Hope In Marriage – 1 Peter 3:1-7

• July 18, 2022
• Pastor
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1 Peter 3:1-7

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 3:1-7. We’ve noted that Peter is writing to Christians, who have been scattered among the Roman empire. As a result of their dispersion and the resulting persecution, they’re feeling like aliens and strangers in this world. And so, Peter is writing to give them encouragement. In that regard, many of us are reading this letter with new eyes. We’re seeing ourselves (in today’s world) in their shoes and we’re sympathizing with these first century believers.

Two weeks ago, I kicked off this little section on submission by challenging us to find ways to be in submission to the governing authorities, and that went over like a lead balloon. Nevertheless, I pray that you’ve been thinking about that. Indeed, I know that at least one of you has, because it’s been the topic of conversation in several small groups, and I’ve received several text messages and phone calls from others.

If you missed last week, then you might want to go to our website and listen to that sermon, or at least read the transcript because we talked about slavery. Of course, in our modern-day application of that scripture we see that under the banner of employment, but in that day the idea was slavery. And the reason that I think it’s important for you to familiarize yourself with last week’s sermon is because the topic of slavery is one that many Christians fumble.

Skeptics, critics, and even some Christians will challenge you by saying, “How can you believe the Bible when it supports slavery?” And I hope that I was able to give you some clarity on the topic.

Well, today, Peter comes, and he speaks about the institution of marriage. And if you thought preaching about submission to the government was tough, or preaching about slavery was tough, just wait until I read verse 1 and watch all the women tense up. Hopefully, prayerfully, we’ll get a better understanding of what that word means and how it can bring hope to our marriages.

By the way, this isn’t just a message for wives. I’m covering husbands, too. And if you’re unmarried or widowed, remember that the Church is considered the bride of Christ, and Jesus is the bridegroom. So, see yourself as the bride and Jesus as the groom. In other words, nobody can say this doesn’t apply; although, for some of us, it will have a little more direct application. So, follow along with me…

1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external – the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear – 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

“Father, I pray that as we turn our hearts to these verses that the Holy Spirit might be our teacher, that You will give us alert minds, the ability to think clearly, and the willingness to submit (both husbands and wives) to exactly what Your Word may teach. We give ourselves to this task, all the while seeking Your grace, for we offer this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Just like last week, you’ve got to give me just a moment to lay out where Peter is coming from. Number one, listen to me carefully, Peter is primarily, though not exclusively, addressing women who were married to non-Christian husbands. That’s the first thing we need to keep in mind. If you’re married to a Christian husband, you can’t ignore this. No, I said primarily, but not exclusively.

Number two, in the first century, and particularly among non-Christian men (though I’m sure that Christian husbands sometimes still had this attitude), women were viewed as property. They were viewed as an asset on a balance sheet. In fact, it doesn’t take too much imagination and you can see this in today’s society with the derogatory “trophy wife.”

A woman, in the first century, wasn’t allowed to have her own friends. The only friends that a woman could have were usually picked by her husband. She couldn’t go out of her house by herself. She had to go with her father, or her mother, or a brother, or her husband, or an older son (if she had children). That’s part of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 – she was out there at noon by herself. That’s part of what makes that entire story and encounter with Jesus so scandalous. A woman who went about outside the house was seen as looking for a man. And if all of that wasn’t bad enough, whatever religion the husband held was what his wife was expected to participate in.

Now, all of that is part of what was called the Greco-Roman household codes. Frank Stagg was a seminary professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and later at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he and his wife, Evelyn wrote a fantastic book called Woman in the World of Jesus that goes into great detail about this kind of stuff. For a woman to break the household codes was like breaking a federal law. If she did something outside of these rules, like not worship the false gods of her husband, then she would be seen as subversive, someone who was not good for society, an unfit wife, and she would bring shame upon her husband.

That’s the environment that Peter is writing in. Sounds kind of hopeless, doesn’t it? While it might not be this bad today, there are still many marriages that feel as hopeless. And Peter is writing to both, husbands and wives, who are asking the question: How do I live as a Christian spouse in this kind of society? Listen, how do we, as aliens, living in a hopeless world live as those who have been born again to a living hope? And how do we do that in our marriages? That’s what Peter is trying to address.

Initial Submission

The first thing that Peter says is, “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.” Our society rejects that, and many people in the church reject it too. We come to a word like “submission”, and we say, “Nope, that’s not for us, that’s not for me, that was a different day, that was a cultural thing, that doesn’t apply to me.” We see it through the lens of feminism. We see it through the lens of the #MeToo movement. We see it through the lens of Hollywood. We see it through the lens of daytime talk shows, and all sorts of other places.

But, just like last week, I’m going to ask you to at least give me an opportunity to explain what that term really means, because I can assure you one thing; FOX and CNN and Hollywood and daytime talk shows don’t have a clue what it means. So, give the Word of God the opportunity to speak for itself, instead of us coming and imposing something onto the text.

The Greek word for “submission” is hupotassó (hypó, “under” and tássō, “arrange”). Properly, formally, concretely this word means “under God’s arrangement.” And that begs the question, “Well, what does God’s arrangement look like for husband and wife?” In order to answer that we have to turn back to Genesis 1, 2 and 3. You don’t need to turn there. I know that most of you know this, but who did God create first? (Adam.) Now, already, I know that some of you are thinking, “So, you’re saying since Adam was made first that means he’s better, that he’s more important, that he’s superior.” No, it simply means that God made Adam before Eve. Do you see how simply reading the Bible can be thwarted by external influences?

According to Genesis 2, we’re told that God created Adam from the dust of the ground. Was Eve made that way? (No.) How was Eve fashioned? God put Adam to sleep and did a little surgery and removed a rib from Adam’s side and used that rib to fashion Eve. And Adam said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23). Doesn’t that sound like equality to you? This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ishshah, because she came from ish. Do you see how that fits together? Ishshah – “woman,” ish – “man.” There’s an equality that’s there.

Nowhere do we read that Adam says, “Let’s begin this way, you submit to me.” That’s never heard. There seems to be an equality when they work the garden together. There seems to be an equality when they walk with the Lord in the cool of the day. There seems to be a togetherness that’s understood – one is not superior and the other inferior. And yet, that’s exactly what our society says this word means – women are inferior and stupid and don’t have enough sense to make a decision on their own, and thus they need to be told everything to think and do and say. No, no, no, never is hupotassó (i.e. “submission”) used that way. The word solely refers to order (under God).

In fact, I’ll go so far as to say this. Before Adam and Eve sinned, I don’t think there was any ordering of husband and wife at all. It’s only after the Fall that God says to Eve, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16, NIV). That’s the very first instance of anything that even remotely sounds like ordering. And even then, the ordering had nothing to do with superiority or essence of personhood, rather it was for the role and function of leadership.

Listen, whether it’s IBM, or touch football, or pickup basketball, or the Atlanta Braves, there has to be a leader, and God has given that role to the husband. Wives, this is something that you do voluntarily out of obedience to God and His Word. Your husband doesn’t tell you to submit. Peter doesn’t tell husbands to make sure that their wives submit. That’s not the man’s job. The man’s job is to take care of himself (per vs. 7). And ladies, you don’t put yourselves there because you’re inferior, or because he’s superior, or because he thinks better than you (we all know that ain’t so). You place yourself there in function, not in essence. Who you are – as an individual with her own personality and capability and intelligence – is not in question. You submit (or not) based on your obedience to God’s Word.

And if you’re wondering whether that can really happen, all you have to do is mark Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Or what about Luke 2:51, when Jesus is a little boy and gets left behind in the temple in Jerusalem. The Bible says, “And He [Jesus] went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.”

As Christians, we should show the hopelessly lost world that we have a hope in our marriage, because our hope is based in Jesus Christ, and we reflect the unity and the harmony and the love that’s on display in the Godhead. That’s what Peter is saying here.

Internal Preparation

Next, Peter says, “Don’t let your adorning be external… but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” And I find it absolutely fascinating that (for women) it’s always been about the hair, the clothes, and the jewels. Those aren’t new fads. It’s always been about those things, and because of that there are entire denominations that have lifted this verse out of context and forbid women to fix their hair up nice or wear jewelry or have nice clothes or put on make-up. Listen, if the barn needs painting, then paint it. Peter wanted to make sure that they didn’t overlook their hearts, that they didn’t overlook their character, that they didn’t overlook the secret places of their souls.

I was intrigued as I studied this and so I just did a quick Google search and found out that, according to a number of websites, the most expensive dress in the world is the Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur. It includes 1,000 carats of diamonds, 750 stones in total, and a centerpiece showstopper: a 70-carat pear-cut diamond brooch. The dress was unveiled at a Malaysian fundraising event in 2009, worn by Indian actress, Kavita Sidhu, and it costs a cool $30M. That’s what I fear. It’s not the outside. It’s what’s on the inside that makes all the difference.

And Peter singles out two specific qualities, “…the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit…” You say, “I knew you were going to get to that. All, you men, want us to do is to be quiet in church.” No, that’s not what’s being said here. The word “gentle” is actually the Greek word for “meekness.” Listen to what the Strong’s Concordance says about this word, “This difficult-to-translate root means more than “meek.” Biblical meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God’s strength under His control (i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness).”

If you’ve ever watched the Kentucky Derby, then you’ve seen meekness in action. Meekness is representative of the muscles that ripple when the horse runs – that’s the word. This massive war horse that has all this power, but it’s under complete control. Wives, the power that you have is to be under godly control.

Then he uses the word “quiet” and that really does bother us, doesn’t it? It doesn’t mean that you’re off in the corner and you only speak when spoken to. The word can also be translated as “tranquil.” It speaks of a steadiness (a stillness) due to a divinely inspired inner sense of calm.

The best illustration of this is the story of Abigail and David in 1 Samuel 25, before David was king. Here’s the short and sweet of it. Abigail’s husband, Nabal, was supposed to have provided a meal to David and his men for their work tending his flocks. Nabal reneged on the meal, so David and his men were headed down to Nabal’s house to kill him and all of his servants.

On the way, Abigail came out to meet David and his men, and she brought all of this food and provision with her. “She fell at his feet and said, ‘On me alone, my lord, be the guilt’” (1 Samuel 25:24). “You put all the blame for my husband on me. If you’re going to do anything, then do it to me.” And then she begins to reason with him and says, “David, you’re bigger than this. You’re going to be king. You don’t want this on your record. People will talk about this til the day you die. David, you’re better than this. You don’t respond to a fool in the same foolish manner.”

David listened to her, and this is what he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand” (1 Samuel 25:32-33)! David said, “You’re thinking with a clearer head than me. I thank God that He sent you out here to meet me.” That’s the kind of imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit – someone who maintains a clear and reasoned head in the midst of chaos.

Now, as we move to the men, I know somebody is asking the question, “Why do the women have 6 verses, but the men only have 1?” Somebody is asking that question. I can hear it now, can’t you, “It’s not fair.” Well, I think the honest answer is because of what I’ve already shared with you. Women’s status in the first century was clearly not what it is today. Some of these wives really had their backs against the wall, and I think that’s part of the answer.

Impassioned Honor

Husbands/men, what does Peter have to say to us? Verse 7, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Do you remember my first point, a few minutes ago? Initial submission. This is why I called it “initial.” See that first word: “Likewise…” It’s a word that means “in like manner, similarly, in the same way, equally.” In fact, it’s the exact same word that Peter used in verse 1 with the wives. I believe it’s a call to mutual submission.

You say, “Now wait a minute, the Bible doesn’t say that.” I beg to differ. Listen to Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (NIV). Mutual submission doesn’t mean that both partners must submit in exactly the same ways. Christ submitted Himself to the church in one way, by a kind of servant-leadership that cost Him His life. And the church submits herself to Christ in another way by honoring His leadership and following Him on the road to Calvary. So, the submission of husband and wife to each other is similar but not exactly the same. The way that it’s similar is that it’s done lovingly and in obedience to the Word of God.

Ok, guys, there are actually two things that Peter calls us to do: 1.) live with our wives in an understanding way, and 2.) show them honor as the weaker vessel. It’s this last one that I want to focus on; not because the first one isn’t important, but because I think we tend to mess up our understanding of the second. It’s not a statement that’s reflective of women’s weak faith or weak minds or weak souls. That’s been dispelled in verses 1-6. That’s not the point. Peter’s statement about women being the “weaker vessel” is a simple anatomical, biological observation. The point is: Guys step up! We’ve lost that mindset. We’ve lost the concept of chivalry.

