2:1 A New Life Of Love
1 Peter 1:22-25 · Bob Eckel · Mar 8, 2020
1 & 2 Peter (2020-21), No. 09
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926191813744

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Let's begin with verse 13. We're in chapter 1 of 1 Peter. The title of today's lesson is A New Life of Love. So verse 13. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. We had the discussion last week about that if you remember with Andrew and Roy. Keep in mind we are operating under grace here. And this I think is growth for the body and may have some future implications but growth for the body is really I think by grace is what Peter is writing to.

So as obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of lamb without blemish and without spot who barely was foreordained before the foundation of the world who was manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God now this week's verses 22 through 25 seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren.

See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you.

I want to remind you of the author of this epistle. Again, I reflect often as I prepare and read 1 Peter of the Peter of the Gospel account and the Peter where we're reading here today, this is an incredible changed man. And there is as good a doctrine here in 1 Peter and 2 Peter as there is in the books of Paul. I mean, Peter really is soundly ingrained in the great grace by which the Lord has saved each and every one of us. So let's begin today.

Verse 22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. Now that verse seems pretty straightforward, but there's some interesting things about this that I think we can have fun discussing here this morning. Since you have purified your souls is a perfect active participle. By the way a participle is something with an ing. It's kind of like I'm loving Margaret or I'm enjoying being in Sunday school this morning. So a participle is just a verb that has an ing at the end of it. So this is a perfect active participle.

That means it's an active since you have purified your souls that means you're in the business of continuing to purify your souls. It's an active and you're doing it. I mean we know it's passive and we're going to come back to that in a second. It's passive and the Lord purifies our souls but how do we purify our souls? By faith. By faith. Faith is the vehicle. Remember we've got this whole book written to us and the principle of us responding to the book is by faith. Do we believe what God has revealed?

What is the soul? And which of these definitions do you like best here? This is from the Blue Letter Bible which I like as a study guide. So the three options for the New Blue Letter Bible is the first is the seed of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions.

For instance, our heart, your heart is your soul kind of mindset. So that's one definition. The second is, quote, practices the human soul insofar as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness. the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life. Okay, that's kind of a clumsy grammar, grammatical use of that definition. And the third is the soul is an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death, distinguished from other parts of the body. So those are the Greek definitions for the soul. Which one or maybe more than one applies here? since you purified your souls?

I'd go with two and three. Two and three? Okay, other thoughts? I like three because it's more simple. Let's put a fourth up, Roger. I could go here and modify this. So Roger, tell me what a soul is. We go back to the man is body, soul and spirit. The problem is that the soul, many, many verses combine the soul and the spirit. Except you go to the one that says that the divider of the soul and spirit is the Word of God. So the soul is You know, there is a distinction between the spirit, the spirit we have, you know.

Anyway, it's tough. I find it very tough to have a good definition. I actually kind of prefer the first definition. I mean, think of the soul of the unsaved world. I mean, it doesn't relate to two particularly. It could relate to three for sure. Yes, Tom? I feel differently about that first one simply because I've taken enough psychology in college, starting now, and it just looks like that's a cast iron copy of what you'd probably find in a psych book. Well that may be true, but keep in mind now, the soul can be influenced by any type of philosophy or psychology. I mean, other thoughts?

Yeah, right place. It's a human level perspective of us. It's not a divine level of us. And I don't know how to say it more simply than that. And the reason I say it is, it's how we relate to one another. Okay. Whereas the spirit is how we relate to God. And there's the verb purifying our souls.

So this is kind of immoral, isn't it? I mean, it could be very moral, it could be immoral, how we feel about things, our desires, our affections. Amoral. Amoral, yeah. It could be immoral, amoral or moral, depending on how the soul is being influenced.

That's where two fits in better here. And carrying it a little further, if you're not a believer, It goes right to animals. And we speak of animals as having a soul too. If you limit it to those kinds of definitions. But God gave us a soul because he breathed into us. So we would have a relationship with one another that's different than animals.

I really believe that. And I don't know how to explain it other than saying that God did something to man What happens to the soul with a new creation? Back to the amoral nature of the soul, I think this soul is amoral. It can be influenced by our biblical beliefs and can be influenced by the world system. And by the way, the flesh shows up here too, right? The old nature. What do you mean by amoral?

