Studies from 1 Peter- 7a

Features of a Growing Christian. 1 Peter 1:22—2:3

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because
       “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.”
Now this is the word, which by the gospel was preached to you.”

Outline

A healthy & growing Christian will:-

1. Love one another. 1 Peter 1:22
        a. Because of our right relation with the Lord. v. 22
         b. Because of our new life. V. 23
2. Get rid of all evil. 1Peter 2:1
3. Long for the word – pure milk. 1Peter 2:2
         a. Check your appetite
         b. Tasting is only a beginning. V. 3

Introduction:-

After elaborating the greatness of salvation from 1:3 to 12 writer began to give a series of instructions to the readers. He began with holy life (1:13—21), now takes up spiritual growth from 1:22 to 2:3.

        Growth is a natural result of life. How interesting it is to play with a little child! Nevertheless it is not so happy moment to meet a retarded child. Just as we expect a normal growth in proportion to the age, every born again child of God should grow in his / her spiritual life.
Paul rebukes Corinthians for their immaturity. 1 Cor.3:1—3. Writer of Hebrews also admonishes them for their failure to grow. Hebrews 5:12—14.

        Peter presents three specific features of a growing Christian. Along with each trait he also adds some more motivating factors that prompt a believer to live in a certain way. In other word we see a mixture of privileges and responsibilities of a Christian linked to each other.

A healthy growing believer in Christ will:-

1. Love one another. V. 22

Four things about his love:-
         a. Sincere love: - Unfeigned love –not a show, not just in words, not hypocritical but true.
         b. Brotherly love: - Love of the brethren, not just as if brethren, but because we are of one family, brethren indeed. Family affection for one another!
         c. Fervent love: - Loving deeply. Not a cold, indifferent, half-hearted response but with full force showing care and love.
         d. Heart-love: - Love from a pure heart. A healthy heart beats spontaneously and blood flows naturally. Similarly our love should flow instinctively from a healthy heart, from the depths of our innermost being!
         Do we have such love for one another? Peter says it is the mark of a healthy Christian. Cf. 1 John. 2:11; 4:20. 1 Corinthians 13 is the best standard to gauge our love.

What makes love an essential mark of a Christian? Two reasons are found here.
        i. Our right relation with the Lord. v. 22
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers...” (NIV)

        What Peter says is this; a believer in Christ heard the gospel, obeyed the truth, cleansed from his sins and that leads naturally to love for God as well as man. Obedience to Christ shows his love for the Lord. When a person loves God and maintains a right relationship with Him, loving the brethren becomes very much natural.

        That means if we fail to deal with our fellow brethren in divine love we need to examine our own life; problem may not be with others but us. If we are not right with God it is very much hard to be right with people. Cf. 1John. 1:3

        ii. Our new life .v 23
“Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible …”
        Another factor that makes love mandatory is our new life. By virtue of our regeneration by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, using the word of God, we have received a new nature. This indwelling divine nature will never die as it has been produced by the imperishable seed - the word of God.
         It is the indwelling new nature that helps us to do that fallen man can never do, that includes showing God’s love for one another. Cf. Romans 5:5.

So, our new relationship with God and the indwelling new nature demand that we love others sincerely and fervently.

2. Get rid of all evil. 1Peter 2:1

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