1 Peter 2:10 says, “Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.” Let us now live as God’s people, live as servants of God.
Introduction “First Peter Series”
As we dive into studying First Peter, let us always be reminded of the love that Jesus has for us. He loves YOU. He died for YOU. As we read about His great mercy and kindness, let us dwell on all that we do that keeps us from having a beautiful relationship with Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to convict you in Scripture, and work in you to change the areas of your life which keep you from living a holy life.
- Homemakers, Live a Holy Life (1 Peter 1:1-25)
- Homemakers, Live as Servants of God (this post / video)
- Homemakers, Suffer as a Christian (week of March 3)
1 Peter 2:1-17, 3:1-7, 4:1-11 (Live a Holy Life)
1 Peter 2:1-17
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
2 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”
8 and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
Live as Servants of God
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.
13 For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, 14 or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. 16 As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. 17 Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
1 Peter 3:1-7
Wives and Husbands
3 Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4 rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 5 It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. 6 Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.
7 Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.
1 Peter: 4:1-11
Good Stewards of God’s Grace
4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), 2 so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. 3 You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. 5 But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.
7 The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Study “Live as Servants of God” (1 Peter 2:1-17)
The Living Stone and a Chosen People (1 Peter 2:1-10)
Let us begin by breaking down the specific sins Peter is telling us to rid of.
- Malice: the intention or desire to do evil
- Guile: cunning, deceiving people, dishonest in your methods to achieve something
- Insincerity: not having genuine feelings or intentions
- Envy: discontent, jealous, resentful
- Slander: false or damaging statements towards others
I love how Peter compared it to newborn infants. He knows that everyone will be new to the faith at some point, and like infants, will need to be taught everything. Peter is reminding us that our faith, our knowledge, our holiness will all grow as we long for that spiritual guidance “milk”.
We are also reminded in verse 4 to come to Him. Although rejected by the world, by society, by us at times, He is precious and chosen from God, our cornerstone. Peter is telling us that we are to be like this living stone (Jesus), built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus. Hebrews 3:6 reminds us, “And we are his house if we hold fast our confidence and pride in our hope.”
These are all terms used in the Old Testament, brought in to show the relationship between God’s chosen people, Israel, and how they are transformed into something new through Jesus. We are called to carry out God’s plan, being a living stone, when built together with many becomes a beautiful temple. Our bodies, our “spiritual house” is formed by our words, thoughts, and actions. We are to act in a way that our human life becomes a worship of God. We are called to join together, in one unity as a holy priesthood. Hebrews 8:10-12 tell us,
“I will plant my laws in their minds
and inscribe them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 And they shall not teach one another,
each saying to his neighbor and his brother,
‘Know the Lord.’
For they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 I shall forgive them for their wicked deeds,
and I shall remember their sins no more.”
We are God’s own people, who has called us out of the darkness, and into His light. Offering spiritual sacrifices, for we have been renewed. Do you offer spiritual sacrifices? Are you acting in righteous conduct that is honoring to the Lord: helping a fellow believer, preaching the good news of Jesus, spending time talking with God, reading from the Bible, praying with a genuine heart, going to Church, or letting go of the sins that have a hold on you?
Lead a Good Life (1 Peter 2:11-17)
Let us now take a few moments to really let verse 11 convict our hearts. “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.” Notice Peter’s wordage, “aliens and exiles”. As Christians, we walk the earth as pilgrim people, with full understanding that this is not our forever home. We do not look at society or cultures as nonbelievers do. We keep from what the world approves and fights for. James 4:4 reminds us, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” We MUST abstain from any or all desires of the flesh, of the world, in our lives that would eternally harm our soul.
Verse 12 is our reminders, “Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles (non-believers), so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” All of our words, our deeds, our actions should be produced for the sole purpose of glorifying God. Think about the life you are living now. Do people see Jesus when they look at you?
Verses 13 and 14 are God’s call for us to be subject to Him, by accepting the authority to every human institution. This could be our government, parliament, higher ups, those in charge. Even little actions like this, shows our obedience. Remember, this is obedience to God, not from our fear or admiration of the “human institution” leaders. Peter sets the standard for us in verse 15 and 16, “For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God.” LIVE AS SERVANTS OF GOD. We are called to love all, everyone. To honor men, honor authority, and above all else, fear God.
