1 Peter 2:16

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1 Peter 2:16


16 As [hos] free [eleutheros], and [kai] not [me] using [echo] your liberty [eleutheria] for [hos] a cloke [epikaluma] of maliciousness [kakia], but [alla] as [hos] the servants [doulos] of God [theos]. KJV-Interlinear


16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. NASB


Even in the days prior to Jesus and during His life, the general thought of the Jewish people was that they had been given a sense of freedom, by God, through the scriptures, and it was this context that led to various forms of rebellion against the Greeks and the Romans later, and even before this, the Assyrians, then the Babylonians as well.

Their attitude is described in John 8.

John 8:33
33 They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham's offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You shall become free'?’ NASB

And when Jesus came along He told them that they were now free people. They were somewhat confused, as they had always thought that they were free, first due to their genetic heritage, and second due to their custody of the scriptures, and therefore, they owed no allegiance to anyone except God (the Father).

Their biggest problem was that they rejected God (the Father’s) plan which created a singe path to Himself, through a savior, Jesus Christ. By rejecting the plan, they likewise insulted the Father.

But here we are told that though we live in this world, and though we have believed in Christ, and though through salvation we have been made free people (free from sin and death), we were not made free so we could do anything we wanted, anytime.

To preach their personal form of truth and freedom, and to presume that they had no obligation to civil authority here on earth, was the quintessence of arrogance and ignorance.

In so doing, believers will come up with all sorts of ideas, such as they should not have to pay taxes, should not have to obey the local laws, that they can become conscientious objectors and avoid military service, that they can have multiple wives, that they can accuse others of witchcraft, and in effect do anything they wanted. And history has revealed these things and many other bizarre behaviors.

But, God says, ‘Not so fast.’

Though you are free, then freedom comes with responsibility, just as physical growth to physical and mental maturity comes with responsibility and obligations in life.

And that, is what God expects of you. God has issued mandates, and you are required to follow them. No if, ands, or buts.

Unfortunately, far too many believers have their own ideas as to what they should or must do in life. Far too many believers believe that they can pick and choose their way through life and doctrine.

And so the exceptions of life multiply, and doctrine slips into some distant thought or memory.

We studied the mandates of God a long time ago. You may want to re-visit the ‘Check List’ study from time to time, just to gather your thoughts together and re-check your thinking.

Do not be antagonistic against the world with a vengeance. Do not get involved in crusades to install your standards on others. Inevitably your standards are not compatible with Gods. And God has entrenched His standards on humanity since long ago. If folks will not listen to God, then they will not listen to you, unless, of course, your ideas are sin nature compatible and enticing to them.

Remember, you are a guest, a visitor, and as such are bound by the rules of being a guest. You do not take over the world, nor to try changing the world. The world, be definition, is run by Satan, and you are no match for him.

Therefore, obey God and live your life as free people, which means to be mature, and responsible, and polite, etc.

And more than that, submit, though you are free, to Gods authority, as a wife submits to her husband (no jokes here please). More on this subject in the next chapter.

God is our absolute authority, and to Him we owe our absolute submission. God is truth, therefore we are submitting to truth, rather than to lies. And that is a good thing.

Those who submit to the lies of this world, believe that they are getting something for nothing, when in fact they are losing everything.

Those who submit to truth, are in fact gaining everything and losing nothing, despite their circumstances in this world. These previous two sentences are something to ponder each and every time you make a decision.

1 Peter 2:15

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1 Peter 2:15


15 For [hoti] so [houto] is [esti] the will [thelema] of God [theos], that with well doing [agathopoieo] ye may put to silence [phimoo] the ignorance [agnosia] of foolish [aphron] men [anthropos]: KJV-Interlinear


15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. NASB


The word for silence, ‘phimoo,’ means to muzzle, to leave someone with nothing to say, to leave someone with no counter argument.

The word for ignorance, ‘agnosia,’ means self caused lack of knowledge, guilty, self liable, culpable, senseless, someone who has brought themselves to ignorance by means of their own intentional decisions.

The word for foolish, ‘aphron,’ means self caused foolishness, senseless, someone who lacks wisdom, someone who lacks correct orientation of knowledge to life.

In your lifetime, you will meet or come across many such people. They will be wise in their own eyes, and they will put you down in public, if at all possible.

People who are lacking in their spiritual lives, are driven by their sin nature. And, their sin nature drives their lusts, their ego’s, their need for competition, and to come out on top, or to avoid truth if at all possible.

You will see opinions on television, hear them on the radio, read them in publications, you will hear them from people in social or work settings.

And do you rise up to get even? Do you take the battle to them in revenge? Do you do to them what they do to you?

And the answer to these questions, is ‘No.’

You do not become defensive. You do not return gossip for gossip, complaint for complaint, tat for tat and so forth.

What God expects you to do is, well, nothing but continue living your normal daily spiritual life.

Jesus Christ controls history. Not you, and certainly not them.

Evil, which is the pattern of all knowledge that is not of doctrine, struggles for control, and it will never gain control, ever.

Evil has to kick, and scream, and shout, and get attention, and lie, and cheat, and deceive, in order to get its way.

Evil, has listeners. And those listeners are the ignorant, the foolish, the self made fools of life. Evil leads nothing better than fools. And when evil cannot persuade people who have doctrine, then it simply walks away in silence, looking for a new victim. Silence is the failure of evil, and the victory of the spiritually mature.

1 Peter 2:13-14

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1 Peter 2:13-14


13 [oun] Submit yourselves [hupotasso] to every [pas] ordinance [ktisis] of man [anthropinos] for [dia] the Lord's sake [kurios]: whether it be [eite] to the king [basileus], as [hos] supreme [huperecho];
14 Or [eite] unto governors [hegemon], as [hos] unto them that are sent [pempo] by [dia] him [autos] for [eis] [men] the punishment [ekdikesis] of evildoers [kakopoios], and [de] for the praise [epainos] of them that do well [agathopoios]. KJV-Interlinear


13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. NASB


Jesus Christ controls history. Whether the government in existence is a communist government or a republic, a monarchy or a dictatorship, is irrelevant.

Christ controls history through His direct authority, through His indirect authority, or through His permissive authority. And despite mans attempt to hijack history away from Gods control, Jesus Christ is infinitely smarter and infinitely more powerful, making it impossible for anyone to alter Gods divine plan.

Satan is far more intelligent than humanity, and he could not prevent the line of Christ, the birth of Christ, or the Cross. Today we are in the Church Age, and in our dispensation, the next great event of history is the Rapture, not the next election, not the next world championship sports competition.

Today we are witnessing the most phenomenal attempt to hijack a government by extreme liberalism. With each succeeding election, the pressure of evil gets greater and greater. But, not to worry. If it is their time, then Christ will allow it, but if it is not their time, then evil will fail.

No matter what the outcome, man is never in control, nor in charge.

This does not let you off the hook and give you the right to do nothing. You still must remain responsible in your life.

But, what Peter is telling us here is, that you are a visitor in this world. You must be on your best behavior, and as such, you must obey the laws of the land. Submit to authority, and respect the will of the government currently in place.

Remember that they are not really in charge, but Christ is.

If you live in an oppressed nation, then you certainly have the right to leave it, and find a better place to live, but if you remain, then you are bound by the laws of the land, as they apply to truth and the principles taught in the Bible.

In the course of time, if a government is evil, then Christ will remove it, or allow its removal.

Your responsibility is to recognize the authority which God has permitted, and as such, to not promote violence or unrest. Anyone who goes out and promotes violence, prejudice, etc., is in violation of this mandate of being obedient to the local authority.

Live your life as a law-abiding citizen

Do not try to help God in His control over history. He does very well on His own.

