Growing in Love
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1 Peter 1:22-2:3
1 Peter 1:22-2:3
Welcome
Introduction
Last night, as I was finishing up sermon prep, and I was reminded of a Reese’s commercial that I used to see a lot when I was a kid. The commercial would say, “This is how so-and-so eats a Reese’s. And this is how so-and-so eats a Reese’s.” The commercial would end by saying, “There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.
I can all but guarantee you that this type of ad campaign wouldn’t work in 2020. Someone over here would say, “This is the right way eat a Reese‘s.” Someone over there would be triggered and respond, “Well that’s your truth but it’s not my truth.” And eventually, one of them would be called a racist and the other would be called a Marxist, because that’s just how our society seems to work. At least, that’s how I understand 2020 America from social media.
Our country is extremely polarized. Over the years, we’ve argued war or no war, wall or no wall. What do we do with immigration? What do we do with refugees? This year alone we’ve been forced to take positions on masks or no masks, on black lives matter or all lives matter, on Trump or Biden. Did I mention that it’s an election year?
Our country is extremely polarized, and this bent toward polarization is creating division within the church. How should we spend church finances? Should we play certain types of music within the worship service? What is the church’s take on the issues of race and social justice? These are arguments that I see all of the time. Fortunately, God’s Word is not silent. Our text this morning has not only encouragement, but also instruction for us today.
If you have your Bible, you can turn with me to 1 Peter 1:22-2:3. This morning’s text was written to a group that Peter refers to as elect exiles. This was a group of Christians, likely with a Jewish background, who had been scattered throughout Asia minor and persecuted for their faith. Peter encourages his readers, reminding them in 1:3-12 that God is sovereign over their suffering. He will sustain their faith and he will fulfill his promises. In verses 13-21, Peter urges them to continue to place their hope in what God has promised upon Christ’s return. He explains that hope doesn’t just stand still, but that it will lead them in sanctification. Now, in 1 Peter 1:22-2:3, Peter urges his readers to grow in love for one another.
Reading
1 Peter 1:22-2:3
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Prayer
Exposition
Our text for this morning is neatly divided into two sections: 1:22-25 and 2:1-3. Within these verses, Peter instructs his readers to love one another. In the first set of verses, Peter gives us the “why.” In the second set of verses, he tells us how.
As we turn our attention to 1 Peter 1:22-25, we will discover two truths: In loving one another, we fulfill the purpose of God and in loving one another, we reflect the character of God.
In 1 Peter 1:22, Peter tells his readers to love one another. He says, “Love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” It’s interesting that this command is sandwiched between two participial clauses, which give us the “why” that lays the foundation for love among believers.
First, Peter writes, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love”
This is definitely an odd way to say what he’s actually saying. In telling us to love one another, Peter reminds us that we have “Purified our souls by obedience to the truth.” If someone were to ask you why he or she should love other Christians, you could say, “Because you’ve purified your souls by your obedience to the truth.” You could definitely say that.... But people might look at you like a calf staring at a new gate. It’s an odd way to say what he’s actually saying, so we’ll have to do a little bit of work here.
When Peter tells them they have purified their souls by their obedience to the truth, he’s alluding back to what he had written in 1 Peter 1:2, where he uses similar language to refer to the covenantal aspect of their election. There, he proclaims that they are elect exiles for obedience and for the sprinkling of Christ’s blood. Obedience and sprinkling in 1:2, much like obedience and purifying in 1:22, have the same effect. In both texts, Peter’s referring to their covenantal relationship with God, as his elect people.
For Peter to tell his readers that they have purified their souls by their obedience to the truth, he’s reminding them of their covenantal relationship with God. They have been purified (literally, consecrated) by their “obedience to the truth” - that is, by their submission to the gospel.
Here, Peter is saying, “You have been brought into covenant relationship with God” for the purpose of brotherly love. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about it that way, but you have been saved for the purpose of love. When sin entered the world, it destroyed your capacity to have a genuine love for others. However, through Christ, this capacity has been restored. Peter is now reminding his readers that they have been saved for something.