Peter concludes by giving us two reasons for this impassioned honor: “since they are heirs with you (co-heirs) of the grace of life,” and “so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Guys, your wives, if they’ve trusted Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, will be equal heirs of eternal life – no ordering in heaven except that everyone is under God. If there was any remaining arrogance left, then this deflates that ego. She’s a co-heir. She’s an heiress. She’s a queen. That ought to have an effect on you, in terms of kindness, respect, tenderness, listening, marveling at what God’s blessed you with. Honor her.

Finally, “that your prayers may not be hindered.” Husbands, Jesus said, “I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:19-20). If you’re not honoring your wives, if you’re not living with them in an understanding way, if there’s constant friction in your marriage, then it’s not likely there’s much agreement, and thus not much answered prayer. Plus, if you’re not doing these things, then you’re sinning, and sinning people find it difficult to pray.

Ben Hogan is considered one of the best golfers to ever play the sport, but he almost missed out on his most successful season (1953), because of a horrific auto accident in 1949. Ben and his wife, Valerie, were on their way home to Dallas, TX from Phoenix, AZ, when they collided head-on with a Greyhound bus that was attempting to pass another vehicle on a bridge.

The accident left Hogan, age 36, with a double-fracture of the pelvis, a fractured collar bone, a left ankle fracture, a chipped rib, and near-fatal blood clots – a condition that would cause lifelong circulation problems and other physical limitations. Do you know what happened to Valerie? Nothing. She climbed out of the car without the slightest scratch. Do you know why? Seconds before the impact, Hogan threw himself across Valerie in order to protect her.

Guys, that’s showing impassioned honor to the weaker vessel. It also sounds an awful lot like the kind of sacrifice that our Groom made for us (His bride). In order to protect us, in order to save us, in order to redeem us from a head-on collision with sin and its consequences, Jesus Christ was nailed to a Roman cross, so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.

“Our Father and our God, these verses are actually where we live our lives, all of us. And we need, so much, Your help to discern Your truth and to obey Your instruction. I pray, with thanksgiving, for the husbands and wives that are part of our congregation here. And I pray, Lord, that You will enable them to do what is right, according to Your Word. I ask that this week You will give them opportunities to display something of the revolutionary truth and impact of this Word. And even those who march to the beat of a different drum need to hear this instruction. May we turn our eyes on Jesus. May Your Word take root in our lives, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”

Our Work & Witness – 1 Peter 2:18-25

• July 11, 2022
• Pastor
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1 Peter 2:18-25

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 2. Peter is writing to Christians that have been scattered into the farthest regions of the Roman empire: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. He’s reminding them, in the midst of suffering and persecution, that they’ve been born again to a living hope because of God’s great mercy. He’s reminding them that “they’re a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9) – and all of that makes them “aliens and strangers” in this world (1 Peter 2:11).

While this is encouraging, it also poses some interesting questions like: how am I supposed to live in a world that’s so foreign to what I believe? So, Peter provides them with some very practical advice on how to live in a non-believing culture. In fact, that’s exactly what he says in 1 Peter 2:12, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” And then he launches off into what that kind of conduct ought to look like in their political life, their employment/work life and their home life. Each of those spheres of influence is what makes up the “human institutions” that he mentions in verse 13.

We considered the political relationship last week, and I’m sure you had wonderful conversations at lunch. Or maybe you had enough politics and you decided to skip the sermon discussion. That’s fine, too. It’s a tough topic. Today, we’re going to consider Peter’s instructions to us about our vocational relationships. And let me just spoil it for you – it doesn’t get any easier.

We don’t like being submissive, at least not in our flesh. The word “submit” tastes like vinegar to most of us. But when we see submission through the lens of obedience to Christ, then it’s like vinegar on collards, or vinegar on fish and chips, or vinegar in BBQ sauce – it tastes such much better. (If you don’t like vinegar at all, then come up with your own analogy.) The point is this: in our flesh, in our sinful, self-absorbed state the idea of submission to anyone or anything is absolutely repugnant and offensive, but in our new life with Christ, where the Spirit is in control, the idea of submission to authority structures can actually be a sweet-smelling aroma for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the glory of God.

That’s the point that Peter is trying to make in these verses. So, follow along with me as I read 1 Peter 2:18-25:

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. 23 When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

“Our gracious heavenly Father, You caused all of the holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: grant that we might hear them, read them, mark them, learn them, and inwardly reflect upon them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which You have given to us in our Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.”

As always, I want to try to divide this set of verses into more manageable chunks. So, we’ll consider verse 18, then verses 19-21(a), and finally 21(b)-25. The first thing I want us to see is the . . .

Proper Interpretation

This is as bad as dealing with the government, but what in the world do you do in a day and age like ours with this issue of slavery? We have to stop and deal with this because the only context that you and I have for slavery is American slavery. Some might call it colonial slavery, slavery of the Civil War. What we need to understand is that Rome was different in its concept of slavery, than we were in ours. So, you’re going to have to take your Western mind out for just a moment and think a little differently.

Our American version of slavery was all based upon race – it was racial slavery. Rome could care less about race. If they conquered you, then you became a slave. It had absolutely nothing to do with race. In fact, none of the biblical descriptions and stories of slavery, are based on race. Nations and empires could care less what race, color, culture, or language you had. When they marched in and took over, you became a slave. And when Rome took over from the Greeks, if you weren’t Roman then you became a slave.

Now, the word that Peter uses (here) is different from the normal Greek word for “slave.” The usual Greek word is doúlos – that’s the normal word for “slave.” Peter doesn’t use that word. He uses the word oikétēs. It comes from the word oikos, which is the word for “house.” So, what you have here is a household slave. (Now, again, just a reminder, you’re going to have to discard that image of Mammy from Gone with the Wind. That’s not what we’re dealing with here.)

The household slave of the Roman empire was educated (not that American slaves weren’t educated, some of them were, but many were not). The Roman household slave was, in many cases, a professional, a highly educated individual, and was likely charged with educating the rest of the family. Many household slaves were doctors, or lawyers, or accountants, or teachers or nannies. They were paid; albeit a small wage, nevertheless, they could earn money. Some of them were able to buy their freedom. Some slaves bought their own slaves. It wasn’t uncommon for an oikétēs to have a doúlos – for a household slave to have their own slave. So, there’s a vast difference between Roman slavery and American slavery.

Now, just because Roman slavery was different from American slavery, just because Roman slaves were educated and afforded opportunities that American slaves weren’t, just because Roman household slaves might own their own slaves doesn’t mean that Roman slavery was right and good. That’s the mistake that many American pastors of previous generations made (and perhaps even some today). It was never right and good, nor was it ever God’s desire that people be enslaved.

Exodus 21:16 says, “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” And Deuteronomy 24:7 says, “If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst.” God doesn’t call us to purge righteousness from our midst. God doesn’t call us to purge holiness from our midst. It was never God’s desire that people would be enslaved.

“Ok, pastor, why then didn’t Jesus and the disciples call for revolt and rebellion and an overthrow of evil institutions like slavery? What do we do (then) with all of these New Testament passages that don’t seem to condemn slavery: passages like this one in 1 Peter 2, and 1 Corinthians 7, and Ephesians 6, and Colossians 3, and the entire book of Philemon that deals with a runaway slave named Onesimus? All of these passages never outright condemn slavery, and in fact seem to suggest that slaves should remain slaves.”

Great question. Two quick comments and then we’ll move on to our second point.

First, the seeds of revolt are being sown even though an outright overthrow of the institution of slavery wasn’t yet possible. In 1 Corinthians 7:21 listen to what Paul says, “Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)” Paul does suggest that if freedom is possible, then the Christian slave should seek to become free. Also, in Paul’s letter to Philemon about Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus, although Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, listen to how Paul puts it:

[T]hough I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you – I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus – I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me… For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother – especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So, if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. (Philemon 1:8-13a, 15-17)

Peter and Paul both lived in a situation where the structures of society are such that a wholesale overthrow of the economic order wasn’t feasible. And yet, Paul is sowing seeds here and calling for relationships here that have to overthrow the institution of slavery.

And the last thing that I’ll say about these passages and why they never outright condemn slavery and call for wholesale revolt is this; the biblical authors seem to be more concerned that Christians (and in this case, Christian slaves) show forth the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their environments in the hopes that masters might accept Jesus, in the hopes that co-workers might accept Jesus, in the hopes that classmates might receive Christ, in the hopes that spouses might become followers of Christ Jesus. In other words, it seems that the biblical authors recognize that there’s a greater possibility of the gospel being received if the slave remains and lives as a Christian witness.

Remember Matthew 5:14, 16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [L]et your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Or Ephesians 5:8, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” And just a few verses back we heard Peter say, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

So, just a quick recap: 1.) Roman slavery and American slavery are different concepts, 2.) that doesn’t mean that Roman slavery is right or that God and the biblical authors endorse slavery, and 3.) whether slave of free, the primary emphasis of the Scriptures is to evangelize where you are – grow where you’re planted, shine in a dark world.

Providential Intentions

Why would God allow us to work for people that are so difficult? We’ve all worked for a difficult person. We’ve all volunteered for something and later realized that if we knew who was going to be in charge we would’ve passed? You can never make them happy. I’m unfulfilled. My boss seems unfulfilled. You can never satisfy them. Even when you do it the way they want it done, they’re still dissatisfied. Why does that happen? I’m going to show it to you and you’re not going to like it. How do I know you’re not going to like it? Because I don’t like it.

In order to get the full context let’s re-read starting at verse 18, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this (being subject to your master) is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called…”

Peter says that when you put yourself in submission to a boss (good or bad, but especially bad) and you endure suffering unjustly, then that’s a gracious thing. In fact, he concludes right there by saying this is exactly what you’ve been called to do. I told you that you wouldn’t like it. And the reason that we don’t like that is because the type of heart and the type of demeanor that Peter calls for here is utterly contrary to our fallen nature. I’d be willing to bet that in many hearts, right now, there are strong feelings of resistance that are rising against this call for meekness and submission and compliance.

Listen, in our flesh, in our fallen sinful nature, we hate to give the impression of weakness. We hate to look like someone took advantage of us. We hate to let false accusations against us stand. We hate it when unreasonable and abusive people seem to have the last say. All of those situations (and more) cause tremendous feelings within us to recoil and push us toward retaliation.

And let me just add a little footnote here. If this sounds too foreign to you because you’re retired, or maybe you’re the boss, you’re the top dog, you’re the owner of the business, you’re the CEO, you’re the president of the company, or maybe you’re not even working yet, you’re still in school – if any of that describes you – then just think of a marriage situation (not because it’s like slavery, we certainly hope and pray that it’s not like slavery, but because many of these things happen in marriage).

Somebody treats you unfairly. Somebody says something disrespectful. Somebody puts you down. The principle is the same. Being mindful of God – this sorrow that I’m experiencing, which is unjust – I’m enduring without retaliation for God’s sake. God writes that down in a book. It wasn’t wasted. Your silence last night in response to that barrage of criticism was written in heaven. Your gentle response (“A soft answer turns away wrath…” – Proverbs 15:1), your effort to return a soft answer when he/she spoke so cruelly is written in heaven. This is a gracious thing, this is a God-approved thing, this is a beautiful thing in God’s sight.

I think this text assumes that God sometimes wills for His people to suffer unjustly. I see that in verse 21: “you were called to this.” But lest you doubt that Peter says the same thing more explicitly several other places. For example, in chapter 3:17, “It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” And again, in chapter 4:19, “Let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

God wills this because He knows the best way for us to bring glory to Him is sometimes by miraculously escaping suffering, but more frequently by graciously bearing suffering, that we do not deserve and trusting in Him anyway.

The bottom line is this. The world and non-believing people will never understand our behavior when we live to God like that. You know what the world’s response is? It’s actually the response of many Christians? “Why don’t you fight back? Why don’t you tell them where to go? Why don’t you…?” And the Christian employee, the Christian volunteer, the Christian student, the Christian waitress/waiter says, “My conscience is bound to God” (1 Peter 2:19, NKJV), I’m being “mindful of God” (1 Peter 2:19, ESV).

Now, I know that most of you know exactly what I’m talking about here. But we live in a world that will listen to this sermon online and take my preaching and twist it to mean something that I’m not saying. So, let me just make this clear (and then we’ll move to the final point). I am NOT suggesting that you remain in a situation if you’re being physically mistreated, if you’re being sexually harassed and abused, if you’re being verbally threatened. No, you have laws on your side. Come see me or one of the deacons. We may not be able to fix the situation, but we’ll hold your hand and walk with you through it.

