“The Hunger of Saint Who”
Passage to explore:
I Peter 1:22 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.
I Peter 2:1 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 to salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Passage analysis:
➢ God’s Word is PERMANENT. 1 Peter 1:22-25
The pursuits of the flesh will fade away. But God’s word endures forever. If you want to invest your life in something that lasts invest it in the Word of God. No other pursuit will endure like learning His Word.
Gods Word will always accomplish its purpose as well.
Isaiah 55:11: so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Is there anything else that carries that kind of guarantee. Permanent, perfect and it performs its purpose.
The bible is not just a book nor is it a collection of books and writings.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
God’s Word is a scalpel for your soul to remove the workings of sin and flesh and it is a sword for you protection and warfare against the enemy.
There is nothing more important to invest your life in than God’s Word.
➢ For Spiritual life to flourish divisive attitudes must be PUT AWAY. 1 Peter 2:1
I Peter 2:
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Last week we explored how God calls us to obedience. And that we must examine our life to see what pieces we are holding back from God that are keeping us from being made whole and holy in Him.
Here Peter gets specific about attitudes and actions that are particularly destructive to the body of Christ collectively. He does not list issues like murder, greed, thefts, sexual immorality here because his focus is more targeted to building up one another in Christ and the SIN Selfish Inward Nature that weakens that unity.
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (parallel in James)
James 3:
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Wishing ill against another, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander and similar sins destroy Christian community. We are linked together. And therefore we must all pursue holiness and to tune our lives to Christ.
100 pianos tuned to the same fork will also be in perfect tune with one another. A.W. Tozer.
Peter is addressing Christians. So He assumes that the more base sins have already been put away and warns against the more subtle sins that cause division. This will lead into his description of us as living stones being built into the temple of God.
Peter talks first about what must be put away, now He stresses what must be PUT IN our lives. He is giving us practical instruction about how to foster a life of true obedience and holiness.
It is God’s holy presence, consciously abiding with us, that keeps us from disobeying Him.
Imperfect obedience is the result of a life that is lacking. To defend our life by arguments and faulty motives will only make us feel the need of a more committed life, one that is entirely under the power of God. But a life of broken or sporadic fellowship with God will lack both power and joy. The secret to true holiness is ongoing intimacy and fellowship with God. And that fellowship begins with feasting on God’s Word.
➢ God’s Word must be pursued in its PURE Form. 1 Peter 2:2
These sins he has been describing are like children's diseases that retard growth and threaten life. Peter said put them all away and get healthy, and then proceed to live on the sincere milk of the Word. That word "sincere" is a tough one. Peter used a Greek word. We have "sincere" in our King James Bible, and the translators have had a tough time with it. A student and translator ran into this word "sincere" and gave the best explanation I have ever heard. He explained that "sincere" could apply to milk. While he was visiting in Athens, Greece, he noticed coming down the street a milk wagon pulled by a burrow, and on the side of the milk wagon was a sign written in Greek. Being a Greek student, he was able to read it. The sign said, "such and such milk company, we sell only sincere milk." He got it in a second. He knew what it meant. It meant unadulterated milk. No extra water in this milk. That is what Peter meant when he used that old Greek word. He said, "Feed yourself on the unadulterated Word." Do not water it down. Take it full strength. That is, let the Word of God say to you all it says. Do not simply pick out the happy verses. It would be shocking to go through some Bibles and find how we underline only the happy verses.
A.W. Tozer. Living as a Christian: Teachings from First Peter (pp. 87-88). Kindle Edition.
Pure here means not watered down, full strength. Sincere.
The image of a newborn baby fits the references to “new birth” and “divine Seed”. Notice that “Milk” here does not mean the same thing as the metaphor does in 1 Corinthians 3:2 and Hebrews 5:12-13. There Paul and the author of Hebrews uses “milk” to refer to the basics of the Christian faith. Here it means spiritual truth that one should never outgrow. Here it is not referring to the depth of God’s word but to the life giving power and pleasure that one receives from it.
