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Salvation is a gift it's God's work not ours. We receive God's nature when we're born again and become a new creation. We all get there the same way with faith to accept the unseen. It's what we do after that. Being a christian doesn't mean believeing and just sitting around. Since we have become a new creature we are still housed in a body of flesh that is influenced by sin and the world we live in, which can result in an inconsistent walk with God. That's why it is vital to seek Gods word, promises, fellowship to be able to conform to God's nature and His will for our lives and have the power and tools to turn from evil and the temptations of this world, which will in turn grow our faith and mature us as Christians.

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Our salvation is a gift from God it is not something we do It is something God does, gives this wonderful gift of eternal life to us...we only have to recieve it into our hearts and believe with the faith of a child. We then receive God's nature and become new creatures in Christ. We all get there the same way, through Jesus Christ our savior. All having to have the faith to accept and believe the unseen. Now that we have become a new creature in Christ we're still housed in a body of flesh that is influenced by sin and world around us which can result in us be inconsistent at walking with God and living a pleasing Christlike existence. That's why it is vital to stay in God's word, seeking out His will for our life, learning scripture, study His word, fellowship with other likeminded brothers and sisters in Christ to grow and mature in our faith. Conforming to what God and His word show us, with our eyes focused on eternity not conforming with the world and living by their standards. Strong in the Lord helps us to have discernment regarding what God wants for and in our lives a strong faith and commitment to God and His promises help us to resist satan and turn from sin and temptation. Staying in the Word and seeking His will on a daily basis helps me to do this..stay focused on God and stay in a prayerful attitude throughout the day.

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When Peter wrote receiving the "faith as precious as ours" he meant, i believe, is the grace of salvation offered by God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation is very, very precious because the costs of the sacrifices of the Lord Jesus on the Cross is priceless and no man can save himself for "we all come short of the glory of God".

Our faith compare to St. Peter's faith is the same. We all have received the same salvation. There is only One Way to salvation.

Our "faith" is equal to Peter if salvation is concerned. There will only be discrepancies in the areas of how we live our lives as christians. Do we trust the Word of God? How much do we trust what God says in the Bible. If we trust God, then we will trust His Word, His promises on the Bible. Do we put "into action" our faith? Putting "into action our faith" will make us different to each other as christians.

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Q1. (2 Peter 1:1) What does "received a faith as precious as ours" mean in this verse?

Faith is something that cannot be bought, it's not man made, it can only be developed through a relationship with God, it's a gift from that God, and that alone makes it 'precious'. Precious in the sense, that if we just believe then we can acuire this gift, which is able to transend borders and move mountains. Faith will see us through the hard times that we may face, and it is only available through our heavenly Father. Faith is one ofthe major ingredient in our relationship with God, the more faith we have, the closer we will feel to Him.

How does our faith compare to St. Peter's faith?

Our faith can be compared to Peter, in that it is available to both of us, the difference between us or rather, me and Peter is that he may have exercised his faith more then I do. Peter was very faithful, and so were many other Bible characters in those times.

Is our faith equal to his?

Our faith is equall to His, in that we got the same gift from our Father, He didn'tget more or less, as it is not something that can be apportioned but, in terms of utilization, I don't belive it is equal.

Why or why not?

Our faith is not equal to Peter's in that we don't practice our faith, or use our faith when the time arises, we as mortals, many times tend to try to solve our own problems before we consult God, because we believe we can do it, but we all know that there is nothing we can do on our own, we can't even wake up by ourselves, or bathe, or tie our shoe lace... I believe in essence Peter was more observant of the commandments, and he had a greater dependence on God than we do, and hence, his faith was exercised more and hence it was greatly developed.

How do you explain the discrepancy?

Peter was more committed and reverent and he was living in an age and time when the miracles of Jesus were seen and believed, he got frontrow seats to some ofthe things that happened when people believed that God can do it for them. He saw where Jesus was able to raise a dead her and bring her back to life, he saw where just a touch of Jesus's robe healed a sick woman, all these things happend because they believed in God and his powers. Because of this Peter knew with God, all things are possible, and he believed with all his heart, he didn't try o help God, he allowed God to do what He had to do. Many times we try to help God, we think we should be doing things to try and solve our problems, so as to quicken the process, but we need to rely on God and let Him do what he has to do, we tend to want to see results right away, Peter knew what it meant to,'wait on the Lord'.

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Q1. (2 Peter 1:1) What does "received a faith as precious as ours" mean in this verse? How does our faith compare to St. Peter's faith? Is our faith equal to his? Why or why not? How do you explain the discrepancy?

Peter was an eyewitness to Christ's magnificence power of the transformation of Jesus Christ. He was the writter of 2 letters and a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. He was there when Jesus foretold of his death. Our faith can compare to St. Peter's faith and our faith is equal to his. The only thing that we can say is that we are slaves of Jesus Christ. Being a slave only means that Peter and ourselves gave submission to the Lord. Peter witnessed and saw the marvelous words and works, we humans see be able to see the marvelous works.