Perfect Illustration

Peter concludes his argument by pointing to Jesus. “When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Just in case there were any slaves that were hearing this letter and scoffing at Peter’s instruction. Just in case you’re hearing this sermon and you’re trying not to laugh or roll your eyes because the pastor is so out of touch with reality, the example that Peter offers is Jesus.

See, the problem is that we know intellectually and theologically and experientially that we’ll never be able to measure up to Jesus and so we just don’t even try. We don’t even give Jesus a moment’s thought. We don’t pause for a second to consider the biblical instruction. But the biblical authors always seem to point to Jesus.

Patiently enduring unjust suffering reveals God because it makes the suffering of Jesus real to people. People can see that this is the way that Jesus was. If you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen the Father (John 14:9). This kind of demeanor shines a light on God by shining a light on Jesus.

When you and I endure unjust suffering, we’re not saying justice doesn’t matter; we’re saying God is the final judge. He’ll settle accounts justly. My accuser, your abuser, they won’t have the last say. God will have the last say. This is why we don’t need to _________. We defer to God. As Peter says, “I entrust myself, and not just myself, but my cause and my accusers, and the whole situation and the justice that needs to be done – I hand it all over to God.”

This is our calling this morning. It’s not merely a rule to be followed. It’s a miracle to be experienced. A grace to be received. It’s a promise to be believed. Do you believe? Do you trust that God sees every wrong done to you, that He knows every hurt, that He assesses motives and circumstances with perfect accuracy, that He’s impeccably righteous and takes no bribes, and that He’ll settle all accounts with perfect justice? This is what it means to be “mindful of God” amid unjust suffering.

If you believe this – if God is this real to you – then you’ll hand it over to God, and though nobody in the world may understand where your peace and joy and freedom and love is coming from, you know – it’s God.

“Father, of all the audiences in the universe that we might want to notice the efforts of our work, the efforts of our labor, the efforts of our love and concern, You’re the most important. This is a hard word to receive today. Our world and our flesh resist the notion of submission; especially in the face of criticism and being treated unfairly. But we believe that You see all. You keep track of it all. And, indeed, one day You’ll reward us far more than any boss or friend or coworker ever could. We thank You. We love You. We need You. Keep Yourself more real to us than our closest friends. Give us the grace to be done with self-pity and anger and to go forward in love toward everyone, for we offer this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

For the Lord’s Sake – 1 Peter 2:13-17

• July 5, 2022
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1 Peter 2:13-17

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 2. Isn’t it neat how God works things out? If you’ve been here for the passed few weeks, then you know that we’ve been going (verse-by-verse) through Peter’s letter to the church that’s scattered across Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And wouldn’t you know, on the Sunday before the 4th of July, that God providentially put before us a text of Scripture that deals with our relationship with the government.

Now, I know that some of you will be happy that I’m preaching from this text. After all, considering all that’s happened in recent days with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, their decision to uphold Coach Joseph Kennedy’s right to pray after high school football games, the January 6 hearings, recent bipartisan gun legislation, and so much more, some of you are thinking, “It’s about time somebody preaches about the government.” Others of you are rolling your eyes and tensing up, thinking, “Here we go again, another preacher getting political instead of sticking to the gospel. This is why I don’t like church.”

All I can say is this; when you preach like I preach (typically verse-by-verse through entire books of the Bible), then it’s inevitable that you’re going to have to address these topics at some point because the biblical authors do. And it just so happens that God put it on my plate this morning. So, I’m left with a choice: skip it because it’s too touchy or stare it in the face and preach it with much fear and trembling. I’ve chosen the latter. So, let’s read these verses:

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

“Living God, help us to hear Your holy Word in such a manner that we may truly understand it; that in our understanding we may believe, and in our believing we may follow You in all faithfulness and obedience, seeking Your honor and glory in all that we do; through Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Huldrych Zwingli, slightly modified)

Let me begin, if I may, by giving us just a little bit of historical background, because it will help to put things into perspective. The year was 44 A.D., the city was Rome, and the emperor was Claudius. He’d been married three times, and now he’s going to be married a fourth time to his niece, Agrippina the Younger. She was quite a character. That’s all I can say.

When she entered her marriage to Claudius she had a son by the name of Lucius Domitius, and she convinced Claudius to make him the next emperor. Now, Claudius already had a son, by the name of Britannicus, who was supposed to be the next emperor, but he mysteriously died at the age of 14. So, upon the death of Britannicus and because Lucius wasn’t Claudius’s son by birth, Claudius renamed his adoptive son (anybody?) – Nero.

At 17 years of age, Nero and his mother (Agrippina) decided they would poison Claudius, and they did. Now, Claudius should’ve taken notice of the fact that Agrippina, likewise, had been married three times before and poisoned all three of those husbands, but he was seduced and smitten by Agrippina. And so, at the tender age of 17, Nero becomes the emperor of Rome. And because of his demented and demonic mind, he turns against his mother when he reaches 21.

He tries to poison his mother three different times, but he forgets that she’s an expert in poison. So, none of that ever works. He has a canopy bed built for her that’s designed in such a way as to collapse when she gets into it and kill her, but she’s too quick and rolls out of bed before it collapsed. Later, he has a boat built for her and it’s rigged to spring a leak and sink. He sends her out on some royal outing in this boat, and sure enough it sinks but he never figured that she could swim. So, she swims back to shore. He keeps on trying to kill his mother, but nothing seems to work. So, finally, he decides that he’ll stab and beat her to death, and he does.

In 64 A.D. the city of Rome catches on fire and burns. You’ve all heard the various arguments that Nero started the fire in order to give a real-life backdrop to his own theatrical reading of the story The Sack of Troy, and also to clear out a place to build a golden palace for himself. In order to shift the blame, Nero chooses this new religious group of people called Christians (literally, “little Christs”). Listen to what Tacitus writes following the burning of Rome:

Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.

Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed. (Tac. Ann. 15.44)

Eventually, Rome became fed up with Nero and planned to have him executed, but before they could do that, he took his own life.

Now, I tell you all of that to give you context. Yes. But here’s the mind-boggling truth; it’s in the midst of this horrible backdrop that Peter says what he says in these verses: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or as to governors sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” What?! Peter, you’ve got to be out of your ever-loving mind. To which Peter says, “No, the most important thing that we (Christians) need to understand in the middle of our social and political drama is that we’re called to live for God.”

I love that phrase “live to God.” It’s not mine. It’s Paul’s. He said in Galatians 2:19, “Through the law I died to the law that I might live to God.” The aim of life – including our social and political life – is to live to God. To live with God in view. To live under His authority. To live on Him like we live on air and food and water. To live for His good reputation. So, the most important thing these five verses do is put our social and political lives into proper relation to God.

Let me simply take each verse and point to this “God-focused living” on these social/political matters. Each verse mentions God explicitly except one (v. 14) and that one implies God’s work and purpose.

For the Lord’s Sake

We start with verse 13, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors…”

The key phrase in this verse is “for the Lord’s sake.” If you miss that, you miss the most important thing. There’s this kind of allegiance to human institutions that’s not for the Lord’s sake, and that’s not what Peter is interested in. It might look like Christian submission on the outside, but it’s radically different.

Christians don’t submit to human institutions simply because they feel like it, or because they have compliant personalities or because the institutions have coercive powers. We don’t look at ourselves to see what we feel like doing, nor do we look at the institution (like government) to see if it there are consequences for not submitting. We look to God. We consult God about the institution. And we submit for His sake.

Now, the reason that Peter brings this up here is because of what he just finished talking about in verses 9-12. In verse 9 he said that Christians are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people of God’s own possession.” In verse 10 he said that we are “the people of God.” In verse 11 he said that we are therefore “aliens and strangers” among the social and political institutions of this world.

And it begs the question: if we’re a separate “holy nation,” and if we’re “God’s people,” and if we’re “aliens and strangers,” then perhaps we should withdraw into our own Christian ghettos and communities and enclaves and have nothing to do with the powers and institutions of this world. And Peter’s answer is: “NO!”

While we’re in this world, we’re citizens (as it were) of two orders, two systems. This world with its necessary institutions, and the order of the kingdom of God with its necessary values. This is not because the two orders have equal authority, but because God is the ruler and owner of both, and when you belong first to Him and His kingdom, you can be sent by Him, for His sake, for His purposes, and for His glory into the kingdom of this world.

In this way, our submission becomes an act of praise, and act of worship, a tribute (if you will) to God’s authority over the institutions of the world. You look a president, or a governor, or a congressman, or a law enforcement officer in the eye and say, “I submit to you. I honor you – but not for your sake. I honor you for God’s sake. I honor you because God owns you and rules over you and has sovereignly raised you up for a limited season and given you the leadership that you have. For God’s sake and for His glory and because of His rightful authority over you, I honor you.”

So, verse 13 takes all earthly submission and puts it under the higher, more supreme submission of God when it says, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake…” We keep the speed limit for God’s sake, not because we might get a ticket. And all our driving becomes an act of worship.

God’s Design for Government

Next, is verse 14, “[submit to emperors] or governors sent by [the emperor] to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” This is the one verse that doesn’t mention God explicitly. Nevertheless, He’s here.

When Peter tells us that the purpose of kings and governors is to punish evil and praise good, he’s giving us God’s purpose for government. We know this from Romans 13:4 where Paul says, that civil authority “is a minister of God to you for good . . . [and] it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.”

So, what verse 14 expresses is not what Nero and his governmental lackies sought to do. But rather, what God designed government to do. Think about it. Nero, beheaded Paul and crucified Peter upside down. But the proper aim of government is to dam up the river of evil that flows from the heart of man so that it doesn’t flood the world with anarchy (e.g. Vladmir Putin).

Governments do not save; they are to maintain external order in a world seething with evil so the saving message of the gospel can run and triumph on its own power. That’s why Paul urged us in 1 Timothy 2:1–4 “to pray for kings and those in authority,” because God desires that the gospel not be hindered by upheaval, so that more people can be saved.

The Will of God

Next, is verse 15, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”

We’re supposed to get our bearings in a pagan culture from the will of God (1 Peter 4:2). Because we’re aliens and strangers, we consult the King of kings and the Lord of lords about how to live. God tells us what’s right and what’s wrong not in the American constitution, but in the ultimate constitution – the Bible.

God’s aim for us – as outlined in the Bible – is that we live out such a joyful, sacrificial, humble, fearless life of goodness to others that their slander of Christianity will finally be silenced. And we get this strategy, and the strength and guidance to live it, from the will of God.

Bondslaves of God

Next, is verse 16, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”

Some of you aren’t going to like what I say, but we aren’t Americans first and Christians second. We belong to God, not to America. We’re slaves of God, not man (1 Corinthians 7:22–23). We don’t submit to human institutions, whether that’s the government or employment or even the church, as slaves, but as God’s free people. We submit in freedom for God’s sake. Not in bondage for the president’s sake or the boss’s sake or even the preacher’s sake, but only for God’s sake.

Our whole disposition of freedom and joy and fearlessness and radical otherness from this world is rooted in our belonging to God – which in one sense is slavery (because His authority over us is absolute) but in another sense is glorious freedom (because He changes our hearts so that we love doing what He gives us to do).

As the great Reformer, Martin Luther, said in his wonderful little treatise called The Freedom of a Christian, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” The key to that paradox is God. We’re freed by God from slavery to all human institutions; and sent by God freely and submissively into those very same institutions – for His sake!

The Progression of Honor

Finally, is verse 17 – four imperatives, four short directives, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

There’s a progression here, I think. First, give to all human beings (good and bad) a basic respect and honor. The way you respect a scoundrel like Judas and the way you respect a saint like John will be different. Right? But there’s a way to give respect. The respect that you show to a convicted rapist and a murderer is different from someone who is exonerated and found innocent. The one is sentenced to prison and the other is set free. But in that entire process there’s an honor. You don’t take them out behind the courtroom and shoot them dead like you would a dog that mauled somebody on the sidewalk. There’s a way to respect people even in the midst of our legal system, and we’re to look for it and find it.

Second, beyond the common respect and honor that we should have for everyone, there’s a special love that is to be given to “the brotherhood,” that is, to fellow Christians. There’s affection. There are tears. There’s endearment.

Third, there’s a special fear appropriate to God and no one else. We don’t fear people in the world. We don’t fear people in the church. We fear God. Matthew 10:28 says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” We don’t submit to institutions out of fear. We don’t come to church out of fear. But we stand in awe of a living holy God, and we tremble before Him and find our way into the shadow of His cross, where alone our trembling can be relieved of its torment and become worshipful. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.

