4. A Glorious New Life
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1 Peter 1:22-2:3
1 Peter 1:22-2:3
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. 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 into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
If you are a member of a church or a regular attender of a local congregation, whether this one or you are visiting us today and belong to a different congregation, how would you characterize your church? How would others characterize us if they knew a little bit about us?
Peter has much to say about local churches, and he begins by showing that a New Testament church-a body of people who have been born again through the living word of God-is a body characterized by love for each other.(Sanchez)
What we want to see today in 1 Peter 1:2-2:3 is that we as
Christians have been given a glorious new life through God’s living and enduring Word, which should result in loving relationships within God’s people.
(1) God’s Word preached brought new life (1:23–25)
(1) God’s Word preached brought new life (1:23–25)
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.
If you are in Christ, you have been born again, birthed from above, to use the language of our Lord Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3.
It is through the Word of God and His Spirit that we have life. As the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice for sinners like you and like me is heard, as God gives a new heart and we are persuaded and enabled to embrace this Christ as He is offered in the Gospel, we have a hope and a future, a salvation now and forever. A deliverance that is certain. Peter addresses his hearers (and the message is us as well). He points us to Isaiah 40:
In Isaiah, this proclamation of hope and deliverance addresses an Israel that in the sixth century BC found itself a discouraged people exiled in the Diaspora and wondering where God’s covenant promises now stood. Isaiah 40 introduces encouragement into this dire circumstance with the announcement “Comfort, O comfort my people, says God” (40:1 LXX). (Jobes). In this same way, and really, in an even better way, we now under the new administration of the covenant with God have this proclaimed and promised to us in Christ!
“Life conceived by mere mortal, perishable seed is perishable, and even the flower of its greatest glory falls off when the plant perishes. Apart from Christ, whatever glory human beings achieve will inevitably perish. But because the word of the Lord abides forever (1:25), as imperishable seed it generates imperishable, or eternal, life. Peter points out that the abiding word of the Lord of which Isaiah speaks is the very word that has been preached to Peter’s readers.” (Jobes).
It is Living
It is Abiding
It is Eternal
Just “This too shall pass,” Peter says to Christians discouraged by a hostile society. To those who are tempted to renounce the Christian faith under the pressures of persecution, the quotation from Isaiah is a reminder that apart from Christ all will inevitably perish. There is no place to go when one turns away from Christ
Peter gives us two exhortations in today’s passage:
Love one another
Desire God’s Word
(2) New life is to be marked by love (1:22; 2:1)
(2) New life is to be marked by love (1:22; 2:1)
It's common today to hear a professing Christian saying that they love Jesus, but not the church. They might allege that the church has become an unrecognizable institution influenced more by practices [or traditions] than by the New Testament They might feel that the church is filled with hypocrites who are even worse than those who deny Christ. They might themselves have been hurt, or worse, by a church member or congregation. This view not only makes the church irrelevant to reaching our world with the gospel; it actually makes the church an obstacle to doing so. Seemingly, more and more people prefer "spirituality" to any "religion" that is organized-and so opt for more privatized expressions of "Christianity." (Sanchez)
In many cases, I'd have to admit that many of these critiques ring true. Still, are those legitimate reasons for professing Christians to abandon the church? I want to say No. Rather than abandon the church, we should seek to regain a right understanding of the nature and purpose of God's church, and to live that out faithfully during the time of our exile on this earth. It is possible that may mean finding a new church if our current church does not believe the gospel or its leaders will not teach the Bible; but it does not mean giving up on the church.(Sanchez)
Because God has given us new life through the work of His Holy Spirit through the ministry of the Word, we have been made holy. We have been set-apart by God for His use, and we are to be making the conscious decision to be set-apart, dedicated unto God by obeying the truth, that is, by obeying that Word of God.
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Here in 1 Peter, the Apostle’s concept of obedience and disobedience relate to believing / rejecting the word of the gospel ( 1 Peter 4:17).
17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
So, those who reject Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, stumble "because they disobey the word" (2:8), while believing wives are to submit their unbelieving husbands so that "even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives" (3:1).
Even the angels who rebelled during Noah's time are kept "in prison, because they formerly did not obey" (3:19-20). So, when Peter declares that his readers have "purified [their] souls by ... obedience to the truth" he speaks of their having set themselves apart from this world and having dedicated themselves to God when they consciously chose to obey the truth of the gospel. (Sanchez)
But how do we see if someone is obeying God? We see it in any of a number of ways, but the one that Peter is focusing on at the moment is that our lives as believers (and our life as a congregation) should and must be marked by “sincere brotherly love.”
