{"id":8134,"date":"2020-03-12T20:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T03:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=8134"},"modified":"2020-03-12T21:04:44","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T04:04:44","slug":"1peter2_1-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1peter2_1-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Crave the Word of God"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 Peter 2:1-10\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

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Today\u2019s passage is 1 Peter 2:1-10.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

1 Peter 2:1 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Therefore<\/strong>, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 Here\u2019s a Bible reading tip: whenever you see the word \u201ctherefore\u201d, look at the verses just before \u201ctherefore\u201d.\u00a0 Then you can better know what the \u201ctherefore\u201d is there for.\u00a0 In this case, just before verse 1, Peter has been telling his readers to \u201clove each other deeply from the heart, since you have been born again by the imperishable word of God\u201d (1 Peter 1:22-25).\u00a0 So it is with the goal of loving each other deeply that Peter tells his readers to rid themselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0We need to be intentional about getting rid of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander, for love cannot co-exist with these things.<\/strong>\u00a0 Think of a relationship in your life today that you wish was in a better place.\u00a0 Have you allowed malice (mean, judgmental thoughts), deceit (lying or trickery), hypocrisy (saying one thing but doing another), envy (being resentful because someone else has what you don\u2019t have) or slander (speaking ill about that person in front of others) to poison that relationship?\u00a0 If so, you need to confess that sin to God, receive His forgiveness, and be intentional about doing the opposite from now on.\u00a0 Instead of thinking malicious thoughts about that person, believe the best in that person.\u00a0 Instead of being deceitful, speak the truth in love.\u00a0 Instead of envying the person, celebrate with that person.\u00a0 Instead of slandering that person, speak well of that person in front of others.\u00a0 When you do these things, you allow deep and pure love to fill that relationship in a fresh way.<\/p>\n

1 Peter 2:2 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 2:\u00a0 What is the \u201cpure spiritual milk\u201d that Peter tells us to crave?\u00a0 It\u2019s the Word of God.\u00a0\u00a0You cannot grow spiritually apart from the Word of God.<\/strong>\u00a0 The Word of God is not just the imperishable seed by which we are born again spiritually (see 1 Peter\u00a01:23).\u00a0 The Word of God is also the pure spiritual milk by which we grow up spiritually.<\/p>\n

Also, keep in mind the connection between verses 1 and 2.\u00a0 Peter is saying, \u201cTherefore, getting rid of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander, like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk\u201d.\u00a0 In other words,\u00a0as long as you have malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy or slander in your life, not only will these things keep you from loving others deeply, but they will also spoil your craving for God\u2019s Word.<\/strong>\u00a0 The more you get rid of the former, the more you will crave the latter.\u00a0 So\u00a0if you want to increase your appetite for the pure milk that is God\u2019s Word, you need to cut out the junk food called malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander from your spiritual diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Peter 2:3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 3:\u00a0 From this verse I learn two lessons:<\/p>\n

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  1. God is a God you were made to experience.<\/strong>\u00a0 Psalm 34:8 invites us to \u201ctaste and see that the Lord is good\u201d.<\/li>\n
  2. Every believer has tasted that the Lord is good.\u00a0 It is the taste of God\u2019s goodness that brings us to Him in the first place.\u00a0 But\u00a0whether or not a believer grows spiritually will depend not on that initial taste of God but how much they continue to feed on God\u2019s Word after that initial taste.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0If you do not discipline yourself to feed on God\u2019s Word, you will inevitably stunt your growth as a Christian.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1 Peter 2:4 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
    \n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

    On verse 4, 6-8:\u00a0 Earlier in chapter 1, Peter gave us his first big picture of Jesus as the precious lamb of God, without blemish or defect, whose \u201cprecious blood\u201d has redeemed us from our sins (1 Peter\u00a01:19).\u00a0 Here in this verse we are given a second big picture of Jesus, this time of Him as a precious stone.\u00a0 Peter uses the word \u201cprecious\u201d three times \u2013 in verses 4, 6 and 7 \u2013 to describe the kind of rock that Jesus Christ is in our lives.\u00a0 Building on Old Testament motifs found in Psalm 118 (see verse 7) and Isaiah (see verse 6 and 8), Peter describes Jesus as the cornerstone, who, like Peter\u2019s readers, was rejected but who has become the most important rock on which the whole building of God\u2019s house rests upon.\u00a0 Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives and the cornerstone of God\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0\u00a0The most precious stone you can ever receive is not an engagement ring or a hall of fame ring; it\u2019s Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Without Him, our lives and God\u2019s kingdom simply would not be possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    1 Peter 2:5 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
    \n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n

    On verse 5:\u00a0 This is one of the most important truths you will find in the New Testament:\u00a0when we come to Jesus, the living Stone, we ourselves become like living stones which God uses to build His kingdom.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0In other words, you are not just a believer or a child of God.\u00a0 Even more, you are a rock on which God is building His church.\u00a0 In fact,\u00a0God gave you your talents, skills, passions, dreams, personality and experiences specifically because He envisioned using them all to build His church.<\/strong>\u00a0 You are a precious living stone, custom-made for building God\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n

    1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
    \n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
    \n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
    \n<\/em>
    \nOn verses 9-10:\u00a0 Chosen, royal, holy, belonging to God, and forgiven \u2013 that is who you are in Christ.\u00a0 Together we are royal priests in God\u2019s house, a holy nation, a chosen people, made to receive God\u2019s mercy and destined to declare God\u2019s praises.\u00a0\u00a0If you want to know who you are in Christ, 1 Peter is one of the best books in the Bible you can possibly study.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Lord Jesus, I praise You who for being the precious cornerstone of my life and my church.\u00a0 Thank You for calling me a stone on which You will build Your church as well.\u00a0 Help me to get rid of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander, so that I can love my spiritual family well, crave the pure spiritual milk of Your Word, and grow up into the priest and leader You made me to be in Your kingdom.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

    Today\u2019s passage is 1 Peter 2:1-10.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

    1 Peter 2:1 (NIV)\u00a0
    \n1\u00a0\u00a0Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
    \n\u00a0
    \nOn verse 1:\u00a0 Here\u2019s a Bible reading tip: whenever you see the word \u201ctherefore\u201d, look at the verses just before \u201ctherefore\u201d.\u00a0 Then you can better know what the \u201ctherefore\u201d is there for.\u00a0 In this case, just before verse 1, Peter has been telling his readers to \u201clove each other deeply from the heart, since you have been born again by the imperishable word of God\u201d (1 Peter 1:22-25).\u00a0 So it is with the goal of loving each other deeply that Peter tells his readers to rid themselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.\u00a0
    \n\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8135,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8134"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8218,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8134\/revisions\/8218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}