Then, back to the basic honor, “Honor the emperor.” Why end it this way? Why not end with “Fear God”? Well, perhaps Peter wanted to remind his audience that Nero was part of the “Honor everyone.” Honor is the same Greek word here at the end as it is at the beginning. Perhaps Peter didn’t want them to forget that Nero was a man. Nero was a human. Nero was a person to receive respect. My Republican friends won’t like this, but Joe Biden is someone to be honored. My Democratic friends won’t like this, but assuming we’re still alive in 2024 and a Republican is elected, then he/she is someone to be honored too.

So, how do we land this plane? How do we conclude this morning? What’s the primary application? Well, I think it’s fairly clear that the state of our nation is in disarray, today. Yes, it’s the weekend of the 4th, and yes, we’re momentarily remembering and celebrating her wonderful freedoms, but Christians on both sides of the aisles and everywhere in between need to be reminded that we’re first and foremost children of God – and secondarily citizens of America. In Him, we’re free, but we don’t use that freedom as a cover-up for evil. We submit to, and pray for, and honor our leaders for the Lord’s sake.

Waging War and Glorifying God – 1 Peter 2:11-12

• June 27, 2022
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1 Peter 2:11-12

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 2. One of the things that I love most about the Word of God is that it gives us a complete picture. It gives us the truth and nothing but the truth. It’s encouraging and challenging all at the same time. It has a way of giving us exactly what we need – not always what we want.

For example, last week, I hope that you were encouraged to hear that God has chosen you, that you’re a royal priesthood, that you’re a possession of God’s very own, that you’re a holy nation, that once you hadn’t received mercy but now you have received mercy, that once you were NOT a people but now you ARE a people of God’s own choosing. That’s encouraging. That’s what we call “Good News.” That was last week.

But this week, in the very next verses Peter reminds us that we’re in a war. Christianity is in a war. There’s a battle that’s waging today and it’s not in Washington, it’s not in the streets of Philadelphia, and it’s not in the classroom or the boardroom. It’s not against racism, or homosexuality, or abortion – not that those are unimportant, the Bible speaks clearly on all of those topics (and more) – no, the war that’s being waged is in the human heart.

What Peter is doing (and what I’m bound to do) is preaching what we call the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). The Bible isn’t all honey and sugar and sweet. Listen, every week, the voice of the Evil One says, “You better tell them something that doesn’t offend them. You better make them laugh. You better not upset them. You better preach one of those ‘feel good’ sermons.” It’s not always easy to stand up and say, “Thus, saith the Lord.” But that’s what Peter does in today’s text, and it’s what I’m going to do today, as well.

So, follow along with me in your Bibles or on the screens. We’re only going to consider these two verses: 1 Peter 2:11-12.

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

“O God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray that You would come to us and be among us; cleanse us, refresh us, convict us, and consecrate our hearts and lives for our great good and to Your greater glory – this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

These simple verses make clear that there are two tremendous issues in the world for everyone, but especially Christians. And one of the reasons that we know that we are “aliens and strangers” (NASB), that we are “strangers and pilgrims” (KJV), that we are “foreigners and exiles” (NIV) in the world is that the modern world does not believe that these two issues are the main issues.

If the world believed these two issues were as important as Peter and the Bible say they are, then the internet would be different, television and radio would be different, the fashion runways of NY and Paris would be different, Hollywood would be different, university education and curriculum would be different, business boardrooms and the halls of Congress would be different. But, in fact, we live in a world that shows – by its priorities and values and commitments and standards and preoccupations and pleasures – that it does not regard these two issues as paramount. In fact, they are not even on the list of the world’s priorities.

So, what are these two issues? First, the salvation of the human soul. And second, the glory of the name of God. Or, to put it another way, how do you save the soul so that it’s not destroyed and how do you glorify God so that He’s not demeaned. We’ll consider both, and then conclude with how we might go about actually working that out.

Salvation of the Soul

In verse 11 Peter says, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” The ultimate issue in that verse is that the human soul is in danger of being destroyed. Do you realize that war is being waged in this world against your soul and my soul?

Now, listen, there are some of you that are thinking, “But wait a minute, Pastor; I thought that the moment I trusted in the completed work of Jesus upon the cross of Calvary I was eternally secure? What about 1 Peter 1:3-5? Didn’t you preach just a few weeks ago about our inheritance as saints, as elect, as chosen people of God? Now you’re saying that my soul is in danger.” No, if you’ve truly been born again, then your salvation and your soul are eternally secure. There is overwhelming scriptural support for this doctrine (John 5:24, 6:37-47, 10:27-30; Romans 8:28-39, Ephesians 1:13-14, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 7:25). BUT, that spiritual reality and theological truth, which we call eternal security or perseverance of the saints, doesn’t diminish, negate, or otherwise rule out the reality that our souls are under constant attack.

There’s no getting around it: we all struggle with sin (Romans 3:23). Even the great apostle Paul lamented over his ongoing struggle with sin in his life: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Romans 7:18-20). Paul’s struggle with sin was real; so much so that he cried out, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24).

Yet in the next breath, he answers his own question, as well as ours: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a). This war affects everybody without exception. And it affects everybody forever. And it affects everybody forever in an ultimately serious way. And yet our world doesn’t give serious attention to it.

There’s no column in the newspaper . . . there’s no public service announcement on the radio . . . there’s no soundbite on television . . . there’s no values-clarification course in our schools . . . there’s no government agency or even a welfare pamphlet that tells us how to wage war for the eternal life of our souls. And yet, our world tells us how to wage war against racism; against alcoholism; against drugs; against gambling; against a whole host of medical problems; against aging; against weeds and pests and on and on it goes. But the world we live in gives no counsel on how to fight against the passions of the flesh, which wage war against our souls.

We are so oblivious, as a culture, to what will one day seem so obvious that (in that Day) we will call ourselves blind for not seeing it – namely, the eternal well-being of the soul and its relation to God. Is it any wonder that Peter begins this second section of his letter the same way he did the first one by calling us “aliens and strangers” (1Peter 1:1)?

That’s the first great issue in these two verses: how to wage war so that we will not lose our souls. The second great issue is mentioned in verse 12 – the issue of the glory of God.

The Glory of God

In verse 11 the issue is how the soul might not be destroyed. In verse 12 the issue is how the glory of God might not be demeaned: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” The goal of our behavior is the glory of God. Peter isn’t doing anything but restating what he heard Jesus preach. Remember Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, “[L]et your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Think about that for a minute. How did you do in that task last week? Was your behavior noble? Was your lifestyle honorable? Was your conduct so worthy of God that it directed other people’s attention to the glory of God? If you’re like me, then you probably didn’t think about that at all last week. If the truth were told, we fit in with the world so well that our lives don’t typically point others to the glory of God.

See, the temptation is to look at our lives last week and think that we did pretty good; until we realize that we told a joke to our golfing buddies that wouldn’t bring glory to God, until we realize that we watched something that isn’t God-glorifying; until we realize that we didn’t love our spouses in order to bring glory to God, until we realize that we weren’t very patient and forgiving to the waiter/waitress at the restaurant for getting our order wrong, until we realize that we told the poor guy on the corner that we didn’t have any money and then walked into a store and purchased something that we have little/if any need for. In fact, I sometimes wonder (and I’m speaking of me, though I’m sure I’m not too far off from some of you too) if we’re no longer aliens and strangers whose lives point to God. Rather, we’re conforming citizens in a God-less culture.

Peter says that from a biblical standpoint the greatest issue in this world is the glory of God, and all our behavior is meant to bring glory and honor to God. As far as God is concerned, everything that we do and everything that we’re involved in – from the time we get up in the morning till the time we go to bed at night – ought to point people to the glory of God.

So, there are two great issues in the world: the salvation of the soul and the glory of God. Or, how the soul of man might not be destroyed and how the glory of God might not be demeaned. Let’s conclude briefly by considering…

Recovering These Two Issues

What is needed so desperately in the world is people for whom God is everything. In a 1994 book by author David Wells called God in the Wasteland, he says:

It is one of the defining marks of our time that God is now weightless. I do not mean by this that He is ethereal, but rather that He has become unimportant. He rests upon the world so inconsequentially as not to be noticeable. He has lost His saliency for human life. Those who assure the pollsters of their belief in God’s existence may nonetheless consider Him less interesting than television, His commands less authoritative than their appetites for affluence and influence, His judgments no more awe-inspiring than the evening news, and His truth less compelling than the advertiser’s sweet fog of flattery and lies. That is weightlessness. It is a condition we have assigned to Him after having nudged Him out to the periphery of our secularized life. His truth is no longer welcome in our public discourse. The engine of modernity rumbles on, and He is but a speck in its path. (p. 88)

So, if all of us here this morning would not just give lip service to this text, but make it the overarching, integrating truth of our lives – that the two great issues in the world are how the soul might be saved and how God might be glorified – then God might become heavy again instead of being weightless and unimportant. And then maybe the gospel of gracious salvation from the wrath of a holy God would make sense and be believed.

But there’s more that we can do. I’ll just mention two things, quickly in closing.

First, Peter has mentioned twice already (in 1:1 and 1:17) that true Christians are aliens and exiles and strangers on the earth. Here in verse 11, he mentions it a third time, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles…” Whenever something is repeated in the Bible, especially in proximity, then the writer must be trying to get out attention about it. It must be important. Why else repeat it? Why do you repeat yourself (besides the fact that your husband doesn’t listen)? Listen, it will help us restore the weightiness and importance of God in our world if we remember that we are aliens and exiles.

The reason we are aliens was given in verse 9: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession . . . He called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” We belong to God, not to the world and not to America. We learn to live from Him, not from television or fashion catalogues. We are aliens because we are God’s. We’ve got to cultivate the mindset of exiles.

What this does is sober us up and wake us up so that we don’t drift with the world and take for granted that the way the world thinks and acts is the best way. We don’t assume that what’s on TV is helpful to the soul; we don’t assume that the priorities of advertisers are helpful to the soul; we don’t assume that the strategies and values of business and industry are helpful to the soul. We don’t assume that any of this glorifies God. Rather, we stop, and we think, and we consult the wisdom of our true country (heaven), and we don’t assume that the conventional wisdom of this age is God’s wisdom. We get our bearings from God and His Word.

When you see yourself as an alien and an exile with your citizenship in heaven, and God as your only Sovereign, you stop drifting with the current of the day. You ponder what is good for the soul and what honors God in everything: food, cars, videos, bathing suits, birth control, speed limits, bedtimes, financial savings, education for the children, unreached peoples, famine, refugee camps, sports, death – EVERYTHING. Aliens get their cue from God – not the world.

So, one way to make God visible and weighty for the sake of our world is to see ourselves as exiles and refugees from heaven.

Finally, we need to notice that in this battle for the soul and the battle for the glory of God, it’s fought first at the level of our desires and then at the level of our behavior. First at the level of what we feel, and then at the level of what we do.

Verse 11 says that it is “fleshly lusts [or desires] that wage war against the soul.” Peter says stay away from them. Then in verse 12 Peter says we should keep our “behavior/conduct” excellent/honorable so that people will see and give glory to God. So, first, he focuses on desires and then on behavior. This is the same pattern we saw in 1 Peter 1:14–15, “Don’t conform to the desires of your former ignorance, but . . . be holy in all your conduct.” Fight first at the level of desires and then at the level of conduct. Why?

Because if our desires aren’t excellent, if they’re not beautiful, then we won’t point people to the glory of God. It starts in the heart. It always starts at the level of our hearts. Jesus said, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). In other words, it doesn’t do any good to try to shine up the conduct on the outside without changing the desires on the inside.

How does verse 12 work? How does excellent behavior point people to the glory of God? The answer, I think, is given in 1 Peter 3:15. “Always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” What they see is some external action, and what they ask about is your internal hope.

What Peter is saying here is that when people look at you, what they see expressed in your actions is what you hope in. So, they see a certain way of acting – some humble act of love (Galatians 5:6) or some righteous act of courage (Hebrews 10:34) or some self-denying act of generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-2) – and they notice that you must not be hoping in what people usually hope in and they’re puzzled as to where your hope comes from and where it’s placed. So, they ask about your hope: “Where do you get your confidence? Where do you get your contentment and satisfaction?”

When we direct our desires to God and find hope and contentment in His mercy, in His power, and in His promises, then our outward life starts to show what Peter calls “excellent behavior” – a humble love, a fearless courage, a self-denying generosity, a joyful simplicity and a peaceful suffering. These behaviors point to God’s glory because they point to a stable, sure, satisfying object of desire and hope that is not of this world.

