Living Well Before Men

1 Peter 2:11-17

V. 11 (Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.)

I imagine that there were those in the church, upon hearing this part of Peter’s letter were appalled. Here they had waited for word from Peter on how to deal with persecution in their lives, and he is telling them to clean up their lives, not realizing that this is the greatest witness before men to be faithful to God, in the face of persecution.

They had become strangers in there own towns, since accepting Christ as their savior. I remember the crowd I hung around with before recommitting my life to the Lord, I walked as they did, drank as they did, talked as they did, I was not a stranger to them, I was one of them. After I changed my life I quit getting invited to parties. Trying to balance both worlds, as an immature Christian, I began talking about Christ as I drank, the more I drank the more I talked. This was not uncommon for me, for as I drank my inner nature always came out only now my inner nature had changed. This is what Peter was trying to tell them, they were new creatures in Christ and their inner being was now at war with the way they used to be. Not only did their old nature not understand what was happening to them, their friends had new clue as well.

This is not an easy thing to do, as we all can attest to. The flesh was comfortable with the old us, and as new creatures in Christ the Holy Spirit had set up house keeping in us and was trying to make the house comfortable for Him. When Teresa and I moved into our home, we saw traces of the past occupants we did not like. A big thing was the purple walls in the back bedroom, they had to go. The Holy Spirit sees things in our lives that are contradictory to the will of God, and wants to paint those old walls as well. But the flesh likes the purple walls, and the Spirit says no, not going to happen, this has to go. I remark as men get remarried that everything changes, anything that reminds the new wife of the old wife has to go. I experienced this and we both laugh that the only thing I have left form my old life is a cigar box full of memories. This Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out over time so that we are pleasing to God. I look back over what I lost and realized that change was good as I now enjoy what my wife and I have accomplished together.

As strangers in our own bodies, homes, and work places we have a partner in our journey, The Holy Spirit is our guide to the will of God and we will be with us through the changes we face as new creatures in Christ. Not to leave us older, but not always wiser Christians out, remember that God is not finished with us. This process of becoming holy is a lifetime journey, and there are times I feel as a stranger to God, but I am not. He knows me better than I know myself and has been with me in my times of trouble, and persecution, to mold me into what He wants me to me. It is amazing how many who come out of trouble, develop ministries to help others going through the same thing. Only God can do that, as He takes our weaknesses and makes them our strengths.

V. 12 (having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.)

Matt. 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

As God helps us to overcome our past lives, and walk according to His will, those around us will also be watching our walk. Christ says to let our light shine before men, what does Christ mean by our light? It is to let the love that comes from God, come out in our conduct so others may see that we are different from the rest of the world and desire the same sureness, love, peace that we exhibit to the rest of the world. As you step out in faith and profess your faith in Christ, as your personal savior, others will begin to watch every detail of your life, and will judge you by your past and look to see if the old life will resurface in this new you. I have always believed that people will not care how much you know until they know how much you care. As they observe our lives they will see the good works that we do, not to be seen by men, but as we walk in the will of the Father, who has enabled us and called us to these good works, that despite the persecution that we suffer at their hands they will glorify God. This day of visitation Peter talks of is any time that God may come in a special act of judgment or mercy. In this context visitation is God’s time of dealing with the unsaved, or the glorious return of Christ.