1 Peter 2:12

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1 Peter 2:12


12 Having [echo] your [humon] conversation [anastrophe] honest [kalos] among [en] the Gentiles [ethnos]: that [hina], whereas [en] [hos] they speak against [katalaleo] you [humon] as [hos] evildoers [kakopoios], they may [doxazo] by [ek] your good [kalos] works [ergon], which they shall behold [epopteuo], glorify [doxazo] God [theos] in [en] the day [hemera] of visitation [episkope]. KJV-Interlinear


12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. NASB


Remember when you were small, and before going to your grandma’s house, or to church, or somewhere that was relative public, your mother would remind you to be on your best behavior?

Parents do not want their children to be snobbish, or rude, or otherwise behave badly when in public. Their behavior reflects on the reputation of the family.

And so it is here, with Christians. We are visitors on planet earth. We are guests. We are ambassadors from heaven, and therefore represent our home, which is heaven.

We are to be on our best behavior, and not obnoxious, not crusading, not out to change the world (for we cannot), not annoying and so forth. We are to be polite, fair, and honest in our dealings with people.

As representatives of heaven, we will be slandered, maligned, and hated. Some will be turned off by Christians, simply because of Christianity, some will be malicious, while others will manipulate devious attempts to squash all Christian principles and activities.

We have seen many attempts to remove prayer in public places. We have seen many attempts to label Christians as political cults. We have seen many attempts to defeat Christian principles, even divine establishment principles throughout society.

And, just as there were Jews and Gentiles in the Old Testament, now there are Christians and Gentiles. The Gentiles being the unbeliever category of humanity, or the world being the gentile, or anti-spiritual, or the foreign designation of life.

But, regardless of what the world thinks of you, or does to you, you are to be on your best behavior. That means that you watch your conduct, and do not adopt the behavior of the world.

Your conduct refers to your pattern of life, and is not determined by an occasional failure on your part. We are all human and there will be times when you will get caught up in the pressures of life and explode. But on an ongoing basis, your life is evaluated over the long haul, not the short outburst. Nonetheless, you try as best you can, to mind your P’s and Q’s.

We have studied before that lies require deceit, or even violence in order to get their way. But as for truth, it stands on its own with no need for support of any kind, from anyone or anything.

Therefore, if you simply mind your doctrine, and do not become hypocritical, obnoxious, or self righteous, etc., then no matter what offenses you receive, or become the target of, your lifestyle (Christianity, legitimate Christianity), will stand the test and assault of every attack.

You will not need to defend or fight (socially), for your rights or views, but rather they will stand the test of every attack.

And when the time of visitation comes, which simply means, when the final result is in, whether those attacking you recognize truth or not, truth, doctrine, Christianity will always win the argument.

Truth always stands head and shoulders above all else. The world will reject it, and even try to destroy it, but God is the power behind truth, and there is no power behind any other views in existence.

And, finally, you probably will never know the repercussions of the various tests you will encounter in your life, but remember that nothing happens by accident or chance. God will use your test in normal life experiences, to persuade others for doctrine. It is not your place to push doctrine or thump Bibles, as it were.

God provides the doctrine and the demonstrations of it, and God provides the hearers and seers of doctrine.

Without your knowledge, there will most likely be many folks who will come to God, Christ, doctrine, and their spiritual life simply because of their observation or perception of you and your life, or of something they witnessed in you.

Therefore, be on your best behavior, do not be intimidated by pressures, and do not be an obnoxious Bible thumper. You’ll have less aggravation in your life, and you will be used by God to guide others to doctrine, most of whom you will probably never know about.

1 Peter 2:11

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1 Peter 2:11


11 Dearly beloved [agapetos], I beseech [parakaleo] you as [hos] strangers [paroikos] and [kai] pilgrims [parepidemos], abstain from [apechomai] fleshly [sarkikos] lusts [epithumia], which [hostis] war [strateuomai] against [kata] the soul [psuche]; KJV-Interlinear


11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. NASB


When in Rome …, does not apply in the Christian life. As aliens or strangers, Christians are travelers in a foreign land. Heaven is our true home, and as of the moment, we are not home, but visitors in a strange or foreign land.

Whenever one travels to a foreign place, even for an extended visit, you do not adopt the customs or beliefs, of that foreign land. Christians have their own customs and principles mandated by God through doctrine. We adhere to our principles. Principles of truth, and not the standards, or cultural rituals or habits of the foreign inhabitants.

Christians do not give even the slightest nod of respect to the beliefs of the foreign land.

Why? Because, truth does not recognize lies. Truth is the basis of the principles, which originate in heaven. Lies are the basis of the principles, habits, rituals, customs, etc., which originate in this world.

Job did not defer to the comments of his friends, Daniel did not bow to the false idol, Christians should understand the principles taught in the Bible, and as such, should understand that all religions, cults, cultures, beliefs that originate in this world, are false and do not deserve even the slightest of recognition.

To recognize them is to give them some form of credit and legitimacy, which they are not.

Islam is not true, and is not honorable. Judaism is not true and is not honorable. Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, and the list goes on, are not true, and therefore not honorable.

You do not go out of your way to be rude. You do not make a mockery of the beliefs of others. You do not act condescending, or ridicule what others do in a foreign land. You are polite and respectful in your manner, but most important of all, you do not adopt their views, customs, rituals, etc.

The believers’ home is heaven. The believers’ home country is heaven. Planet earth is not our home, we are but mere visitors, traveling through, and therefore do nothing to take up residence in this world as though we were going to live here forever.

The fleshy lusts, is a reference to all of the views of the world which run contrary to Bible doctrine. From sins to crimes to the massive complex of arrogance attitudes, these all are the product of the sin nature, and the pattern of life, which takes you away from your true home (heaven), while trying to assimilate you into a permanent foreign home.

Life is a battle for your soul. God provides truth, and allows you to decide what you will do. The sin nature deceives, lies, entices, and does everything possible to get you to go against God, Christ, doctrine, and your spiritual life.

On a level playing field, if everything were played fairly, the sin nature could never win anything. But the sin nature must deceive in order to win. The sin nature must lie, must cheat, must do underhanded things, in order to get you to follow its lifestyle.

Just as we see the dirty politics of the current day, where anyone who runs against truth, must lie, deceive, exaggerate, and cheat in order to get elected. If the masses are not doctrinally oriented, then evil gets elected.

Likewise, if you are nor doctrinally oriented, if you have been lacking in your spiritual life, then you are susceptible to the assimilation of the world, of the foreign land you are visiting, and the repercussions of your failure, will be tremendous suffering, loss and failure in your life.

Peter is issuing you a very severe warning here. The war is good verses evil. Your soul is at stake. The repercussions of your decisions will turn your life into valueless garbage, or someone of infinite value. The state of your life will be either constant pressure and insecurity, or a relaxed mental attitude with confidence in God.

The battle is very real, and the repercussions are very real.

1 Peter 2:10

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1 Peter 2:10


10 Which [ho] in time past [pote] were not [ou] a people [laos], but [de] are now [nun] the people [laos] of God [theos]: which [ho] had [eleeo] not [ou] obtained mercy [eleeo], but [de] now [nun] have obtained mercy [eleeo]. KJV-Interlinear


10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. NASB


Peter is drawing his remarks from Hosea.

Hos. 1:10
10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And it will come about that, in the place Where it is said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ It will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’ NASB

Hos. 2:23
23 ‘And I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'Thou art my God!'‘ NASB

There always comes a time in life when you should look at life and become grateful for all that you are and all that you have. Whether you have a little or a lot, whether you are somebody or nobody, is irrelevant.

In the spiritual realm, which is the only truth and reality that exists, there are only two types of people – believers and unbelievers.

Unbelievers have no value whatsoever. Like garbage tossed out, buried, burned, or otherwise discarded as useless and of which not even the bums of the street are interested, so too, unbelievers are useless and worthless.

Their destiny is the Lake of Fire, and to that end, they have no value.

Believers, on the other hand, have enjoyed the highest value that can exist. They are the family of God, and heirs to the new universe and heaven to come.