So if you want to fight for the soul that it not be destroyed, and if you want to magnify the glory of God so that it not be demeaned, and if you want to say yes to the weight and importance of God in this God-neglecting world, then see yourself as an exile from heaven and focus your desires on God so that your hope is in Him and not in this world, and the result will be an emerging beauty of behavior that conquers all and brings praise to God.

Christian Identity & Purpose – 1 Peter 2:9-10

• June 20, 2022
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1 Peter 2:9-10

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 2. In recent months and years, you’ve probably heard a lot of conversation about and been involved in much discussion (yourself) around the topic of identity.

For example, as a Church, last month, we took two half-days and considered the topic by going through Who Am I – a study of the Scriptures on everything from gender, sexuality, artificial intelligence, race, justice, genomics, and the Metaverse. And who hasn’t found themselves deeply saddened by the realization that more and more men and women and boys and girls are taking steps to transition from one gender to another – often times taking puberty blockers and hormone treatments, and even undergoing irreversible physical surgery. It’s heartbreaking, and yet laughable at the same time, that our most recent associate justice to the Supreme Court can’t provide an answer to the question: “Can you provide a definition for the word ‘woman’?”

I offer all of those examples to say this: we’re living in a world and a culture that’s overwhelmingly confused about its identity.

Now, before we read our text for this morning, I want to pause and say that today’s sermon is not about beating up on or speaking down to those who are confused about their identity. There’s enough of that going on. But it’s also not a “feel good affirmation” that how you view these things doesn’t ultimately matter. In fact, today’s message isn’t directed to those outside the church at all. It’s directed to us – those of us that identify as Christians, those of us that call ourselves the Church. After all, that’s who Peter is writing to.

It’s not often that we find such clear answers to basic questions like: “Who am I?” “How did I get this identity?” and “Why am I here?” all in one place. But we do here. So, let’s look at these two small verses in 1 Peter 2:9-10.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

“Father, with our Bibles open before us, we humbly pray that the Spirit of God will be our teacher – illuminating the printed page to us, and speaking into our lives beyond the voice of a mere man – so that we might hear from You, the Living God. For we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Who am I? Who are you? How did we get our identity, as Christians? What are we here for? These aren’t the kinds of questions that dogs or turtles or fish or squirrels or birds or dolphins or chimpanzees ever lose one night’s sleep over. (At least, insofar as we’re aware.) Only humans ask these questions. Again, keep in mind that Peter is identifying Christians. This is who you are if you’re a Christian. This is how you got your identity as a Christian. This is what you’re here for as a Christian.

Who Am I?

First, Peter gives five (5) ways of describing your identity, answering the question of who you are.

You Are a Chosen Race (vs. 9) “You are a chosen race.”

I know that this is a corporate identity. He’s talking about the church – the true Israel. But the implication is also individual. This group of people, this race is not racial. The chosen race is not black or white or red or yellow or brown. The chosen race is a new people from all the peoples – all the colors and cultures – who are now aliens and strangers in the world. Look at verse 11, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers . . .”

What gives us our identity is not color or culture, but our being chosen. Christians are not the white race. Nor are Christians the black race. Christians are the chosen race. We’re the black chosen and the white chosen and the yellow chosen and the red chosen. We’ve been chosen (by God) from all the races – one at a time, not on the basis of belonging to any group. That’s why this amazing phrase (“You are a chosen race”) is so crucial. You and I, we’re part of a race of people – individuals – who were chosen from ALL races.

So, our first identity is that we’re chosen. God chose you. Not because of your race, or your good looks, or your intelligence, or your achievements, or any other qualification, but simply because God chose you. Who are you? You’re chosen. Why? I don’t know. It was nothing in you that was better than other humans. You didn’t earn it, or merit it, or meet any conditions to get it. It happened before you were born. Thus, you stand in awe of it. You tremble with joy at it. You bow and accept it, and you long to be faithful to its purpose. You are chosen.

You Are Pitied (vs. 10b) “ . . . you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

I choose the word “pitied” because the word for “mercy” in Greek is a verb and the closest word we have in English for “being mercied” is “pitied.” It’s not a bad translation. When God chose us, He then saw us in our sin and guilt and condemnation and He pitied us. We’re not just chosen. We’re pitied. We’re not just the objects of God’s choice. We’re also the objects of His mercy.

I’m chosen and I’m pitied. Or, you could say I’m “graced.” Or, I’m “loved.” God didn’t just choose you and stand aloof. He chose you and then drew near in mercy to help you and save you. Your identity is fundamentally this: I have been shown mercy. We’re “mercied” people. We get our identity not first from our actions, but from being acted upon by God in/with pity.

You Are God’s Possession (vs. 9) “You are . . . a people for God’s own possession.” (vs. 10a) “You once were not a people, but now you are the people of God.”

You are chosen by God. You are pitied by God. And the effect of that pity, that mercy is that God takes you to be His own possession. Now, God owns everything. So, in one sense everyone is God’s possession. So, this must mean something special. And, of course, it does. You’re God’s inheritance. You’re the ones He aims to spend eternity with. When God says (in 2 Corinthians 6:16), “I will be their God and they will be My people [my possession],” what He means is that “I will dwell in them and walk among them.”

You’re chosen. You’re pitied. You’re God’s possession – the ones He will walk among and reveal Himself to in a personal way: forever.

You Are Holy (vs. 9) “You are a . . . holy nation.”

You’ve been chosen and pitied and possessed by God; and therefore, you’re not merely part of the world anymore. You’re set apart for God. You exist for God. And since God is holy, you’re holy. That’s what 1 Peter 1:15-16 said, remember? “[B]ut as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

We share His character, because He chose us, pitied us, possessed us. We’re holy. If you act in an unholy way, then you act out of character. You contradict your essence as a Christian, for your identity is holiness to the Lord. You are holy.

And finally,

You Are a Royal Priest (vs. 9) “You are a . . . royal priesthood.”

You are chosen by God and pitied by God and possessed by God and holy like God, and finally, royal priests to God. The first thing to understand about this royal priesthood concept is that you and I have immediate access to God. We don’t need another human priest as a mediator. That’s what 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” You have direct access to God, through Jesus. And, second, you have an exalted, active role in God’s presence. You’re not chosen, pitied, possessed, and holy just to fritter away your time doing nothing. You’re called to minister in the presence of God (now). All your life is priestly service. We’re never out of God’s presence. We’re never in a neutral zone. We’re always in the court of the temple. And our lives are either a spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1–2), or it is out of character.

So, that’s the answer to “Who Am I?” And you can see that your identity leads directly to the question, “Why Am I Here?” You’re chosen, pitied, possessed, and holy – all for a purpose – to minister as priests. And the heart of that ministry is described for us very clearly, by Peter. But before we answer the question “Why Am I Here?”, let’s pause just a moment and answer the middle question: “How Did I Get This Identity?”

How Did I Get This Identity?

The answer is almost too obvious. We got our identity from God. In fact, our identity is completely bound up in our relation to God. We’re chosen by GOD. We’re pitied by GOD. We’re possessed by GOD. We’re set apart as holy by GOD. We’re invested as royal priests to GOD.

Listen to what Peter says at the end of verse 9. He refers to God like this: “Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” The light we live in is the light of our being chosen and pitied and possessed and holy and priestly. And the way we got there is that God has called us. He called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

So, the answer to the question: “How Did We Get This Identity?” is that God gave it to us. He gave it to us by virtue of His calling us, His choosing us. It’s all a work of God.

Let’s consider the final question: “Why Am I Here?”

Why Am I Here?

What we saw was that our identity led directly to our destiny: we are chosen, pitied, possessed, and holy all for the sake of being a royal priesthood. But Peter is more specific when he tells us the precise reason for our existence. He says, in the second part of verse 9, that we exist for this reason: “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” This is the full-time destiny of a royal priest – to make the glories of the King known.

Now, I need to pause here and help us make a very clear distinction about something. There are folks in our world that would take this verse (vs. 9) “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” and say that the “darkness” that God called us out of is the “darkness of ignorance,” or the “darkness of being unaware,” as in enlightenment. And the reason that they interpret “darkness” that way is because they want to affirm behaviors and lifestyles that are inconsistent with what it means to be holy.

There’s a lot of discussion in our day of self-concept or self-identity. How do we view ourselves? It’s an important question. And what I hope you’re hearing this morning is that the specifically biblical angle on this question is that Christian selfhood is not defined in terms of who we are in and of ourselves. It’s defined in terms of what God does to us and the relationship He creates with us and the destiny He appoints for us. In other words, as a Christian, you cannot talk about your identity without talking about the action of God on you, the relationship of God with you, and the purpose of God for you. The biblical understanding of human self-identity is radically God-centered.

Who am I? Who are you? You are a God-chosen one, a God-pitied one, a God-possessed one, a God-sanctified one. The very language of our identity in this text necessitates that God be included as the One who acts. Our identity is not an end in itself. Our identity is for the sake of priestly service, which Peter defines as proclaiming the excellencies of the One who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. And that “darkness” is the darkness of sin: sinful thoughts, sinful attitudes, sinful behaviors – anything outside the holiness and purity of God Himself.

Stated another way, God made us who we are so that we might proclaim the excellency of His freedom in choosing us, the excellency of His grace in pitying us, the excellencies of His authority and power in possessing us, and the excellencies of His worth and purity in making us holy. God made us who we are so we could make known who He is.

Therefore, being a Christian and making the greatness of God known are almost identical. We can do it in church services with preaching and singing and praying and reading. We can do it in our small groups as we tell each other what God has been for us, or what we need Him to be for us. We can do it at work as we tell people what we love about God and why we think He’s great. And we can do it in a thousand different ways of love that suit our situation and personality.

Let me close with this wonderful story of how Doug Nichols, the International Director of Action International Ministries, made the excellencies of God known in a tuberculosis sanitarium in India in 1967. Though he was not living on much more money than the people from India, they thought that because he was an American, he had to be rich. Doug said, “They didn’t know that I was just as broke as they were.”

When he was hospitalized, Doug unsuccessfully tried to share the Gospel of Jesus with the patients. When he offered them tracts of the gospel of John, they politely refused. It was obvious they wanted nothing to do with him or his God. Doug grew discouraged.

Often, at night, Doug was awakened by the sound of coughing from himself as well as other patients. But that’s what you come to expect in the TB ward of a sanitarium? Unable to sleep because of his coughing, early one morning Doug noticed an old man trying to sit on the edge of the bed. But because of his weakness, the old man would fall back. Exhausted, the old man finally lay still and cried. Early the next morning the same scene repeated itself. Then, later in the morning, the smell that began to permeate the room revealed the obvious. The old man had been trying to get up and go to the restroom.

Doug said, “The nurses were very agitated and angry because they had to clean up the mess. One of the nurses even slapped him in anger. The man was completely embarrassed and curled up into a ball and wept.” The next morning, Doug noticed the old man was again trying to generate enough strength to get himself out of bed.

This time, Doug got out of bed, went over to where the old man was, put one arm under his head and neck, the other under his legs, and gently carried him to the restroom – which was nothing more than a hole in the floor. When he had finished, Doug carried him back to his bed. The old man, speaking in a language that Doug did not understand, thanked him profusely, and then kissed him on the cheek.

Eventually, Doug went back to sleep. In the morning, he awakened to a hot cup of tea served by another patient who spoke no English. After the patient served the tea, he made motions indicating that he wanted one of Doug’s tracts. Doug said, “All throughout the day, people came to me asking for Gospel tracts. This included the nurses, hospital interns, the doctors, until everyone in the hospital had a tract, booklet, or gospel of John.”

“Over the next few days,” he adds, “several told me they trusted Christ as Savior as a result of reading the Good News! I simply took an old man to the bathroom. Anyone could have done that.”

In a world that doesn’t know up from down, left from right, good and bad, what makes a man versus what makes a woman, let’s be clear about what it means to be a Christian. We’re chosen. We’re the recipients of great mercy. We’re God’s supreme possession. We’re a holy nation, and a royal priesthood – with the purpose of proclaiming God’s excellencies for calling us out of our sin and into His light.

A. W. Tozer once said, “A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible and knows that which passes all knowledge.”

And a generation earlier, Charles Spurgeon said, “Be not afraid to possess this peculiar identity, for though it is misunderstood on earth, it is well understood in heaven.”

“Our Father and our God, we all live in a culturally confused and chaotic world. Some of us send our children to school here. Some of us get on elevators and work in offices with folks that are confused. We play golf and work out and enjoy a game of cards and partake in all manner of recreation and social interaction with friends and neighbors, and perhaps even family members, that aren’t sure of who they are and why they’re here. Lord, I pray that we – Your chosen people, Your holy nation, Your royal priesthood – would have a firm understanding of who we are and, perhaps more importantly, whose we are. May this identity not lead us to arrogance or bravado, but may it lead us to proclaim Your glorious excellencies in redeeming us from sin and its deadly consequences to the light of Your holiness and its eternal goodness. It’s in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we offer this prayer. Amen.”