Our faith and Peter's faith are not equal to that point. Peter was a faithful and humble servant. We as humans tend to stray away from that faith even though we believe because of our imperfections and the situations and circumstances that are around us each and everyday. We as human beings have to practice and gain strength, wisdom, and knowledge and make our faith strong in order to become close to Peter. If we humbly submit ourselves, we will be like Peter.

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The NIV defines this faith as "the God given capacity to trust in Christ for salvation". If this is accurate, then our faith is equal to Peter's since it is resonable to believe that God gives this faith to all equally. I think the real question is whether or not we regard it as "precious" as Peter did. We tend to be very complacent about our faith and almost regard it as something we ourselves have done and not something that God through His graciousness has enabled us to do. When we see it as a gift from God and recognize that we are totally undeserving of it it becomes truly precious.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Q1. (2 Peter 1:1) What does "received a faith as precious as ours" mean in this verse? How does our faith compare to St. Peter's faith? Is our faith equal to his? Why or why not? How do you explain the discrepancy?

I think it means that faith is a gift more valuable than silver and gold. It is a gift that neither can be stolen, rusted or destroyed. It is a gift not to be taken for granted or to puff yourself up with.

We cannot compare our faith to Peter's because as Romans 12:3 says each of us is to think of ourselves with sober judgement according to the measure of faith God has given each of us. If I compare what God has given me to someone else I might become puffed with pride or envious.

I think it is not equal because God's gives us what each of us needs to accomplish His purpose.

We need to be thankful for what He has given to each of us not worry about whether some one has more than us. God is the giver and His judgements are righteous and fair.

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  • 2 months later...

Faith is a gift given us by God when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Each of us receives this just as Peter received it. The depth of our faith is not the same, however, it depends on our experiences and our growth and on our intimacy with Christ. I think what's crucial here is that we view our faith as "precious" - something to be cherished and cultivated and protected, whatever the cost.

Karen

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  • 4 months later...

Hello everyone.

I see Peter trying to identify with his readers, to meet them on the same level. His self-designation is carefully balanced: "Servant and apostle of Christ" - he doesn't make himself smaller than he is (yes, he is an apostle, and that will become important later in the letter), but he also makes clear that he is no more than a servant of Christ, giving Christ the place of authority.

In the next sentence, then, he uses this primary authority structure between Christ and him to emphasize the equality of his readers' faith and his: "You have received faith from a gracious God, and so have I. I may have had the privilege of having known Christ personally, but before God I am still a rescued sinner just like you."

His purpose, I think, is both didactic and theological:

On the one hand he is establishing a relationship w/ his readers in which he appears not as their lord or judge, but as their coach, friend and brother. He is with them, not above them.

On the other hand, he is already teaching them: Faith is a gift from an all-powerful God to powerless people. Faith enables us to do good, but doing good can never alter our stance before God. Peter is laying the necessary foundation for what he is going to say about spiritual growth.

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  • 4 weeks later...

In this verse, Peter is saying that ALL of us share the same faith. By this I mean that there is but one faith, not a whole bunch of faiths. Peter is pointing out that the only source of faith is God, its author. God gives the same faith to all. Peter is saying that all of us are the same in God's eyes. God doesn't play favorites,giving one person a different type of faith, or in differing amounts, than anyone else. Peter, Paul any of the disciples, or great men of faith throughout history were not given "extra" faith by God. The same Jesus that is the cornerstone of the faith of Peter is the cornerstone of the faith of you and I.

The only "difference" in the faith expressed by the spiritual "giants" and me is that my acceptance of, reliance on and devotion to the faith that I have been given is many times markedly less than theirs. While God gives the same faith to every person, not every person uses that faith in the same way. Much like you could give every person inthe world $100 and have virtually no two people use it in the exact same way. Some would save it against tragedy. Some would invest it in themselves, some in others. Some would simply squander it. So too with faith. SOme horde their faith, in case tragedy befalls them and they "need" God. Some use thier faith to enrich their lives, some the lives of those around them. Some squander their faith, and the faith they recieved at one time or another leaves no real impact in their lives or the world as a whole. I think that most of us, and I'm definately including myself, do all of these things, to one degree or another at different times and seasons of our lives.

Another difference, or disparity, in the "level" of faith exhibited by me in relation to a Peter, is that too often I let myself get in the way of my faith. Be it "intellect", concern over trivial matters, pride or whatever, many times there are things that prevent me from fully excersising the faith that I have been given. All too often I choose to lean on my own understanding, instead of trusting God.

