1 Peter series – “Holding onto Hope in a Hostile World”

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.  ²³ For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. ²⁴ As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. ²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 2 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

After calling us to live confident lives, consecrated lives, and committed lives Peter now calls Christians to be cravers and consumers of God’s Word.  Scripture stands forever, it is eternal and Peter preached the Word because God’s Word has life, God’s Word gives life, God’s Word nourishes life. Not only are we conceived by the Word but we must continue in the Word.  The problem is that many of us are not in God’s Word. How neglected is your bible? Now one of the most common mistakes of this passage is to assume that the phrase “newborn babes” means brand new Christian converts. Peter was writing to a church that contained mature believers as well as babies in the faith. The phrase “newborn babies” does not necessarily mean that Peter’s readers are brand new in their faith. In this context, milk does not refer to basic and elementary teaching as it does in Hebrews 5:12-13 where milk is contrasted with meat or solid food. Here Peter is simply saying that all believers are to have a longing for God’s Word just like a baby whales for its mothers milk. What are you crying out for and craving? A healthy infant is a hungry infant. Let me ask you how often does a baby eat? Every couple hours, that is why Moms trade sleeping all night for naps. What you are doing is worth it. As believers we are to be like babies, we’re to go after God’s Word ferocity and frequency. Job said in Job 23:12: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Why do we need the Word, because the Word helps us:

1. KNOW

We’re to desire the “pure milk of the Word.” The word “pure” means, “not deceitful, not watered down or adulterated.” Several years ago I went and fueled up my truck and shortly after I started it, it began to splutter and died, I tried to start it but it just turned over it wouldn’t fire. As I got out I looked around to realize I was not alone, everyone who had filled up had cars that were dying. I quickly ran in and told them to shut the pumps down, that something was wrong with the fuel. We discovered that the last fuel truck to fill the tanks had accidently been full of water. The fuel had been watered down to the point where it was worthless. There is a lot of watered down preaching today by upbeat smiling preachers who want to make everyone feel good instead of teaching them about God.  This toxic teaching, no matter how good it might make you feel. If sin is minimized and the cross is marginalized, God will not be magnified. This kind of preaching is poison. Jeremiah 6:14 says, “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.” The pure spiritual milk of the Word helps us know ourselves, helps us see sin, as 2 Timothy 3:16 says it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 

1 Peter 1: 1:13-25

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” ¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s workimpartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. ²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,from the heart.^[b] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, ²⁵  but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

 Lastly:

1. Be Committed Vs 17

So often we allow the difficulties to distracted and derailed us instead of determining to live dedicated lives. Commitment involves radical obedience. Peter reminds us in verse 17 that how we live matters that, God will reward us according to how we have lived. While we’re justified by faith, we’re rewarded according to our works. The truth is we are temporary residents here and our real home is in heaven. The problem is that most of us are so caught up living for this life that we have put all our energy into sinking our roots into this world instead of living lives in light of His return. How devoted are you? How committed to Christ are you? The depth of your devotion will determine your kingdom impact. What is keeping you from being sold out for the Savior, is it sin, self, society? The motivation for our commitment is love not the law. When you think of the ransom that God paid to redeem you from your empty life we should be people who are motivated not by guilt but by grace.  

Before World War II, missionaries carried the gospel to Ethiopia’s Satan-worshiping Wallamo tribe. The decision of Tigyne, a slave, to follow Jesus displeased his master. He forbid Tigyne to attend Bible studies or worship, and often beat him for his faith. It was a price this young Christian willingly paid. But another price he could not afford. For $12 his master would release him. But for Tigyne, it might as well have been $1 million. Just before the missionaries were expelled from Ethiopia, Raymond Davis, with help from a couple of other missionaries, bought his freedom. Twenty-four years passed before Davis returned. When Tigyne heard his friend was coming, he waited at the mission station for several days. As he saw Davis round the corner in a car driven by a fellow missionary, he ran to its window. The driver slowed, and Tigyne ran beside the car, took Davis’s hand, and kissed it again and again. As he ran, he yelled to his friends, “Look! Look! The one who redeemed me has returned!” As the car stopped and Davis got out, Tigyne dropped to his knees, put his arms around his friend’s legs, and began to kiss his dusty shoes.

How we live matters, our behavior matters, the problem is that our tendency is to start with the behavior but do not understand where the behavior is coming from. The behavior is coming from the relationship that the person has because he is dedicated to and belongs to Christ Jesus. Because of the awareness of the dedication of who he belongs to, who he has been given to, who he has been bought and paid for by, because the communion is there, with Christ, the behavior of Christ is produced. What about you are you pursuing Hope, are you practicing Holiness are you committed to Christ, are you a Christian that can be counted on?