Jesus Rocks – 1 Peter 2:4-8

• June 13, 2022
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1 Peter 2:4-8

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 2. Today’s sermon title is one of those that can be read and interpreted in two ways. The first is to read it like an actual rock called a Jesus rock. By the way, Jesus rocks are a real thing. You can buy them online? It’s literally a stone with craft hair and a little crown of thorns. It comes in a cardboard box, laying on a bed a straw, and it sells for $22. For some of you, that brings back memories of pet rocks (circa 1975).

The second way to interpret the title is Jesus rocks, as in Jesus is awesome. In fact, there’s a song that was written in 1966 by the Art Reynolds Singers called Jesus Is Just Alright. How many of you are familiar with that song? If you’ve heard it, you probably remember it as a Doobie Brothers song. Or, like me, you remember the Christian rock band DC Talk covering it. For those of you that grew up in the 60’s, you know that the word “alright” meant something different back then. It did NOT mean: Jesus Is Just Okay. It was like Jesus Is Awesome!

Well, Jesus isn’t literally a rock on the ground, but there’s most definitely something about Him that makes comparing Him to a rock fitting. So, follow along with me, beginning in verse 4.

4 As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

“Our God and our Father, as we gather with our Bibles before us, we ask that You give us real knowledge of what we read and show us not only how to understand it but how to put it into practice, so that we may obtain grace this day, through Jesus Christ our Lord, whose power and glory will endure throughout all ages. Amen.” (Origen of Alexandria, slightly modified)

There’s a TV program that I watch from time to time called If We Built It Today. I’m not sure what channel it’s on (maybe Science or Discovery). The premise of the show is to look at iconic structures from the ancient past – things like the pyramids of Egypt, the Roman Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, and so forth – and discuss with architects, historians and engineers whether modern day innovations could be applied to recreate these iconic buildings, or if fundamental construction techniques have been lost to time.

Now, I know that I’ve already lost ¾ of the ladies and maybe even a ¼ of the guys. But it’s a fascinating show. And one of the things that occurs to me, when I watch this, is just how long these things have been standing – to consider all of the storms, all of the wars, all of the earthquakes, all of the chaos that our world has experienced, and yet these structures are still with us. What architect, what engineer, what building contractor wouldn’t want to come back 100, 1,000, or even 5,000 years later and see that the structure they designed, they engineered, they built still standing.

So, I don’t know much about construction, but I know that each of those buildings has at least one thing in common: a firm foundation. And this morning, I want us to see how Peter describes Jesus as three different kinds of stones, but also how Jesus is building us (individually and corporately) into something that will last forever.

Jesus the Living Stone

First, is Jesus the Living Stone. That’s how verse 4 begins, “As you come to Him [Jesus], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” All throughout the Bible, God and Jesus are referred to as the Rock. But rocks aren’t living. If anything, they’re dead. They’re not animated. They don’t do anything unless acted on by outside forces. But the Bible takes this image of an inactive and dead physical object and associates it was God – thus giving it life, thus assigning it significance and meaning. Listen to a few of those:

Hannah’s prayer when she dedicates Samuel to the Lord (in 1 Samuel 2:2), “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

Or David’s song of deliverance after he was delivered from the hands of Saul (in 2 Samuel 22:2-3, 32), “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge…For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?”

Peppered continually in the Psalms we read things like, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Or Psalm 61, which is titled Lead Me to the Rock, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth, I call to You when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Or Psalm 62:2, 6, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Or Psalm 144:1 – a verse often quoted in the military – “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

“Okay, pastor, but those are all referenced to God. Where is Jesus referred to as the Living Stone?” Well, that’s a good question, and you’re partly right. There aren’t any explicit statements in the Bible that refer to Jesus as the Rock or the Living Stone. But remember this; Jesus was constantly equating Himself with the Father: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). So, all of these Old Testament references are also references to Jesus.

Finally, there’s this story (in Matthew 16) that we’re all familiar with where Jesus is talking with His disciples and asking them what people on the street are saying about Him. Remember that? “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asks them directly, “But who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

And the question, down through the ages, has been what did Jesus mean when He said: upon this rock He would build His church? Of course, the Catholic Church has always understood it to mean upon Peter (the petros, the little stone). The Protestant Reformers understood it to mean Peter’s confession, Peter’s statement of who Jesus was. That’s the rock (the petra, the mighty stone). Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Or put another way, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living Rock.

And I find it compelling that the very disciple that made the confession (namely Peter) is the one that’s writing this epistle and even he confirms that he [Peter] is not the rock, but rather that Jesus is the rock, the living stone. That’s what verse 4 says, “As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious…”

So, Jesus is the Living Stone. But how are we being built into this spiritual house? [Answer] By coming to Christ. Now be careful here. This isn’t a reference to conversion. It’s a reference to daily, hour-by-hour drawing near to Christ as a strong, living stone. Notice, verse 4 flows out of verse 3 and refers back to it with the word “Him.” Verse 4: “Coming to Him” – to whom? To the One whose kindness you have tasted – how good it is. This helps us get a good handle on what “coming to Christ” means.

Verse 3 is an incentive in both directions. It motivates verse 2 and it motivates verse 4. If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord – then (v. 2) long for the Word of Christ the way a baby longs for milk. If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord – then (v. 4) come to Christ. The psalmist says, “They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights” (Psalm 36:8).

The main thing here is that we are meant [by Christ] to be a corporate dwelling of God in the Spirit. It’s true that each of us is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). But there’s more of God to be known and enjoyed than anyone can know in isolation. We’re being fitted together, Paul says, for a temple and for a dwelling of God by His Spirit. There’s a presence, and a power, and a manifestation of the Spirit of God meant to be known in this gathering of worship that we can’t get anywhere else – and certainly not in isolation.

We’re NOT just isolated living stones. Verse 5 says we’re being built by Christ into a spiritual house. The stones are meant to fit together so perfectly, so tightly in this house called Mountain Hill that something more than a bunch of little rocks is coming into being – a temple, a dwelling of God by His Spirit is being built. And O how jealous I am to see that happen more and more.

If we’re going to be a spiritual temple for God’s presence, and if we’re going to be a holy priesthood, and if we’re going to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, then we must day-by-day, hour-by-hour come to Christ. We must taste His kindness by feeding on His Word, His promises, His commands, His teachings, His warnings until we’re so filled with Him that His Word will dwell among us richly as we teach and admonish one another with thankfulness in our hearts to God (Colossians 3:16-17).

That’s Jesus as the Living Stone. Now let’s consider what Peter says about Jesus the Cornerstone.

Jesus the Cornerstone

The cornerstone was THE most important stone in the entire structure. It’s partly why all of those ancient structures are still standing today. The cornerstone was cut so precisely that the angles of that stone would set the standard for every other stone. Every other stone would line up with and sit upon the cornerstone in such a fashion, that if the cornerstone wasn’t exact, if it wasn’t precise, if it wasn’t just right, then it would throw the entire building off.

In verse 6 Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16 and says, “Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.” The point here is that if you trust Christ – God’s cornerstone – then you won’t be disappointed. This stone won’t prove faulty. If you build your life on this stone, your life won’t crumble in the storm. If you stand on the truth of this stone, you won’t be ashamed. If you hide behind this stone, you will be safe. If you join with others in the spiritual house built on this stone, you will be proud of your foundation and your fellowship will stand.

Then, in the beginning of verse 7, Peter draws out the lesson in his own words: “This precious value, then, is for you who believe.” He takes the word “precious” from verse 6 – “He is a precious cornerstone” – and says that the preciousness is for believers. If you believe on this stone, if you trust Him and bank your future on Him, then He is precious, because you will never be disappointed in Him or ashamed of Him. Jesus will never let you down. Others might, but Jesus never will. Now that’s a great encouragement!

If there was a way never to be disappointed or a way never to be ashamed, wouldn’t you want to know that way? Peter says: the way is to trust what Jesus will be for you as God’s “chosen and precious cornerstone.” God says, “You can’t lose. You can’t be disappointed in having done this. You can’t be put to shame.” That’s tremendously encouraging.

Jesus as the Living Stone. Jesus as the Cornerstone. Finally, let’s see Jesus as the Stumbling Stone.

Jesus the Stumbling Stone

Why NOT stop with verse 6? Why does Peter go on in the middle of verse 7 to talk about the negative side of things? Why not just stay positive and talk about the good effects of belief, rather than going on to talk about the negative side of unbelief? That’s what many preachers and pastors do. They stop with the good stuff. They never venture into the bad stuff. Why? Look at what he says in the latter part of verse 7, “But for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone.’”

Peter is saying that not believing in Jesus is like rejecting the stone that God has laid as the cornerstone. God sends His Son to be the main stone in the building of His church. But some don’t trust Him; they reject Him. But what effect does that have on the purpose of God? This is the point: it doesn’t defeat God’s purpose at all. “The stone which the builders rejected; this became the very cornerstone.” The point is this: If you believe on this stone, you can’t lose; and if you disbelieve on Him, you can’t win. Human unbelief does not frustrate or defeat the ultimate purposes of God.

If God plans for Jesus to be the chief cornerstone, humans can betray Him, desert Him, deny Him, mock Him, strike Him, spit on Him, hit Him with rods, crown Him with thorns, strip Him, crucify Him, and bury Him – but they can’t stop Him from being what God destined Him to be, the Living Cornerstone of a great and glorious people. The point of mentioning the negative side of unbelief is to stress that it cannot win. It cannot frustrate God’s ultimate purposes. I think this is the point of verse 8, as well. Peter goes on to say (quoting Isaiah 8:14) that Christ, became “‘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.”

Peter’s words at the end of this verse are intended to cut the last strand of self-reliance. In other words, if any proud unbeliever should boast and say, “I’ve chosen my own destiny. God, You’re not in control of me and my life. I have the final say in my life; I have the power of ultimate self-determination; and I can frustrate the purposes of God with my own self-determining will” – if anyone boasts in that way, Peter responds with the awesome words: No, you can’t; you only think you can. You’ll discover sooner or later that whatever you choose – and mark this, your choice is real and crucial – whatever you choose, “unto this you were appointed.”

God will have the last say; not man. No mere human can thwart the ultimate purposes of God – not by belief or unbelief. But why does Peter teach such a thing? Why does he even bring it up? The reason is for our encouragement. What he means is that human choices cannot finally destroy the temple of God. A person can reject the chosen and precious stone of Jesus Christ. But if they do, two things are still true:

1. the stone will not be rejected by God, but will still be put in the place of honor and glory forever and ever as the chief cornerstone; and
2. the one who rejects the stone will never be able to boast over God that he frustrated God’s ultimate design for His temple. Even unbelievers fulfill God’s appointments. He cannot be defeated. God triumphs even in His own rejection.

Now that’s the lesson for us. God’s great purposes for the building of His church, including Mountain Hill, often come through seasons of rejection, but in the end, God remains triumphant and none of us can bring His purpose to ruin. C.S. Lewis, in his book The Problem of Pain, said, “You will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.”

In the end God is triumphant in our belief and our unbelief. He’s triumphant in our obedience and our disobedience. Human beings, whether good or evil, rejecting or accepting, believing or unbelieving, cannot thwart the ultimate purposes of God. He’s calling us to trust Him for this in these days. Jesus is the Living Stone – He once was dead, but now He lives and reigns forevermore. Jesus is the Cornerstone – He’s the firm foundation upon which our lives and this church are built. Jesus is the Stumbling Stone – Some will stumble and fall and miss the beauty of salvation that Jesus brings, yet He will remain victorious.

Where are you today? Have you come to Jesus, the Living Stone? If not, why not receive Him today. If so, are you building your life on Jesus, the Cornerstone, or are you trying to build your life on your own achievements and accomplishments? Perhaps you’re here this morning and you’ve discovered that, indeed, Jesus is a Stumbling Stone. His name makes you uncomfortable, because you know that accepting this message, receiving the truth of God’s Word about who Jesus really is means a total transformation and you just can’t go there. Be warned, God wins. A day is coming when “every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). The only question at that time will be are you bowing in worship or are you bowing in defeat? “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).

What Do You Crave? – 1 Peter 2:1-3

• June 5, 2022
• Pastor
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1 Peter 2:1-3

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 2. And while you’re finding your spot, let me ask you: “What do you crave?” Don’t overthink this too much. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear me ask the question: “What do you crave?” Take a minute and turn to the person next to you or in front/behind you and share with them what you crave.

