An Appetite for Being Good

It’s what we do

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 NIV

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 NIV

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Restaurant Row- too many choices.

Your appetite is defined by your new identity:

1 Peter 2:1–3 NET 2nd ed.

So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, if you have experienced the Lord’s kindness.

First, you are a child in God’s holy family and sit at His table.

No matter how long you have been a believer, the only way to grow in your salvation—to become spiritual and master the art of obedience—is through pure spiritual milk.

1 Peter 2:4–5 NET 2nd ed.

So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:6–8 NET 2nd ed.

For it says in scripture, “Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.” So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Second, you are a living building block in God’s holy temple.

1 Peter 2:9–10 NET 2nd ed.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Hosea 1:6 (NET 2nd ed.)

She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, “Name her ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity on the nation of Israel. For I will certainly not forgive their guilt.

Hosea 1:9 (NET 2nd ed.)

Then the Lord said: “Name him ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), because you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

Hosea 2:23 (NET 2nd ed.)

Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’ And he will say, ‘You are my God!’ ”

1 Peter 2:11–12 NET 2nd ed.

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.

Third, you are a citizen of God’s holy nation

There is one thing we can develop an appetite for…holy obedience

Mastering the Christian life is like mastering other things: it's a matter of doing the basics again and again.