Lesson 6 – I Peter Chapter 2:1-5
I Peter 2:1
“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
Peter begins chapter 2 by saying “therefore” which causes us to reflect on what he was just talking about in chapter 1. Peter taught us that we have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus, that there is indeed power in the blood. Without blood, without a sacrifice, there is no forgiveness of sins, and with that, we have the most powerful blood… God’s own blood.
Why would God be willing to shed His own blood? It’s all because of love, God has a love for us, a deep-seated eternal love for us, that caused Him to step into humanity and save us.
Every believer has been captured by God’s love, and with that, His love flows in our bodies. Peter reminded us to extend God’s love to the brethren, and to the unsaved world around us.
Life is fragile. From an eternal perspective, our life on earth is a blink of the eye. As believers, our job is to run the race until our last breath. And just as THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER… our salvation with God will last forever!
Having a desire for the Word of the Lord, believers need to remember their life-source (Jesus), do their best to eliminate sin in their life, and continually pursue Christlikeness.
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander…
Peter is describing what life looks like for a follower of Jesus, that they would be quick to put aside these things. As we’ve talked about before, James would be in full agreement with Peter, that a changed life in Christ is going to show evidence to the fact.
A practical way to address this is now that we’ve been cleansed by the blood of Christ, let’s not go out and get dirty all over again.
Putting aside all malice… putting aside means a kind of rejection, and in this case, we’re to reject all malice. Malice can be used to describe a person who desires to harm or inflict violence on someone else. This would be an accurate description of Hamas today.
At Brave Church last Sunday, Pastor Jeff referenced…
Gen 6:11
“Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.”
Violence… the Hebrew word for violence is Hamas. The culture of Hamas today is filled with all malice, we’ve seen great evidence of this. They hate the God of the Bible and all infidels.
Rom. 1:28-31
“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;”
The Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist, John L. Rothra, wrote this; “I found it quite ironic the Palestinian militant group would choose a name which denotes, in Hebrew, the idea of someone who is a violent person and/or a false prophet. Rather than follow militant groups who have supported the spilling of blood of the innocent in the name of a god, everyone should call on the true, living God who spilled the blood of His own innocent son, Jesus, so that people can live in heaven.”
Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander may have been in the believer’s past, but it has no place in their future. For the born-again believer, obedience to the Word of God is the way to go, we are to make a decisive break with our past life.
Phil. 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Paul gives a list of the things we should be dwelling on, but I always had a problem where Paul says, “whatever is lovely.” As a guy, I didn’t really want to be lovely, but what lovely really means is being acceptable and pleasing… that I can live with.
Bible commentary says, “Peter’s list of specific sins is not exhaustive but certainly is representative of evil. In fact, the term, all malice, could encompass all sins so that his readers were called to confession and repentance.”
I Peter 2:2
“Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,”
Like newborn babies…
Every woman who has ever breast fed her baby can relate to what Peter is referring to here. What happens when it’s been a while since your baby’s last feeding? What does the baby do? It starts screaming, and it’s not a gentle cooing sound, it screams for more of mom’s milk. Peter is painting a great picture for us, as to how the Christian is to desire the pure Word of God. Now when Paul talks about milk, it’s not in a positive way.
I Cor. 3:2
“I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,” (NLT)
Paul was trying to feed them the meat of God’s Word, but they weren’t mature enough to digest it. When I teach God’s Word, I try to serve you the very finest barbecue I can put together.
Long for the pure milk of the Word… this means that it is unadulterated or uncontaminated. Believers are to crave what is unmixed and pure.
Did you ever just get a craving for something you had before, that when you had it, it tasted so good? And when you go for it, no substitute will do. For me, it’s a New York pizza.
Peter is talking about having a craving for the pure Word of God… it’s what provides true nourishment for the believer, and any substitute of the “Real McCoy” just won’t do. It is interesting to note here that what Peter is saying isn’t a command to us, there’s other Scriptures that do bring the command.
Josh. 1:8
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
Just like there’s a void in the human heart that longs to be filled with the things of God, Peter knew that a true follower of Christ would also have a longing for God’s pure Word as well.
Psalm 119:160
“The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.”
Speaking of the Word of God, the results of a poll released by Gallup in July 2022, shows that fewer than half of Evangelicals and born-again Christians believe the Bible should be taken literally. That’s a sad and dangerous commentary of what’s going on in our country today. We can only assume that the numbers are worse today.
The end times will include a wholesale rejection of God’s Word, a further “falling away” of an already fallen world.
Matt. 24:10-12
“At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.”
The phrase “many will fall away” speaks of a coming apostasy. Apostasy: there are two main types: (1) a falling away from key and true doctrines of the Bible into heretical teachings that claim to be “the real” Christian doctrine, and (2) a complete renunciation of the Christian faith, which results in a full abandonment of Christ. We have to ask ourselves, is this what we’re seeing today? This is why we should heed to what Peter is directing us. Desire the truth of God’s Word, because there might come the day when it will be taken away from you.