And so Peter here teaches us, that we were once all unbelievers, and without value. But now as believers in Christ, we possess infinite value. And by the way, becoming a believer is available to everyone. No one is excluded, except by their own refusal to believe in Christ. Therefore, gratitude is in order.

Prior to our faith, we were the recipients of no mercy, and that means the mercy of Salvation.

On this earth, everyone participates in common grace, which makes this planet habitable for humanity, but as for mercy, that, is reserved for believers only. And we can add one more thing to this concept, as we studied in James recently, all believers are recipients of spiritual grace, but mature believers become recipients for greater grace. The grace of the mature spiritual life.

As for unbelievers, they participate in the common grace principles of life, but only because those principles were made available specifically for believers. Unbelievers only receive grace because they happen to live concurrently with believers. We call that grace by association.

The Tribulation will be an excellent example of the grace that unbelievers will receive, when most believers are gone. Namely, they will almost exterminate humanity.

But anyway, your life was once a worthless life. You had no future, no value, nothing. But, once you believed in Christ, all of that changed dramatically. As a believer in Christ, your value and your blessings increased infinitely, as compared to an unbeliever. And, as a mature believer, your value and your blessings will increase infinitely again.

So, no matter what your circumstances, you have something to be grateful to God for. No matter what your circumstances, worldly circumstances that is, you have nothing. Only in doctrine do you become a valuable person with meaning and purpose.

In every other aspect of life (apart from doctrine), no matter how hard you try, you will never find meaning or purpose for yourself. Never!

1 Peter 2:9

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1 Peter 2:9


9 But [de] ye [humeis] are a chosen [eklektos] generation [genos], a royal [basileios] priesthood [hierateuma], an holy [hagios] nation [ethnos], a peculiar [eis] [peripoiesis] people [laos]; that [hopos] ye should shew forth [exaggello] the praises [arete] of him who hath called [kaleo] you [humas] out of [ek] darkness [skotos] into [eis] his [autos] marvellous [thaumastos] light [phos]: KJV-Interlinear


9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; NASB


First we begin by contrasting the darkness into the light, concept, at the end of the verse.

The darkness is the darkest part of the night, where there is no light, and nothing with which to see. A person in total darkness, is totally blind, totally disoriented, as a person dropped into the middle of a totally foreign place. And as such totally lost.

That is the description of the person who lacks salvation and doctrine.

The person who is in the light, is one who is placed into a familiar place at midday. You can look around and you know exactly where you are. You can see everything.

In the former verse, the person who is running along in their own defined life, is one running along in total darkness. They may think that they know all there is to life, but they are living a delusional life. This applies to the unbeliever for certain, and it also applies to the believer who has neglected his spiritual life. The spiritually deficient believer imitates the unbeliever with respect to their lack of orientation to life, in this world.

But there is another comparison. Peter describes the believer, the one who has pursued his spiritual life, as a priest, or one who has the right to enter into a relationship, a direct relationship, with God.

But more than that, we are a nation. What is a nation? It is a group of people who have something in common, a group of people who have a relationship with something or, in this case, with someone, namely God.

Typically we think of a nation as a geographical region located somewhere on the planet, and the folks who live there, are its citizens.

And, within a nation there is typically a hierarchy of sorts. There are the rulers, the upper classes of folks, the middle classes and the lower classes. Sometimes they are separated or identified by their wealth, or lack of it, their education, their position, their achievements and so forth.

In the case of the spiritual life, there are but two broad classes – the unbeliever and the believer.

The unbeliever is chosen or selected, by virtue of their rejection of Christ. They live in darkness and they are the lowest of the lower classes of peoples, regardless of their worldly status. They are the rejects of society, and they are denied citizenship.

The believers are not only the citizens of heaven, but they are the chosen peoples of God, fulfilling the illustration of Israel being the chosen nation, or separated out from the foreigners of the other nations on earth, in the Old Testament.

Israel was the example, we are the reality. All believers in Christ, form the chosen nation of God.

And there is more. In the Old Testament, there was the example of the Levitical Priesthood, wherein one tribe was selected to be the go betweens, between man and God. But now, all believers are priests, possessing the right to interact directly with God, and no longer having to go through any other designated priest.

And there is more. As believers in Christ, we are in union with Christ and as such we are royalty, or the highest of the high classes of living folks. And since our life is eternal, we will be royalty forever.

So, the unbelievers are doggie doo-doo, living in total darkness, not even able to see the noses on their own faces.

Believers are royalty, living with and belonging to, the highest power and authority in existence. That comparison, is a phenomenal contrast, and an infinite difference between the two.

But we can go one step further. The believer who imitates the unbeliever, possesses similar status (doggie doo-doo), but within the spiritual realm.

It is the mature believer who will achieve and receive the highest of awards, rewards, honors, etc., in heaven, in eternity. That too, is a comparison, which is infinite.

Peter uses several quotes for this concept.

Ex 19:5-6
5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' NASB

Deut. 7:6
6 ‘For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. NASB

Isa. 43:21
21 ‘The people whom I formed for Myself, Will declare My praise. NASB

The folks in the Old Testament knew these principles, but they in effect rejected the blessings that God intended for them.

Do not imitate their mistake by rejecting your spiritual life.

1 Peter 2:8

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1 Peter 2:8


8 And [kai] a stone [lithos] of stumbling [proskomma], and [kai] a rock [petra] of offence [skandalon], even to them which [hos] stumble [proskopto] at the word [logos], being disobedient [apeitheo]: whereunto [eis] [hos] also [kai] they were appointed [tithemi]. KJV-Interlinear


8 and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. NASB


When a person is running down the sidewalk, they are in a hurry to get to where they are going. They have a plan and a destination, and they hurry along their way.

Now, they come across a stone in the walkway, and they see it, and they stumble over it and fall off their preferred path to their preferred destination. They get up and they continue running.

They again see a stone in the walkway, and they stumble over it, and fall off their preferred path to their preferred destination. They get up and they continue running.

They again see a stone in the walkway, and they stumble over it, and fall off their preferred path to their preferred destination. They get up and they continue running.

And they do this over and over, again and again throughout their entire, repeat, entire life.

How can a person live an entire life, whether twenty or fifty or ninety years in length, and never think these six little words, ‘Father I believe in Jesus Christ.’? How is that possible? In fact, they make an effort to not, think these six little words.

And as they stumble over the stone, which is in their way, instead of pondering the stone, instead of going off their preferred path and onto an alternate path, which the stone would have detoured them onto, they not only stumble over the stone, but grow to be offended, ‘skandalon,’ by the stone.

The stone is of course, Christ. The detour path is the Christian life. Their chosen path is the path of eternal condemnation. But in all of this, these folks live for years, for decades, for an entire lifetime, and they see or are aware of the stone (Christ), all of their life, and they stubbornly refuse to recognize Him.

Such is the power of arrogance. It can place a tremendous stubbornness inside of you, and unless you gain some spiritual muscle through doctrine, you cannot overcome it.

But doctrine does you no good, unless you first believe in Christ, and belief in Christ takes no more than a second. And yet people will hold out for years and years and years. And why? How much can it cost you to think these six little words? What possible harm could it do?

And the alternative to salvation is the Lake of Fire, and that is the appointed destiny for unbelievers.

Believers will go to heaven, regardless of their spiritual growth. Salvation guarantees you a place in heaven with God, forever. And that guarantee comes to you in that initial instant of time when you first believed in Christ.

To refuse, is to reject heaven and to embrace the alternative destiny, the Lake of Fire.

There are only two possible destinies. There is no third possibility.

In eternity past, when God set out the divine decrees, He decreed that believers would go to heaven, and that unbelievers would go to the Lake of Fire. That has never changed, and never will.

