1 Peter 2

‘So’ is a connecting word to “Having purified your souls by obedience”. (Chapter 1 vs 22)

Vocabulary words 😇

Malice-desire to afflict suffering, either because of a hostile impulse or deep-seated meanness.  

Deceit-intentionally distorting the truth to mislead.  

Hypocrisy-a pretense of having a virtuous character.  

Envy-a feeling of discontent or covetousness.  

Slander-malicious, false, or defamatory report.  

Cross-references—

Psalm 34:8; Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14.  

If you have truly been changed by God, put away all this childish behavior.  The intent to hurt, lie, be mean, mislead, pretend to be holier-than-thou, to be discontent—none of this comes from God.  If you only know the very basic of the gospel, you know that.  But we shouldn’t be bragging “at least I wasn’t mean today ✔️ “, we should be longing for more!! So as that longing draws us near to Christ Jesus, the alive and sturdy foundation, let’s build on what He started.  THE cornerstone of the spiritual temple may have been rejected by the world, but He is precious and chosen by God.  These Jewish Christian exiles were no doubt missing their home temple (can I get an Amen?!?!?) but Peter reminds them its ok, there’s still plenty they can do to honor and worship God.  They know full well the components of the original temple-carefully placed stones that made up the building where priests, the chosen tribe of Levi, offer up sacrifices for themselves and the nation of Israel.  But through Christ Jesus, those stones have become alive! As He called them out of darkness into glorious light, they have a deliberate life to live.  They need to intentionally control their fleshly desires and LIVE in a way that glorifies God.  This is the  beginning of a long list of practical ways the Jewish Christian exiles can  live, even 550 miles from anything that’s ever looked like normal to them. Submission to authority was first on the list.  Living in freedom, but not using the freedom to sin. (See list at the beginning of chapter 2 😣) They Do answer to a higher authority as servants of God, but that’s no reason to have a haughty attitude to the foolish (they stumble because they don’t know Christ.) It’s a reflection of the grace of God to react by entrusting ourselves only to the One who judges justly.  

This chapter changes me by leading me once again to identify with these exiled Jewish Christians.  As exile weighs heavy on our hearts, it’s easy to get grouchy.  With each other and with the world around us.  (Guilty as charged 🙋🏻‍♀️) But if malice and deceit and hypocrisy reign supreme in my heart, instead of the pattern Jesus Himself laid out for me, what’s the glory in that? It will be to my shame if I react with disrespect  to those in authority over me, even if they darn well deserve it.  (Those who have rejected Jesus disobey the Word of God.  Why do we then get mad that they aren’t following the way of Jesus??) I will be better off to entrust myself to the One who judges justly, building on the living cornerstone of Christ Jesus’ completed work.  This good thing, the will of God, is enough to silence the ignorance of foolish people.  By His wounds we are healed.  Amen.  ❤️