The late American apologist for the faith, Francis Schaeffer. put it this way:
“Through the centuries, people have displayed many different symbols intended to show that they are Christians. They have worn marks in the lapels of their coats, hung chains about their necks, and even had special haircuts. But there is a much better sign - a universal mark that is to last through all the ages of the church till Jesus comes back.
At the close of his ministry, Jesus made clear what was to be the distinguishing mark of the Christian until His return: A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:33-35).
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Notice that what He says here is not a statement or a fact. It is a command which includes a condition: By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. And if this is involved, if you obey, you will wear the badge that Christ gave. But since this is a command, it can be violated.
The point: while it is possible to be a Christian without showing the mark; if we expect non-Christians to know that we are Christians, we must show the mark. Speaking to the church some years later, the same John who wrote the account above says: This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.(1 John 3:11) John in effect says: Don't forget this... don't forget this! This command was given to us by Christ while He was still on earth. This is to be your mark.” (Schaeffer)
So, how do we define what this love is? The Greek word used here is agape.
The word “love” is the Greek agape, a love that actively chooses its object, a love of the will. The word “earnestly” connotes depth and fervency. It describes the way we are loved by God, and it indicates that we are to love as he has first loved us. God does not merely tolerate his children but chooses to love them earnestly with depth and fervency. He commands them to do the same with one another. (Wilkins, in Carson)
The love Peter has in view is neither a warm, fuzzy feeling nor friendships around a coffeepot after worship, though love as Peter defines it may involve both. Rather, it refers to righteous relationships with each other that are based on God’s character as described for us in God’s Word, character and conduct that is defined and delineated by that Word. Our behavior as believers must reflect who God is and what He has commanded us to be and to do. (Jobes)
We have two causes to love:
(1) love one another because your lives have been set apart by obedience to the truth, the very purpose for which is to relate to others as God intended human beings to relate;
(2) love one another because you have been reborn with an eternal nature, and love is the essence of that nature.
(Jobes)
Also, we are to love one another earnestly. The word “earnestly” has the idea of stretching out, or extending ourselves to reach something.
Peter goes on to let us know some of the things in which we are to be earnestly doing to show this love:
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
If we are to “love one another earnestly” (1:22), then here are some of the ways we may do that. It isn’t an exhaustive list, but these certainly must be things that do not characterize our lives now that that we are in Christ. They were part and parcel of how we lived before Christ, ways that the world lives in (handed down by forefathers).
Put away — just as we would quickly jettison anything that is repellent and repugnant, put these things away!
New birth issues in new life. Believers have been “born again” by means of the “word of God” (1:23) and must of necessity reflect in the way they live this radical transformation. So Peter writes, Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice. “Malice” is a broad term for all sorts of evil and wickedness. The four nouns that follow specify more closely what malice covers in this context. Note that the four vices are the very ones that would be especially destructive of brotherly love (see 1:22).
Deceit is a major weapon in the arsenal of those who would manipulate others for personal advantage. Hypocrisy means acting a part. It describes those who pretend to be something they are not. Envy inevitably rears its ugly head in every setting where concern for one’s own status is greater than concern for the welfare of others. Slander is backbiting, gossip, defamation of character. The Christian is to put away, or strip off (see Eph. 4:22, 25), everything that makes it more difficult for brotherly love to flourish. (Mounce)
In light of their now being elect exiles, separated to God and separated from the world, they are to cling to one another in the community of the Church, the Body of Christ. All of these things they are commanded to put-off are “...those that destroy relationships and hence that destroy community. (Jobes)
We constantly need to be challenged in our love for one another. It is so easy for us to fail to make progress in this area and allow the various weeds of 2:1 to stifle growth. This passage searches our hearts, convicts us and should encourage us all to stretch further in loving one another in whatever ways are possible, such as time, money, effort or thoughtful actions. We dare not apply the importance of being a people committed to the Word of God without being committed to the people of God. Truth and love are not to be played off against each other but are both nonnegotiable elements within the life of the Christian. (Macleay)
(3) New life is to be marked by growth—through feeding on God’s Word (1:22, 2:2, 3)
(3) New life is to be marked by growth—through feeding on God’s Word (1:22, 2:2, 3)
Just as a newborn babe is all about seeking, craving, nourishment, in the same we we must be seeking, to be all out seeking spiritual nourishment, feeding on the pure milk of the Word of God.
