Loving The Brethren-5 Series

LOVING THE BRETHREN-V—1Peter 1:22—2:12

So far in our study of 1Peter we have examined the fact that

Christians are...CONSIDERED ALIEN(:1-2)...

We’ve examined...WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD—(:3-12)

And discovered God’s means of...UNLEASHING Your SPIRITUAL VITALITY/Vigor—(:13-21)

Today we will continue applying the above truths toward LOVING THE BRETHREN(1:22—2:12).

Regarding LOVING THE BRETHREN, we are instructed from the word that...

:22—“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”

Peter exhorted the aliens to love their brothers & sisters in Christ as they were also loved by God.

Christians are to love as they are loved by God.

How are Christians to live out God’s love?

12(?) encounters thru which Christians are to live-out God’s love.

We had previously found that

God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...

1. CLEANSING(:22a)“Purified”

2. OBEDIENCE(:22b)“Obeying”

3. SINCERITY(:22c)“Sincere”

4. INTENTION & DEPTH(:22d)“Fervently with a pure heart”

5. REBIRTH(:23a)

6. GROWTH POTENTIAL(:23b)

7. THE INVINCIBLE WORD(24-25a)

8. THE INESCAPABLE / AVAILABLE WORD(:25b)

9. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION(2:1a)

10—God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...

UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE(2:2)

Explanation(2:2)

2:2—“as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,”

In order to take the necessary ‘affirmative action’(2:1), we must “desire/long for” God’s word in its unadulterated purity.

We are to long for it in the same sense that a “newborn babe” longs for his mother’s milk. A child neither desires nor receives anything aside from his mother’s milk.

Our growth is to occur in regard to our “salvation”.

“As newborn babes”—

Infants are totally dependent upon their mother’s milk.

“Newborn”—artigennhtov—Adj.—1)Just born, Newborn. Strong—Just born, i.e. figuratively--A young convert. Used 1X.

From—arti—Adverb—Just now.—&—gennhtov—Born.

“Babes”—brefov—1) An unborn child, embryo, a foetus; 2) A new-born child, an infant, a babe. Strong—of uncertain affinity; An infant(properly, unborn) literally or figuratively. Used 8X.

“Desire the pure milk of the word”—

Your deepest “desire” & longing should be to have relationship with God. Fact is, you can only do that thru establishing a personal relationship with Him...in Christ(Php. 3:8-11; 1Jn. 2:3; Rom. 8:11; Rev. 3:20; Jn. 14:21-23), His only begotten Son, to whom has been granted all authority(Mat. 28:18; Jn. 5:26-27).

Ps. 119:92-93—“Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life.”

Jesus is called “the Word of God”(Jn. 1:1; Heb. 1:1-2). Thru Him, we hear & know God’s heart. Thus to deny Jesus a voice in your life, is to reject the very “word” & direction that comes from God’s mouth!

*Jesus is THE Author of our faith, THE Finisher of our faith, THE Counselor, THE High Priest, THE King of all kings, THE Lord of all lords, THE way, THE truth, THE life, THE treasure trove of all wisdom & knowledge...

*Thus God’s people(& any other), who would want relationship with God, will have a longing & “desire” to pursue such spiritual “milk.” Hungry infants ‘nuzzle’—looking for that breast which will nourish them. So too the child of God.

*It is not enough to merely look at or see the ‘word’...We must also ‘ingest’ it to draw sustenance from it! We must meditate, & think, & pray on it!

We celebrate ‘the Lord’s Supper.’ Part of the background of it records Jesus stating in.....

Jn. 6:35, 51, 53-57—“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, & he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”.....“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; & the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”.....“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man & drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh & drinks My blood has eternal life, & I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, & My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh & drinks My blood abides in Me, & I in him. As the living Father sent Me, & I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.”

That “pure milk” is found in the written, & ‘impressed’(upon our heart by the Holy Spirit), & spoken “word.” It is God’s word!

“Desire/Long for”—epipoyew—1) To long for, desire; 2) To pursue with love, to long after; 3) To lust, harbor forbidden desire. Strong—To dote upon, i.e. Intensely crave possession(lawfully or wrongfully). Used 9X.

From—epi—properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.—&—poyew(to yearn).