Today, the Holy Spirit wants us to get the big picture of Peter’s writings. Peter talks to us about our blessings that the Lord so graciously gives us. Then, from about verse 11 to the end, the Holy Spirit wants to point out the duties we have as children of God. The Holy Spirit wants to point out that pattern in scripture. First, God pours out his strength and empowers us, but then scripture always seems to remind us that there is a work to do, as we are children of God. Finally, Scripture always calls the Christian to walk worthy of our callings.
1 Peter 2 King James Version
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
The word, wherefore is the same English word as therefore. The word therefore is a connecting word. When this is written, we are supposed to refer to what was written immediately before the word. So, just before, Peter was speaking about the nature and care of God’s character.
Hypocrisies means that you claim to be a Christian, but your behavior does not match! This is big in today’s time! This proves that it is a lie, a delusion, to believe once saved. I don’t have to do anything else.
We should receive the word of God with a particular heart. In other words, when you come to God’s word, when you come to church, when you are praying, and when you are witnessing to people about God’s glorious nature; then, our hearts should be free of Malice, all evilness, all hypocrisy and envy. It’s a fact that your attitude is going to affect how you receive God‘s word, and how you deliver God’s word. For example, if you come to church, and you leave saying: I didn’t get anything out of the message or out of Sunday school; then, perhaps it wasn’t God’s messenger, but it was your heart, or you did not do your homework: you reading God’s word before you came to church. It’s not always the speakers teaching, but it’s our attitude and it’s our own fault. I do realize there are some bad eggs out there, but we, as children of God, have to realize that we have a part in the kingdom of God.
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Right now, if you have not asked the Lord to free your heart of malice and evil speaking I encourage you to do it right now, because scripture number two tells us how we should come to meet with God. We should come to God desiring the pure milk of His word. We should not stay a baby Christian. We are to continue to discover all of what God has promised us in his word. We should know what our duties are as children of God.
For a practical application, the The Holy Spirit wants me to remind you that a newborn, baby desires, the milk from its mother. Yes, it can’t survive without it. So, likewise, we are children of God, and we should desire the word of God and we can’t survive without the word.
The Holy Ghost wanted me to bring up psalm 42:1
Psalm 42 1As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Why?
Because just as the deer needs to drink, fresh water, we should desire the word of God. This is what bothers me about people who profess to be Christians, but I never see them reading the word of God, hearing the word of God, and they only show up to at church for Easter and Christmas. If we are children of God. The Bible says we should sincerely desire to be in his word. We should want a relationship with him. Thus, we should be spending time with God.
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
So, believing Scripture, that we should have a desire for it, we must also the doers of the Word. according to God‘s word, it is not good enough, or children of God, to sit and wait only on his coming. God expects for us to walk out his word in our daily life.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
Now, Peter moves onto the building work that God wants to do in the kingdom. He has moved from the metaphor of a baby or a child onto something being built. Coming to him, rejected it as a living being. Yes, is precious in his sight. Jesus is putting together a collection of living stones. God is building something like a spiritual house or a temple. You and I are stones in God‘s work. He is chiseling away and molding us, and shaping us in to what being proper for the kingdom. God is also arranging us, and bidding us into the kingdom of God. Jesus is the Livingstone, and because Jesus is living through us. We are now also living stones. Notice, just as Jesus was chosen and is precious to God, so is each one of us. We are built up after him and known as a spiritual house or a spiritual temple. We are a holy priesthood, offering up special sacrifices that are often called fragrances to God. (sweet, smelling savers)
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Jesus is our corner stone, and we are built upon him creating a house, if you will. And in this house, God desires to be worshiped. Your stone has a particular place in God’s house and a pacific job. This is why we are given talents. Our talents are to be given. And in this church, there are some of you who are not using your talent. Therefore, yes, you are not doing the wheel of God. There is something like a hole or a crack missing in our building.
Do you not think that your role is not important. Do not feel like so-and-so can do it better. God is calling you right now to step out and help. God is also calling us to pray for living stones who will feel in the cracks that we have. According to scripture, they exist!
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
Have you ever seen a house that was built with stones that were hand carved or car to buy some other kind of tool? In peters day that would’ve been the way that structures were built. Have you ever felt the shaping of the Lord in your life? Can you imagine with me for a minute? If you took a stone and jabbed it to cut away some on it: what would it say to you? It would probably say: “ouch! You’re cutting away some of my favorite parts!” I believe God chisels us into the shape that we need to be; in order to fit the kingdom of God! And isn’t that what the scripture is telling us?
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
In the verses, 56 and seven Peter talks about us being living stones, and that we are all connected. Here, and verse eight, the Holy Spirit goes into another thought that connects to it. This connecting idea could be from Psalm 118, because., Because it talks about Jesus being the chief cornerstone. Psalm 118 tells us that the stones are connected to the one most precious. (18:22.) so, God has arranged the chief corner stone, that many people steal reject. therefore, Peter speaks to the fact that we who are most precious, except Jesus Christ, but to the one that is disobedient and stiffnecked, he is rejected.