Stubbornness, is described here to show how extensive it can be in ones life. But remember that Peter is addressing believers who are under suffering. And as such, even believers can adopt a stubborn attitude about things in life.

When a person does not pay attention to his daily studies, then he is wide open for being influenced by the many opinions from this world. He can adopt the same running down the path and stumbling over the stone (doctrine in this case), as the unbelievers do.

So beware, and be forewarned. Doctrine is there for all to see, and see it everyone does. Don’t make the same mistakes and continue to ignore the many truths in life, for all of your life, but instead apply your daily life to a daily study, so that your eyes can be opened to the many traps that this world has laid out for you.

The objective of this world is to distract you away from doctrine, and as such, distract you away from your spiritual growth.

The world has no value to give you, but doctrine has tremendous value (infinite) to give to you.

Which is worth more?

1 Peter 2:7

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1 Peter 2:7


7 Unto you [humin] therefore [oun] which [ho] believe [pisteuo] he is precious [time]: but [de] unto them which be disobedient [apeitheo], the stone [lithos] which [hos] the builders [oikodomeo] disallowed [apodokimazo], the same [houtos] is made [ginomai] [eis] the head [kephale] of the corner [gonia], KJV-Interlinear


7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,’ NASB

Belief is contrasted with unbelief, and again Peter quotes from Isaiah.

Isa. 8:14-15
14 ‘Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 ‘And many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught.’ NASB

This time the contrast is not between believers who may or may not be embarrassed when they get to heaven, but between believers and unbelievers, who will have entirely different destinies after their life here on earth is completed.

Those who believe in Christ are typically called Christians in our current day.

Those who do not believe in Christ, especially back in the days of Isaiah and so forth, were called the builders.

Look back even to the Tower of Babel which occurred just a few generations following the Flood of Noah. Noah was still alive, the flood was still fresh in the minds of folks from the stories they heard from Noah, and his three sons.

And yet there grew up a huge population that rejected God, the savior, and everything that was legitimate spiritually. They began construction of a tower. A tower that was to help them to get to God, to heaven, and all on their own terms.

People, who reject truth, will build their own truth, and that is where all religions, philosophies, cults, etc., come from. Christ is rejected and therefore truth, and so people have to use something else (other than truth) to build up their own beliefs. Lies are all that is left to build with, and to build on.

Believers look to Christ and find Him precious. Precious means esteem, honor, respect, reverence, value, price. All of these terms describe the attributes of Christ as God and as man. No other religion has a focal point that possesses integrity, honor, or value.

All other religions focus instead on their sin nature, their desires, their lusts for what they want, and how they want it. Whether seeking seventy virgins, multiple wives, indifference, or a calm and serene setting in ones afterlife, the sin nature is at work cultivating the desires of the sin nature. And they all reject Christ, doctrine, and the principles taught in the scriptures.

So, all unbelievers are builders, of their own destiny, and all of humanity combined, cannot build a tower taller than a very high hill, let alone into the next life. And yet they try.

Rejected, ‘apodokimazo,’ means unbelief, disobedient, unwilling to be persuaded, obstinate, stubborn, stiff necked. People who refuse to believe in Christ are described as unbelievers. They rejected Christ as their foundation of truth and life.

And as a result, God Himself, made Christ the cornerstone of truth, and the basis of a relationship with God. And therein lays the difference between Christianity and all other forms of belief. Christ, or the rejection of Christ, is the single thread that runs through all religions, cults, philosophies, etc. that are not legitimate. This makes it very easy to determine which is the true faith and which is not.

And since Christ is truth, and doctrine is truth, then all of the principles taught in the Bible (legitimately taught), determine the path you can take in life in order to figure out what is right and what is not right in life. Doctrine is the source of discernment between the principles of life as taught by God, and the principles of life taught by this world.

1 Peter 2:6

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1 Peter 2:6


6 Wherefore [dio] also [kai] it is contained [periecho] in [en] the scripture [graphe], Behold [idou], I lay [tithemi] in [en] Sion [Sion] a chief corner [akrogoniaios] stone [lithos], elect [eklektos], precious [entimos]: and [kai] he that believeth [pisteuo] on [epi] him [autos] shall [kataischuno] not be [ou me] confounded [kataischuno]. KJV-Interlinear


6 For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.’ NASB


Peter quotes from Isaiah.

Isa. 28:16
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. NASB

Zion is the name of a hill in Jerusalem, typically called the mountain of Jerusalem, or Zion.

Israel is the name of Gods chosen people. Jerusalem is the city of peace. Zion is the location of concentrated doctrine, ie. the mountain, or the vastness of Gods wisdom.

From these words, we can obtain a picture of Gods plan. He chose His people (nation) from out of the world – believers in Christ. He leads then to the spiritual center of the nation, to a place of peace. He completes this peace, prosperity, security, etc. by means of the mountain of doctrine, which is the center or source of peace, or spiritual maturity.

Therefore, Gods people obtain peace in their spiritual life by means of advancement through doctrine. Peace is synonymous with security, freedom, prosperity, maturity, and so forth.

The corner stone, as we have already studied, is the Messiah, the Savior, who is Jesus Christ. He is the foundation upon which our entire existence is laid and constructed. Christ is the living God, our Lord, the Word. By studying doctrine, we are in effect building up Christ (doctrine) in our soul.

To believe, here has a couple of meanings. The first is to have faith. But it also means to give credit, to trust, to entrust, to commit oneself to.

Confounded means, to be disappointed, to be embarrassed, to be disgraced, to be put to shame, to blush.

Now, Peter is not speaking to unbelievers, so unbelief and the Lake of Fire are not in view. If he was, then embarrassment would not be used with reference to something as harsh and terrifying as the Lake of Fire.

Peter is addressing believers who are suffering in various circumstances.

So now we can put this all together. We as believers are a nation of God, chosen by God, built up on the foundation of doctrine, through Christ. Christ sets us apart from all other philosophies, religions, beliefs, etc.

Our life is centered on learning doctrine and growing up by means of the same.

Sooner or later, we will all be called home to stand before the Judgment Seat (for our evaluation) of Christ. And even before that we as believers and humanity, will depart from this world in the normal ways, as people have died and left the world in the past.

Once we have left this world, our eyes are opened wide to the truth. It is made clear and vivid to us, and therefore, if we have listened to our Bible teaching, and if we have learned, and if we have grown up in our spiritual life, then when we finally do leave this world, we will not be taken by surprise, and we will not be ‘blushing’ with embarrassment when we enter heaven.

Those believers, who ignore or do not pursue their spiritual life, will enter heaven blushing with embarrassment, because they will realize that by ignoring doctrine, they have been the quintessence of stupid. Likewise they enter heaven in disgrace, for not having properly invested the things (doctrine), which God has entrusted to them.

But by advancing in our spiritual life, as we are supposed to, then when we leave this world and enter into heaven, we will not arrive there blushing, we will not be disappointed, we will not arrive there in disgrace (no spiritual result in our soul), but, we will arrive with confidence.

Likewise, as we live our daily life here in this world, then if we have advanced in our spiritual life, then no matter what our circumstances, we will live our life in confidence (hope), and peace, and in the security of Christ.

1 Peter 2:5

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1 Peter 2:5


5 Ye [autos] also [kai], as [hos] lively [zao] stones [lithos], are built up [oikodomeo] a spiritual [pneumatikos] house [oikos], an holy [hagios] priesthood [hierateuma], to offer up [anaphero] spiritual [pneumatikos] sacrifices [thusia], acceptable [euprosdektos] to God [theos] by [dia] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear


5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NASB


In these last few verses, Peter has been referring to buildings of worship, buildings that are made with actual stone and wood and various building materials that we are all familiar with, and he has been comparing those structures with a very real but different kind of structure, which resides within your soul.