I think the soul doesn't have, it's neither moral nor immoral. If you like the first definition, which nobody does but me it looks like, I mean, I think the third is true, the soul lives on, right? But if you look at it in relation to this earth, the first one doesn't seem to fit very well. I think it's passive. Because it's not very purified. Because that could be the unbeliever too. An unbeliever doesn't have a purified soul, right? Well, that's right.

So, he or she is being influenced by the world system and the sin nature that indwells all of us. Anyway, we're not going to solve this issue here this morning, but the soul is a concept that comes up in scripture a fair amount, and purifying your souls means that if you don't like this, I do, but I think how our whole existence is influenced by the Word of God. Isn't your soul how you're feeling about things, your emotions and all this kind of thing? The big breakthrough is when you do know that Christ did certain things for you and is in you because you first believe that changes the whole situation. Let's go ahead because we could be on this the whole morning and still not answer the question.

What kind of purity Okay, the relationship we have with the Lord is in 1 John 3.3, is everyone who has his hope in him purifies himself just as he, meaning the Lord Jesus Christ, is pure. So the purity relates to our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. So this process of purifying ourselves really is this growing in grace and that's what we're talking about here in this verse 22 of 1 Peter 1. We're in the business of purifying our souls by our faith. and God's pathway filled with grace. So what truth had they obeyed? Well, what do you think of truth? Gospel message. So, what is truth?

Let's do a little scripture reading here. Somebody take John 14.6 and then somebody else take John 17.17-19 and whoever has that, read it please. I'll make you work a little bit this morning, not too much. That's a hard phrase for people who don't believe, isn't it? Or for people of other faiths. John 17, 17-19.

Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I send divine myself, that they themselves may also be sanctified in truth. Okay, so that truth is really what is our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ and we're led by the Spirit to reveal that truth in us.

So what was their source, kind of answering the question going forward? It says, since you have purified your souls or are in the business of continuing to purify your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit. What's the source? The source is the spirit, is it not? Okay, so we can all be saved and not have a spirit enlivened life. And our soul then could revert to kind of the ways of the old man.

John 16.13, however, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, we're back to truth here, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatsoever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come. So the source of the truth in this process of purifying our souls is the Holy Spirit. First Peter 1 to elect, in fact this preceded this in the same chapter so we can revert back to that. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit.

So the sanctification is being set apart by the Spirit to have our souls increasingly purified. For obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. So again the cross is the beginning of this process of sanctification where we see ourselves Not only sins forgiven but crucified, dead and buried and resurrected again. We're sanctified. We're set apart. And remember, your citizenship is not here. And that's a reminder we all need to think of when we think of the coronavirus or whatever else you want to think about. Our citizenship is in heaven. So, all right.

What kind of love is this? That reminds me of an old rock and roll song, actually. Philadelphia is the type of love you have for the brethren. Isn't that interesting? We are going to build on this a little bit. Ultimately, Weiss says that this is the love of liking. I'm not sure I like the love of liking, but it seems a little bit... Repetitious. Yeah, right.

But this is an unfamed or sincere love. Of interest, the root word for this, for unfamed, is the word hypocrite. So why do you think that The Spirit through Peter has put this in as the adjective to describe this type of love or philia we have for one another. This is not agape. We're going to get to agape. But this is philia. because it has unhypocritical love. That's right, but it's the opposite, anhypocritical. I mean, the Greek term is shown there. Anhypocritical is the true love, right? Yeah. Put it all around, that's the true love.

And I have perhaps a reflection of the different grades of society. I mean, this is kind of maybe the different grades of society that existed in this early church. and the sinful ways of the world that continue to be manifest within the body. Using this term for unfeigned or sincere love, it's a type of love that really the world system was, these were believers but they're bringing some of these attributes into the church. Do we see that today? And I'm not asking anyone to raise their hand here this morning.

Alright, so I turn to Romans 12.9, this part of Romans really dealing with the body in terms of what the Christ life looks like. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil and cling to what is good.

So that's kind of the application of this type of love. Now, going beyond this, who are the others to be loved fervently with a pure heart? Others at the same time. take, Roy, this. This love is agapeo and this is an imperative. That means do it. As believers we're called to a higher capacity of unconditional love and that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But who are the others? One another of the same kind. Are we talking about the brethren here? Not talking about the world, right? and context that's us in this room and beyond of course. I mean others is not well-defined. So we have this liking of one another and then we're called to a higher capacity of love.