Study “Wives and Husbands” (Chapter 3:1-7)
Although there are many beautiful verses in the Bible about marriage, Peter’s directions for husbands and wives is very unique. Peter is speaking to those whose marriage may be rocky, or made up of a believer and nonbeliever. Peter is instructing a very hard task. A task that takes patience, hard work, dedication, and lots of love. He is instructing wives to pour out God’s love and mercy on their husband, when they “don’t deserve it.” Let’s dive in deeper!
Verse 1 begins with a familiar theme, one discussed in almost every verse talking about marriage. Wives are to accept the authority of their husbands, or to be submissive. This may be a daunting task for any wife whose husband isn’t leading her or his family. But Peter shares advice that can give any marriage hope. “…so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” This is such a powerful verse. How many wives begin to give up, lose hope, grow anger or resentment towards their husbands when they (the husbands) are not obeying the Word? What is the Word? Love.
- Colossians 3:19, “Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.”
- Ephesians 5:25-30, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body.
- 1 Timothy 5:8, “And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
- Hebrews 13:4, “Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.”
When looking at your marriage, think about what Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 7:4-5, “For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another (sex) except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” How is Satan tempting your marriage? What sins of yours or your husband’s is he using to break apart your marriage, to pull it away from the marriage God intends it to be?
Wives, believe it or not, but the husband has a much harder job. He is called to love you like Christ loves the Church. He is to obey the Word, obey the commands of Jesus. What is Jesus, love. We are called to use OUR WORDS, ACTIONS, BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES, and FAITH TO BRING OUR HUSBANDS TO GOD. We don’t even need to say a word, our conduct of purity and reverence may win them over. This is SO important!
Peter is reminding us that we should not adorn ourselves with our outward appearance, our hair, clothes, makeup, jewelry, but focus on our inner self. Peter tells us in verses 4 and 5, “…rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands.” Are you more focused on your outward or inward appearance? Are you trying to win your husband over by your looks and body, or your gentle and quiet spirit?
Study “Good Stewards of God’s Grace” (Chapter 4:1-11)
Peter begins chapter 4 with a powerful first verse, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin), so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.” THIS IS OUR GOAL! We will be discussing suffering more in depth in the next video and blog post, Homemakers, Suffer as a Christian. Let us keep this verse in the back of our minds always. Our goal is to stop our sins.
Peter is giving us the hopeful reminder that we have spent enough time in our sin, in our evil ways, we no longer are bound to our sinful ways, and can live for Christ. Let us break up verse 3, examine in your heart which sins you are still living in.
- Licentiousness (lacking moral and sexual restraint)
- Passions (sexual / drug addictions, spending money, gossiping, self-serving, sinful desires)
- Drunkenness
- Revels (drinking parties that go into the night, usually ending in sexual debauchery)
- Carousing (drinking excessively / freely, indulging in one’s appetite excessively)
- Lawless Idolatry (having false idols – anything you value more or place before your love and devotion to God)
What other sins are you still living in: gossiping, judging others, lying, stealing, not forgiving, over spending, using foul language, laziness, selfishness, etc.)? We must remove ourselves from our sins, so we might live in the spirit as God does.
Let us end and really reflect on verses 7-10, “The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
- Be serious and disciplined (some translations by say sane and sober) for your prayers
- Maintain constant love for all (this covers so many of our sins)
- Be hospitable without complaining (practice hospitality from a place of love and generosity)
- Use the unique gift that the Holy Spirit has given you (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord)
Study Questions and Summary
ARE YOU A SERVANT OF GOD?
- Do you offer spiritual sacrifices?
- Are you acting in righteous conduct that is honoring to the Lord: helping a fellow believer, preaching the good news of Jesus, spending time talking with God, reading from the Bible, praying with a genuine heart, going to Church, or letting go of the sins that have a hold on you?
- Do people see Jesus when they look at you?
- Do you honor and love all men? Do you fear God?
- How is Satan tempting your marriage?
- What sins of yours or your husband’s is he using to break apart your marriage, to pull it away from the marriage God intends it to be?
- Are you more focused on your outward or inward appearance?
- Are you trying to win your husband over by your looks and body, or your gentle and quiet spirit?
- What sins from verse 3 are your struggling with?
- How does your life reflect 1 Peter 4:7-11?
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