The good news in this passage is that of hope. You see if God did indeed hand out differing levels of faith, or different kinds of faith, then I would have no hope of improving my Christian walk, of ever growing closer to God. But, since there is only one faith and it all depends on how we use what we've been given, I can "learn" how to more effectively live out my faith! :D

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Faith, being the substance of things hoped for but not yet seen, is truly a precious gift. It is given of and by the Spirit, which makes it a divine element. The same Spirit dwelling in Peter dwells in me. The same Spirit that gave him the gift of faith gave me that gift as well. We are all given one faith through the one Savior, Jesus Christ, and in that sense what we have is equal. That faith affords the same rights and benefits to me that it did to powerful Peter. Wowza!

However, what we do with our faith determines its full measure. It must be exercised and developed. Peter

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  • 5 weeks later...

I believe that when we were all born God gave us all, a measure of faith . It was his gift to all of us, unfortunately we as a country ,even a world have forgotten that. It was promised to us I believe in the gospel of john chapter 14 :12-14 that the later rain would be greater than the former . I really think for this day and time God wants our faith to increase far past what the disciples had .

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  • 3 weeks later...

When you ask Jesus into your heart and accept him as your savior, then God give the same faith that he gave Peter. God is no respector of persons, so the faith that Peter had is same faith that give to you and me. The only difference is if you use that faith or keep it inside of you. When you release your faith then God can do wonderful things in your life, like he did with Peter. If you don't use the faith God has given to us then our life would never change and then you will be wandering where God is. Thank God, He is so patience and loving, because no matter how many times you fail to have in faith Him, God is always ready to pick you up and give you a life you never dream of. :rolleyes:

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  • 3 weeks later...

What does "recieved a faith as precious as ours" mean in this verse? How does our faith compare to the faith of Peter? Is our faith equal to his? Why or why not? How do you explain this discrepancy?

When we accept Jesus as our savior, he gives everyone who accepts him the same amount of faith, no matter who you are. If we use our faith to win others to Christ and bear witness to him, then we have the same amount of faith that Peter had.

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  • 2 months later...
:D 2 PETER 1:1-4.Q1----" RECEIVED A FAITH AS PRECIOUS AS OURS"= DIRECTED AT BOTH JEW AND GENTILE,AS HEIRS OF THE COMMON FAITH, WHATEVER THERE ORIGIN WAS. ROMANS 1:17,= FOR IN IT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM FAITH TO FAITH; AS IT IS WRITTEN, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. THE MORE WE WALK BY FAITH IN GOD, THE STRONGER OUR FAITH BECOMES, AND WHY SHOULD'NT WE HAVE FAITH EQUAL TO ANYONE ELSE? :rolleyes: AMEN
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I THINK PETER IS SAYING THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE SAME KIND OF FAITH AS HIM THROUGH THE REDEMPTIVE ACTION OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS. IN OTHER WORDS, FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD AND EVERY MAN HAS BEEN GIVEN A MEASURE OF FAITH.OUR FAITH IS THE SAME AS PETER'S FAITH HOWEVER BECAUSE HE FACED SEVERE PERSECUTION HE HAD TO DEVELOP HIS FAITH ; HE EXERCISED GREAT FAITH IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION BECAUSE THAT'S USUALLY WHERE FAITH GROWS.OUR FAITH IS EQUAL TO HIS FAITH BUT WE MAY NEVER EXTEND IT TO WALKING ON WATER LIKE PETER DID SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ALLOW FEAR, DOUBT AND UNBELIEF TO HINDER US IN OUR FAITH WALK WITH THE LORD.PETER WAS A HUMAN BEING JUST LIKE US WHO HAD TO TRUST GOD JUST LIKE US IN ORDER TO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.......GOD BLESS......

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Q1. 2 Pet. 1:1 What does"received a faith as precious as ours" mean in this verse? My answer... Peter is saying all who come to faith in Jesus Christ Jew/gentile have exactly the same faith that he and others who believe at that time have. Q2. How does our faith compare to Peter's faith? We have been given the same gift of faith same ability to trust God same power of saving grace. Q3. Is our faith equal to his. Most definitely... Peter even lived with Jesus and saw Him work His miracles we believe without seeing Jesus in His flesh so we have a special extra gift for believing in Jesus' work on the cross and His taking our sins away. John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Q4. How do you explain the discrepancy? There is nothing we can do to deserve this God given faith, it is a gift to all who will believe and humble themselves before the Lord and understand we are totally undeserving of it.

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It means that all believers have received the same faith that Peter received -- equal with Peter's faith. However, how each Believer lives out his/her faith (to a greater or lesser extent), is according to where that person is in their spiritual maturity.

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God has given us a gift of unparaleled value, one to be beloved, faith. This gift, which is identical to that which Brother Peter was given is available to all as the Lord Himself stated that we are all born with a seed of faith which He likened to a tiny mustard seed.

While because of the many miracles that Peter did and the fact that he walked with the Lord, it may seem that Peter was gifted with greater faith than we. Not so. Peter simply was exercising his faith which he learned to do through many trials. We too, after we go through our trials, can have such faith. It's just a matter of not sinking into a sea of doubt.

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