Fanning the Flames

Studies in First Peter Part 9

“¹Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ²like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, ³if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord” ( Peter 2:1-3).

Here the apostle Peter follows another pattern that is common in so many of the New Testament letters; the idea of putting off the bad stuff and putting on the good.  For example …

• “Let us lay aside the deeds of darkness…and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).
• “In reference to your former way of life, lay aside the old self…and put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:22,24).
• “Since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices; anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech, and lying…and have put on the new self” (Colossians 3:8,10).
• ”Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other” (Colossians 3:12-13).
• “Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness…receive the word implanted which is able to deliver your souls” (James 1:21).
• “Flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (II Timothy 2:22).
• “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ…and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:14).
• “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

And finally our passage, “Putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander…long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to your salvation” (I Peter 2:1-2).  Lay aside the sin that does not fit your new identity.  It is not who you are.

Instead, long for the nourishment that comes from the word.  This nourishment will cause you to “grow”.  Newborns grow with a diet of one ingredient; milk.  Likewise, as new members of God’s family, “long for the pure milk of the word.”  Now it is fascinating to me that this “grow” is not in respect to being a better person, knowing more of the Bible, or learning spiritual disciplines.  It is “grow in respect to salvation.”  How do we “grow in respect to salvation?”

I think it is growing in respect to understanding our salvation.  It is growing to learn all that was accomplished at our salvation.  It is growing into who we became at our salvation; new creations with a new identity and new nature and new heart and new Spirit and new self and a whole lot more.

“If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord” is the kind of “if” that can be translated as “since”.  It is not “if” in the sense of you may or may not taste the kindness of the Lord.  It is “if” in the sense of since you tasted the kindness of the Lord, now long for His nourishment.

The nourishment of His word may come in the form of Jesus and His message, or the Holy Spirit speaking to you, or the message of God’s Scripture.  In all its forms, His word is designed to help you “grow in respect to salvation.”

Studies in First Peter Part 8

“²²Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, ²³for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.  ²⁴For, ‘All flesh is like grass, and its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls off, ²⁵but the word of the Lord endures forever.’  And this is the word which was preached to you” (I Peter 1:22-25).

Again, identity precedes behavior.  Since “you have been born again … through the living and enduring Word of God,” go ahead and act that way.  You have been born again through Jesus.  The “Word of God” is Jesus.  And the number one thing Jesus is asking of us is to “fervently love one another from the heart.”

I absolutely love the “from the heart.”  Energized by Christ and His love in us, we have everything we need to love from our NEW heart.  We can only love from the heart because we have a NEW heart, soft toward God and gracious toward our fellow believers.  Not only do we have what it takes to love, we have what it takes to love “fervently”.

“Love one another” is a new commandment for a new covenant (John 13:34).  It is the foundation and the umbrella for all the “one anothers” of the New Testament.  And we show our fervent love when we practice these in our community of believers.  Here below is a reminder of what loving in this way looks like.  May fervent love be the aroma of your walk with Jesus.