V. 13,14 (Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do good.)

Submit is a word that we have trouble with, right along with the word wrrrr- wrrr- wrong. Both words require humility, and find their roots in the word pride. It seems all our days are lived in pride and rebellion, even as Christians. In a book on parenting, written by Dr. James Dobsen he states that there are twice as many strong willed children as compliant children. He also says this rebellion against parents’ rules often starts at a very early age. Rebellion is not only a characteristic of the child, but most people, regardless of age, find it hard to submit to others. I had to deal with this in the work place till I realized that it was not my bosses’ problem, but mine.
So who is the biggest target of our rebellion, government officials, employers, teachers, police officers? These positions are positions of authority and fly in the face of prideful man. In these verses Peter addresses our submission to these people. Should we be submissive to government? Even though we are citizens of Heaven, we are citizens of this world as well, and therefore we are to accept the authority of our government. Jesus said in Matthew 22:21; “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”
Peter wrote this epistle a few years before the persecution began under Roman Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. Nero was one of the most notorious rulers of all time. During his reign there was a fire that destroyed part of the city of Rome. There was a rumor that Nero had started the fire, and this rumor was so widely accepted by the people that Nero had to find a scapegoat. He diverted feeling against himself to the Christians by accusing them of arson and by persecuting them. Peter and Paul both died in this period.
There is another story of Nero which shows how evil he was. Halfway through his reign, Nero got the idea that he was a great chariot racer. So he built a track and raced all day. Soon he decided that he should race at night too, but electricity had not been invented yet. So Nero came up with a very sick plan. During the day he would get his soldiers to go into the city and find Christians. They would cover these Christians in pitch and tie them to poles around Nero’s track. As the sun set, these Christians were set on fire and became human torches.
Peter says that governments are to punish those who do evil and reward those who do good. Generally, this is true; however there are always exceptions. Obviously, Peter was not saying that we should compromise our beliefs in our submission to government. In Acts 5:29, when Peter and the other apostles were told by the Jewish leaders to stop preaching the gospel, they said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” We don’t always agree with everything that our government does but this is no excuse for not submitting to its authority. On election night I told another brother that no matter who won the election, they would be our president and needed our prayers.

Why should we submit to the authority of government? In Romans 13:1 we find these words: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” There is no governmental authority except that which is ordained of God. Proverbs 21:1 says, The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he wishes.” God controls the actions of rulers in the same way He controls the flow of the water in the rivers. This truth was strikingly illustrated by the Lord Jesus. In his anger Pilate said, “Are you not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have power to crucify You, and the power to release you?” Jesus put Pilate in his place when He answered, “You could have no power at all against me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:10-11). Since all power comes from God, the believer is to be subject to that power.

V. 15 (For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-)

There were many who said that by following God, they were not following the government, and that their religion made them bad subjects. By doing the will of God and being submissive to government, they put to rest any argument from those who spoke out because they did not understand this new faith. Should Christians have a part in government? Indeed they should, as we saw the country divided on values this past election.

V. 16 (as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.)

We are indeed free, free from sin and death, and citizens of God’s kingdom, but we are not free to use our religion as a mask to disobey civil authority. I can not speed ten miles an hour, over the speed limit and claim my freedom in Christ as a reason that allows me to do so. Nor can I pray that God would keep me from getting a ticket as I try to make up a little time.

We are not our own, we are bought, by God, with the priceless blood of His Son, and as slaves we are not free to walk outside of the will of God, without suffering the consequences, just as I would if I exceeded the posted speed limit. Still think we need not obey government? Jesus, living in a time when slavery was the norm, never spoke out against slavery. We all agree that slavery is an appalling practice, yet Christ instead of speaking against slavery talked about how servants were to behave towards their masters, and masters to treat their slaves.

What about the woman brought to Jesus who was caught in adultery? Jewish law said she was to be stoned, yet Jesus stopped this, and forgave her. Not really, He invited all around Him to stone this woman, yet spoke of their own guilt as reason to examine their own lives, and then they were free to stone her. Each of us as needs to examine our lives compared to the live of Christ before we justify our actions.

V.17 (Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.)

Give honor to whom it is due. At work we have a recognition program, where each employee has the opportunity to recognize the actions of another as they go above the norm in their duties at work. It is a simple thing, yet means a lot to the recipient as another recognizes that their hard work does not go unnoticed.

All Christians form a great family who have their roots in Jesus Christ. He is our bond that makes us a band of brothers and sisters. I have a brother in the Lord that I do not talk to near as often as I should, yet I know that when I call him, we pick up the friendship as if there was no gap in it at all, no matter now long the gap in our conversations.

