Combatting the Summer Lull
- Jerry Witham
- Jul 15, 2008
- Media Links
- Subscribe
Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you. Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 1.22-2.3
While my family and I were away at Family Camp I got to teach through a good part of 1 Peter. I have truly drunk deep of this letter. One of the parts that I did not teach in
Obedience to the Truth
Peter first speaks of their obedience. They have been obedient to the truth. The truth speaks of the Word of God. They have specifically been obedient to it as they have lived out what Peter speaks of directly before in verses 13-21. Peter has exhorted them to be obedient children and like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior. He has also spoken of their redemption, their faith and their hope. Those he writes to have been obedient first to the Word by trusting in Jesus as their Savior. As a result of their faith God has purified their souls. They have been made clean with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1.19). They have also been obedient in their Christian walk by not conforming to the ways of this world, but have sought to be holy as their Lord is (1.14-16).
Changed Life, Abounding Love
As a result, their purified souls have had produced in them an abounding love of the brethren and a fervent love for one another from the heart. You cannot truly love another without being changed by the blood of Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus longs for His disciples and church to have love for one another that produces oneness that the world will notice. He prays in John 17.20-23: I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. This love that Peter speaks of is exactly what His Lord longed for him to have. But it just does not come about out of the blew. A life change must occur. That is why Jesus before he prays for such a love and unity He prays to the Father, sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth (John 17.17). The Word of God is truth and the one thing that cleanses us, makes us holy and sanctifies us through the work of the Holy Spirit. To truly love we must first receive the love of the Savior.
Peter mentions love twice in verse 22. The first usage is the Greek word, philo. It speaks of a brotherly type of love. The second usage is the Greek word, agape. It speaks of a sacrificial, Christ-like type of love. It seems that this is a love that is ever growing and maturing. We sincerely love the church with a love like brothers and also with a love that is giving and sacrificial like the love of Christ. Such love comes from the heart. It is a heart that has been changed. It has been purified, cleansed and washed by the Word of God.
Born Again By the Imperishable Seed
This obedient, holy and loving people are the way they are because they have been born again. They have been transformed from the inside out. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again. This flesh of ours is simply that, flesh, but we must experience the re-birth of the Spirit of God to awaken our dead flesh and depraved spirit. According to Peter one is born again by means of an imperishable seed. The imperishable seed is the Word of God. James 1.18 says, In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. Paul says in Romans 10.17, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. The Word of God brings forth a changed life. Peter says that the Word of God is living and enduring. In fact, in verses 24-25 he contrast the flesh of man to the Word of God. He says the flesh of man is like grass and flowers that wither and die, but the Word of the Lord endures (abides) forever.
Now a question before we continue. What is the importance or connection between the love for the brethren and for one another with the Word of God? Peter had the best teacher any one has or will ever receive. His teacher was Jesus. At the same time he experienced fellowship with the twelve. What we see here is a divine model for growth in a disciple’s life. The Word of God is crucial, but so is the fellowship of believers. Peter experienced this also in the first church (Acts 2.42). Fellowship is important when it comes to growth. This journey is not an individualist thing done alone. We need each other in this maturing process. Peter realizes that as he speaks of loving each other and the Word of God. So, do not be an island in this journey. Do life with others and experience Biblical maturity.
Before I move on I just want to stop and remind you that we need the imperishable seed! Here we live in the midst of the perishable. We invest our time and resources in so much that is and will one day perish. Oh for more of the imperishable in the midst of the perishable! Our souls cry out for it.
Putting Aside and Longing
Peter then moves to some application. Peter begins chapter two by saying, because you are born again, obedient, people loving and Bible saturated followers of Jesus you are to put aside all malice (any actions harmful to others), and all deceit (harm toward others through trickery or falsehood) and hypocrisy (masking evil with false righteousness) and envy (opposite of thankfulness for good which comes to others) and all slander (speech which harms another) (2.1). Putting away such things is important to our spiritual growth. If such things our in our life we will not grow and most likely we are not having our life cleansed by the Word of God. This is also connected with our love for the brethren. Everything we are told to put away is an opposite action of love. So we are to put away such things and then long for the pure milk of the Word like newborn babies. My little guy, Pierce, wants to still be fed every two to three hours. He loves that milk! He longs for it. He cries for it. Peter wants us to long and want the Word of God just like Pierce wants milk. We should long to read it, hear it, study it, meditate on it, dwell on it, and think about it. Such a longing will lead one to the obedience, holiness and love for others that Peter has been talking about. One will grow in respect to salvation. Meaning they will grow in maturity and produce fruit.
Tasted
Have you tasted of the Lord’s kindness? If you have tasted His kindness, are you tasting it continually or has it been a while since you have eaten and drank of it? What is keeping you from tasting His kindness often? Psalm 34.8 says, O taste and see that the Lord is good. This is an invitation to all to come and experience the goodness and kindness of our God. For those who are saved we are to answer this invitation often and eagerly. Psalm 42.1-2a says, As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
I pray that you as His obedient children would long for His imperishable seed (the Word of God) and that it would produce in you a holy life and love for others.
