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).
“Pure/Sincere”—adolov—1) Guileless—1a) in things--Unmixed, unadulterated, pure, 1b) in persons--Without dishonest intent, guileless. Sincere, unmixed, without guile. Strong— Undeceitful, i.e. figuratively--Unadulterated.
From A(as a negative particle); & dolov—1)Craft, deceit, guile. Strong—from an obsolete primary verb, dellw(probably meant to decoy; compare deleazw[To entrap/delude]); A trick(bait), i.e. figuratively--Wile. Used 12X.
“Milk”—gala—1) Milk; 2) A metaph. for the less difficult Christian truths. Strong—of uncertain affinity; Milk(figuratively). Used 5X.
**“Word”—logikov—Adj.—1) Pertaining to speech or speaking; 2) pertaining to the reason or logic—2a) Spiritual, pertaining to the soul, 2b) Agreeable to reason, following reason, reasonable, logical. Strong—Rational(“logical”). Used 2X.
English—‘Logical’
“That you may grow thereby”
MajT adds—[“in respect to salvation”]
As infants are expected to “grow”, so God’s people are expected to “grow.” If an infant does not grow, there is something amiss...There is something unusual with that situation...There is an aberrant presence which hinders/stymies the physical potential...It is traumatic for all involved.
Our “growth” is to occur in regard to our “salvation.” That is, into every aspect of salvation...both personally hidden in the heart as well as its public open expression lived out before others.
“Grow”—auxanw—1) To cause to grow, augment; 2) To increase, become greater; 3) To grow, increase—3a) Of plants, 3b) Of infants, 3c) Of a multitude of people, 3d) Of inward Christian growth. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb; To grow(“wax”), i.e. Enlarge(literal or figurative, active or passive).
“Thereby”—en autw—Lit.=‘In it’—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, themselves, itself; 2) He, she, it; 3) The same. Strong—the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , & (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons.
“In respect to salvation”[Maj.T]—eiv swthrian—
Argumentation:
**Mat. 18:1-5—“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, & said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted & become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.”
**2Sam. 22:31—“As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”
**Ps. 119:41-45—“Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD-- Your salvation according to Your word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever & ever. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.”
Bondservants of God by Christ are free regardless of their physical bondage.
**1Cor. 7:22—“For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.”
**Mal. 4:1-2—“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
Illustration:
**If you’re on an Adkins diet, You measure everything you eat by carbohydrate equivalence/If you’re on a Weight Watcher’s diet, you watch calories & use an artificial but easy ‘point-system’/If you’re on a Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig diet, you watch portion size & use pre-measured pre-processed foods/All these diets must be approached according to the parameters set up by the company proffering the particular diet/We start gaining weight when we violate those specific diet parameters!/UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE
If you keep your head buried in Facebook or you Tweet about your every location...What you’re doing here & there & everywhere, your internet so-called ‘friends’ are doing the same thing/BUT your ‘friends’ may not know Jesus at all.....OR They might have a merely distant relationship with God.....OR They might be out of fellowship with God completely, but because they speak fluent church-ese, suppose that they are close to God....OR They may be outside of God’s will.....OR (best scenario)They might be smack-dab in the middle of where they need to be in God’s service!/The big question is...?What are you allowing into your life?—What kind of direction are you receiving?—Is it of God or of man or an impossible conglomeration of both?/UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE
Application:
?You encountered that UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE of God’s Word?
?What has Your encounter with UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE yielded?
?You Live Out God’s love?
11—God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...
The FLAVOR Of GRACE(:3)
Explanation:(:3) Taste
2:3—“if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
This is a quote from Ps. 34:8—when David was fleeing Saul & went to the king of Gath, where he pretended madness to preserve his life. Those events would culminate in David’s becoming captain over 400 men...
*Ps. 34:8—“Oh, taste & see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
In Hebrew the word translated “good” is bwj towb—Adj.— Good, pleasant, agreeable. Masc. Noun—A good thing, benefit, welfare. OR A Fem. Noun—Welfare, benefit, good things.
It is the expectation of those who have “tasted” of the Lord’s “graciousness/kindness/goodness,” that they will desire to & make every effort to follow thru with the “taste” in order to “grow in respect to salvation.” However there is also the very real possibility that refusal may come with such “tasting.” There is a tension—built upon one’s freewill—in actually turning to God in Christ.