Fearing God is not only to stand in awe of Him, but it is indeed to fear the consequences of our actions. God gave us a book that we should guide our lives by, He also gave us the live of His Son, that we should honor. By disobeying His commandments we walk in direct disobedience to God’s will for our lives. I believe that you can get so far from God, as a Christian, that God will take you out of this world rather than see you fall farther in sin, or He can let you live in your sin, the choice is His, and leaves us in fear and awe of Him. God gave me this ministry, and I know that my actions against His will for it could take it away from me just as quickly as He first gave me the idea for it. I give it back to Him each week and ask that He use it for His glory. The biggest fear I have is that sin in my life will break fellowship between the Lord God and I. Our obedience to God allows God to use us for His will. I leave you with the words from Hebrew 13:20, 21; “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever, Amen.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

• The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People
• 2 Peter 2:4-10
• V 4. (Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious.)
• Jesus is the foundation upon which our relationship with God is built, to come to God in any other way is to trust your eternal life on a foundation that shall crumble when faced with the reality of who Jesus is. He is a living stone that embraces us when we place our faith in Him. A foundation is not the end of a building but a beginning, so that when we receive salvation through Christ, we go on to build a life centered on Christ that interacts with God, through Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Rejected by men, is a reference to Israel’s rejection of Him as the Messiah, which is a direct reference to a quote from Psalm 118:22: “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” Any church which is built upon any other foundation is built upon a shaky foundation that shall crumble under the reality of who Jesus is.
• Jesus is God’s choice to be savior of the world, chosen as the founder of the church and the foundation on which it rests. Chosen by God before the foundation of the world was laid. We know that Jesus is precious in the sight of God, “This is my beloved Son,” Matt. 3:17, those who choose Christ as their redeemer as just as precious.
• V 5. (you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.)
• To think that stones can live is something I am sure none of us think is possible, yet too many think that the church is a physical building, and all their resources go to the upkeep of the building, this is all and good, but it can and does get taken to an extreme. Christ is the foundation of the church a living cornerstone upon which the spiritual house is built upon. This spiritual house is the holy family of God, built upon the living Christ. As each stone of a building rests upon the foundation, and in turn relies upon the stone laid before it, held together with mortar, so does the church of Christ, rest in the salvation received in Christ, built upon the saints that came before us, and cemented together by the word of God. Christ is not only the foundation upon which this church rests, but He is its life blood, flowing through the spiritual building causing us not to act alone, but as one grand temple in which God is worshiped and He manifest Himself, as He did in the temple in Jerusalem. The metaphor is a direct link to the temple and its worship, and the temple an illustration of the spiritual church to come.
• So every stone, or son and daughter, is a spiritual sacrificer, or priest, offering up praise and thanksgiving through Christ, who being the spotless one, and only mediator between God and the church holy and acceptable to God. Therefore such sacrifices, being offered up in the name, and the merit of His Son, are all acceptable in His sight.
• V. 6 (Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” )
• Jesus was called a chief cornerstone because this is the stone that was laid at an angle where it becomes both the foundation of a side and an end wall. The scripture is saying that Jesus was the foundation of the faith of the Old Testament saints, as well as the gentiles. This cornerstone adorns the building, as well as supports it, for Christ lives in the church as one to draw others to it, and as its chief instrument to adding to it. Peter returns to the same thought that he stressed in verse four, when he talks of Jesus’ election, remember that Jesus was God’s choice as savior. All that come to God through Christ will be accepted, for how can God who has chosen Jesus as a savior, refuse any who come to Him through the precious blood of Christ.
• Some translation use confounded instead of put to shame, I feel this is a better translation. There are three things that confound man and put him to shame; disappointment, sin, and judgment. All these will cause us to stumble in our walk, but faith overcomes them all. Granted it is hard to understand while you are going through times when you struggle in your walk and as this time drags on, but faith in Christ overcomes it. We may even be put to shame in the eyes of man, as we suffer man’s judgment, but God who is faithful to forgive us, encourages us in that same faith. “But God”, are two words that should encourage us in our walk, as we struggle in the disappointments of life, but God is there to left us up, as we struggle in sin, but God is there as a light to lead us out of that sin, as we struggle with the judgment of man, but God accepts us and welcomes us into His home.
• V.7, 8 (Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” and “”A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. )
• It is funny that we carry around pictures of children and are so quick to tell others, with great pride of their accomplishments, but yet we keep Christ tightly tucked away in the corner of ourselves that we call private. Our faith is far from private, what Jesus has done for us, is to be shared with all, in our testimonies, and witness. He has saved you from eternity separated from the Father, and yet we keep it to ourselves. It is funny as I began to share my faith with others on the dock at work, how many other Christians I worked beside that I would have never known about. I meet many people who I feel are different in their mannerisms, and I have to wonder what makes them different? As we begin to share our faith and our love for Christ, we realize we share a common bond that our lives are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. He has become not only the author and finisher of our faith but the center of our faith, our joy and our hope. Jesus is a precious stone that we do not wear on our finger, or around our neck, yet He should shine in each of us that others will see the difference in us.
• A stone has another quality that we all have found out as we pick ourselves up and examine the cuts on our knees; it is a point of stumbling. Stumbling, falling, and being broken is the consequence of disobedience or unbelief. Because of God’s love for us He allows us to stumble and fall in order that we can be picked up. It is God who reaches out to us in our hurting and brokenness, to lift us onto the rock of Jesus Christ that He may become the foundation of our lives. 1 Corinthians 1:23 says; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.
• The Jews were looking for a great ruler in their Messiah who would rid them of Roman oppression, and when Christ came meek, lowly, and impoverished; not seeking worldly glory they were offended at Him. The rest of the world saw it as foolishness that Christians would place their hope in the hands of a man crucified.
• Those appointed to stumble, were not decreed to disobey, that they might stumble, fall and be broken. They stumble and fall through their unbelief and thus their unbelief and fall were of themselves, so out of the consequence of this were appointed to be broken; this is God’s work of judgment. Man can not be lifted up unless he first realizes he has fallen.
• V.9,10 (But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who were once not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.)
• We were a lost people, lost in sin, and lost to God. Again, but God because of His mercy and grace has chosen us from sin and placed us upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, and because of this relationship we grow in faith and have become a holy nation, and God’s own. We did not become chosen and become the elect of God, until we obtained mercy, so those who walk without mercy, are one commitment away from an eternity with or without God, Jesus will become either a stumbling block to them or a firm foundation. We as a royal priesthood must reach this world for Christ, and be there to encourage all to come to the cross.