To get the full idea here when it uses the word pure or sincere it means we need to take in all of the word of God. In the first century they did not have whole, milk, 2%, 1% and Skim. But you could get milk that was mixed with water. Its vital nutrients were weakened.
Peters says take it full strength. Dive into the Word of God. Learn to enjoy it. Desire it with all your spiritual taste buds.
Too many are spiritually anorexic. There life has little spiritual power because they do not feed on the Word of God. And let me show you what you are missing.
God wants you to taste and discover that His word is delicious. The best way I know to illustrate this is to use Peter’s analogy in a more modern form.
He is telling us that God’s word is full of life and flavor.
What it is – Spiritual Blue Bell Ice Cream.
EX – Serve up some Blue Bell.
➢ God’s Word must be a PRIORITY in order to grow spiritually.
Psalms 63:
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Proverbs 8:
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
Illustration: Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
Jesus made a priority out of spending time with God.
Mark 1:35: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
➢ God’s Word is PLEASUREABLE. 1 Peter 2:2
Psalms 34:8: Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
When you really begin to spend time in the Word to know God and not just to find answers to your problems or to try and negotiate with God. But rather when you seek Him for Himself and not just for His gifts and blessings you will discover an incredible pleasure of just being with God through His Word.
Example from 2 Samuel 22. From my quiet time yesterday. It was such a joy. I discovered something new about God.
David is talking about God delivering Him. And He sees a glimpse of God in power that is incredible and then He talks about God coming on the wings of the Wind.
II Samuel 22:11: He rode on a cherub and flew;
he was seen on the wings of the wind.
And unseen power coming at just the right time to take care of David. How often God comes like the wind. Unexpected. Unseen, but just in time to deliver when we need Him.
➢ Hunger for God’s Word PROVES our Salvation. 1 Peter 2:3
I Peter 2:2: Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—
I Peter 2:3: if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
We have only to look up the original meaning to find that the word "taste" here means experience lived through in order that a thing may be real to us and everlastingly ours. It must be experienced; it must be lived through.
A.W. Tozer. Living as a Christian: Teachings from First Peter (p. 92). Kindle Edition.
Have you experienced the Lord?
If you do not desire to spend time in the Word of God you need to examine if you truly have faith in God.
Developing a Personal Devotional life
Why Should We Have Quiet Time Alone With God?
Having a time alone with God is one of the most important aspects of the Christian walk, but it also one area of the Christian walk that is most neglected. From the verses we looked a t so far you should have a pretty good idea of what makes up a quiet time with God. We will go over a couple of these areas in a little more detail alter. For now we need to look at why we need to spend some time alone with God
1. We need to eat
Just as your body need food to keep it going. We need to spend some quality time with God for our soul. Through prayer and a daily meal of God word we will grow and prosper in our walk with God.
2. We need to listen
It is hard to hear God speaking to you when the reception is fuzzy. You need to make a clear connection to God so you can hear what He is telling you and the only way to do that is by eliminating all distractions so you can hear his still quiet voice. This means you must find a quiet place in order to listen His voice and only His voice. Effective listening also means coming before God with an obedient heart a willingness to listen so you will be able to hear His insight for your life.
3. We need intimacy
A quiet time allows us to draw closer to God as we shut out the world around us and focus on His Word and His voice. We will sense His presence as we lift our hearts and bare our souls to Him. As Christians we should always desire to worship and obey God and see Him more clearly. We must draw need to God with our hearts, not only with our words. Remember where your heart is there also will be your affections.
James 4:8: Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
A. The PURPOSE of a personal devotional life is to know Christ through His Word. Psalm 119:18, John 17:3, Phil 3:10
Psalms 119:18: Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
Determine to get to know God through His Word. Make that your purpose. Too many people start out to read the Bible through and make it for a few days or weeks and then they get discouraged. The problem is they are reading to finish and not reading to know God Himself.
Reading through the Bible is awesome and I encourage it. But it is more important to have intimacy with God than simply finishing a task.
Read to get to know God. Develop your appetite for Him. You can start small its ok. Let it be quality and enjoyable time with Him.