Okay, so now it’s your turn. Tell me, what do you crave? (Receive and repeat people’s responses.)

It’s interesting; I’m not particularly sure why it is but most of us think of food. I think it’s because of word association. The word “crave” is so frequently linked to food that we automatically answer with a food. But there are all sorts of things (besides food) that we crave. Each year, usually beginning in mid-March, I have a craving to go fishing. Some of you have a craving for hunting certain animals: turkey, deer, ducks, quail, pheasant, etc. All of those have their own hunting seasons that bring about “cravings.” Then there are certain sports: football, basketball, baseball, golf, auto racing.

Well, this morning, Peter is going to introduce us to another form of craving – something that we need to give more attention to, because honestly, it’s something that very few people (including Christians) crave. If you have your Bibles open, then following along with me, or you can follow on the screens:

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

“In these moments, O Lord, renew our minds. Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us – truths unchanged from the dawn of time that will echo down through eternity. By grace we’ll stand on Your promises, and by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us. Speak to us, O Lord, until we’re conformed to Your image and the earth is filled with Your glory. For Christ’s sake, we pray. Amen.” (Speak, O Lord by Keith and Kristyn Getty, slightly modified).

Now, for those of you that were here last week, I told you that we were finishing chapter 1, and we did. But there’s a little hiccup, a little technicality, a little loophole. See, the first three verses of chapter 2 are actually the last three verses of chapter 1. There’s nothing sacred, there’s nothing holy, there’s nothing inerrant about the verse markings and chapter divisions in scripture. They were added about 800-1,000-1,200 years later to help make references. So, these three verses are actually the end of chapter 1, and in that sense, I might have unintentionally misled you last week.

But before you get upset with me, look at the way 1 Peter 2 begins. In almost every translation (including the original Greek), except for the ESV, NLT and the HCSB, the chapter begins with the word “therefore.” It’s the Greek conjunction oon, meaning “therefore, now then, accordingly so.” In effect, what Peter is saying is, “Here’s how the dots connect.” And that only works if you know what dots came before.

What Peter is saying in these verses is this: The Word of God grows you and grows your hope in Christ Jesus. In the midst of your struggle, in the midst of a crisis, in the midst of chaos, in the midst of persecution, in the midst of plain ole crazy days, you can grow hope and you can grow spiritually, if you’re in the Word of God. Now here’s the progression. I’m going to show you my three points. We must put away what’s in verse 1, in order that we might crave spiritual milk (i.e. Word of God) and grow in our salvation (vs. 2), so that our lives prove that the Lord is good (vs. 3).

We Must Put Away…

Peter is speaking to the Church. He’s speaking to believers. He’s talking to you and me and he’s saying if we don’t put these things away from us then we’ll kill the hope that we have and we’ll stunt our spiritual growth. That’s what verse 1 is pointing to. Listen, let me give you a principle that’s absolutely true. It’s not from the Bible, but it’s confirmed by the Bible. Hurting people, hurt people. The next time somebody unexpectedly pops off at you, just remember; hurting people, hurt people.

By the way, this is a little disclaimer, not all hurting people, hurt people. The funny thing about anger and conflict is that it feels ridiculously good for some people. It feels good to clash with other people. It feels amazing to come out on top. That’s a very foreign concept to most of us. Most people try to avoid anger and stress and disappointment because it doesn’t feel good to them. But generally speaking, hurting people, hurt people.

Think about your own life. How many times have you had a particularly stressful day that you’ve managed to keep under control, then, later in the evening, after getting home and having dinner, you accidentally stump your toe on a piece of furniture and yell at your spouse. Think about it in both sets of shoes: the one that’s hurting and the one that’s being hurt in the moment. We’ve likely been in both places at some point: the hurting person that lashes out, and the party that receives the tongue lashing.

It will certainly be debated and discussed for months and months, but that’s part of what we’re seeing happening right now with all of these senseless killings. In fact, according to the reports that I read, that’s precisely why the Tulsa, OK shooter killed his doctors and a staff worker – because he was physically hurting. I’m not condoning that, in any manner, but it confirms that hurting people, hurt people.

But notice that Peter isn’t writing to gunmen intent on senseless killing. He’s writing to the Church. He’s writing to people like us, and he makes this connection, that’s the reason for the “therefore,” and he says (look back at verses 22-23), “[you’ve] purified your souls by your obedience to the truth… you’ve been born again…” consequently, you have to get rid of these things in your life. And just in case you’re thinking, “Well, pastor, I just don’t know if I can do that.” Listen, God never tells us to do something or not do something that He doesn’t give us the wherewithal and ability to achieve it. What does Paul say in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” For God to give us a command or instructions, and then not give us the ability to achieve it would make Him a liar. We can, and we must seek to get rid of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

The word “malice” means “evil.” It can be translated as “wickedness” and even “vicious disposition.” It’s the underlying and inherent evil that is present but not outwardly expressed. Now most of us say, “Ah, come on pastor, I’m not evil. I’m not wicked. I don’t have a vicious disposition.” That’s because, in our society, we’ve been conditioned to think of evil in terms of a select few: Hitler, Manson, McVeigh, and indeed they were. But the Bible uses this word in the widest sense. Essentially, Peter says, “You’ve got to put meanness and unkindness out of your life.” Ah, now we see ourselves in the mirror, don’t we?

Then he comes to the next word, “deceit.” It’s the Greek word dolos (not to be confused with doulos – a servant, a slave). Fishermen and hunters know this word. It means “bait, decoy, hook, trickery.” Every time I go fishing that’s what I’m doing – I’m tying on a lure that I’m hoping to use to deceive the fish into eating. And let me tell you, there’s no lack in the bait at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. Their website offers over 2,700 different lures. It’s okay to do that to the fish (especially if you catch and release), but it’s not okay to do it to one another.

Then he gives one more, and it’s “envy.” You say, “Hold on, pastor, you skipped hypocrisy and slander.” No, I’m going to come back to them. The reason I skipped to envy is because these three: malice, deceit and envy are internal. The other two are external; it’s how we express these three internal qualities. So, the third one is “envy,” and we normally think of envy as “He has a Ferrari and I want a Ferrari, and all I think about is getting his Ferrari.” That’s not the New Testament’s understanding and presentation of envy.

Envy is not that I want what you have, it’s that I don’t want you to have what you have. And truth be told, rarely does envy have to do with a physical object. Most of the time we envy someone’s position, someone’s giftedness, someone’s charisma, someone’s winsome personality. In essence what we’re saying is NOT that I want your position or giftedness or charisma or personality, but that I don’t want you to have it. That’s the darkness of envy. Peter says, “You gotta get rid of this.”

Next, he comes and he says you have to get rid of “hypocrisy.” Last week I told you that word means “phony, acting, pretending.” There’s an image from the Greek period that actually gives nuance to what’s being said here. In fact, the word hypocrisy actually comes from Greek theatre. The image is the Greek mask. We’re all familiar with the Greek masks of tragedy and comedy. This word “hypocrisy” is actually a word that describes an actor holding a mask over their face and although the mask indicates they’re laughing, the actor is actually mad. Or if the mask conveys tragedy, the actor is actually happy. See, the mask is covering up the real actor’s face and the real actor’s emotions. That’s what hypocrisy is. The outside is saying the opposite of the inside.

The last one is “slander.” It’s the Greek word katalalia. That’s fun. You give it a go. Ka-ta-la-lia. It’s a word that’s onomatopoetic. Do you remember that from grammar class? An onomatopoeia is a word that resembles the sound that it describes. So, all of you remember the 1960’s Batman TV show. The fight scenes were all onomatopoetic: POW, BANG, ZIP, CRASH. Well, that’s what katalalia is in Greek. Sometimes you hear somebody say, “yada yada yada yada.” Well, the Greeks would say, “lalalalalalal.” Kata means “down” and laleo means “talkative.” So, literally it’s talking down to someone.

Peter says that we have to get rid of these things because when they’re evident in our lives it kills our hope. It makes you miserable. And it stunts your spiritual growth. You’ll never hunger for the Word of God. You’ll never do what’s in verse 2, if those things are in your life. Now listen, you let the Word of God be a mirror. Let the Word of God speak to you. Let it have its way. Let the Holy Spirit use the Word of God to convict you, to encourage you, to challenge you.

We must put away . . . that we might grow . . .

That We Might Grow Up…

If you want to grow hope and grow spiritually and gain assurance in your salvation, for those days when things get tough, for those moments in life that seem like they could just overwhelm you, for those situations in life where you need confidence, then you have to hunger for the Word of God. You have to crave it. You have to do what the Psalmist does in Psalm 42:1-2, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” He was hungry. He was craving. He was longing for God.

But perhaps the richest and most generous portion of Scripture describing this kind of delight in the Word is too long for us to read. It’s Psalm 119, with all 176 verses expressing the Psalmist’s love for divine truth. You need to read Psalm 119 and remember that in the middle of it, he says, “Oh how I love Thy law.” Repeatedly, in that Psalm, the Psalmist expresses his delight in the law of the Lord.

So, we’re talking here about a passion. We’re talking here about a longing, a driving, a craving, something that’s strong and intense. It’s obvious that we all crave things. That’s why we did that silly little exercise earlier. We understand passion. We understand longing. We understand what it is to be thirsty. Perhaps we don’t understand it as much as the one lost in the desert wilderness being baked in the middle of the midday sun, but we understand what it is to be thirsty. We understand what it is to be hungry. Perhaps we don’t understand what it’s like to go without any food for several weeks. Nevertheless, we know the cravings that we feel toward the things in life that are not only good, but the things that are bad. We have longings for love and affection. We have longings for companionship. We have longings for information and understanding. And we have longings that are illicit and impure.

Peter says, “With all of those longings, this is one you need to have – an intense, passionate, overwhelming, insatiable craving for the Word.” And he defines it as the pure milk of the word; pure, a word meaning “uncontaminated.” It’s a pure substance in the midst of a world of corruptible, contaminated, polluted things. And he uses the marvelous, beautiful analogy and imagery of a little baby who longs for the uncorrupted, unpolluted, unadulterated milk of its mother. And what milk is it that Peter calls us to that’s analogous to that? It’s the milk of the Word of God.

If there’s anything that I want say to you this morning, it’s to ask you the question, “Do you have that craving? Do you have a real desire for the Word of God?” I ran across this quote from John MacArthur this week. Listen to what he said:

“We have desperate need for the Word in the church today. We have weak Christians, weak churches, rampant spiritual malnutrition reflecting the rejection of the true spiritual milk. We have defective antibodies in the body of Christ today, very little discernment, a seriously deficient immune system, a kind of spiritual AIDS that makes the church vulnerable to all kinds of infection from error because it’s not been appropriately nourished. You’d better recognize how desperate your need is.

Don’t read the Bible traditionally because your parents read it. Don’t read it superstitiously as if it’s gonna deliver some religious charm. Don’t read it educationally to know the facts. Don’t read it professionally for material in your lesson or your sermon. Don’t read it inquisitively just so you can bring out the latest biblical trivia and appear to be a scholar. Read it because it’s nourishment. Read it because you can’t live without it, and you’ll be exposed to terrible danger if you don’t.”

It’s been 17 years since Melissa and I had a true infant in the house. For some of you it’s been 2-3 times as long, but you’ve had grandbabies or great-grandbabies. Generally speaking, there are really only a few things that an infant baby will cry about: eating and pooping, and perhaps later on, teething. They don’t cry for 80” flat-panel TV’s. They don’t cry over the latest luxury car or pickup truck. No, they just want milk.

Have you ever noticed a family with a 3-4-year-old and they also have an infant? The baby starts to cry and the 3-year-old offers them a potato chip, or tries to spoon-feed them some of their Mayfield ice cream. All they want is momma’s milk. They can’t say it. They can’t spell it. They can’t Google it. But you put them in the arms of their mother and they’re perfectly fine. It’s a very natural and normal thing for a baby to cry out to be fed. And, the sad reality is this, most Christians have to be coddled and motivated and exhorted to do what ought to come most naturally for the child of God.

That’s what Peter says in verse 2, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” You will grow your hope, you will grow faith, and you will grow your confidence in the goodness of God when you’re in His Word.

We must put away . . . that we might grow . . . to prove God’s goodness.

