1 Peter 1:22-2:3 Love That Endures, Sin That Withers, New Life That Grows

1 Peter 1:22-3:3 Love That Endures, Sin That Withers, New Life That Grows

Introduction Good morning…Peter has for this first chapter been reminding us of our certain living hope in Christ Jesus. They have been chosen, called, made alive again by the Spirit, and enabled to persevere in the suffering that this new life in Christ brings into their lives. They have the assurance of their faith in the Holy scriptures, teaching them about Jesus’ suffering on their behalf and subsequent glory.

The implications of these things is being united to Christ we must renew our minds after the image of Christ and walk in holiness of life. Active, progressive sanctification. The Battle of the Mind: We are either growing in sober Knowledge conformed to Christ or growing in Ignorance conformed to sinful passions. Our motivation is the fear of the Lord and the precious blood of Christ ransoming us back.  In response we meditate on the nature and character of God and his demands on our way of life. To be Holy as He is Holy.

godliness…gratitude to the forgiveness of sins…a life shaped living before the face of a Holy Holy Holy God.

Not only does salvation change our relationship to God. Conforming us to HIM. It also changes our relationships to each other. Peter now tells us of just how our community relationships will be changed by what has happened to us in our salvation.

 

Read 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. (ESV) [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. (ESV)

 

#1 Love One Another Earnestly…since you have been made new by the gospel (v. 22)

#2 Put Away all relational Sins…since you have the enduring word. (2:1, & 23-25)

#3 Grow up into salvation by daily feeding on the  pure truth and goodness being worked into you.

 

Look in v. 22 again…

#1 Love One Another Earnestly

We are commanded to love. Earnestly. From a sincere heart. What does it mean to be earnest? Our world likes the idea of love a lot. Every Disney movie ever has a love story. As a culture we like the idea of love.

But two things come to mind with our culture and love.

First, when we say love we often mean the feeling of romance and warmth we get from being around people that help us feel good, fulfilled, and better about ourselves. I’ve observed many students through the years who loved having a boyfriend or girlfriend…but they really loved the feeling of having a boyfriend or girlfriend. They weren’t thinking about sacrificially caring for that person, and whether they were someone they wanted to vow: before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.

The bottom line is so much of our love is NOT – seeking the other person’s highest good ultimately. So much of our love does not flow from the love of God filling our hearts, renewing our minds, and giving us wisdom and a moral compass to know what sincerely and earnestly seeking another’s good would even mean.

Instead, our love is seeking a person who does a good job of filling what we lack because we are not secure in Christ, we are lost in sins, and we are a leaky cup (Ed Welch gives this illustration).

Before coming to Christ, we are leaky cups and we are searching God’s creation for other creatures to fill us, but as soon as we get money, a job, respect, reputation, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a spouse, children, honors and accolades they leak out through the brokenness, the sin, the God-shaped holes in our hearts and lives.

Instead, if we have been made alive, born again by the Spirit, our hearts are repaired, washed clean, and made whole… Now we can love others. Why?

We are made upright and pure in heart. We are filled with the Love of God and like a one of those fancy fountains at weddings, the cup pyramids the top cup being filled overflows to others.

Now that you have had your soul, your