Peter was familiar with the Temple of Solomon, the rebuilt temple, and the later restored and expanded temple of Herod. But the one Peter is referring to in his comparison is the original temple of Solomon, because in that temple, the building materials were of the best quality, the temple was constructed with attention to minute detail, and the temple was completed thoroughly. And, when finished, the temple became the residence of God.

We all know that the Old Testament was a shadow of the realities of heaven. We all should know that all of this worldly environment that we live in, is a shadow of that which is true.

We have studied shadows before and you know that the shadow has no texture, no color, no aroma, nothing that gives it life. And since we are mere shadows in this world, even with all of the many details that exist in this world, then how phenomenal can the realities, that none of us have ever seen, be?

The temple of Solomon was magnificent in its day. However, God had created in us, within our individual souls, temples, such that we may function completely within our individual spiritual lives, lacking nothing.

A temple is a place of worship, of learning, of sacrifices, of interaction with God. And as the shadows of the Old Testament have given us examples of the functions of the temple, so to, Peter teaches us that, there is no need for the temples, or any kind of building, of old.

Our temple is within us. It is a living temple, made of living material. Our material is Bible doctrine, and as such is the best of the best of building materials. And as Jesus is the living Word of God, and as Jesus is called the living stone, then so too, with doctrine within us, we become little chips of stone, from the bigger stone, which is Christ.

In order to find God we need only look inside of ourselves. But before we look inside, we need to understand that our temple has to be constructed first, otherwise when you look inside of yourself, you will find nothing, and certainly not God.

Thus spiritual growth, which begins with your spiritual birth, which accompanied your initial belief in Christ.

You were only born once into this world, and you can be born only once into the spiritual life. None of us go through multiple birth experiences. We need only one, and that should be obvious.

Just as the temple of Solomon was constructed with the placement of one stone upon another, then the temple was finished, then the temple was furnished and decorated, so too, in your soul, you need to begin with the construction of your inner temple, which can also be called your spiritual fortress.

The building material is Bible doctrine. You build your temple by learning doctrine. You finish your temple by understanding it. You furnish and decorate your temple by applying (production) doctrine to your life. And you then have a completed and functional temple within your soul as your wisdom grows and grows.

The finish work never ends. The decorations, the landscaping, the furnishings continue and continue as your spiritual estate expands. If you own or rent a home, and have ever come into some extra money, and if you are married, then you understand this principle. ‘Honey, move the chair over there. Honey, move the chair back again. Hang the picture there, and now somewhere else. The color isn’t right. Time to paint. Move the chair again. Need new furniture.’ And so it goes.

In this world we do not have unlimited moneybags. Probably a blessing to husbands. But then we too have our shops, and barns, cool tools, and toys for guys. So we all would constantly be upgrading, improving, getting new things, doing things, if given unlimited resources.

In the spiritual realm, there is no limit to the doctrine that you can take into your soul. Therefore, your temple can be fully loaded and beautiful, and under constant construction, under constant improvement, for all of your life.

And when you finally do get to heaven, your spiritual muscle, or curves, would embarrass all of the beach hunks and babes.

You are a priest. As a believer in Christ, you have the right to direct access to God, but only through Christ. That is Gods number one rule – through Christ.

You need not go through any other intermediary, not a priest, not a preacher, no other earthly person.

While you are in fellowship, then your life is a constant offering of sacrifices. Your every thought, your every activity make up the content of your worship, because your are in effect, obedient to Gods will. And His will is, that you be perfect (fellowship), and worship God (the function of your spiritual life in fellowship).

Do you remember Genesis 17:1?

And we can add to this, be powerful (spiritual muscle through growth), and be complete (the construction, decoration, furnishing, etc., of a magnificent temple within your soul).

The only thing you will be lacking in this life, will be the blessings that you as a mature believer will receive in eternity. That will be your ultimate completion, which will never be complete, but will continue getting better and better, forever.

1 Peter 2:4

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1 Peter 2:4


4 To [pros] whom [hos] coming [proserchomai], as unto a living [zao] stone [lithos], disallowed [apodokimazo] indeed [men] of [hupo] men [anthropos], but [de] chosen [eklektos] of [para] God [theos], and precious [entimos], KJV-Interlinear


4 And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, NASB


Peter is again borrowing from two passages in the Old Testament.

Isa. 28:16
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. NASB

Psa. 118:22
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. NASB


The Messiah, the Savior, The Lord is referred to as the foundation, the chief foundation, the rock, the stone upon which all truth is laid. This is the one and same Jesus Christ.

Christ was rejected by so many back in his day, and even throughout history, He has been rejected, and replaced with other ‘invented’ deities, which have no basis in fact whatsoever.

The stones of earthly buildings are nothing more than rock, concrete and steel. They have no life, and offer no relationship to anyone, for any amount of time.

All earthly churches, temples, buildings or tents where people gather together, do not make up the true church or congregational assembly areas, and they (buildings, etc.), offer nothing sacred or holy.

The true church begins with Christ. And coming to Christ is often the reference for either salvation, or spiritual growth, for Christ is the foundation of both.

Christ is the living breathing God of all of eternity. In Him is all of the power of deity, and life, and truth, and infinity.

Christ is the stone which no creature can move, no creature can modify, no creature can alter, reshape, or change in any fashion.

No other religion, philosophy or belief of any kind, can achieve these things.

Since God is infinite, then His value is also infinite, and the word for precious means extremely valuable, or value beyond measure.

The Bible presents so many examples and illustrations of value in the spiritual life and lack of value in anything that is of this world, that people should get the picture, and one would think, want to pursue doctrine and their spiritual life.

However, as babies who know nothing but know that the milk is good for them, as animals who have only instincts, but know the changes of the seasons, one would think that intelligent man should be better able to recognize truth from lies.

But, in looking around, you can quickly discover that humanity is filled with some of the most ridiculous folks ever born, and yet man is still alive on this planet, when he should have long ago, disappeared. But then, it is not man who is setting his destiny, but God who is preserving humanity out of His grace.

1 Peter 2:2-3

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1 Peter 2:2-3


2 As [hos] newborn [artigennetos] babes [brephos], desire [epipotheo] the sincere [adolos] milk [gala] of the word [logikos], that [hina] ye may grow [auxano] thereby [en] [autos]:
3 If so be [ei per] ye have tasted [geuomai] that [hoti] the Lord [kurios] is gracious [chrestos]. KJV-Interlinear


2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. NASB


Now here, Peter is not calling believers, newborns, but is referring to the attitude that newborn babies have when they taste their first milk, and crave for more.

Certainly when a person initially believes in Christ, they are newborn with respect to their spiritual life. They may in fact be eight years old, or fifteen, or fifty, or ninety years old. Regardless of your physical age when you first believe in Christ, you will be a newborn believer at that moment.

And as a newborn Christian, you will need to grow up in order to mature, just as people grow up physically and mentally, in this world.

But the difference between a newborn believer, and a newborn infant, is that the believer is old enough to understand the issues of salvation, whereas the infant knows virtually nothing. And yet the infant knows milk, hunger, and what he wants relatively quickly in his (or her) very young life.

The infant does not have to understand any of it, he is merely driven toward what he needs and therefore wants.

The believer, who hears the gospel, and the doctrines of spiritual growth, should behave like the newborn infant, in that he should (one would think) crave after the knowledge and opportunities that the spiritual life offers.

Once the infant tastes the milk, he craves it. Once the believer hears doctrine, does he crave it?

Have you ever heard of an infant who rejected his milk? Well, there are always exceptions because of medical problems, but I would bet that 999 out of a thousand infants will crave the milk, or baby foods, or whatever.

But, when it comes to believers, the numbers seem to reverse. Some go hot for doctrine, but then cool to indifference. Some do not even show much of an interest. And out of the same 999, perhaps only the one will crave doctrine, while the others will be defiant, fickle, or disinterested in various degrees.

Baby’s milk offers the foundation of a sound diet and the opportunity of much better foods in later life. Likewise, Bible doctrine in the beginning lays the foundation of a phenomenal life.

