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The sermon centers on 1 Peter 2:7: Christ is precious to those who believe. Spurgeon presents Christ as intrinsically and supremely excellent, and as the one through whom believers receive pardon, justification, preservation, perfection, resurrection, and every blessing. Genuine love for Christ produces sacrificial discipleship, perseverance under persecution, and unseen service to others. The closing appeal makes personal recognition of Christ’s preciousness a test of true faith and warns that rejecting Him leaves a person condemned in unbelief.
Theological center: Christ is the supreme Savior and treasure of believers, in whom all spiritual blessings are found and through whom they are preserved to the end.
Applications: Prize Christ above all · Persevere under opposition · Love and serve Jesus better · Consider Christ’s supreme worth
Primary texts: 1 Peter 2:7 · Matthew 10:37-38
“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.” 1 Peter 2:7 THIS text calls to my recollection the opening of my ministry. It is about eight years since as a lad of sixteen, I stood up for the first time in my life to preach the Gospel in a cottage to a handful of poor people, who had come together for worship. I felt my own inability to preach, but I ventured to take this text, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.” I do not think I could have said anything upon any other text, but Christ was precious to my soul and I was in the flush of my youthful love, and I could not be silent when a precious Jesus was the subject. I had but just escaped from the bondage of Egypt, I had not forgotten the broken fetter, still did I recollect those flames which seemed to burn about my path, and that devouring gulf which opened its mouth as if ready to devour me. With all these things fresh in my youthful heart, I could speak of His preciousness who had been my Savior, and had plucked me as a brand from the burning, and set me upon a rock, and put a new song in my mouth, and established my goings. And now, at this time what shall I say? “What hath God wrought?” How hath the little one become a thousand, and the small one a great people? And what shall I say concerning this text, but that if the Lord Jesus was precious then, He is as precious now? And if I could declare then, that Jesus was the object of my soul’s desire, that for Him I hoped to live and for Him I would be prepared to die, can I not say, God being my witness, that He is more precious to me this day than ever He was? In the recollection of His unparalleled mercy towards the chief of sinners, I must anew devote myself to Him, and afresh surrender my heart to Him who is Lord and King. This remark is uttered by way of introduction, it may seem egotistical, but that I cannot help. I must give glory to God in the midst of the great congregation, and pay my vows to the Lord now in the midst of all His saints, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. My text states a positive fact, namely, that Christ is precious to believers. This shall be the first part of our discourse, then in the second we will try to answer the question, why is Jesus Christ so precious to His believing people? And conclude by declaring the test whereby you may try yourselves whether you are believers or not, for if you be believers in Christ, then Christ is precious to you, and if you think little of Him, then rest assured you have not a true and saving faith in Him. I. First, this is a positive fact, that UNTO BELIEVERS JESUS C…