Let's look at a couple verses that support this. First Peter later in this book, and above all things have fervent love for one another, that's agape. for love will cover a multitude of sins. No question about that one. And it's kind of for me to live as Christ. And what's the rest of that verse? To die is gain. Either way you win. That's the way I look at that one.

Any other thoughts about this kind of two levels of love? I often kind of said, and see if you like this or don't like this, you don't have to like everybody, you just have to love them. That seems challenging. But that love is an unconditional love, that's the Lord Jesus Christ living out in our lives, is it not? Maybe we do have to like everyone according to what this verse is saying. Anybody have any wisdom to share on that one? Roy?

We'll let the class vote after you make your comment. There are two kinds of one another's. Heteros is one another of a different kind. But he uses alos here, one another of the same kind. OK, so that's good. OK, that's good. That's within the body then. All right, we're going to close out on verse 22. Everybody OK with that?

Alright, verse 23, having been born again, by the way it's a continuation of thought, I almost put these verses together, but keep in mind this is after what we just discussed in verse 22. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides. We dealt with this with a verse earlier, that's what I'm trying to find. Remember we talked about silver and gold? It's being corruptible. Peter comes back to that theme here in verse 23. Having been born. What do you make of that? Present passive participle. What do you make of the verb tense? Every believer can say that he is born again. Why the present tense? Tom?

I'd say it's a completed act in the past with ongoing results with our active participation in more than we need. Alright, you know this kind of concept of three verb tenses of being saved, I was saved, for me July 14, 1978, we're being saved, this verse could be utilized to really the verb tense here to say we're continually being saved. It's an active process. And then will be saved, what does that relate to? That's where our soul finds itself, right? So the three verb tenses of being saved, this is interesting here because having been born again is an active process. And by the way it's passive, who's doing this work?

How do we experience that? By faith. This is graduate school classes here. Why is the contrast so important between corruptible and incorruptible? Peter is mentioning that here for a second time. Let's look at this a little bit further. What is the seed? I'm going to turn to the gospel account. There's a verse in Matthew that would be similarly explained seed here. Now the parable is this, the seed is the word of God. Now the question is, is that the written word? We're going to deal with that in a few minutes too with the next verse.

Or is the seed, is the logos here of the Lord Jesus Christ himself? I think it's himself. He's the seed. He is the word. Other thoughts on that? He is the revelation of God himself. It's the scriptures that we learn of. but he is the incorruptible one. I thought Adam was the corruptible and Christ is the incorruptible. Yeah, the first Adam, clearly corruptible. Alright, let's look at this a little bit, Marti. Corruptible is each one of us, right? Because we're offspring of the first Adam.

Boy, doesn't the world have a lot of problems with that? How many conversations have you had with people who are unbelievers and telling them they're sinners by birth? It gets back to the old question, is man basically good or is man basically evil? And boy, I would suggest the world system would say, the majority would say, well, there are a few bad habits, but mankind is basically good. That's the world view. and that's why all the social engineers kind of think, you know, people pray for peace on earth. I mean, sure, we can all pray for that, but that's not what scripture tends to say about what our future is looking like.

Anyway, corruptibles each one of us, Romans 1, 22 and 23, professing to be wise, they, meaning we, possibly, became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man. and the birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. That has a lot of application, doesn't it? But we have a promissory note. First Corinthians 15. Many, many places in Scripture for this, but I just thought this was good. And we often hear this at memorial services for our brethren in the Lord.

But for his corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Boy, we're a different class of citizens now. Tom. very positive putting down of the old nature and everything that follows. So this corruption and incorruption is turned up in scripture in multiple places and I thought the first Corinthians 15 verses were probably most summarial in terms of pointing this out.

Okay, the word of God which lives and abides is a present active participle. What does that indicate? It's happening all the time. Yeah, it's ongoing. It's present tense. that life and abiding that life continues persistently and our faith allows us to enter into that.

Is this the written Logos and or the living Logos? What are your thoughts? Through the word of God which lives and abides. The word is Logos here. We talked a little bit about this a moment ago, being Christ. Okay, so you think that this is Christ then, not referring to the written word? Well, the written word reveals Him. Right, okay. So you're equating those two? You think in scripture there's not a distinction between those two at times? Well, yeah. Okay. There is, but I don't know that that applies here. Okay. Because this is the act of working. Okay, good.