You see, Peter was still marveling at the fact that Jesus was not accepted by his own people, and he reminds us here that Jesus will continue to be rejected by people.
Holy spirit, it’s gonna give you another nugget pay attention: one way, but not the only way to tell if you’re speaking to a person of faith is to look at their life and see if Jesus is precious to them. A Christian, according to scripture, has Jesus as precious in their heart. I know from experience that when Jesus is precious to someone, they cannot stop talking about him.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Verses nine and ten are a bunch of titles that is given to the children of God. So, if Jesus is precious to you, you belong to him. These are the descriptions we are before God.
God says we are a chosen generation. This was a title that belong to Israel only, but since Jesus is a game changer, it belongs to all children of God. We all can share in this inheritance.
In the old testament, God zealously divided royalty and priesthood, but since Jesus came, we all fit into this category. You, or a royal priesthood. I’m looking out at royalty today!
He also says that we are his own special people. For example, if you went into a museum, you would discover that ordinary things are special because of who they belong to. Suppose you seen the hat of Abraham Lincoln. We are a special people, because we are connected to Jesus Christ.
Verse 10 says that we were once without these privileges. The Gentiles were just a People, and not connected or not restored. Now, we have all obtained mercy. Can you imagine when the Gentiles heard this from Peter? They heard from Peter you did not belong, but now you do belong?
OK! Now the Holy Spirit just encouraged us, because he told us who we are in Jesus Christ. Now, why did God do all of this for us? Was it so that we could just sit around and say: “were Royal, were chosen, and we belong?”
We are not to look our nose down at the dinner? First number nine tells us why! So that we may praise his glorious name! And we all know that when we praise the name of Jesus Christ that draws people to him.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
The first 10 verses were great at building us up. Now let’s look at verse 11 our duty is to abstain from the last of our flesh because it causes war with the soul.
God uses Peter to tell us that we do not make peace treaties with sin. We are too war with sin. We are to walk by the spirit, and not by the flesh or else sin may overtake us.
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Then, here in verse 12, the Holy Spirit confirms that we are supposed to be honest, and continue in Goodworks. Why? To glorify God! Therefore, let all that you do, all of your works, show the love of God.
In the section, Peter explains to the reader that we must live our lives this way, in order to hold our distinctive nature. In other words, so people will see that we are children of God. So people will know that we are a special people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation.
There is a problem in our current church culture, because they have abandoned holiness. Now, I don’t think that we are going to live sin list lives, but God expects us to strive not to sin. Why? So, we can lead others to Christ.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
After we have understood all the things that God has done for us, and given to us; he expects us to do our due diligence to follow the laws of the land.
If we do this, then it may put foolishness of a man to bed. Living out the Bible is sometimes the only Bible people read. They know God by our actions.
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Therefore, verses 13 through 17 tell us that we have a duty to live as we should in our community.
Remember, that Peter wrote this letter during the Roman empire. The Roman empire didn’t like Christians and crucified them. Yet, we are to submit to the authorities, unless it goes against God’s law.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
This scripture is talking about us, submitting to our employers requests.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
In the Roman world, there were many slaves. Slavery in the Roman world was a lot different than slavery in the south. But nevertheless sometimes in the Roman world slaves were missed treated badly.
Peter tells us here that a slave that becomes a Christian and has to and/or beatings because of it; and then, God will help you work through it. For example, if you were stealing from the masters house and got caught, you shouldn’t or the punishment. But if your master punishes you, for showing the joy and glory of God; then, This will bring even more glory to God.
God will always reward us for our integrity. He does not want us to abstain abuse, and will make a way of escape for us.
Now, to help clear up more questions in our head, let’s continue to read!
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
So for those who are suffering for Christ sake, the Holy Ghost wants us to find courage. Notice, in verse 21 that Christ also suffered for us; Which provided us an example to follow.
Jesus did not get revenge and he did not do the same things that people done to him. Instead, Jesus committed himself and the wrongdoers to the father.
Jesus is so much more than an example. He is a Savior. The work of Jesus is an example, and Peter draws upon it to explain that no matter what happens in this life, we have a duty to walk worthy according to scripture.
We are identified with the death of Jesus on the cross; therefore, we should walk righteously. This is our reasonable service.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and overseers of your souls.
I like the picture that the Holy Spirit has given me for this scripture, because it says to me that I always belong to the shepherd. It’s just that there was a time that we were a stray, but now we have come home. Even in the days before we acknowledged him. He loved us, and we were his creation. We were once lost, but now we are found. We have come back to the overseer of our soul. he is our savior, he is our bishop, which is overseer. He is all in all.
Remember, from today’s lesson, after we have received from the Lord, it is our duty to live our life walking in the spirit.