• John 13:34 – …love one another…
• John 13:35 – …have love for one another…
• John 15:12 – …love one another…
• John 15:17 – …love one another…
• Romans 12:10 – …be devoted to one another; give preference to one another…
• Romans 12:16 – …be of the same mind toward one another…
• Romans 13:8 – …love one another…
• Romans 14:13 – …let us not judge one another…
• Romans 14:19 – …building up of one another…
• Romans 15:5 – …be of the same mind with one another…
• Romans 15:7 – …accept one another…
• Romans 15:14 – …admonish one another.
• Romans 16:16 – …greet one another…
• 1 Corinthians 11:33 – …wait for one another…
• 1 Corinthians 12:25 – …have the same care for one another…
• 1 Corinthians 16:20 – …greet one another…
• 2 Corinthians 13:12 – …greet one another….
• Galatians 5:13 – …serve one another…
• Galatians 5:26 – …let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another…
• Galatians 6:2 – …bear one another’s burdens…
• Ephesians 4:2 – …showing tolerance for one another…
• Ephesians 4:25 – …we are members of one another…
• Ephesians 4:32 – …be kind to one another…
• Ephesians 5:19 – …speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…
• Ephesians 5:21 – …be subject to one another…
• Philippians 2:3 – …regard one another as more important than yourselves…
• Colossians 3:9 – …do not lie to one another…
• Colossians 3:13 – …bearing with one another, and forgiving each other…
• Colossians 3:16 – …teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…
• 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – …abound in love for one another…
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9 – …love one another…
• 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – …comfort one another…
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – …encourage one another and build up one another…
• 1 Thessalonians 5:13 – …live in peace with one another…
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 – …seek after that which is good for one another…
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3 – …the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater…
• Hebrews 3:13 – …encourage one another…
• Hebrews 10:24 – …stimulate one another to love and good deeds…
• Hebrews 10:25 – …encouraging one another…
• James 4:11 – …do not speak against one another…
• James 5:9 – …do not complain against one another…
• James 5:16 – …confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another…
• 1 Peter 1:22 – …fervently love one another…
• 1 Peter 4:8 – …keep fervent in your love for one another…
• 1 Peter 4:9 – …be hospitable to one another…
• 1 Peter 4:10 – …serving one another…
• 1 Peter 5:5 – …with humility toward one another…
• 1 Peter 5:14 – …greet one another…
• 1 John 1:7 – …fellowship with one another…
• 1 John 3:11 – …love one another…
• 1 John 3:23 – …love one another…
• 1 John 4:7 – …love one another…
• 1 John 4:11 – …love one another…
• 1 John 4:12 – …love one another…
• 2 John 1:5 – …love one another …

Studies in First Peter Part 7

“¹⁷If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; ¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.  ²⁰For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you ²¹who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:17-21).

Peter reminds us again to walk courageously, live confidently, in this present age because we stand on an incredible foundation.  The foundation for who we are is built entirely upon the blood of Jesus.  “You were not redeemed with perishable things,” means your redemption was not less than perfect.  You were not partially cleansed and forgiven.  You were redeemed by the “precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

There is power in the blood because it is precious, unblemished, spotless, and belongs to Christ Himself.  And this power was applied to you the minute that you believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  Christ’s blood carries the power to completely forgive and eternally cleanse you once and for all time.

“But now once at the consummation of the ages Jesus has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself … Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but Jesus, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 9:26, 10:11-12).

You were redeemed “from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.”  The old covenant, inherited from their forefathers, was indeed an exercise in futility.  It was overbearing and impossible to keep.  But Jesus came to free us from the condemnation of the Law, to free us from that “futile way of life.”

Christ “appeared for the sake of you,” yes, you!  He came for you!  He died for you!  And “through Him we are believers in God.”  We believe that God “raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory.”  This confirmation that Jesus died in our place, His blood completely cleansed us, and He rose from the dead brings reality to our “faith and hope.”

Our faith and hope are not in some kind of wishful thinking.  Our faith and hope are not based on a fairy tale.  Our faith and hope are based on an historic fact.  Christ came, He died, and He rose again on our behalf by the power of God.  “Our faith and hope are in God.”

Studies in First Peter Part 6

“¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  ¹⁴As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ “ (I Peter 1:13-16).

The ”Therefore” that begins this next section of Peter’s letter is similar to the apostle Paul’s approach in his letters.  Both authors first remind their readers of who they are in Christ and then follow with a call to walk according to our new identity.  Peter has explained who we are in verses 2-12.  We are chosen, sanctified, born again, cleansed by Christ’s blood, empowered to obey, heirs of God, and more.  Starting in verse 13, he moves on to how we live in light of all these descriptions of what Christ did for us and in us and to us and who we now are.

