How Should We Then Live

In the first-century, the anchor was a symbol for hope and steadfastness for Christians suffering persecution. Anchors are found in many inscriptions in the catacombs of Rome, and they were worn by many Christians as a sign that their hope was in Christ alone. The source for this symbol is found in Hebrews 6:19,
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.”

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Old Testament Reading – Psalm 1:1-6
New Testament Reading – 2 Timothy 3:1-17

How Should We Then Live
“The Validation of Our Salvation” # 5
1 Peter 1:24-2:3

Pastor Wayne J. Edwards 

   In his first epistle to Christians who were persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, the Apostle Peter challenged them to turn their eyes off of their persecution, and onto their salvation, for they were called to endure such suffering,

• Peter said their response to suffering would prove, manifest, or validate their relationship with God.
• Peter began his appeal with a review of:
  • The definition of salvation – 1 Peter 1:3-4
  • The assurance of salvation – 1 Peter 1:4-5
  • The celebration of salvation – 1 Peter 1:6
  • The validation of salvation – 1 Peter 1:7
• In 1 Peter 1:13-21, Peter said the believer’s proper response to God for what He did to deliver us from the penalty of our sins is to live a life of hope, holiness, and honor.
• In 1 Peter 1:22-25, Peter said the believer’s proper response to others is to love one another with the same kind and level of love that the Father revealed to us in sending His Son to give His life a ransom for our souls.
• In 1 Peter 1:24-2:3, Peter said the believer’s proper response to himself would be to desire the pure milk of the Word to grow in his understanding of what God has done for him through Jesus Christ and to live his life in such a way that unbelievers would see Christ in him, and be drawn to Christ to receive their gift of eternal salvation.
• In every list of the essential evidences of being born again, a “new love for the Word of God” is at the top.
  • Psalm 1 – “Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night.”
  • Psalm 19 – “The Word of God is more desirable than gold, yea than much fine gold, and sweeter than the drippings of the honeycomb.”
  • Job 23 – “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”
• Is the reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word of God more precious to you than gold or silver, or more satisfying than a good meal?
• Peter said Christians should have the same desire to know and understand God’s Word as a newborn has for its mother’s milk.
• The word “crave” means to desire strongly – Psalm 42.
• Christians should not settle for what they learned about God yesterday, but they should press on each day to learn how to live up to their calling as God’s children.

1. Five Things to Reject – 1 Peter 2:1 – “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.”

   The Greek word for “laying aside” means to reject vigorously. Therefore, to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, Christians must reject those attitudes and actions that hinder their goal of spiritual maturity.

• Malice – the root of evil, wickedness, immorality, and other sins of the flesh.
• Deceit – any form of cheating, trickery, or dishonesty.
• Hypocrisy – pretending to be something we aren’t.
• Envy – resenting what others have and wanting what others have without being willing to work for them.
• Evil speaking – gossip, backbiting, slander, etc.,
• Peter said we must put them ALL away, for malice leads to deceit, deceit to hypocrisy, hypocrisy to envy, and envy to gossip or slander.

2. One Thing to Admit – 1 Peter 2:2 – “As newborn babes.”

   The Greek word for babes is “brephos,” which was used to described a child as long as it nursed at their mother’s breast.

• Peter was not talking about a new convert or a spiritual babe, as the Apostle John referred to in his epistle.
• Peter was referring to all believers in Christ, whether young or mature in the faith.
• Every believer should crave the milk of God’s Word the same way a newborn craves its mother’s milk.
• In Peter’s analogy, no matter how mature in the faith a believer becomes, they should never lose that initial craving for the pure milk of the Word.
• Today’s Christians have become so satisfied with the pablum of spiritual feelings they cannot digest spiritual truth. They have no appetite for it whatsoever.

3. One Thing to Desire – 1 Peter 2:2 – “Desire the pure milk of the word.”

   While parents and grandparents have other ideas of what a newborn baby needs, the only thing that will satisfy a baby’s cry is to be attached to its mother’s breast and receive the pure, uncontaminated, unadulterated milk that it needs.

• Peter said believers of every age should never stop craving for that pure, uncontaminated, unadulterated milk of the Word.
• The Greek word here is “logikon” rather than logos, which means we must first learn what the passage says, and what it means before we can learn what it means to us.
• The historical and prophetical meanings of a passage are essential to its proper application to our personal lives.

   The “pure milk” of God’s Word is missing in today’s sermons.

• Many young pastors lack the depth of study to begin with, for they have no formal biblical education, nor any mentoring by biblical grounded pastors.
• Many young pastors will not take the time to study the text thoroughly; they bypass the historical and the prophetical and proclaim the application as the timeless truth.
• Even with the many Bible-study helps, the contemporary Christian knows less about the doctrines of the Christian faith than their great-grandparents who only had their Bibles.

4. One Reason for it All – 1 Peter 2:2 – “That you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

   Peter listed two reasons one might have for not craving for the pure milk of God’s Word.

• Perhaps they have never “tasted” that the Lord is gracious – they have never been born again.
  • Becoming a member of a religious organization is not equal to having a personal relationship with a holy God.
• Perhaps they were born again, but they “left” (not lost) their first love somewhere along their spiritual journey.
  • They replaced the milk of the Word with the honey of the world, which no longer satisfies.

   Those who are content where they are spiritually will never grow to spiritual maturity.

• However, True Spiritual growth rises out of discontent:
• If you are not happy with where you are in your relationship and/or your fellowship with the Lord, God may be using the message to call you to Himself:
  • To learn of Him – Jeremiah 29:13
  • To learn from Him – Matthew 11:29-30
  • Until you fully know Him – John 17:3