Question

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Crave Pure Spiritual Milk

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Key Verse: 2:2 

1. Read verses 13-16. How did Peter exhort believers to live (13-16)? Why should they do these things? What should characterize their attitude? How does a person’s hope affect their practical life?

2. Read v. 17-21. What does Peter tell us about the Father on whom we call (17a)? In light of this, how should we live? (17b) What was the cost of our redemption and why does Peter remind us of this (18-19)? What has God done for us through Jesus (20-21)?

3. Read v. 22-25. What happened when we obeyed the truth (22a)? How does Peter further exhort us (22b)? Why is it so important to learn to love one another deeply (23-25)? How does Peter describe the word of God?

4. Read 2:1-3. What does “therefore” imply (2:1a)? What hindrances to spiritual growth should we get rid of (1b)? What exhortation did Peter give regarding spiritual growth (2-3)? What does “like newborn babies” teach us about the mindset we should have? 

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• 1 Pe01-13-02-03-q.docx

Message

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 Crave Pure Spiritual Milk As New Born Babies

1 Peter 1:1:13-2:3

Key Verse:2:2-3 “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.”

1 Peter is Peter’s encouraging letter to the suffering Christians who were scattered around Asia Minor. Peter encouraged them to have identity as God’s elect and chosen people who have the living hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter said that their present suffering made their faith strong like pure gold refined by fire. In today’s passage Peter continues to encourage them by instructing them how to live as God’s elect and chosen people. 

First, be holy in all you do (13-16) Before we came to know God, we lived according to our physical desire. We did whatever we wanted and we went wherever we desired. We ourselves became the master of our lives. There was no moral law or spiritual device which led us to live right in the sight of God. As a result, we made many mistakes and went to the wrong place where we should not go. Peter describes this situation in verse 13 as spiritual drunkenness. Look at verse 13. “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” Here the word ‘sober’ means ‘not affected by drunkenness.’ Life without God leaves men with spiritual drunkenness. Peter asked them to wake up from their spiritual drunkenness and be alert. In verse 14 he said. “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” Here the word ‘conform’ means ‘follow’. When we followed evil desires, we became enemies of God. Paul said in Romans 8:7 that the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. What does Peter want us to do as God’s elect and his obedient children?

Let us read verse 15. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”Peter asked them to be holy in all they do. Here the word ‘holy’ does not only indicate moral purity, but also spiritual purity. Spiritual purity means our full devotion to God with a single heart. God said in Deuteronomy 6:4-6, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.” To be holy means to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength. The LORD is only one and our heart is only one. We must love God and serve him only with our single heart. Jesus showed us a good example. Since he came to this world, he loved God the Father and served him only while he lived on this earth. He did not do anything by himself or for himself, but with God the Father. In John’s gospel Jesus said, “My father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” (Jn 5:17) “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (Jn 5:19) Jesus had a single heart for God the Father. As the Father was holy, he was holy, too. We must repent of our idolatry and double-mindedness. Even though we became children of God by God’s grace, we don’t love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. We have many idols in our hearts and many things to love from this world. So, we can not focus on God alone. Peter rebukes us and encourages us to be holy as the Lord Jesus is holy. We must be holy in all we do, in our thought, in our speech, in our behavior, in our conversation, in our relationship, and in all things. We must focus on God and live according to his will. Let us get rid of all idols from our hearts so that we may be holy as the Lord is holy and that we may serve the Lord Jesus with all our heart, soul, and strength. Amen!

In church history, spiritual revivals occurred through those who wanted to keep their faith amongst severe persecution and corruption. In 1517  after the Reformation started in Germany through Martin Luther, the religious reformation movements spread to other countries such as France, Switzerland, and England. With the influence of John Calvin, Huguenots, the French protestants, fought against the Roman Catholic to keep their faith. More than thousands Huguenots were massacred at St. Bartholomew’s Day in Paris, France by the Catholics. Still, they kept their faith. Those who scattered, escaping persecutions, moved to other countries, even to America in the 17th-18th century.  Puritans in England also kept their faith in the midst of persecution in the 16th-17th century. The Puritans who moved to America for religious freedom laid the foundation to build a new nation, the United States of America. Among the Puritans there were John and Charles Wesley, George Whitfield, and so on. The Wesley brothers formed a pious spiritual meeting called “Holy Club” and started prayer meetings and Bible studies in Oxford England in the 18th century. The Holy Club became the starting point of the Methodist Church in England and later in America. All these Huguenots, Puritans, and Holy Club members wanted to live a holy life as Christ was. They fought a good fight and kept their faith to live a holy life as Christ is holy.

Second, live as foreigners in reverent fear (17-21) Last week we learned that our living hope as children of God is the inheritance which we will receive and which is kept in heaven for us. In fact, Christians are those who live with the hope of the inheritance which is in heaven. Indeed, we put our real hope and goal in heaven, not on this earth. So, to the eyes of the unbelievers, we are like foreigners or strangers on this earth. The foreign land is not their final destination, but their home country is their real and final place to go. To the Israelites, the Promised Land was their homeland, not Egypt. In the same way the kingdom of God is our eternal home and final destination and that we are foreigners on this earth.