And Prove God’s Goodness…

Look at verse 3, “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Now that word “if” causes us some problems, because we hear and read “if” as a conditional particle. But, in the Greek, when the word “if” is followed by a verb it expresses a condition that’s thought of as real, or denotes an assumption. In other words, the better way of translating verse 3 is this, “because you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

Because you have. You’ve tasted that the Lord is gracious. That word literally means “good” and “kind.” You’ve seen His goodness. You’ve seen His kindness. You’ve been the recipient of numerous answered prayers. You’ve seen His salvation and blessing in your life. You’ve seen His providence in His protection. You’ve seen His grace to your spouse and to your children, to your friends, and relatives and family. You’ve seen Him work in your life in meeting the needs, the deep cries of your heart. You’ve seen Him bring joy into your sorrow. You’ve seen Him bring comfort to your pain. You’ve experienced “His mercies which are new every morning, great is His faithfulness” (Lamentation 3:22-23, paraphrased). You’ve been “blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies” (Ephesians 1:3). All of those things should be right at the top of your memory. Survey those blessings. They all came to you through the Word.

In closing, anorexia nervosa is a disease of men/women (primarily women) who starve themselves, sometimes to death. The symptoms include: 1.) occasional binges, followed by vomiting or enemas to eliminate the food; 2.) hyperactivity, excessive exercise to prove oneself competent and healthy; 3.) depression, an inability to deal with issues in life; and 4.) social isolation, fear of getting too close to people that they might find out your true condition.

That’s analogous to spiritual malnutrition, too. Spiritual malnutrition is characterized by occasional overdoses of exposure to the Word of God – truth that’s generally eliminated without the benefit of any application or nourishment. Spiritual malnutrition is characterized by hyperactivity, where church activity replaces true spiritual growth. It’s also characterized by spiritual depression, because there’s no victory over sin. And by spiritual isolation, because such a person flees intimate fellowship with believers, less they be exposed.

Now, if you or someone you love has ever struggled with this, please understand that I’m not trying to diminish the real difficulties of this disease. This is simply an analogy. But there’s a prescription that a doctor can write for somebody with anorexia nervosa. You just take out your paper and write, “Eat.” Peter gives us a prescription for spiritual malnutrition, “Eat.” As babies desire the pure milk of their mothers, we should desire the truth of God and His Word that we might grow in our salvation.

“Our God and our Father, thank You for this time this morning. Thank You for the reminder of the foundation of all spiritual growth, which is craving the Bible. Create that desire in every heart, O God. Give us a strong desire, borne of the Spirit, for the rich, boundless wonders of Your Word. And as we come, now, to Your Table, we ask that this spiritual food would nourish us for the coming week. In Christ’s name we ask these things, Amen.”

Holiness and Love – 1 Peter 1:22-25

• May 29, 2022
• Pastor
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1 Peter 1:22-25

For the last time, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn (with me) to 1 Peter 1. It’s our final sermon (at least for now) in 1 Peter 1.

I’m so glad that we’ve been studying this epistle of hope. Aren’t you? Four weeks ago, when we started this journey, we noticed how Peter referred to his audience as aliens and strangers. And every single one of us agreed. We all said, “Yeah, I feel like that too.” Well, again, this week I’m sure we all felt like that. What is going on? What has become of our world? We don’t belong here.

And then, if you’re like me, you’ve just been so weighed down by all the immediate political wrangling and media comments. Even among friends, we’ve likely had spirited conversations about these things. And so many people think that the problem(s) can be fixed with a single solution, a political solution, a community solution, a medical solution, or a money solution. And I want to scream: “There’s only ONE solution and His name is Jesus.” The problem isn’t guns. The problem isn’t mental health. The problem isn’t economics or politics. The problem is sin and unless a person has an encounter with the risen King of kings and Lord of lords, and receives a new heart by the grace of Jesus, then none of this is going to end.

And so, Peter is writing to encourage his audience in the midst of their persecution, in the midst of their being scattered around, in the midst of their chaos – like us. And his message is one of hope that can only be found in and through Christ Jesus.

This morning, we finally find ourselves at the end of the chapter, and I’ll be reading verses 22-25:

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

“O God, we ask that You might speak to us as we come to You to receive the food of Your Holy Word. Our Father, may You take Your truth, plant it deep in us, shape and fashion us in Your likeness in order that the light of Christ might be seen today in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all Your purposes for Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen” (Speak, O Lord by Keith & Kristyn Getty).

Peter began this wonderful epistle with a marvelous discussion of the hope of our salvation in Jesus. Beginning in verse 1, right on through verse 12, he discussed the hope of glory in salvation. And now he’s talking about the grateful response to salvation.

How we respond to God was his theme in verses 13 through 21. And there, he called us to a proper response to God, responding with deep gratitude that would lead us to three things, hope, holiness and honor. And now, as we come to verse 22, he calls for a second response, a response toward others. If we’re genuinely grateful for what Christ has done for us on the cross, then we should have a proper response toward God and we should have a proper response toward others. And what is to be our response to one another? How are we to treat each other, all of us who have been given salvation? The answer comes in that wonderful statement, in verse 22, “love one another earnestly.” Love one another.

Our response toward God (v. 13), “hope fully,” (v. 15), “be holy,” (v. 17) “conduct yourselves with holy fear.” That’s the right response toward God. But in regard to each other, very simple, we are to love each other. That’s the proper fruit of salvation directed to each other.

Peter’s exhortation is not new. We understand this.

“Love one another” is an age-old command. Peter says it numerous times so you might as well get ready; we’re going to see it again and again. Chapter 2 verse 17 he says, “Love the brotherhood.” Chapter 3 verse 8 he says, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” He says it again in chapter 4 verse 8, “keep loving one another earnestly…” So, four times in this epistle he calls us to love one another.

But it’s not just Peter. Back in John 13:34 you remember Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you,” it was new then, “that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Peter learned it from Jesus and Peter passes it on here.

Other New Testament writers repeat this same command. In fact, Jesus said, “By this will all men know that you’re My disciples” (John 13:35). Paul, in Romans 12:10 says, “Love one another with brotherly affection.” In Philippians 2:2, Paul calls us to the same kind of love toward one another that Jesus exemplified. Perhaps you remember Hebrews 13:1, “Let brotherly love continue.” And 1 John 3:11, “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” So, it’s a basic Christian message.

Peter says it. Paul says it. The writer of Hebrews says it. John says it. And they all said it because Jesus said it. And Peter uses our love for one another as evidence of our growing holiness. For example, notice that most of your Bibles have a heading just before 1 Peter 1:13. What’s the heading? Called to Be Holy (ESV). Be Holy (NIV). A Call to Holy Living (NLT). Living Before God Our Father (NKJV). If you want to know how to live a holy life, then Peter says demonstrate it in the love you have for one another. And the first thing that Peter highlights is…

Holiness and Love Filled with Integrity

Look at the first part of verse 22, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love…” Now, notice that there’s no modifier for the word brother. You say, “Well yes there is. It’s the word sincere.” No. The word “sincere” describes the kind of love that we’re to have, but it doesn’t describe the brother/sister. By the way, the Greek word for “brotherly love” there is philadelphian – coming from philos (“loving friend”) and adelphos (“a brother”). Smush the words together and you get brotherly love, but it’s not limited to the male gender. This is love of anyone that’s a believer in Jesus. And Peter doesn’t qualify or modify the type(s) of brothers and sisters.

For example, he doesn’t say that you should have sincere love for the “rich brothers/sisters.” He doesn’t say that. It doesn’t say that you should have a sincere love for the “white brothers/sisters.” He doesn’t say that. It doesn’t say that you should have a sincere love for the “highly educated and societally successful brothers/sisters.” There’s no modifier. It simply says that you should have a sincere love of brothers/sisters (period).

Now, the word “sincere” is an interesting word in the Greek. That’s the word an-upo-kritos. It contains the alpha primitive (a), which makes it negative. The rest of the word is hupo, which is a preposition meaning “under” and krino, which means “to judge, or to decide, or to distinguish.” You put those two words together and you get hupokrinomai. If I change the pronunciation just a little bit, then you get hypo-crinomai, which is the word “hypocrite.” An actor. A phony. Someone that’s pretending. But don’t forget, it has the alpha primitive, so it’s not an actor, not a phony, not pretending.

Peter says that’s the way you love brothers/sister in the Christ – as not hypocritically, not as an actor, not as a phony, not pretending. Holiness doesn’t try to fake people out. Holiness doesn’t love like that. If you’ve had your soul purified by obedience to the truth of Jesus Christ, then you love sincerely. And we saw that on display this week in Texas when Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia jumped in front of their students to save them from gunfire.

Holiness and love filled with integrity. Secondly, Peter says that holiness and love are demonstrated intensely.

Holiness and Love Demonstrated Intensely

Look at the next phrase, “…love one another earnestly from a pure heart…” Maybe your bible uses the word “fervently,” there. It’s love with a passion. Love with intensity. The Greek word is ektenós, again a combination of words – ek (“wholly out”) and teino (“to stretch”). It literally means “to stretch out, without slack, completely taut.” What Peter is saying here is that holiness and love are demonstrated when we stretch ourselves out to others, when we extend ourselves to others.

I got a call the other week from a family in Greenville that needed some help. I didn’t ask them if they were Clemson or Carolina fans before we helped them. I didn’t ask them what their race or religion was before we helped them. No, we just stretched out our arms and helped this low-income family with four kids get some groceries and gas. We were able to get them connected with Foothills Family Resources. In fact, Mary-Lu is the one that did all leg-work.

I got a call on Friday from Hope Cummings, Director of Patient Care Services for the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Greenville. She has a 22-year-old Hispanic man named Noel from Honduras that’s scheduled for back surgery on Thursday, June 16. His mother is deceased. His father is nowhere to be found. He’s over here from Honduras and he’s living with a host family. Hope was looking for someone that could speak Spanish and just befriend the guy and help encourage him. I said, “Hope, I don’t speak Spanish, but I think I can find somebody.” I got off the phone and called our friend and muscianary, Rodrigo, who just returned from Albania and Romania, and he said he’d be happy to stop by and talk with him and even introduce him to the guitar.

As many of you know, Dave Tyner, down at the front gate, has experienced some damages to his house that apparently aren’t covered by his insurance. He’s been having difficulty getting builders and contractors to come out and give him a quote. We told him that once he gets a bid, then we’d get our Habitat for Humanity team out there to help get the place back in order.

Holiness and love demonstrate themselves intensely. Finally, Peter says that holiness and love are expressed in identity.

Holiness and Love Expressed in Identity

Look at verse 22 again. All of this is coming out of verse 22, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” This kind of love comes from the heart. And this love identifies the One who is loving me. When we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ, something in our hearts changed. It’s different. It’s been purified, and we didn’t do that. God did that.

Notice the next verse, “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” We’ve seen this again and again; you and I don’t have the capacity and the facility and the ability to birth ourselves again. Just like our first births, our spiritual birth is something that God does. We’ve been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. And then he quotes Isaiah 40.

One of my favorite old Bible illustrators was a man named William Biederwolf. He was born in 1867 and died in 1939, so he lived in the early years of the 20th century, and he had very unusual insights into Scripture. Dr. Biederwolf relates the incident of a construction engineer who was inspecting a building site. And while he was out on a scaffold about three stories high, he suddenly tripped and his body plummeted to the ground in what appeared to be certain death.

Dr. Biederwolf says, “A workman below happened to be looking up just as the engineer fell and since he was standing where the man’s body would strike the ground, he instantly braced himself, taking the full impact of the falling man. The engineer was only slightly injured but the workman was driven into the concrete. With almost every bone in his body broken, he walked the streets from that time on as an object of pity.”

Later, in an interview, a reporter asked him how the man whose life he had saved was treating him. The crippled man’s replay was, “Well he gave me half of everything he owns. I also have a share in his business. He never lets me want for a thing. He is constantly concerned about me and hardly a day passes that I don’t receive from him some little token of remembrance.”

It’s a beautiful story of gratitude, isn’t it? We understand that. But I think, as Christians, so many times we forget that on Calvary there was One who caught the full impact of falling man, One who caught us when we would have been crushed in death. “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He made Himself expendable for us and certainly we ought to express gratitude to Him. We do that when holiness and love are filled with integrity, when holiness and love are demonstrated intensely, and when holiness and love are an expression of our identity in Christ.

“Our God and our Father, we pray that by the power and working of the Holy Spirit we might be able to love this way. Oh, it’s easy to say that we will when we’re in church. Oh, it’s easy to say that we do when we’re around people we love and friends we care for. But Lord, this is seriously hard work – to love with integrity, to love intensely, and to love as an expression of our identity with You. Make it so. We pray also that others might see our love and feel our love and experience our love and be drawn to know You as their personal Savior. For we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”