The first verse of 1 Peter 2 begins with the word “Therefore” which strongly associated with the previous verses. Today I will begin with providing an important application taken from this 1 Peter 1: 22 – 25. Two weeks ago, we have discussed about genuinely to love one another as children of God wholeheartedly as an application from our understanding of the word of God; what God has done for us, and the living word of God that provided us with the lives so that we can love one another as God’s people.
Today we will discuss the second application before we can discuss about 1 Peter 2, on how we can love people within the Church of God and how we can love people who have not believed in God. Especially when we read the second part of verse 25, “And this is the word that was preached to you.” This word of God has reborn us and provided us with lives, that we have accepted the gospel, the gospel that is God’s power that can save those people who believed in Him.
The application also advised us that as we have accepted the eternal live, that we can also share this word of God to non-believers and people out there. Because of that gospel alone that reborn us, that we have also been called to preach the word of God in the middle of this world. This will be the response from our hearts that loves them, because Christ and God our father already loves us before – through Christ that has died and risen for us.
Reverend Stephen Tong continues to remind us that our church is not only as a Reformed Church, but our church is also a Reformed Evangelical Church. He also continues to remind us that because we are the members of the Reformed Evangelical Church who believe in the sovereignty of God, have been saved only by the grace of God – that we sometimes used the incorrect logic that made us not to have hearts that loves those people who have sinned and those people who really needing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We sometimes used the incorrect logic that we thought should God chooses before the world was formed, and should God appointed on who can be saved, therefore why should I preach the gospel? Aren’t those people who will be saved will still be saved? Aren’t those people who will not be saved, who harden their hearts, who have been missed by the grace of God that they have listen to the gospel that they will still not to believe and will still reject God? So, what is the point we preach the gospel? Again, this is the incorrect logic and not the bible’s logic.
The bible’s logic is like when God strengthen disciple Paul in Corinth that has been written in the Acts 18, where disciple Paul preaches the word of God in Corinth. There have been many conflicts and struggles and there have been many people disagreed with disciple Paul when he attempted to preach the gospel of God. Paul kept struggling in his sleep on what he must do and he has been scared. However, God declared Himself to Paul to not be afraid and continue to preach in Corinth, because of two reasons: “God will always be with you” and “Because many of them have been God’s people in this city.”
We have now entered 1 Peter 2, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” We have received the eternal word of God that we should rid ourselves of these evil things. In this 1 Peter 2, not only it commanded us to rid ourselves of these evil things, it also emphasized us to remember that the word of God not only reborn us but it also sustained us in this new life and it grows us to live in this new life.
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Peter reminded us that the word of God that has reborn us and to grow us, just like newborn babies who always crave for the pure milk – this is the strong desire that babies will try their absolute hardest to crave for the pure milk. This is the sign that it cannot be not in existence in the lives of children of God. Let us all like newborn babies for our longing of the word of God that has been given to us that we can live meaningfully that we will grow in salvation.
Let us come to God like a Samarian woman, fulfill my cup Lord, come and quench this thirsting of my soul, and fulfill our hearts. May our day to day, after hearing this word of God that we can come to God every day, come to the word of God like newborn babies and we will crave pure spiritual milk. And this will sustain us, strengthen us, freshen our spiritual lives and to grow us in our own faith, in God’s grace and in our recognition to Jesus Christ until we meet face to face with our savior.