B. A personal devotional life PLEASES God. Psalm 19:14
Psalms 19:14: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
C. A personal devotional life follows the PATTERN of Jesus.
Matthew 4:4: But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Connection to milk and spiritual growth in the scripture – Speaking of Jesus.
Isaiah 7:11: “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
Isaiah 7:12: But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.”
Isaiah 7:13: And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?
Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:15: He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
Curds – thick protein rich milk – Freeze it and it is – Blue Bell!
o Jesus chose to spend concentrate time with the Father daily.
o Jesus used the Word to battle temptation
o Jesus used the Word to defend against opposition
o Jesus used the Word to show what God was doing and glorify the Father.
o Jesus used the word to encourage and teach the disciples.
If Jesus needed to spend time every day with the Father and continually used the Word of God in every area of His life, why do we think it can be neglected?
D. A personal devotional life gives us God’s POWER to change.
Psalms 119:11: I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
E. A personal devotional life PROMOTES unity in the body of Christ.
I Peter 2:4 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.
Practical Application
Reading the Bible to Know Christ
1. PRAYER prepares the heart and readies the mind to enter God’s Word
2. CONTENT: Focuses our minds on the facts being presented in God’s Word.
3. CONTEXT: Frames our understanding of God’s Word so that we do not misinterpret the Scriptures for our own purposes.
4. REVELATION: Unveils the person of God and His nature as well as our response to Him as demonstrated in God’s Word.
5. MEDITATION: Connects our spirit with the Living Word of God allowing the Word to transform our understanding, attitudes and actions.
“Remember that it is not hasty reading, but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths that makes them sweet and profitable to the soul.” Thomas Brooks
6. UNDERSTANDING: Digests the passage into elements that will nurture our souls and give life to our spirits.
7. APPLICATION: Moves us past head knowledge to practical obedience.
8. PRAISE & RELIANCE: Speaks back to God what He has revealed to us of Himself and places us fully under His protective Lordship.
The 30 Day Challenge – Choose one or more of the 30 Day Knowing God Through His Word meditation plans.
By God’s grace, out of a desire to know Him more intimately, I purpose to spend some time alone with the Lord in His Word and in prayer, every day for the next 30 days.
Signed: _________________________________ Date: _________
Reading the Bible to Know and Love Christ Jesus
Drew Stephens
1. PRAYER: Ask the Lord to help you know Him through His Word, and to apply it to your life.
Psalms 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…
John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
2. CONTENT: Read the passage aloud, if possible. Read it again, asking yourself:
What is going on? Where is it happening? Who is involved? When is it taking place?
Write out in one short sentence an overview of the content of the passage you read.
3. CONTEXT: Examine the setting. What came before these verses? What comes after? Who did God use to write this passage? Are there connecting words: therefore, then, but, also, if? What do they connect to?
4. REVELATION / THEME: What is the big idea being proclaimed? What does this passage tell me about God? What does this passage tell me about humanity or about myself? What does this passage tell me about God’s solution to a problem? What does this passage tell me about my response and responsibility to God?
5. MEDITATION: Reflect on the theme of the passage and what it reveals about God and your relationship with Him.
What does it reveal about God’s character? What does it tell me about my life in Christ?
What does it say about the love of God? What does it say about the holiness of God?
What does it teach me about worship or obedience? Is a truth proclaimed that I need to remember?
What similar passages come to mind? How do they connect with this passage?
Write out a praise to God concerning what the Holy Spirit is revealing to you from His Word about Him.
6. UNDERSTANDING - Leading to Action: Ask yourself, “What can be learned from this passage?”
Is there a promise to claim and celebrate? Is there a warning to heed?
Is there a direction or example to follow? Is there a prayer I can pray?
Is there a command to obey? Is there a sin to forsake?
Is there a principle to learn? Is there a praise to proclaim?
Write out what you have learned from this passage in a few concise sentences.
7. APPLICATION: Ask yourself, “How and when will I put into action what I have just learned?”
Write out any commitment you make towards change or obedience.
8. PRAISE & RELIANCE: Praise God for what you learned from His Word about who He is. Ask Him for the grace to live out what you have learned and to love Him more. Worship Him.
John 4:23: But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