Our Witness of God’s Faithfulness

1 Peter 2:1-3

“Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” I left this line out of last weeks message at the end of chapter 1, verse 25. I wanted to include it in this week’s lesson for it ties the two chapters together and says a lot about Christian witness.

In Acts 8:26-31 we read of Philip, who was urged by an angel to go on a mission trip, as he began he was urged further to witness to an Ethiopian man. This man was reading the word and was struggling with the meaning of it. In verse 35 it says that Philip opened his mouth, and preached Jesus to him. This is the gospel that is preached to many, that they may believe. First we see that Philip was sent, and then urged by the Spirit to witness. We must be opened to the urging of the Holy Spirit to give to others what is in our hearts and what He impresses upon us to share at that time. We may or may not have angels stopping us on the road, but we all should strive to find the will of God for our lives, study His word, and make ourselves available to God. Anyone can witness to the grace which was given to you by God, through His Son Jesus Christ.

Also we see that the Ethiopian man was struggling with the meaning of what he was reading. Many times during my Christian walk I have struggled with the meaning of certain scriptures, only to have them revealed to me sometimes years later by others, circumstances, or the Holy Spirit. I continued to come back to these questions as they bothered me and I searched the scriptures. It is good to talk about our questions with other believers, who may have the same questions themselves. God in His infinite wisdom will reveal the answers to us in His timing, in a way that we can not miss them. Sort of like getting hit by a truck, and saying: “Man, why didn’t I see that.”

V. 1 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,”

Hebrews 12:1 says: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” The saints that have gone on before us do not sit in the clouds and cheer us on, but the life that they led and how they overcame tribulation does. As we study their life and see their faithfulness to God, we are encouraged to keep the faith.

The actions that Peter lists in verse one, are like weights that drag us down and keep us from being all that God wants us to be and hurt our witness. Malice is the willful hurting of another person out of hate for them; this can not be a part of the Christian walk. Deceit can mean more than lying, it can mean misleading someone to do your will, or get your way, by means that do not honor God. A hypocrite is some who playacts, acting without sincerity, causing again, others to doubt not only you, but God. People will watch our walk to see if it matches our talk. There are hypocrites in the church, and when confronted by others about this, I tell them I can always move over to make room for one more. For as I look over this list of wrongs Peter lays out before us I realize he is talking to the church and I can look back to times I have been guilty of all of them, but yet God convicts me of them, forgives me, and still chooses to use me. These actions make our witness void of any meaning. Sin is a trap, which catches even the most faithful of believers. Christianity is not a sprint to the finish line, but a marathon that calls for us to prepare and endure to the end.