One commentator explains:
1 Peter a. The Word of God is Imperishable Seed (1:22–25)
the purpose of the new covenant in Christ’s blood to restore a chosen humanity to righteous living. Righteous behavior toward others defines love. For Peter, obedience to the truth of the gospel is not merely intellectual assent to doctrine but must result in a transformation of how Christians treat others, because moral transformation is a central purpose of Christ’s redemption.
In securing our salvation through his death and resurrection, Christ began to overthrow the powers of darkness and bring about restoration, not only between man and God, but also between man and his fellow man. So, Peter then is telling his readers to love one another earnestly from a pure heart because they have been saved, in order that they might love.
Secondly, Peter says that they should love one another because “you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”
Why then do we love one another? Because we have been born again, of imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God.
Peter says that our love for one another is a product of our new birth. What about our conversion requires that we love one another? Here, Peter uses the imagery of a seed to explain.
We’ve been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable. Every seed grows up to resemble that which bore it. A tulip seed not only comes from tulips, but under the right conditions will also grow up to become a tulip.
Imagine going to your local nursery and one of the workers there asks if you need any help. You tell him, “Well, yes. I wanted to pick up some tulip seeds.” Now imagine him saying, “Ok. Here are the seeds. But I just want to warn you beforehand. These may grow up to become roses.
That would be ridiculous. Of course, he would never say that. Why? Because every seed grows up to resemble that which bore it. Peter commands us to love one another and, in so doing, reflect the character of God.
This new birth is further characterized, as Peter clarifies that we’ve been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God.
I love what Carson and Beale say on this:
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament 1 Peter 1:24–25
The new birth generates life from imperishable seed, the word of God, which implicitly is contrasted with ordinary life generated by normal human procreation, life that is fragile, temporary, and frequently vile. The quality and enduring character of this new life, over against all the ephemeral qualities of mere mortal life, is grounded in the quality and enduring character of the “seed” that engendered it, the word of God.
As we see throughout the epistle, Peter loves to highlight the perishable and imperishable qualities of certain things. Here, as he’s unpacking the reality of the new birth, that we have been born again so that we might reflect God’s character, Peter also encourages them by reminding them of their future redemption. In other words, he’s saying, “You’ve been born again, of the imperishable seed of the gospel, and the promises of the gospel still stand.”
Peter supports this, quoting from Isaiah 40:6-8.
A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 40 marks a unique shift in the book of Isaiah. for the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the prophet spoke about the nation’s future exile. In chapter 40 and beyond, the prophet speaks about Israel’s future deliverance from exile. Isaiah 40 was a prophecy of comfort, spoken to God’s people, who felt as though God had abandoned them.
Within this passage, there are two speakers - the prophet and who we assume to be God or the divine council. The divine figure instructs the prophet to “cry” - that is, to continue in his work of prophecy. The prophet objects, “What shall I cry?” and then reflecting on the current state of Israel, a nation that had lost its beauty, says “all flesh is grass and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers and the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.”
Yet, as we see in verse 8, the divine figure doesn’t correct the prophet’s low-spirited lament. In verse 8, the divine figure affirms the transient nature of humanity. People are born and then they die. Nations rise and then they fall. To quote Robert Frost, “Nothing gold can stay.”
This divine figure doesn’t rebuke the prophet or correct what the prophet says, but he does add to the prophet’s words. “The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40 acknowledges human frailty - we will not last forever. But over against our impermanence is this truth: God is sovereign and he will keep his promises.
Peter concludes this section, affirming not only the eternality of their conversion, but also affirming the promises of the gospel left unfulfilled. He writes, “And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” Without a doubt, Peter is looking forward to the eschatological return of Christ, at which point the people of God, the elect exiles, are finally brought home.
Peter encourages us, who have experienced this new birth, by affirming that the promises of the gospel stand, that in time God will bring about our deliverance. In the meantime, Peter tells us to love one another earnestly from a pure heart. He tells us that in doing so, we are fulfilling the purpose of God in our salvation and we are reflecting the character of God, as his children.
