jesus that Peter knew was raised from death to victory (1:3) and through faith we can know Him, too. Faith gives life to hope, instead of the end of faith coming in hopelessness.

Our hope is alive because our Savior is alive.

Our reward is real because our faith is real.

…IF our faith is real.

Before we return to the life of Christ in the gospel of Mark, let’s honestly confront our life IN Christ according to Peter. Faith is so precious because we have NOT seen Jesus in the flesh (1:8; see also John 20:29). Like the temptations and tribulations that bear down on us, this, too is only temporary. Enduring faith becomes more precious than gold because we shall see Jesus. Faith shall become sight, and God will be glorified. Yes, we can (and must) glorify Jesus IN this life, but the true calling of the Christian is to glorify Jesus THROUGH this life.

In His life on earth, Jesus revealed the Father to mankind (John 1:18) and the gospel of Mark presents evidence of His divinity from which faith is born. Faith, however, is not eternal … it is temporal and will end when Jesus is revealed at His coming (1 Peter 1:7). Faith will be replaced with sight.  In the same way, living hope will die at the end of faith. It is here that we need sincere introspection. Will our living hope die because our faith ends in an avalanche of sin and struggle? Jesus does not want it to be so with you and offers the power of God (1:5) to strengthen and grow your faith and invigorate your hope so that the end of your faith is your first step in heaven (1:9), the home of the soul.