V. 2 “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

Matthew 18:3 “and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Mark 10:15 “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

1 Corinthians 3:2 “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;”

A new convert has placed in them a hunger for the word of God. I remember this hunger, and that it was so great I devoured the Bible, as it became my constant companion. I took it to work and read it while unloading my trailer, I marveled at the words of Jesus and that I had never heard anyone speak with such wisdom, and authority.

Peter was writing to just such a people, new to the faith, and hungry for the word. Unfortunately their friends and family did not share in their joy, and I am sure that it confused them as they searched in their own wisdom for the words to express what they were feeling. This is why Peter says to desire the pure milk of the word, the pure doctrine of the gospel, which was being taught to them. Many have asked where to start reading the Bible. The majority of people told me to start wit the book of John, and I echo this advice.

When Jesus was telling His disciples to become as little children, He was telling them to become teachable, sponges absorbing all that He had for them. If they were not teachable, or pliable, how could they accept this doctrine that Jesus taught? If they remained hardened and stiff necked to the teaching of Christ, how could they enter into the kingdom of God? In some churches where God is trying to do a new thing, as His words reminds us, some cling to the ways in which they were brought to Christian faith. They become hardened, and unusable to God. God reached them in a way that was great for them, but God treats us as individuals, knowing our hearts and what will bring us growth. Salvation is not the end product of faith, but the beginning of a life serving God and walking in His glory.

Growing thereby, or as other translations state it as unto salvation, means looking forward to the day when Christ returns and salvation is complete. During our lives we are to desire the doctrines of the gospel, that they may help us in our growth, keeping the goal in sight. Nothing can effectually promote this lifestyle than a steady diet of the word, claiming the fulfillment of its promises, and acting upon what we have read.

V.3 “If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

Coffee is an acquired taste. Remembering back to a camping trip as a child, when I got my first taste of coffee to take the chill off the morning, I put cream and sugar in it and took my first sip and my last for several years. When I began driving I began drinking it again to stay awake, or to get going in the morning. I recently began drinking flavored coffees, and am now spoiled and want to drink nothing else.

When Teresa and I began looking for a house, we had a certain house in mind. We wanted modular, so that being over forty we didn’t have a big mortgage, but we didn’t want it to look like a modular. We wanted it with dry wall throughout and lots of woodwork. It had to have the master bedroom away from the rest of the house so that I could sleep during the day. I also wanted a garage and bathroom with a whirlpool tub. We agreed that this was what we wanted and made plans to begin saving for it. I prayed that God would bless our plans, but as time went by it looked like our plans would be delayed for anther year. I saw an ad in the paper for a home and was tempted to look at it. When we walked in we saw that it was a modular, with dry wall throughout, woodwork was abundant in the house, and it set atop a half basement and a two car garage. We smiled as we walked through the house and saw that it was set up just as we had wanted. Looking in the bathroom we realized that our prayers may be answered, as there was a whirlpool tub. Six months after we put our plans before the Lord and asked for His blessing, we moved in to our home, I have tasted of the gracious of the Lord and I have acquired a taste for His goodness. We had a plan for buying a home and God sat I have a better plan. My sister sat God doesn’t care if you have a whirlpool tub, but I say He does, praise His name.

Psalm 34:8 says: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trust in Him.” Remembering that these people were being persecuted, Peter is telling them rely upon the graciousness of God, as He echoes the words of this Psalm. We have gotten a taste of Glory in our salvation, and walk with God, we have read and poured over the words that Jesus spoke and marveled and them. We have had prayers answered and tasted that the Lord is gracious to those He loves. Peter is telling us that if you are indeed saved, born again of the righteousness of Christ, tasting of the fruits of that righteousness, walking in the truth that we find by devouring the word of God, rely upon all that you have experienced and read to carry you through all tribulation. Rely on the one who called you out of sin, and set you on the path of salvation, and rely on the one who will one day split the sky and return for you, His bride, dressed in the robes washed white by His blood, beautiful before the Lord, and takes you home to be with Him forever. The Lord is good, blessed be His name.

What is Eternal?