In the section part of our text this morning, Peter gives us the how. In 1 Peter 1:22-25, he told us why we are to love one another. Now in 1 Peter 2:1-3, he tells us how we are to love one another. The text reads,
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Without a doubt, this is the practical part of our text this morning. Here, Peter is telling us how we can go about loving one another, in a way that fulfills God’s purpose for us and reflects his character.
Peter begins this section, telling us to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. The verb translated “put away” is often used in the New Testament, referring to the shedding of certain practices or behavior that is inconsistent with the Christian life. Here, Peter is not only saying that the following acts are inconsistent with Christian life, but that they also are destructive to Christian fellowship.
One commentator explains
1 Peter b. Moral Transformation is Spiritual Nourishment (2:1–3)
The vices listed in 2:1 that must be put off are those that destroy relationships and hence that destroy community. Peter is explaining in this letter how social alienation that the Christian experiences from society is to be remedied by the genuine fellowship found within the community of believers
Let’s take a closer look at these habits and see how they can subvert our aim to love one another.
Malice, an attitude similar to hatred, is the desire to inflict pain, harm, or injury on another person. It includes the holding of grudges and acting out of these grudges against others.
Deceit refers to deliberate dishonesty, to speaking or acting with ulterior motives. Anything less than speaking the full and honest truth from the heart is deceit. This vice is the selfish, two-faced attitude that deceives and hurts others for personal gain.
Hypocrisy is an interesting word. It’s a compound Greek word that literally means to be under decision or judgment. The word soon came to refer to an actor, whose performance was often critiqued. From there, this word came to mean a person who is acting out a part and concealing his true motives.
Envy begins with a desire to possess what belongs to someone else. But it is more than this. It is a resentful discontent. Envy is “the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others.”
Slander (katalaleo) literally means “to speak against someone.” It suggests running others down verbally. It is speech that deliberately assaults the character of other persons. It is any speech that harms another person’s status or reputation.
Regardless of how one defines love, it is hard to see how any of these could be said to promote mutual affection and unity within the body of Christ. Peter’s list of vices, then, becomes a helpful indicator, as to whether or not you are loving others well.
Do you have any bad blood with anyone? Are you holding any grudges?
Are you hiding or glossing over the truth?
Are you saying one thing, but then doing another?
Are you lamenting at the success or prosperity of others?
Are you speaking against others? Are you trying to ruin someone’s reputation?
Peter tells us to put off these practices. Like old clothes, they don’t really fit in your life with Christ and they keep you from loving others sincerely and earnestly from a pure heart.
In 1 Peter 2:2, we find another imperative. Peter tells us,
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Here, he uses an analogy, comparing believers to babes, but their is an interpretive issue that’s caused some confusion. Like infants need milk, Christians need what?
Depending on your translation, the text either reads “pure spiritual milk” or “pure milk of the word.” The difference has to do with how one word, λογικός, is translated.
This word is only used twice in the New Testament - here and in Romans 12:2. There, it is translated as spiritual, rational, or reasonable. Why, then do some translations read, “pure milk of the word?”
The word λογικός is very similar to its root word λογός, which means “word.” Given the usage of λογός in 1 Peter 1:22-25, it becomes very easy to read into and reinterpret what Peter is saying. Of course, we could say, “Like infants need milk, Christians need the Bible.” Disciplined study of God’s Word is imperative for spiritual growth.
Nevertheless, reading the Bible is not our only need and λογικός, though similar, is not the same as λογός.
It’s best to read this verse as the ESV does, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” What does this milk refer to? The sustaining life God gives.
Without telling us directly, Peter alludes to Psalm 34, as he penned verse 3. Particularly, he had in mind Psalm 34:8-10, which reads,
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
In light of this, how should we understand Peter’s charge to “long for the pure spiritual milk?” Long for the spiritual vitality that comes from seeking after God.
As Christians, we are to strive to love one another. How do we do that? By laying aside all the habits that might hinder our relationships with other believers and by actively seeking after God. In this way, we will not only
Application
Witness - John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Worship
Hebrews 10:24-25
James 5:16
Prayer