Once saved, you are only at the beginning of your spiritual life. The greater portion of your spiritual life comes with spiritual maturity. Therefore, long for the spiritual foods offered by God, so that you will be in a position to have and possess a ‘complete’ life, in the best sense of the word.

1 Peter 2:1

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1 Peter 2:1


1 Wherefore [oun] laying aside [apotithemi] all [pas] malice [kakia], and [kai] all [pas] guile [dolos], and [kai] hypocrisies [hupokrisis], and [kai] envies [phthonos], and [kai] all [pas] evil speakings [katalalia], KJV-Interlinear


2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, NASB


Therefore, because of the details of chapter one, because God has done everything for us, because the world has done nothing and can do nothing for us, because we have phenomenal blessings waiting for us, both in this life and especially in the next, because of all of these things and more, we should make a change in our lives.

We should make a change that will be permanent and that will be compatible with truth, and enhance our overall life, towards making us complete in the truest sense.

We should put off the sin nature. Laying aside, ‘apotithemi,’ suggests a complete change of wardrobe, a complete change of clothing. Whereas your typical clothing may be casual clothing or work clothing, now your attire should be more of a formal nature. This is the contrast, a dramatic contrast, such as comparing blue jeans to a tux or evening gown.

The sense here means that you need to change your entire thinking process. Your mind needs a complete overhauling and transformation, from that which is driven by the sin nature, to that which is driven by the Word of God.

Malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and slander are general terms referring to the entire realm of the sin nature, both of sin and of human good.

Malice generally refers to hostility or hate. The causing of injury for the mere gratification of it, or to get even.

Guile refers to deceit, fraud, dishonesty, deception, taking advantage of another especially when you know better.

Hypocrisy refers to pretense, insincerity, duplicity, double standards, and such.

Envy refers to sins of greed or desire, or wanting something that someone else has, or hating them for what they have.

Slander is a reference to the works of the mouth. Speaking ill of another, with malice, with hate, with insults, with the intent of doing harm, with the intent of promoting yourself at another's expense.

And whether any of these attitudes or actions have a valid reason behind them, they are always without merit, never condoned, and should be put away and never turned to, within your life.

God gives you gifts, phenomenal gifts, and your receive more and more gifts as you divorce your life from the sin nature. The sin nature only removes these gifts from your life. Can an act of hate be worth more than a gift of infinite value? Measure your infinite loss against a temporary gratification from sin, then put away sin.

1 Peter 1:24-25

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1 Peter 1:24-25


24 For [dioti] all [pas] flesh [sarx] is as [hos] grass [chortos], and [kai] all [pas] the glory [doxa] of man [anthropos] as [hos] the flower [anthos] of grass [chortos]. The grass [chortos] withereth [xeraino], and [kai] the flower [anthos] thereof [autos] falleth away [ekpipto]:
25 But [de] the word [rhema] of the Lord [kurios] endureth [meno] for [eis] ever [aion]. And [de] this [touto] is [esti] the word [rhema] which [ho] by the gospel is preached [euaggelizo] unto [eis] you [humas]. KJV-Interlinear


24 For, ‘All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, 25 But the word of the Lord abides forever. ‘ And this is the word which was preached to you. NASB


A quotation from Psa. 103 and Isa. 40.

Psa. 103:15-16
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; And its place acknowledges it no longer. NASB

Isa. 40:6-8
6 A voice says, ‘Call out.’ Then he answered, ‘What shall I call out?’ All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. NASB

Grass, ‘chortos’ is a reference to animal feed. Animals of the world graze on grasses. This grass is something that grows up wild and is not subject to mans cultivation or care. In an open field or range, the grasses grow up wild and natural. They have but one purpose and that is to provide feed for the animals grazing there.

A typical grassy range is filled with wild flowers. There are times when the grasses are rich and green, and the wild flowers growing up, blossom and make for a beautiful scene. One that no one can begin to match on such a large scale.

But no matter how large, or how beautiful, the grasses and flowers all fade in the fall and die out.

And that is the picture of humanity. No matter how rich or poor, no matter how talented or not, no matter how stationed in life or not, no matter what attribute is applied to humanity, all of humanity, and that includes everyone, will die off.

Man can only begin life in the biological sense, and that biology all ends in death and decay. Man has to go through lot of rituals of sorts in order to get this process started, and man has to go through lots of years of maintenance in order to maintain his physical nature. And the result is always the same – death.

Only God can begin life – human life in the soul, and eternal life at the point of faith, and those are eternal in nature. And God does it with only His will.

No matter who or what you are, no matter what you do or do not do, your life, from the source of yourself, is worthless.

The only source that gives you any value of any kind, is God. And that value comes in the form of Bible doctrine, which is the foundation of all of your existence, which has, and gives you, significance, meaning and purpose.

Apart from doctrine in the soul, we are nothing.

So, you can keep right on pursuing your life in the usual ways, with the usual boasting (even if only privately within your thoughts) of your beliefs and standards, and wait until your destiny (which is certain) comes along in the form of your death, and then learn the truth of your stupidity.

Once you die, once your life comes to an end, and it will, then you cannot come back to do it all over. Look around you. How many people are there in the world who are 120, or 150, or 200, etc., years old? None.

Since the time of Adam, perhaps trillions of people have been born into this world, over the last many centuries. Where are they now?

You are no different than they, and you will leave this world in the same fashion. Your soul will leave your body behind and you will be escorted by the angels to wherever your destination is going to be. Unbelievers go to Torments, and believers go before the Lord in heaven.

The first real reaction following death will be astonishment, and then the reality of truth will sink in very fast, and then your reaction will be embarrassment, which is not a sin, by the way.

If only you had listened and learned, and grown up in your spiritual life through Bible doctrine – ‘which was preached to you.’

Isn’t that how the last verse ends?

Therefore, no excuses other than your stubborn arrogance, driven by your sin nature, which you freely submitted yourself to, as a slave of its will.

Better to be a slave to Christ, truth, and life, rather than the alternative. The blessings resulting from a strong spiritual life are infinitely greater than otherwise.

But the question is posed to you, and the opportunity is given freely.

Peter is addressing people who are under suffering. He does not speak politely to them and tell them it will be all right. He teaches doctrine to them, and the path to a greater future.

The world will do its thing, and until Satan has had all of His whining considered, God will not turn the pages in human history. But turn they will, sooner or later.

God never allows history to be run by thugs, and evil. So fear not. If the time is right, then evil will have its chance. But, until the time is right, evil’s every effort, will be thwarted and delayed.

All we can do is set back, grow up spiritually, continue being responsible, as we should in all matters, and watch as God guides the world in a path of His choosing.

1 Peter 1:23

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1 Peter 1:23


23 Being born again [anagennao], not [ou] of [ek] corruptible [phthartos] seed [spora], but [alla] of incorruptible [aphthartos], by [dia] the word [logos] of God [theos], which liveth [zao] and [kai] abideth [meno] for [eis] ever [aion]. KJV-Interlinear


23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. NASB


To be born is to have a beginning. And our first birth, is our first beginning in life. For it is at the point of our physical birth, that we are first introduced to life and the many advantages or disadvantages of life.

And by faith in Christ, God gives us a second birth, or a second beginning. It is in this second beginning, that we are introduced to a second life, or spiritual life, and the many advantages, which it offers us.

In our first birth, our start came from our parents and our biological foundation. It is that foundation which has severe limits in life. Once born, we grow up all for the destiny of dying. Nothing better can come out of a physical birth.

The result of our first birth came from the will of our parents. The result of our first birth is eventual decay.

However, God in His divine will, caused us to be born again, and from His will, which is truth, which is eternal as He is eternal, then anything that God wills, will likewise be eternal and therefore permanent.