The purpose of such nourishment is that by it we may grow up unto salvation. Christian maturity brings deliverance. Growth is evidence of progress in the Christian life. It is the word of God that feeds the soul, bringing health and spiritual strength. Deprive a Christian of the word of God and his life will shrivel and dry up like an unwatered plant. (Mounce)
Only the Word of God through the Spirit of God can produce new birth and spiritual life. Though there may be many attractive things for the church to be engaged in, the priority must be to preach God’s Word praying that God’s Spirit will do His work by planting it in the hearts of those who hear. Further, the Word of God, read, studied or preached, is essential for the growth and well-being of the Christian community as it travels to its glorious destination. God’s Word is essential for non-Christians and Christians and must therefore be given priority in the life, gatherings and outreach of God’s people. To neglect the ministry of God’s Word, either deliberately or by letting other ministries squeeze it out, is a recipe for losing any evangelistic cutting edge and producing weak Christians who will be at odds with each other. (MacLeay)
Hearing or reading the word of God is a vital part of this new life, but Christians have not truly ingested God’s life-transforming grace until they have put off attitudes and behaviors that are inconsistent with the new life, thereby instinctively, eagerly, and incessantly craving the grace of God. (Jobes)
As we look ahead for our future as a congregation, in all of our planning and programs, the Word of God must remain central to what we are and what we do. Only the resulting ministry from God’s Word preached and taught will prove to be imperishable and eternal. We as a congregation must view all our work and witness in the light of eternity and seek to focus on results which will be permanent— that is why we must give priority to the ministry of God’s Word.
That is why we encourage as well your participation in personal daily Bible reading and involvement with one of our Grace Community Groups. We encourage you to feed on God’s Word—indeed to crave it.!
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Have you tasted of the Lord’s goodness to you? The expression comes from Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” To have tasted the goodness of the Lord is to create an enormous appetite for all he has to offer. (Mounce)
{Do you}...crave that goodness, and do you hold it out to others, urging them eagerly to “taste and see!” We will not ask someone else to crave what we ourselves have only a partial appetite for. We will not ask someone else to hope fully in a grace we only partially embrace.
But those experiencing difficulty, like Peter’s audience, tend to develop a strong appetite for the goodness of the Lord. Why? Because if the Lord is good, then their current circumstance truly is light and momentary. Because if the Lord is good, his judgments can hold no terror for them. If the Lord is good, no trial can hold them forever. If the Lord is good, his sovereignty is cause for rejoicing. If the Lord is good, whatever sorrow or loss they now face will serve his purposes and ultimately result in their joy.
Those who have tasted the goodness of the Lord employ their speech and actions to invite others to the feast. Like the psalmist, they eagerly urge others to “taste and see.” (Wilkins, in Carson).
Works Cited or Consulted
Barnett, Paul. 1 Peter: Living Hope. South Sydney: Aquila Press, 2006.
Calvin, John, and John Owen. Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.
Carson, D. A., and Kathleen B. Nielson, eds. Resurrection Life in a World of Suffering: 1 Peter. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018.
Evans, Craig A., and Craig A. Bubeck, eds. John’s Gospel, Hebrews–Revelation. First Edition. The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary. Colorado Springs, CO; Paris, ON; Eastbourne: David C Cook, 2005.
Green, Joel B. 1 Peter. The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.
Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Vol. 2. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.
Jobes, Karen H. 1 Peter. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
MacLeay, Angus. Teaching 1 Peter: Unlocking 1 Peter for the Bible Teacher. Edited by David Jackman and Robin Sydserff. Teach the Bible. London, England; Ross-shire, Scotland: PT Media; Christian Focus, 2008.
McKnight, Scott. 1 Peter: from Biblical text - to contemporary life. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
Mounce, Robert H. A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005.
Sanchez, Juan R. 1 Peter For You. London: The Good Book Company, 2016.
Schaeffer, Francis A. The Mark of a Christian. http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=42362&columnid=4545. Accessed 22 May 2019.
Wilkin, Jen. “Living Resurrection Life (1 Peter 1:13–2:3).” In Resurrection Life in a World of Suffering: 1 Peter, edited by D. A. Carson and Kathleen B. Nielson, 68–71. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018.