V. 20 “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you”

After the fall of man God did not worry about what to do with this creature that He loved and desired to fellowship with. He had before the foundation of the earth, before the law was given, or any sacrifice was given, had preordained that Christ, as the lamb, would take away the sins of mankind. Also from this sacrificial system, Christ was the significance and the virtue, from which God’s people would be saved. As each bull was slaughtered, and its blood sprinkled around the altar, God’s was pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of His Son preordained as the reconciliation of man to his God.

The last times, or the dispensation of grace, are a time of great change, but also a time of unity. This time stretches from Christ ascension to His coming in judgment.

V.21 “who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

The statement to believe in God, and believe there is a God can be confused. Many believe there is a God, and believe He is the God of the bible, but God wants us to more than just believe in Him as just existing. What good is it to believe that there is a God and not believe that He is an active part of your life? Jesus say in John 14:1; “you believe in God, believe also in me.” To truly believe in someone is to grasp the truth of their existence and support their lives. From reading Peter Pan and watching the many takes on the screen, I learned that in order for Peter to exist, others had to believe in him. Want to fly believe in him, want to defeat the pirates, believe in him, want to return to never never land believe in Peter. “I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much.” C.H. Spurgeon.

Faith is the action of belief, it is through faith that we believe in God, and it is that faith which leads us to love Him. It is out of that love that we desire a relationship with Him, and it is by faith that we realize that we can not have a relationship with Him, save by the blood of Christ, and it is by faith that we accept that sacrifice and offer it back to God, as the only atoning sacrifice for the sins that we have committed against a just and holy God. Furthermore, it is by faith that we believe that God is an active part of our lives and that Christ will return for His church and we shall be with Him forever.

The resurrected Christ is the substance upon which we base our faith on. By His resurrection, God has declared openly His acceptance of Christ as the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus also received power to enable Him to impart faith to us; our faith is not only in Christ, but also through Him. Our faith in God comes through the resurrected Christ, we come to God through the resurrected Christ, and we too one day will have complete fellowship with the Father through Christ.

V 22. “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”

To purify something is to get all impurities out of it. The word of God received through the Holy Spirit, cleanses us of all untruths, and is manifested in our lives by our unconditional love to the brethren.

We first heard the truth, the gospel, as it was given to us, either through another, or through reading it ourselves. This is why we are called to witness to the truth that is found in us, and in the word of God, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There have been many times I shared in this truth with others that I was amazed that I was even able to remember all that I was able to share, and other times I stumbled for the right words to say. By making ourselves available to God, He will use us to spread the gospel to others, in a way in which He wants it spread, through the Holy Spirit.

Our faith is manifested by our obedience of the word, and by that obedience we believe on the one who came into the world to save us. To believe in something is one thing, but to believe on something is put your very existence on it. By believing in Jesus as our savior, we trust our eternal salvation to the fact of His death, resurrection, ascension, and return.

Peter mentions that we are to have a sincere love for the brethren. This love is given without hypocrisy; it is not put on as we would a play, but given without pretending. This love is born out of a relationship with God, and manifested through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Loving with a pure heart also means loving without a motive, whether it is out of personal gain, or avoiding conflict, we tend to pretend to love someone, when in truth we confess with our mouths that we don’t even like them. How do we get to the point of expressing this love? Our prayer is “Lord, teach me to love.”

V 23,24,25. “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ‘All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers away, And the flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Peter wants us to see as we were born into an earthly family with ties, and devotion to that family, we are reborn into the family of God with the tie that binds us together in Jesus Christ. We are to have the same devotion to each other, being brothers and sisters in Christ. For we have all received the same salvation, by the word of God. Not to say that the word of God is our salvation, but the word is the means by which we come to the need of a savior.

All flesh is perishable, and all our glory is pale compared to the glory of God. All things will pass away and the one thing that will be left is the eternal souls of believers. So if we are all that will be left, where should our investment be made? Shall we cut each other down and worry over petty arguments, or out of love for others, invest in them, listening to them, hurting with them, celebrating with them as we share in the joy of the Lord, and our salvation.

We are beginning to see Peter’s answer to the persecution they are experiencing, it lies in each other. Supporting one another in times of trial makes us stronger and helps our love for one another grow.