Those who put their hope in heaven remember God’s grace and appreciate God who sacrificed his One and Only Son Jesus. Look at verses 17-21. “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or deceit. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, so your faith and hope are in God.” Paul said in Ephesians 4:1, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” In order to save us God sacrificed his One and Only Son Jesus on the cross. Jesus, the Son of God, took the cross and died for the sins of the world. So, John the Baptist said about Jesus, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29) We were all saved by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. We did not do anything for our salvation in the sight of God. Rather, we stored up the wrath of God because of our sins. But, Jesus obeyed God the Father and gave up his life for our salvation. We must praise Jesus and live a life worthy of God’s grace. We must give thanks to God in all circumstances. The reason for the fall of the Israelites in the wilderness was that they had forgotten the grace of God’s deliverance from Egypt. They complained about inconvenience and uncomfortable life in the desert. They forgot how they had lived miserably as slaves under Pharaoh in Egypt. When they forgot God’s grace, they complained and blamed God and worshiped idols. We must trust in God, thank Him, and worship Him only in reverent fear. Amen!

Third, love one another deeply from the heart (22-25) When we put our hope in God and live for the kingdom of heaven as foreigners, we love our brothers and sisters deeply from our heart. Because we know that our destination is the kingdom of heaven and that our life on this earth is temporary, we are free from attachment to this world. We accept other believers as our family members who will live together in heaven forever. One of our church members lives like this. She is patient with other coworkers’ mistakes and shortcomings, and she struggles to live with them at peace as much as possible. She can do so because her hope is in the kingdom of God and she lives on this earth as a foreigner. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet the night before he suffered. He showed his disciples how to love one another. Jesus taught them how to love one another by washing other’s feet. Washing other’s feet means forgiving others’ sin and forbearing their mistakes and shortcomings. When we obey Jesus’ words and conform to the way of his life, we love each other. Look at verses 22-25. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” After the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus prayed for them. We can see his prayer in John 17. In his prayer for his disciples, Jesus prayed this, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (Jn 17:17) Jesus knew that his disciples were still weak from persecution and vulnerable from temptation. Jesus knew that they can overcome all these when they obey the word of God, which is truth. When they obey Jesus’ command, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 13:34) they can love one another. We are born sinful and rebellious. But when we obey the word of God, we can be holy and obedient to Christ. Even though he was Son, Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. (He 5:8) Where can we go for our perfection? How can we live a life worthy of our salvation? We can be holy as he is holy when we live according to his word. Psalm 119:9-11 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Amen!

Fourth, crave pure spiritual milk (2:1-3) According to Paul, a human being is composed of three parts from outside to inside: flesh, mind (soul), and spirit. (1 Thes 5:23) Flesh grows by eating food. This is the reason why we eat three meals a day.  Mind (soul) desires for knowledge. This is the reason why people study and go to school. Spirit craves different food, spiritual food, which is the word of God. This is the reason why we read the Bible and pray. Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Mt 5:6)

Our heart is like an empty bowl. Our soul is affected by what we put in our heart. If we put in dirty thoughts or evil desires, our heart becomes a trash can. When we put in holy thoughts and spiritual desires, our heart becomes a holy temple. (1 Co 6:19) Since our hearts are like empty bowls, we must put pure and holy things in our heart for our salvation. When a newborn baby eats good milk, he or she can grow strong and healthy. Good milk enables them to grow healthy in the sight of their parents. Their health is determined by what they eat and drink. Our souls are the same. Peter said in verse 1 that we must get rid of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (1) He meant that we must repent of our sins. If we eat rotten food, we must throw it out before we become sick by a food poison. In the same way we must confess our sins to be forgiven for our souls. Next, we must restore our stomach with good and healthy food, which is the word of God. Read verses 2-3. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” When you see newborn babies carefully, they are eager to eat milk from their mother or from a milk bottle. They cry out loud when they become hungry. Peter asks us to crave pure spiritual milk, which is the word of God, like newborn babies. How much do you crave the word of God? How much and how many times do you read the Bible a day? I cannot but confess that I am ashamed of my poor attitude toward the word of God. In fact, I spend more time in front of the computer than reading the word of God. Of course I start every day by reading Daily Bread provided by the UBF website. I also read Bible passages to prepare for Bible study questions, answers, notes during the week, and meditate on them to write Sunday messages during the weekend. Still, I feel a lack of my zeal for the word of God for my soul. How about you?  How many hours do you spend reading the Bible and praying? Let us read verses 2-3 again.

When we read the word of God, we can grow in our salvation. Paul said 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The word of God enables our soul to grow for our perfect salvation. The word of God enables us to grow spiritually up to the level of Jesus. We can become as holy as Jesus when we are sanctified with the word of God. We can become as humble as Jesus when we learn from his humility and obedience. We can love others as ourselves, when we obey his command, which is to love one another.  When we grow in the love of Christ, we taste that the Lord is good. We come to realize that love is good. We say that the word of God is as sweet as honey as the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:103. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Amen!

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• 1 Pe01-13-02-03-message-2024.docx