The Word of God is a living word. We have already seen that it is truth, it is the source of knowledge, as well as the doorway to wisdom, and it is love or doctrine in action. Now we see that Gods word is a living word, as opposed to a word (worldly viewpoint), which is a word pertaining to death.

The Word of God offers you something that is far more, infinitely more, than anything offered by this world. Life is infinitely greater than death.

And though it always sounds like a broken record with all of its repetition or warnings and reminders, the Bible constantly teaches, repetitively teaches, the advantages of learning doctrine and growing up spiritually, verses ignoring doctrine and embracing world views and the many disadvantages that go along with that.

Remember our study in Job. Satan was walking along on the face of the earth. Satan was both indifferent and defiant toward anything that embraced truth. Truth equals God, equals love, equals life, equals advantages.

Anyone who rejects God, Christ, doctrine, or their spiritual life, will be either indifferent or a manipulating and deceitful person. Cold is a good description of their personality.

When a person lacks doctrine, then their coldness (because cold is associated with death), will result in their being a dreamer, or idealistic, or just plain lustful for power and so forth. Their ideas and desires will always fail, and that failure will always turn them into a tyrant.

Failure breeds frustration, breeds anger, breeds violence. And especially when a leader is an idealist, then the most pleasant personality will eventually turn to force or violence, in order to get their way.

Here is the opposite of an idealist. An idealist wants things that will never be, and he will force everything in order to change this.

A growing believer wants things that will certainly be, and he need do nothing but grow up in his faith, in order to gain phenomenal success.

The idealist or spiritually negative person, will hustle and force and expend phenomenal energy and plots in order to get his desires. Satan is the perfect example of this. The next great example of this will be the anti-christ, with many world want-to-be’s scattered throughout history.

The growing believer relies on the mere word of God.

The spiritually negative person works hard, wanting everything his way, and getting nothing.

The spiritually positive believer looks to Gods work, and gains everything.

And the repetition of Gods teaching continues, until somebody, anybody, finally catches on.

1 Peter 1:22

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1 Peter 1:22


22 Seeing ye have purified [hagnizo] your [humon] souls [psuche] in [en] obeying [hupakoe] the truth [aletheia] through [dia] the Spirit [pneuma] unto [eis] unfeigned [anupokritos] love of the brethren [philadelphia], see that ye love [agapao] one another [allelon] with [ek] a pure [katharos] heart [kardia] fervently [ektenos]: KJV-Interlinear


22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, NASB


This is a complicated verse if you do not know what the meaning of truth, or love, or purified, or obedience means.

First, truth is the content of the Word of God. Love is the content of the Word of God. Doctrine is the content of the Word of God. Do you see a pattern? We studied this in detail in 1, 2, and 3rd Jn.

Love is not the emotional feelings of intimacy or hugging or just simply emoting concern or care for someone. Love is the content of the Word of God. Therefore, love equals truth equals doctrine. All three give the Word of God, certain attributes.

The Word of God is the content of words from Genesis to Revelation. Truth is the nature of those words. Love is the relationship that those words provide. In all, these three attributes provide us all a level playing field and consistent framework for conduct between ourselves and God and each other.

In this universe, there is cleanliness and there is filth. Bible doctrine is cleanliness. Everything else is filth. So, when you wash yourself with doctrine, you in effect purify your soul from the filth of everything that is non-spiritual.

When you are obedient to the truth, that simply means that you are obedient to the mandates of God. Which mandates are, having a positive attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine and your spiritual life. Obedience means to study with interest and desire to learn. Obedience means to study daily, learn daily, utilize daily, understand daily and in other words, grow up in your spiritual life.

The heart, is often used in the Bible to describe the function of Bible doctrine within your soul. In the physical body, the heart is a pump, which circulates the blood throughout the body. That is the same function referred to in the soul, whereby you are circulating doctrine throughout your soul as you think doctrine and use doctrine in your life.

And so, Peter reminds us that the best possible relationship that we can have with God and people, is through doctrine.

You must have doctrine resident in your soul and you must be in fellowship in order to use it properly. And with doctrine functioning properly (heart action) within your soul, then your relationship is not only maximized with God, but also with people.

Believers in fellowship are in the same game, so to speak, which maximizes harmony, consistency, orientation, discernment, understanding and so forth.

Believers out of fellowship are not participating in the same game, therefore there is confusion and dis-harmony.

Unbelievers aren’t even on the same field.

1 Peter 1:21

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1 Peter 1:21


21 Who [ho] by [dia] him [autos] do believe [pisteuo] in [eis] God [theos], that raised [egeiro] him [autos] up [egeiro] from [ek] the dead [nekros], and [kai] gave [didomi] him [autos] glory [doxa]; that [hoste] your [humon] faith [pistis] and [kai] hope [elpis] might be [einai] in [eis] God [theos]. KJV-Interlinear


21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. NASB


Through Him, is a reference to Christ. By Christ only, we can have a belief in God.

The reference here is to the Father, and this is a technical distinction between those who reject Christ, but profess to believe in a deity or some higher form of power.

The higher form of power can be a god, in its many forms that man has invented, or a philosophy, or a belief in things such as a life force, etc. All religions adopt this avenue of approach to God or a higher force.

But in eternity past, the Father, Son, and Spirit, all agreed that since man would try to approach God (Them) by means of mans own design, that They would have to come up with a plan whereby the approach could only come in one way, namely through the work of the Son.

Since man was going to become a sinner, then man would not have the means of getting out of his sinful chains, on his own. He would need help in that effort. Only God can help in that effort, and thus the work of Christ on the Cross.

But, man nonetheless would try to invent his own path to God the Father, and so the rules were laid out. Man by mans effort was a worthless effort. If God accepted mans efforts, then mans good intentions, laced by his sin nature, would require God to lower Himself to mans standards. And mans standard at best is arrogance.

This, of course God cannot do. God is perfect.

So, belief in God (the Father) must come through belief in the Son, because that is the path of perfection. The Cross is the path of solution to the problem of sin and death. Death is a separation from something, and in this case, it is the separation from God, which is in view.

Since God cannot have anything to do with sin, God somehow had to come up with a plan whereby the Son would have to be equal with both God and man, assume the penalty of sin and die (separated for God), and then come back from that death in resurrection.

Jesus came to earth as a man. On earth as Jesus, He possessed all of the attributes of humanity. He was perfect man, and was no different from any of us, except for the lack of a sin nature. During His life, He set aside His divine power, and was sustained by the Holy Spirit only. In that, He became the pattern for our sustaining life during this dispensation.

Jesus went to the Cross, paid the price and died. God the Father, together with the Spirit, brought Him back from the dead, and in that remarkable work, bestowed the ultimate glory on the Son, which brought the whole plan of God to its victory completion with respect to mans salvation.

In this work, neither Satan, nor angel, nor any other human being has been able to duplicate, or replace, or do better than the work that God has done.

And the result is that your faith and confidence, in God, becomes valuable and effective and real. Unlike all other religions whose faith is not real, your faith has a real destiny.

1 Peter 1:20

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1 Peter 1:20


20 Who verily [men] was foreordained [proginosko] before [pro] the foundation [katabole] of the world [kosmos], but [de] was manifest [phaneroo] in [epi] these last [eschatos] times [chronos] for [dia] you [humas], KJV-Interlinear


20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you NASB


In eternity past, God set out a plan. He considered every possibility, every possible combination, every conceivable approach to history, and came up with the very best plan, best for every created being.

We call that plan the divine decrees.

In that plan, He included the creation of the angels, the creation of the universe, and He saw the ensuing rebellion and fall. God saw the devastation brought into the universe, the restoration of planet earth, and the creation of mankind. And this included the foreknowledge of mans fall and the need for mans salvation.

Thus the Cross, Christ’s punishment, death, burial, resurrection and ascension were all foreseen and included within the divine plan.

