Category: I Peter

Studies in First Peter Part 10

“⁴And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  ⁶For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’  ⁷This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone,’ ⁸and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’  For they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed” (I Peter 2:4-8).

Jesus is the “living stone”, our cornerstone, who was “rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God.”  If Jesus is the cornerstone, where is the building built upon Him?  The building is us.  We are the temple built upon the cornerstone.  The church, the bride of Christ, you and I, are His “spiritual house” today.  We are called “living stones” (vs 5) just like Jesus is a “living stone” (vs 4) because we are “in Jesus.”  These stones are alive in Jesus.

Jesus, our cornerstone, was foretold in the Old Testament.  Verse 6 is a quote from the book of Isaiah, “Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.  He who believes in it will not be disturbed’ “ (Isaiah 28:16).

The last word translated “disturbed” literally means “in a hurry or frenzy.”  “He who believes” in the “costly cornerstone” will be at peace.  Jesus fulfilled the prophesy of Isaiah chapter 28, not only by being the costly cornerstone, by also by giving us His promise of peace.  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27).

I cannot emphasize enough that this precious cornerstone, Jesus, is “for us who believe.”  It is not just a Bible answer to the question of who is this cornerstone.  It is not an intellectual answer about the church.  He is OUR cornerstone.  He is the foundation of our building, the community of His children.

For the unbeliever, Jesus has become “the stone which the builders rejected,” cast aside, and now “a stumbling block and rock of offense.”  Those who reject the cornerstone, Jesus, are “disobedient to the word” having rejected the gospel, and their doom is sure.

These final quotes in verses 7 and 8 are also fulfillments of Old Testament prophesies regarding Jesus, our cornerstone.  “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22).  And, “Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over” (Isaiah 8:14).

First century Israel rejected the cornerstone, rejected their Messiah.  And even today, Jesus is still a stumbling block “for those who disbelieve.”  Jesus is the rock upon which the whole world must decide.  “Am I going to embrace the gospel message of Jesus, accept His death in my place upon a cross, OR am I going to reject the gift of His sacrifice, the gift of His salvation?”

Choose Jesus.  Choose life.  Choose peace, peace in your heart and peace with God.  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).  Choose your cornerstone.  Choose Jesus.

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.