And he summarizes our new identity in one word, “holy”.  Go ahead, act like the holy person you are.  “As obedient children … be holy yourselves in all your behavior.”  Act in ways that reflect your holy identity.  Behave in ways befitting the holy and righteous obedient child that you are.  In your attitudes and actions, align yourself with the new holy nature you have been given.

When you hear a phrase like “be holy in all your behavior,” do you hear a threat or a promise?  For years, I heard it as a threat, basically a “be holy or else.”  “Be holy or evil will befall you.  Be holy because that is what God requires to stay near to Him.  Be holy so God will not be disappointed in you.”  It always carried some kind of a threat.

Or how about the last line, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  This phrase always seemed like a hopeless appeal.  “Be holy, even though it is probably not what you want to do, but you need to try to emulate God who is holy, but you are not God, so you will never attain the holiness that God requires, but keep trying your hardest.”  Yeah, something like that.

But now I see holiness as a promise.  Look at the last line again, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  What does God’s holiness have to do with ours?  Everything.  How can we be as holy as Jesus?  We can only be holy because the Holy One Himself came to live in us.  We ARE holy because Christ made us so.  “The Holy One who called you” made you holy.  It is our identity.

“He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Colossians 1:22).

Our holiness is a promise, not a required action held over us as an unattainable goal, or a yardstick to measure our spirituality, or a threat of any kind.

A plethora of how-to books about holiness have been published over the years.  And I am sure they contain some good advice.  But in all of your holiness reading, have you ever seen this suggestion for holy living; BE YOURSELF?  Holiness is not a list of complicated hoops to jump through.  “Be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” is simply the apostle saying “be yourself” by displaying in your attitudes and actions the “holy” in you.

The call to be holy carries a powerful promise; the promise of God’s holiness living in you.

Studies in First Peter Part 5

“¹⁰As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, ¹¹seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.  ¹²It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things into which angels long to look” (I Peter 1:10-12).

When the prophets of the Old Testament spoke about the coming of the Messiah, they were prophesying about “the grace that would come to you.”  They rarely used the word “grace”.  But looking back, “grace” is entirely the proper word.  Because they were prophesying the coming of the Messiah.  And the Messiah and grace are synonymous.  Jesus is grace.  Jesus is grace upon grace.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth … For of His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:14, 16-17).  The grace that would come to us is Jesus.

But none of the Old Testament prophets had the whole story.  Each one spoke about the piece of “the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow” (vs 11) that was revealed to them.  Here are just a few of those puzzle pieces regarding the coming and mission of the Messiah.

• He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
• He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
• He would be a righteous branch of David (Jeremiah 33:15)
• He would be called Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14)
• A messenger would prepare the way (Malachi 3:1)
• He would set the captive and oppressed free (Isaiah 61:1)
• He would be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6)
• He would announce Himself riding on a donkey into Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9)
• He would be crucified (Psalm 22)
• He would die in our place (Isaiah 53)
• He would usher in a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Even John the Baptist, last of the old covenant prophets, did not have the complete story.  He presented Jesus as our Savior from sin, and a truer statement could not be made.  But he also announced Jesus as having the winnowing fork of judgment in His hand (Matthew 3:12) and burning the place down, to use our modern vernacular.

But judgment was not part of Jesus’ first advent.  When John saw that this was missing in Jesus’ ministry, he sent his disciples to question Jesus directly with, “Are you the Coming One, or shall we look for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3).  Of course, Jesus is the Messiah and He sent that reassuring word back to John.  But this is just one more example of the fact that each prophet only had a piece of the puzzle.  How they longed to know the whole story.

The complete story was waiting for us.  The prophets were serving us.  And because we have the full picture, we can go back in time and see the glory of Christ in each of their prophesies.  And we can conclude and rest assured that Jesus – yes, Jesus of first century Israel – is the Jesus of grace and truth; the prophesy-fulfilling Messiah promised in the Old Testament.