Tom? Death is swallowed up in victory when we get to know the Lord. It continues on through your whole life because He is in you, you in Him. It continues as we allow it. Okay. Any other comments on this? Bob, I don't know if this helps or not, but in thinking about the Word of God being written, There are passages that say that not one jot or titful will pass away until the world passes away. Which means that the written word of God is good up until that point in the future when eternity begins versus time that we have now. Because as long as time continues, the word of God will not lose any of its integrity, its capacity, even the jawed material, the crossing of a T or the dotting of an I is not going to pass away.

It's a written word. So that comment reflects the written word. Yeah. I'm just giving that as a perspective. OK. James 118, of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that he might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Logos, whichever. I've combined 24 and 25 together because it's kind of a thematic here and this has some interesting aspects to discuss.

Because, and this is an Old Testament quote from Isaiah chapter 40 verses 6-8, because all flesh is as grass and all of its glory as the flower of the grass, the grass withers and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. So that's from the prophet Isaiah. I put, isn't this a soft pillow for a tired head? And it is because we can identify with the fact that the word of the Lord endures forever.

And Roy you just spoke to that actually. Well actually I was speaking the opposite because heaven and earth will pass away and it's up until that point that the word of God, the written word of God will not change. It will endure up until that point. I was just giving a... Why do you make a forever then?

That's the perspective of the Holy Spirit's book through Isaiah in regards to the word of the Lord. His word, what He says, will endure forever. And He says much more than the written word. His revelation of himself will continue forever and ever beyond the passing away of the earth. But the actual writings, they will end as far as there is a time when heaven and earth will pass away. Well again Isaiah had personal communications with the Lord, did he not? So his communication here is the revelation of the Lord will endure I'm not saying that this is the written word. I know, but we sometimes limit ourselves to the time we live in. There is an eternity beyond that. Eternity is a whole different dimension, isn't it?

Alright, a couple of Old Testament equivalents. There are lots of them in the Psalms, but I just picked this one. When the wicked spring up like grass, referring to the earthly wicked, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever. He equates the corruptible with the grass that withers and are destroyed forever. Of course we know the soul lives on, but at least ultimately there is no looking forward to eternity there. And there are also some New Testament reminders here. In James 1, 9-11, let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat then it withers the grass, its flower falls and its beautiful appearance perishes, so the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

James 4.14 Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

One more verse which I think is kind of relevant here that was just born of the flesh is flesh and that's born of the spirit is spirit and that kind of relates to something that withers and is destroyed versus something that has life eternal connected to it.

Now, an interesting discussion I think we can have on this In Adam we are withered grass and a fallen flower but in the Word, the Word here is Rima not Logos, we live forever. So why this use of the verb or the noun for Word? But in the Word we live forever.

So this presumably refers to the verbal communication of the Gospel or the Word of God. So this is kind of a communication that of course relates to Logos, but in fact the Greek term is not Logos. It's actually a spoken word, kind of like our class here, our service to follow.

Acts 2.14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. So again, speaking about spiritual things, but he's asking them to acknowledge his spoken words. Another example, Peter, and there are other examples of others besides Peter, and we're reading the epistle that Peter wrote, so I thought we'd look at some of the things he said. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the word.

That second is Logos. Isn't that interesting? So the words Peter was speaking was the communication of the Gospel, but yet those who heard the word is locus. What do you make of that? Jesus said once, the words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. So he expands on it just enough to give them a greater understanding, you know, to teach them what to read and it helps them understand more and more. Okay. Those that hear the word are chosen. What's that? Those that hear the word are chosen.

Okay, the chosen, you're not getting into Arminianism versus Calvinism here. No, I'm sorry. No, but I mean it's clear that every body is presented with an opportunity in one way or another to come to the Lord, right? So the chosen are those written in the Book of Life that we have no menu for the Book of Life. But, right, those who heard the word are those that in fact come to be saved, presumably. And that word there is Christ himself. And everything that relates to Logos in terms of the word, the written word and the word himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.

How about this one, Romans 10.17. So when faith, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. And this is Rima also. hearing the Word of God. Does anybody read The Hungry Heart for today? That's something that I'm ministered to each and every day. It's not the only thing, but it's certainly... Let me just...

There we go. So the title for today is Inborn Ministry, and the verse stated is John 15, 16. Does not you who chose me to get onto the point that was just made, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful. So here's the text. We must be born into our ministry, our service, and it must be born in us. Thus it will be a sharing of life through which others will be born and will grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Quoting 2 Peter actually. Our Father will never put work or service in the place of character, and if we do that, eternity will reveal that.