II Tim. 3:16-17
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
For me personally, I believe in the Word of God. I also believe that over the centuries God has preserved His Word for us. If we can’t rely on the written Word of God, we have no hope whatsoever.
So that by it you may grow in respect to salvation…
It’s sad when we see pictures from around the world and we see adults and children that are malnourished. You’ve seen the pictures of children with distended bellies, with just skin covering their bones. It’s just as sad to see Christians that are spiritually malnourished and not developed in their faith.
What’s the answer to this condition? Obviously, it is to get into God’s Word, to read it and study it. What holds us back? Perhaps a form of laziness, or just a lack of self-discipline in a person’s life. Peter says by God’s Word, if you apply yourself you will grow. In respect to salvation means that we will grow within the sanctification process that God has set before us. Remember, sanctification means to grow in Christ and be set apart for God’s purposes.
When it comes to spiritual matters, we should never be content in our current condition, there’s always room to grow. The most precious thing you can place in your life is the Word of God!
I Peter 2:3
“If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
When I read this verse, the first thing I thought of was…
Psalm 34:8
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
I love this verse, it’s like honey on the tip of your tongue. Peter starts the verse with “If,” this makes it conditional. It’s kind of like Peter saying to us, “If you’ve been getting into God’s Word like I think you have, then you know what I’m talking about, we’re kindred spirits… isn’t God sweet?”
Again, the Psalmist declares to the world… “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
The Psalmist is trying to express what’s going on in his heart and the heart of every believer who is enjoying a close intimate relationship with God.
During WWII soldiers would carry chocolate bars with them, and when they would find a little child, they would give it to them and watch the child as he or she took a bite. All of a sudden you would see the child’s eyes light up and a smile would come across their face. This is what the Psalmist is trying to convey. Take a bite of what God is giving, you will not be disappointed.
Rom. 10:11
“For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
I Peter 2:4
“And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,”
And coming to Him… This is special, this has an added intensity for us, it speaks of us coming near to Jesus in an intimate, long-lasting, personal relationship with Him. We can also say that this is a habitual behavior on the part of the believer (habitual being used in a good way for a change). It’s kind of like saying, “I know Him, He’s my friend, and He’s my Lord and Savior.”
We see a similar phrase used in Hebrews 4:16, “draw near,” it’s the very same Greek word as “coming to Him.”
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God’s Word ministers to us in that we recognize that in all the things in the world, Jesus is a safe zone for us, we can come to Him and not be afraid.
Matt. 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
When Jesus says that He will give you rest, it’s a rest that nothing in this world can offer you. His rest comes to those who become “one” with Him. You can’t buy it, and you can’t work for it, it is something that Jesus wants to give to you as a gift.
Psalm 46:1-2
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”
In Peter’s simple little phrase “coming to Him” it implies the involvement of our core being, that we would experience an intimate and ongoing communion with Jesus, and even if mountains crumble into the sea, He will always be with you and me.
We come to Jesus…
As to a living stone which has been rejected by men…
In 1:3 Jesus is our “living hope,” in 1:23 He is the “living Word,” now we see Jesus as the “living stone.”
The word stone (lithos) can sometimes refer to a cut precious stone like a diamond or ruby, but in this case, Peter is referring to this as a “building stone.” We know that Peter would be familiar with words like this because Jesus named Peter a stone or rock (Cephas, Petros).
John 1:42
“And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, He said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone.” (KJV)
Paul, speaking of the children of Israel in the desert with Moses said in I Cor. 10:3-4:
“All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.”
Jesus is the Living Rock of our salvation!
Psalm 62:6
“He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.”
The living stone is Jesus because He lives forever, He is the first resurrection from the dead.
Rom 6:9
“Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
Not only is Jesus alive, but He gives life to all who come to Him.
But not all come to Him, Jesus has been rejected by men… For those who do not receive Christ into their heart, they have in fact rejected God.
John 3:18
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
I found this quote from a website called “Pantheon,” the title is; “I Reject Jesus Christ,” written by Star Foster: “I do not even believe in the big mystic One. A single unifying deity or force that ties all faith and all people together. I believe in multitude. I believe in legion. I believe in a mighty host of the universe working with and against each other. I believe in the holy power of the Many.”
To say the least, Star needs our prayers. The decision to accept or reject Jesus as Savior is the ultimate life decision that people will ever make.
Psalm 118:22
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.”
Why do many people choose to reject Jesus as Savior? There are perhaps as many different reasons for rejecting Christ as there are people who reject Him.
