Lesson 6

Lesson 6

Living In Harmony

I Peter 1:22 - 2:3

Let's open our Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and read the text for today's message, I Peter 1:22-2:3.

In this passage, Peter does two things. First, he reminds his readers of what has happened to them as a result of salvation. Second, Peter issues some very clear and simple commandments for his readers to obey. He is saying in essence, "Because this has happened to you as a result of salvation, you should be doing these things.

What are these things? What has happened to / in us as a result of salvation? What things should we be doing? Let's look a little closer.

Peter points out 5 things that happens to a Christian. These are not the only five things that happens, but on the long list of all that happens at salvation are these 5 things.

5 Things That Happened When You Became A Christian

1. You heard the preaching of the Gospel, of God's Word, 1:25b. Since faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), in order to be saved, one must hear and respond to God's word. This reminds us of the importance of the proclamation of the word of God.

God's word changes lives. God's word produces spiritual fruit. God's word saves souls. James calls it "the engrafted word which is able to save your soul" James 1:21.

2. You got a taste of the graciousness of God, 2:3. When you were saved, you experienced God's grace. We are saved "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). But grace didn't end with salvation. Every day and in wonderful ways God pours out His grace on you.

3. You were "born again", 1:23-25a. Of course, Jesus used that term in a conversation with Nicodemus recorded in John 3. Here, Peter uses the same term. When Jesus used it, he emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. We are "born of the Spirit" (John 3:5, 6, 8). But when Peter speaks of being born again, he emphasizes the work of the word of God. Just as it requires two physical parents to produce a physical birth, it requires two spiritual parents to produce a new birth. The Spirit of God and the Word of God come together in the heart of human being and the result of their union is a new birth.

A new birth means a new beginning. When Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?" (John 3:5), he was not thinking literally. Rather, he was wondering, "Can I really start over in life? How can I have a brand new beginning?" That's what salvation, that's what being born again does. It means a new beginning.

It also means a new nature. Peter paints a contrast between "corruptible flesh" and the "incorruptible word of God". Mankind cannot hold civilization together because the flesh is corruptible, dead and decaying. Society, as we know it, is based on human flesh and, thus, is destined to fall apart. Like flowers, it looks good for a while, but soon fades and withers. On the other hand, the word of God "lives and abides and endures forever." (Quoting Isaiah 40:6-8). And we are "born again by the word of God"! In being born again, we receive a whole new nature.

4. The fourth thing that Peter says happened to us at salvation is that we have been purified on the inside, v. 22a, in obedience to the truth through the Spirit. This is what the theologians refer to as positional sanctification. We are saved and sanctified simultaneously by the Spirit, meaning that we have been made absolutely pure, completely forgiven in our standing with God.

5. The fifth thing that Peter says happened to us at salvation is that we have been given the capacity to have sincere love for others, v. 22b. By nature, we are not really lovers of others as much as we are lovers of self. We are, by nature, selfish. It took salvation to bring to bring us to the point that we could obey the truth through the Spirit and have the capacity to love others.

Peter reminds us that these 5 things happened at salvation.

1. We heard the word of God.

2. We got a taste of the graciousness of God.

3. We were born again - new beginning, new nature.

4. We were made pure on the inside by the Spirit.

5. We were given the capacity to genuinely love others.

These reminders form a foundation for the clear and simple commandments included in this passage.

Commanded To Live In Harmony

In the previous passage, Peter calls upon his readers to live in holiness toward God. The commands in this section are to live in harmony with each other.

First, Peter gives us a clear command in verse 22 to "love one another with a pure heart fervently." At least 13 times the New Testament commands us to love one another. Here again, Peter is quoting Jesus who said to his disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you that ye love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another" (John 13:34-35).

According to what Peter is saying, we have been given the capacity to love one another but, even though we have that capacity, we don't always choose to love each other. The command to love indicates that love is not a feeling but a matter of the will. We must choose to love each other.

In fact, in this passage, Peter uses two different Greek words for love. The first one - "unfeigned love of the brethern" is the "philadelphia" meaning the fondness and affections that brothers have. The second one - "love one another" is "agape" - the deepest, highest kind of love, the kind that God has for us. Salvation produced the capacity for brotherly love, but Peter commands a higher, deeper kind of love. This is a spiritual love.

These reminders form a foundation for the clear and simple commandments included in this passage.

Commanded To Live In Harmony

In the previous passage, Peter calls upon his readers to live in holiness toward God. The commands in this section are to live in harmony with each other.

These reminders form a foundation for the clear and simple commandments included in this passage.

Commanded To Live In Harmony

In the previous passage, Peter calls upon his readers to live in holiness toward God. The commands in this section are to live in harmony with each other.

In fact, in this passage, Peter uses two different Greek words for love. The first one - "unfeigned love of the brethren" is the "philadelphia" meaning the fondness and affections that brothers have. The second one - "love one another" is "agape" - the deepest, highest kind of love, the kind that God has for us. Salvation produced the capacity for brotherly love, but Peter commands a higher, deeper kind of love. This is a spiritual love.

We are commanded to treat others the way that God treats us. He forgives us; we should forgive others. He is kind to us; we should be kind to each other.

Peter also says that this is a sincere love. It is "unfeigned" and "with a pure heart". The motivation for this love is not manipulation - not in order to get but in order to give.

Peter says that this love is spiritual, sincere and is a fervent love. The Greek word for "fervently" comes from the world of athletic competition and means "to strive with all of one's energy". This is a kind of love that you have to work at like an athlete works at being in top form.

An so the first commandment from Peter in this passage, is to love one another with a spiritual, sincere and fervent love.

Second, Peter gives us a clear command in 2:1 to get rid of some things. Sometimes we have no appetite for love because we have been eating all the wrong things. Peter lists five things that need to be completely taken out of our diet.

All malice - this refers to general wickedness, sins that cause us to hurt and injure others.

All guile - which has to do with devious words and actions. Guile is being two-faced.

All hypocrisies - the Greek word for hypocrite means being an actor. It is pretending to be in public something different that you are in private. It is having a hidden life of secret sin.

All envies - feelings of jealously toward other.

All evil speaking - includes words that defame and slander others.

Three times in this verse Peter uses the word "all". God has zero tolerance for this sins. They must be completely gotten rid of.

One of the painful facts of life is that even the people of God do not always get along with each other. Peter says, "Listen! Salvation has completely changed you. You listen to God's Word. You know about graciousness. You now have a new nature, and inward purity and ability to obey. And you have the capacity to sincerely love others. So do it! Sincerely strive to love each other and get rid of all those sins - the two-facedness, the pretence and hypocrisy, the jealous and evil speaking - that keep you from loving one another.

The two greatest needs in every church is that we be holy toward God and in harmony with each other. We must confess our sins to God and right our relationships with one another.

Preaching through Peter has caused me to do some personal self-examination. I concluded that I had become a too lax and relaxed in my own attitudes toward holiness. Sometimes we are so afraid of the "legalist" label that we get ourselves involved in activities that will rob us of our holiness toward God.

As I examined myself about these things, I concluded that I am quite capable of all five of those sins listed in 2:1. I ask you today to do some of your own self-examination. I call upon you live in holiness toward God and in harmony with each other.