1 Peter 2

1. Be done with all evil lies and jealousy or talking behind each other's backs.

Nobody can put away all wickedness -so what can we do? We need to confess to God, “I cannot do this anymore” If we want His help.

Christ helps us put away sin as we ask for His help. We find weeds that choke the fruit and we cannot let them spread. Our enemies says it is only a small weed, but it keeps us from God's best. Our choice is not between very bad and a little bit better, but between what is good and what is best.

2. You are like newborn babies so you should be crying for spiritual milk to make you grow up in your salvation.

New babies have no way to help themselves and we cannot help ourselves, but we are allowed to use the riches of Christ. We have a new hunger for what is right and we are letting go of what is wrong. Milk is the perfect food for babies and the Word is the perfect way to build up your spirit

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready. 1 Corinthians 3:2

By now you should to be teachers, but you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the Word of God. You need milk, not solid food. Hebrews 5:12

3. And you will if you have tasted the goodness of the Lord.

How else will people get a taste of what the Lord is like unless they get a taste from us?

Do not turn away like a baby who would rather play than eat!

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Psalm 34:8

4. You have come to the Living Rock hated by men but chosen and honored by God.

Peter never said that he was the rock -his confession of Christ as the Son of God was the rock. Matthew 16:18

5. You are living stones and you must be built into a spiritual house God. You have become spiritual priests and you offer spiritual sacrifices, which are acceptable to God because of Jesus sacrifice.

Spiritual sacrifices:

Letting someone else have things their way.
Biting your tongue even though you know you are in the right.
Serving others when you do not feel like it.

6. As Isaiah says, “Look! I lay in Zion the main cornerstone -called and precious. Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

Some people use the idea of being called [English – elect] as a way of pushing their teaching that we are robots who were created to be Christians by no choice of our own. When the Bible speaks of being called it is showing us that even though all men are called to come to God (2 Peter 3:9 ), He planned that those who respond to His call would be saved.

The idea that ONLY certain ones are chosen through no will of their own does not fit with Jesus coming to die for us of His own free will.

Those who say we have no free will would have to say that Jesus (the Servant in Isaiah) was called without any action of His will.

Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My *elect* One in whom My soul delights.

I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. Isaiah 42:1

7. It is to you who believe in Him that He is precious, but to those who are against God, as the Psalm says, “The stone which the builders did not want was the cornerstone.”

God planned ahead to save all those who would make the decision to trust Him. Psalm 118:22

8. They stumble over the stone because they are against God's Word because it offends them -tripping and falling is what happens when you do not want to hear what God says.

When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized He was talking about them. Matthew 21:45

Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone.

It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 21:42

9. But you are God's unique people, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. All the titles of God's people now are yours and it is for you now to show His goodness because He called you out of darkness into glorious light.

As unique people we are set apart for Him only. As priests we bless and stand in the gap for others.

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

He has made us a Kingdom of priests. Revelation 1:6

Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them. Number 6:27

10. In the past you were not His people at all, but now you are the people of God. In the past you had not seen His mercy, but now it is yours.

We once lived in a different kind of world. We had to learn a new way to think and a new way to talk and a new way to live. We will become confused if we try to leave one foot in the old world that we used to live in.

11. I beg you (as those whom I love) to live in the world as strangers and pilgrims. Stay away from the desires of your body, because it is always at war with your soul.

The world is watching, so show them God's glory by doing the opposite of what the world does. Remember to be careful that the body does not drag down the soul.

12. Your conduct among the people who are watching should always be lived out in a way that they do not say you are troublemakers, but so that they will give God the glory when they see the kind of life you live.

Blessing is the cure, we bless our enemies, which shocks them. This is the only way to make them stop mocking. More people are won to Christ by watching a Christian's life than any other way

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44

13 – 14

Obey the rulers for the Lord's sake. Whether it is the king, or the governors that God has chosen to punish evil men and reward those who do good.

We have respect for the law, and the officer who represents the law, even if the officer is not a perfect person.

15. It is the will of God, that you may put to silence the mocking of foolish men.

The word used here is agnostic, which means, "I do not know." Many people nowadays will tell you very proudly, "I am an agnostic!" They do not realize that what they are saying is that they do not know what they are talking about.

16. As freemen you should never use your freedom as an excuse for doing something wrong

Sad to say, there are Christians who say that they can do whatever they want to "as long as it does not hurt anybody." They also say," If what I am doing offends you, that is your problem."

Do not let your personal freedom be spoken of as evil. Romans 14:16

17. You should have respect for everyone for your God and honor the rulers

Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Romans 13:7

18. You servants should follow the instructions of your masters with respect not only the good ones but also to the ones who are hard to get along with.

History shows that Christians influenced Roman law to allow some better treatment of slaves. There will always be some who say that Christian should have overthrown the government and stopped slavery, but the American Civil War shows us what would have happened.

The way of Christ is to create change by living as Christ lived -not by killing and destroying everything that is evil by force. There is a lot of evidence that there is more slavery now than at any time in history, the answer has to be a change in the heart.

With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. Proverbs 25:15

19 – 20

God is pleased when we live through trials with a clear conscience towards God and are treated badly when we do not deserve it. It is nothing special if you are patient when you are being punished for something that you deserved, but if you have done nothing wrong and are in trouble for it, and you can still be patient -then this is very pleasing to God.

Would you like to have God's approval? God is pleased when we are patient during undeserved punishment, it is a way of displaying Christ. You cannot complain about bad treatment if you did something to deserve it.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what help is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Luke 6:33

21. God has called us to this because Christ suffered for us and left you a personal example so that you could follow in His footsteps.

Jesus said that we would suffer for His name.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Matthew 5:11

Sometimes His steps lead into the wilderness. How many people, in the Bible, can you find who were sent into the desert?

There is a story of a wounded soldier in the hospital. A lady was visiting soldiers in the hospital and she came to his bed and said, “Thank you for being wounded for me."
Living the way that Jesus lived is our way of saying, "Thank you."

22. As Isaiah said, “He committed no sin, nor was any evil found in His mouth.”

He had done nothing wrong, and there was no lie in his mouth. Isaiah 53:9

23. Jesus did not do anything wrong but He was insulted and He did not threaten to get revenge, but kept on committing Himself to God who judges correctly.

He kept on giving His situation to God.

Here is the patience of the saints: that they keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

24. And Jesus personally took the punishment that we deserved in His own body on the cross so that we might become dead to sin and be alive to that which is good.

When we take these things patiently it is a picture of how Christ was treated and how He responded.

We say we cannot do it! Jesus says, “With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4

25. You were wandering away like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd who guards your soul.

The cross also heals our soul: mind, will and emotions.