Many people think they don’t need a Savior like Jesus. If you ask a person if they think they’re going to heaven when they die, many will say yes. And if you ask them why, they will say, “Because I’m a good person.”
Others reject God because of their self-sufficiency, intellect, natural talent, or wealth. Whatever reasons people give that reject Jesus Christ, their rejection has disastrous eternal consequences. It’s not safe to die without giving your life to Christ.
Peter says in Acts 4:12 speaking of Jesus as the living stone…
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Even though unbelievers have rejected Christ, Jesus is choice and precious in the sight of God…
Matt. 3:17
“And behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Choice: (ek-lek-tas’) it means picked out, or chosen. The Messiah is called “elect”, as appointed by God to the most exalted office conceivable.
Isaiah 42:1
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”
God the Father also sees His Son as precious in His sight.
Precious: to be held in honour, highly prized, costly, and rare.
In the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, there is a character named Gollum, who wanted the gold ring that corrupted him, he called it “his precious.” Unlike Gollum, our precious one isn’t in material things, but in Jesus Christ our Lord and Master.
Phil. 2:9-11
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I Peter 2:5
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
You also, as living stones… when we place our faith in Christ the Living Stone, we become living stones with Him. The fact that believers are living stones means they have eternal life. As we get into this, we will see that the imagery of stones can be seen as something to build with.
Eph. 2:19-22
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
The descriptions Paul is using is amazing… we see household, foundation, cornerstone, whole building, fitted together… Paul is giving us pictures of Jesus’ church.
Warren Weirsbe, “Each time someone trusts Christ, another stone is quarried out of the pit of sin and cemented by grace into the building.”
The building Weirsbe is talking about is the church, Peter says a spiritual house, the body of believers.
A contractor in Michigan was building a house and the construction of the first floor went smoothly. But when they started on the second floor, they had nothing but trouble. None of the materials from the lumberyard would fit right. Then they discovered the reason: it turned out they were working off two different sets of blueprints! Once they started working off the right blueprints, everything went great, and they built a beautiful house.
The spiritual lesson here for us is, the church body needs to be reading the blueprints God has given us, His Holy Scriptures. B.I.B.L.E. stands for “basic instructions before leaving earth.” If believers continually stay in God’s Word, study it, and apply it to their lives, the church would be healthy throughout the body.
You see, being built up as a spiritual house as it says in our verse, means that it supersedes any material building.
Heb. 3:6
“But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house – whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.”
Paul talks about the household of God in I Tim 3:15b:
“I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
Peter realized that there was a difference between what was taking place between the Old Testament and the New. In the Old there was the temple, an actual physical building that represented the presence of God. In the New, God is in every believer through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
I Cor. 6:19
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
The last part of what Paul says, “that you are not your own,” tells us that we are not alone with God, He is in us, and we are all part of the body of Christ… the church, a spiritual house.
A holy priesthood… this small phrase is loaded with meaning for us. This has nothing to do with the Catholic religion and their priests, nor is it about the old covenant priests, where you had to be from a certain tribe to serve God. Peter is calling all believers a holy priesthood.
In the Old Testament God put in place the priesthood coming from the tribe of Levi. These priests served as a mediator between God and man. For instance, it was only the high priest who could enter into the Holy of Holies within the temple to offer sacrifices for sins. If anyone else tried to enter, God would wipe them out.
The priesthood of Old came to an end when Jesus said, “It is finished” from the cross, meaning His work was done. When this happened, the veil that concealed the Holy of Holies in the temple (the very presence of God) was torn in two.
This meant the New Covenant was now in place, the Holy of Holies was opened for all to see. God was now approachable through Jesus Christ.
Heb. 4:16
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Now Peter declares believers to be priests in God’s kingdom. But just as there were characteristics and responsibilities for priests of the old covenant, there are for believers as well.
God chose the Levi priest… in the same way, believers have the privilege of being elect, being chosen.
John 15:16a
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.”
The Old priests had to be ceremonially cleansed… we must be cleansed as well.
Titus 2:14
“Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
The Old priests had to wear special garments. The believer is clothed in Christ’s righteousness.
II Cor. 5:21
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The Old priests were anointed for service… in a similar way Christians are anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit,
I John 2:20, 27
“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
The last few characteristics of a priest have to do with the condition of their heart and to walk in obedience.
To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… to be able to do this is a reflection of the believer’s heart and attitude, and having a willingness to obey.
Rom. 12:1
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
I’ve often said, the problem with living sacrifices is they have a tendency to crawl off the alter. It is a privilege and honor to be part of a holy priesthood. As God’s holy priests, let’s live a life devoted to Him and not to the world. Let us “not” be satisfied if we’re “not” in His Word. And as we continue to grow in Christ, we will be able to say to the world, “Taste and see, that the way of the Lord is so sweet… it’s sweeter than honey.”