However much we may have done, we are very small amongst the inhabitants of the land whose stature will be measured by the measure of Christ. It would be well if all who contemplate or engage in the work of God were governed by this one absolute final law, that both as to themselves and as to those amongst whom they minister, the ultimate test is not how much work is done, but how much of Christ is present or results from the sharing.

The gospel can never be fully preached by eloquence of the evangelist. It finds its true authority only in the lives of those it has hold of. We live in a day when it is easy to evade the cross worked out in our lives and in which we are apt to place our confidence in modern methods and techniques of evangelism. But lacking the solid evidence of godly living and devotion to the Lord Himself, these will become a fanfare of trumpets or the crashing of cymbals, but nothing more. and the verse that Miles closes with, You are my witness, saith the Lord, my servant, whom I have chosen from Isaiah, actually 4310. So the concept, it's our life out there that may be the only Bible people ever see.

That doesn't mean the spoken word should be, you know, delayed when the Spirit leads us, but it's our life that people look at. And I think, you know, I'm going to kind of persevere here a little bit. Don't you think one of the greatest witnesses we can have to somebody, if we've made a mistake or we've erred in some way, to acknowledge that and say this and ask for forgiveness? I think it's really, again, that's the life. And you can, I think, open up doors with just letting the life be shown for what it really is and not necessarily verbally presenting the gospel, although people need to hear the Word of God and ultimately that's how faith comes by hearing and that's the spoken word but I think the life is what today's message I think and not the hungry heart reflected. Any comments at all about that?

Hebrews 11.3, by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. Interesting, the same use of the term Word. The Word of God was in fact ultimately how the worlds were framed so that the things which are seen were made of things which are visible so the word of God in fact were not made of things which are visible is that logos or grams? I'm sorry which word is that? that's the same Rima The spoken word is also related to his own creation that he speaks through everything he's made.

So that every one of us is without excuse because we've all heard his spoken word through the creations. That's an aspect. In his last days he's spoken to us by his son. And that's what this verse is all about in the Gospel. In Romans, early in Romans, Romans 2 I believe gives us another mechanism by which we come to God. So the creation is number one, Christ is number three, what's the second?

Conscience. Conscience, but again the conscience can be deceiving. I think the omnipresence of God in the world system in fact makes people to some extent feel guilty at times of their wrongdoing and their false thinking. But unfortunately many people don't take that next step to realize how that's remedied. Don't you think that feeling of guilt is probably part of the persecution? In this country we're not You know, our heads aren't chopped off, but in the workplace or among friends or whatever who are not believers, you know, you can feel a little persecution if they know you're a believer and by what you stand for. There certainly are, and I think it's becoming more prevalent in our society where people are not afraid to, you know, kind of lash out to believers. I think it's becoming more prevalent. Well clearly the world system, as we've reflected in our government, takes that position, doesn't it?

So let's look at these four verses again in closing. So verse 22, seeing you've purified your souls, that's an ongoing process, in obeying the truth through the Spirit, and of course that truth is the Lord Jesus Christ, enacted by the Spirit, unto unfamed love, which is a sincere love, not a hypocritical one, that was present probably in the church of that day. See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently, and as Roy's pointed out, that's still the brethren in terms of the group translation. Thanks, Roy.

Being born again, and by the way, that's not the date of our salvation, it's the ongoing act. God's working in us to continue to grow us in His grace. not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, so we are considered incorruptible by our position and by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. And that word there is Logos. And then we have the Old Testament reminder of as the incorruptible is like grass in the flower that withers and falls and dies. Ultimately, now the Word of the Lord, again the spoken Word of the Lord endures forever and who He is. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.

Who is teaching next week? You are. So how many verses are you doing? The original plan was two through five, but I have one through five. Actually, I have the following week too, so I'm going to split with Andrew. I think one reflects what we were dealing with today.

Let's close in prayer. Father, we're thankful for the word of the Lord. We're thankful that we can look at it and discuss it and apply it to our lives. We're thankful to have a have a great relationship and be positioned above that our understanding may be guided from the right hand of God and the Spirit lead us into all truth. And as we obey that truth, we want to trust your great grace as a foundation by which our faith is enacted. We're thankful for the class today and the service to follow. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.