There is and was, nothing in history that God did not know about, nothing that God could not foresee. There is nothing that will ever take God by surprise. Even the recent ups and downs of the stock market did not take God by surprise.

Christ appeared in history, for only one reason, and that reason is you.

Because you have believed in Christ, then God saw your belief and did not ignore it. Because you believed in Christ, God put together an entire human history plan, so that you would benefit. The word ‘humas’ means specifically for your benefit, in order to benefit you, so that you would receive the benefits, profits, wages, advantages of His plan.

So as a believer, you are extremely special. As a mature believer, you are all the more special.

And the whole point of this is, that no matter how you might be suffering in this life, or even prospering, your situation is nothing, when compared with what God has done for you and what God has in store for you. Your imagination cannot even begin to comprehend the benefits coming.

1 Peter 1:19

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1 Peter 1:19


19 But with the precious blood of Christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot : KJV-Interlinear


19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. NASB


The lamb is the innocent sacrifice, the animal taken without fight or resistance of any kind. The blood is symbolic of the work for Christ on the Cross.

Jesus did not bleed out literally, as the sacrificial animal did, but the term ‘blood of Christ’ is a reference to His spiritual death, after the fashion as the animal sacrifices died from bleeding to death, and it was not their bleeding but their death which was the issue and principle being taught in all of the animal sacrifices.

In fact, when Jesus went to the Cross, He bled very little. His hands and feet were punctured with nails, but He was alive on the Cross when He spoke, and when the skies went totally dark at noon until three o’clock. For those three hours He screamed as no one could see Him, as that was the duration of His punishment.

Then after the punishment of the Cross was completed, the skies grew light again, and He spoke His last few words. Jesus then pushed himself forward, and exhaled his last and died physically. The earthquakes began immediately as well as several other events occurred.

Here we are viewing His work, the punishment, the death, which was the spiritual death, not the physical death.

For in life, He died for our sins (paid the price in full), and then He died physically, after His work was finished.

Once Christ died physically, then His body, soul, and spirit (for He was also perfect and genuine humanity), separated and went to their respect destinations in the after-life. In Hades, He announced the victory of the Cross.

After three days, He returned (body, soul, and spirit) into the grave where He was laid, and He arose after the third day. He met with the apostles and then ascended into heaven. At some point during this time, He went to Paradise, and retrieved all of the Old Testament believers, who had been held captive, as it were, pending the outcome of the Cross. He led them out of Paradise and into heaven. And that was probably a phenomenal procession, a victory parade, celebrated by all of the angels in heaven.

We can only imagine the party that went on then. Paradise is now empty.

But it was this Jesus, who came into this world, perfect, without blemish, and without sin, who was the only person qualified to go to the Cross in behalf of all of humanity.

There is no other person qualified nor capable of doing the work, which Christ did. No religion, no philosophy, no belief, no matter how good they might sound, can duplicate or accomplish that which Jesus Christ did.

1 Peter 1:18

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1 Peter 1:18


18 Forasmuch as ye know [eido] that [hoti] ye were [lutroo] not [ou] redeemed [lutroo] with corruptible things [phthartos], as silver [argurion] and [e] gold [chrusion], from [ek] your [humon] vain [mataios] conversation [anastrophe] received by tradition from your fathers [patroparadotos]; KJV-Interlinear


18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, NASB

There are three things that will never perish. Three things in this current universe, that is, namely God, angels and mankind.

Even unbelieving man and fallen angels will live forever, it is just that their forever will be in the Lake of Fire, and not in heaven.

God has lived forever and there has never been a time when He has not existed. Man was created in a living soul, and from the time of each of our initial creation (birth), each of our lives will continue forever. The same goes for angels, from the time of their initial creation.

As for the rest of the universe, whether planets, stars, dust, or your precious possessions and talents, all will be destroyed completely and thoroughly, and then replaced with things that will last forever.

Things perishable, include the obvious, but they also include the not so obvious, such as your talents, abilities, opinions, attitudes, and so forth. If you had anything that was imperishable, then you might be tempted to boast of your own natural ability to beat God at His own game.

But that is not to be. Whatever you possess, whomever you are in this world, whatever talent, IQ, ability, looks, titles, achievements, social status, etc., etc., etc., they are all temporary and will sooner or later be lost to you, forever.

What made you, what saved you, what supports you, what allows you to continue your life in whatever capacity you might be in at the moment, or ever will be in, is the work of Christ. But that is in the next verse and we aren’t quite there yet.

These last two verses are intended to put you (all of humanity), in your place.

Have a problem with authority? Arrogance is your stumbling block. Have a problem with respect? Arrogance is your stumbling block. Have a problem with how God is running the world? Arrogance in your stumbling block.

God has a plan, which is far more complicated than the smartest of people can figure out. Even if we knew the details of today, we could not figure out the details of tomorrow or next year, or the next century. We have trouble enough predicting the weather accurately.

Remember that Peter is addressing folks that have been displaced from their home country, and are living under harsh conditions in foreign countries. Many have been displaced for generations, for centuries, even since the Babylonian captivity.

And so it is with us. As believers in Christ, our true home is heaven. But, here we are in a foreign land, planet earth, in this life, living under harsh conditions, our physical and perishable bodies for one thing and the poor economy of today, for another, just to name a couple of difficulties.

We are specs of dust. We are human life resident in a human soul, housed in a biological body made of dust.

Where in us is the basis for any kind of boasting?

And so we suffer.

God has given us tremendous blessings. God has given us tremendous doctrines and opportunities to live through this life, despite our handicaps. And all He asks is that we obey His commands. Commands which are based in truth (not lies), and designed to help and aid us through this life, and more important, commands and mechanisms which are deigned to prepare us for an eternal inheritance.

All this for dust!!! That is you.

Now, where is your appreciation? Where is your obedience? Where is your interest?

1 Peter 1:17

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1 Peter 1:17


17 And if ye call on the Father , who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work , pass the time of your sojourning here in fear : KJV-Interlinear


17 And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; NASB


If you are a true Christian, then you will honor God the Father as a child honors their parent, as a wife honors her husband, as one who is subordinate in any capacity, honors any authorized and proper authority.

Authority is established by God. God invented it, defined it, and established it as a part of the principles, which guide and stabilize life.

If you were to disregard the rules of the road, then there would be chaos on the streets. If you were to disregard the rights of others, then there would be no trust, no privacy, nothing of value in ones life.

If you regard God with any kind of respect at all, then you will honor Him, not only in words, but in deeds. You will obey His mandates.

God is not a respecter of persons. He has no respect whatsoever for who or what you are.

Man is dust and nothing more. Man is a living soul and nothing more. Man has accomplished nothing on his own, nor will he ever accomplish anything significant, ever.

If you have a talent, then it came from God. If you have an ability, then it came from God. If you have looks, then they came from God. If you have any intelligence at all, it came from God. Everything about you came from God.

God placed you in this world at His convenience, not at your command. God will remove you from this world at His convenience, and without regard to your permission.

God recognizes that which is holy as He is holy, that which is perfect as He is perfect. He detests anything and everything that is tainted and evil.

And, your life in this world, regardless of what you think of yourself, will be evaluated at the end of your life in this world. So you have perhaps a few decades to prepare yourself for that evaluation.

At the proper time, and again, at Gods convenience, we will all be called to stand before Him. God gave us all, time, doctrine and volition, and with those three things we have all that we need in order to prepare ourselves for our ultimate and final evaluation.

And what will our evaluation be concerned with?

Our fear, our respect, our honor of God, of His word, of His plan, of His doctrine, of all the principles and mandates which He has set before us. And, the manner with which we have applied these things (Gods truth) and formed the conduct of our life, around them. These things will determine the outcome of our evaluation.

God has left us all with tremendous promises and blessings in time and in eternity. Those blessings amount to things of phenomenal value. To whom God gives much (blessings), God expects much (obedience to His Word).