Once you have truly “tasted” the “graciousness/kindness/goodness” of God, there is set in motion a desire(2:2), within the believer, to always seek that delicious flavor...And always knowing that that ‘flavor’ can never be experienced apart from a personal relationship with God in Christ.
*What a reminder of God’s incomparable goodness, kindness, & graciousness toward us who are totally undeserving!
“If Indeed”—ei per—Conjunction—1) If indeed, since, if after all. Strong—If perhaps. Used 6X.
From—ei—a primary particle of conditionality; If, whether, that, etc.—&—per—from the base of peran[through/across]; an enclitic particle significant of abundance(thoroughness), i.e. Emphasis; Much, very or ever.
“Tasted”—geuomai—Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural—1) To taste, to try the flavor of; 2) To taste—2a) i.e. Perceive the flavor of, partake of, enjoy, 2b) To feel, make trial of, experience; 3) To take food, eat, to take nourishment, eat. Strong—a primary verb; To taste; by implication--To eat; figuratively--To experience(good or ill). Used 16X.
“Gracious/Kindness/Good”—crhstov—Adj.—1) Fit, fit for use, useful—1a) Virtuous, good; 2) Manageable—2a) Mild, pleasant(as opposed to harsh, hard sharp, bitter), 2b) of things--More pleasant, of people, kind, benevolent. Strong—Employed, i.e. by implication--Useful(in manner or morals). Used 7X.
From—craomai—1) To receive a loan; 2) Borrow; 3) To take for one's use, to use—3a) To make use of a thing. Strong—To furnish what is needed; (give an oracle, "graze" [touch slightly], light upon, etc.), i.e. by implication--To employ or by extension--To act towards one in a given manner.
cf.—“Money”—crhma—
Xrhstov is Used 6 other times:
Mat. 11:30—“For My yoke is easy[crhstov] & My burden is light.”
Lk. 5:39—“And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better[crhstov].’”
Lk. 6:35—“But love your enemies, do good, & lend, hoping for nothing in return; & your reward will be great, & you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind[crhstov] to the unthankful & evil.”
Rom. 2:4—“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness[crhstothv], forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness[crhstov] of God leads you to repentance?”
1Cor. 15:33—“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good[crhstov] habits.”
Eph. 4:32—“And be kind[crhstov] to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
Argumentation:
**Eph. 2:4-9—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
2Thes. 2:16-17—“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, & our God & Father, who has loved us & given us everlasting consolation & good hope by grace, comfort your hearts & establish you in every good word & work.”
Ps. 34:4-9—“I sought the LORD, & He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him & were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, & the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste & see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
Ps. 36:7-10—“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.”
1Jn. 4:8-13—“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, & His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, & He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
“Propitiation”—that which would satisfy God regarding every realm of individual & corporate humanness.
Illustration:
Don’t you want to be loved?...Cared for? To be loved so deeply that the person loving you would give their very life for you?
We ‘can’ experience this in friendships & marriage, but ‘do’ & more so in personal relation to God.
**When our youngest daughter(Ellinor) was little she begged us for cereal with dried figs/We thought, “Well this is a good thing”, so we put figs in her next bowl of cereal/She was fine with it until she tasted them!/She decided right then & there that she hated figs!... but said she now wanted dried...Dates/She had missed The FLAVOR Of GRACE
Suppose you unwittingly-unknowingly go thru stop sign/You rightly get pulled over by a policeman/He politely tells you of your mistake but does not write you a ticket—merciful—In fact, He does not even tabulate the stop at all—grace/Do you take advantage of it & begin running stop signs?...No!/Instead, you live your life thankful & more attentive to ‘stop signs’—to that which potentially got you into trouble/The FLAVOR Of GRACE
**At a Christian wedding or funeral or preaching—All are brought into the presence of God & hear of His desire & plan & provision for man regarding His Son our Savior, Jesus!/As part of the ‘audience’ you experience a brush with God’s truth—For an hour or short moment of time, you experience the reality of God’s glory/The FLAVOR Of GRACE
Application:
?What has Your encounter with The FLAVOR Of GRACE yielded?
?You Live Out God’s love?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...
10. UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE(2:2)
11. The FLAVOR Of GRACE(2:3)
1. OBEDIENCE(:22a)
2. CLEANSING(:22b)
3. SINCERITY(Sincere)(:22c)
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)
Pts. 10-11 presented 05/15/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(A Ave. SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 10-12 Presented 08/15/04pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 39897
