"The Result of a Life of Holiness"

I Peter 1: 22-2:3

This is the second part of the message that I started last Sunday from this same passage. Seeing the importance of the Word of God in the birthing of the divine nature in us, today we see the continuing role of the Word of God in blossoming holiness in us. But there is one added feature in the message today and that is one evident flower that will automatically bloom from a life of holiness – living in harmony with your fellow brothers and sisters.

The seed is that which determines the fruit. The seed of God is not perishable, but imperishable. If you have the divine Word of God in you, then you will produce the fruit of holiness.

"This word lives and abides forever" can be taken with either God or the Word.

The Word of God does not become obsolete or a dead letter. It continues to speak to me unchanging, vital, present truth.

This is a quote from Isaiah 40:6-8. The flowers dry up, pass away and wither. They may rapidly bloom with vivid expression but they also fade quickly.

If you pursue the Word of God, then you will reap everlasting fruit and reward. You will be immortal. We know from I Timothy 6: 15-16 that only God is immortal.

naturally grow by taking in the word of God. He says in verse 2 that we "grow" and this is in the passive. Just as automatically for a baby to grow by taking in nourishment, so will it occur with a Christian who feeds on the Word of God.

"As new born babies desire the pure milk of the word." The writer of Hebrews speaks of the Word of God as being milk, but he is using it as a challenge to move from the milk to the meat. Peter is not doing that here. Instead, Peter is saying that as naturally as a newborn craves milk so a child of God will crave the Word of God.

Milk is not a fringe benefit. It is a necessity. Just as physical life demands physical food for sustaining; so spiritual life demands spiritual food for sustaining.

It’s the "pure milk." Peter here is speaking against the common practice of their day to water down the milk or wine. But don’t water down this milk. It is pure. It is sad that many today do not want the "pure" word of God. They want to be entertained and excited.

Psalm 12:6 "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

Psalm 119: 140 "Every word of God is pure; Therefore Your servant loves it."

Psalm 19:10 "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."

Psalm 119:97 "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day."

Job 23:12 "I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than necessary food."

There is an interesting twist in verse 3 over against verse 2. In verse 2 you taste the milk of the word, but in verse 3 you are tasting of the Lord. Two observations:

38-40 "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. ³⁹You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."

Christians must be addicted to the Bible.

True holiness is seen in love for fellow-Christians. Peter gives two traits of this love: it will be sincere and stretched.

Sincere – non-hypocritical.

This was one of the attributes Paul used to affirm his ministry in Corinth in II Corinthians 6:6 "by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,"

Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 4:9 "But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;" Why? Because I believe he knew this was the automatic outgrowth of holiness – loving the brethren.

Non - hypocritical love is sincere love – not mixed with selfish ambition. We will never "use people" for our selfish advantage.

In 2:1 he begins by saying, "laying aside." This is that concept of having changed your clothes.

The listing of 2:1

Noteworthy that hyproticial here is listed as also one of the evils that goes with not getting along with others.

Stretched

That’s the word "earnestly." It means "not doing a thing lightly or perfunctorily, but as it were, with straining and stretching." It means to be deep and intense. It is an athletic term meaning to stretch, strain and strive.

The same word describes the earnestness of Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane in Luke 22:44.

No wonder Jesus could say to his disciples "by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you love one another." John 13:35

The mission statement of our church is that "exist to glorify God by equipping believers to wholeheartingly love God and others."