As Newborn Babes…
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1Pe 2:1-3)
May we introduce you to Gibbs in his manly diaper? He is the new baby at the Ellison home, only a few weeks old. He is at home 24/7. At night, he comes on Mother Amber’s side of the bed and taps on the floor before starting a pitiful little bleating that rises in crescendo until he gets his bottle of milk—twice a night. His mother’s milk dried up.
In the day time, his place is in Amber’s lap if she sits down. He follows her everywhere and makes at least five little steps for her one. He’s our poster boy today in talking about the milk of the Word. Gibbs can only have milk because he is a baby. New Christians are babes and have to be fed and nurtured. If they fall, help them up in love.
The Help Manual for this is the Apostle Peter. Before taking in the milk of the word, new Christians are told to lay aside five things (and such like) before the person will benefit from the Word of God. A mind set of ill-will against another person (malice) must be done away with. No matter how much good the other person does, it’s going to be the sorriest thing anyone can imagine. It’s a mindset to tear down anything a certain person might do.
Guile is a state of deceiving another person. The smile and shaking of hands and kissing on the cheek “don’t mean nothing!” Hypocrisies is play-acting as in a theater. Pretending to be someone you’re not. Envies is a twin brother to jealousy, secretly wanting another person’s position or rank. Evil speakings is the plain old gossip that is so common; name and character assassination. Lay all those things aside and now you are ready to take in the simple things of the Bible. Never mind that you may know a thousand Bible verses by heart. If the laying aside of bad attitude has not taken place, you are not going to get much out of the Bible.
Tasting that the Lord is gracious probably relates to taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psa 34:8). “Peter continued the milk analogy used in 1Pe 2:2 and likened their present knowledge of Christ to tasting. They had taken a sample, having experienced God’s grace in their new birth, and had found that indeed the Lord is good.” (BKC)
We are babes in Christ and we are living stones that make up a spiritual house.To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1Pe 2:4-5)
Believers are identified with Christ, for He is the living Stone and they are like living stones. And as they become more like Him, further conformed to His image, they are being built into a spiritual house. Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build My church” (Mat 16:18). Now Peter (1Pe 2:4-5) clearly identified Christ as the Rock on which His church is built. Paul called the church a “temple” (1Co 3:16; Eph 2:21) and “a dwelling” (Eph 2:22).
Believers not only make up the church but serve in it, ministering as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices. All believers are priests (cf. 1Pe 2:9; Heb 4:16; Rev 1:6) and need no mediator other than Jesus Christ to approach God directly. Such priestly service requires holiness (cf. 1Pe 1:16, 1Pe 1:22). Praise to God and doing good to others are spiritual sacrifices that please Him (Heb 13:15). However, “living stones” may also offer themselves as “living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1), acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (BKC)
I like the way McGee observed the newborn babes in Christ. "Ye also, as living stones are built up a spiritual house." You will recall that after Peter's confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," the Lord Jesus said to him, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church" (see Mat 16:16, Mat 16:18). The name Peter means "rock," and the Lord Jesus was saying to him in effect, "You are going to be a little stone, a pebble, but on this foundation stone [Christ] I am going to build My church." The Lord Jesus is the foundation stone, and we know that Peter understood it that way, because he said, "Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house." Just as Simon Peter was one of the little stones, you are one of the little stones and I am one of the little stones which are built into this spiritual house. When we are born again, become children of God, we are put into this building of God.
…Paul also uses this illustration of a building. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph_2:19-22). Today God is building a temple, a living temple. Those of us who come to Him as the sinners we are, who fall upon Him, cast ourselves upon Him for mercy, are saved. And He makes us a part of the living temple He is building upon the foundation stone, which is Christ Himself.
"An holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Another picture which this epistle gives to us is that of a holy priesthood. All believers are living stones. All believers are priests. We are a holy priesthood, and later Peter calls it a royal priesthood. As priests we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. Praise to God is such a spiritual sacrifice." (McGee)
Ok, what did you get out of this lesson today? If you need to, go back to the top and scroll down and tell yourself what the lesson is about. Go ahead…real slow….what did you get out of it? If you need to, read it a second time. You should remember this the rest of your life. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
FEBRUARY 6, 2017 – MONDAY
A.M. Exodus 39-40 P.M. Matthew 24:1-22
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. (Hos 4:6-7)
SONG FOR TODAY:
Charlotte Ritchie & Ivan Parker: Tell Me the Story of Jesus (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AghsSvQ_2B8
(Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1Pe 2:1-3)
May we introduce you to Gibbs in his manly diaper? He is the new baby at the Ellison home, only a few weeks old. He is at home 24/7. At night, he comes on Mother Amber’s side of the bed and taps on the floor before starting a pitiful little bleating that rises in crescendo until he gets his bottle of milk—twice a night. His mother’s milk dried up.
In the day time, his place is in Amber’s lap if she sits down. He follows her everywhere and makes at least five little steps for her one. He’s our poster boy today in talking about the milk of the Word. Gibbs can only have milk because he is a baby. New Christians are babes and have to be fed and nurtured. If they fall, help them up in love.
The Help Manual for this is the Apostle Peter. Before taking in the milk of the word, new Christians are told to lay aside five things (and such like) before the person will benefit from the Word of God. A mind set of ill-will against another person (malice) must be done away with. No matter how much good the other person does, it’s going to be the sorriest thing anyone can imagine. It’s a mindset to tear down anything a certain person might do.
Guile is a state of deceiving another person. The smile and shaking of hands and kissing on the cheek “don’t mean nothing!” Hypocrisies is play-acting as in a theater. Pretending to be someone you’re not. Envies is a twin brother to jealousy, secretly wanting another person’s position or rank. Evil speakings is the plain old gossip that is so common; name and character assassination. Lay all those things aside and now you are ready to take in the simple things of the Bible. Never mind that you may know a thousand Bible verses by heart. If the laying aside of bad attitude has not taken place, you are not going to get much out of the Bible.
Tasting that the Lord is gracious probably relates to taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psa 34:8). “Peter continued the milk analogy used in 1Pe 2:2 and likened their present knowledge of Christ to tasting. They had taken a sample, having experienced God’s grace in their new birth, and had found that indeed the Lord is good.” (BKC)
We are babes in Christ and we are living stones that make up a spiritual house.To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1Pe 2:4-5)
Believers are identified with Christ, for He is the living Stone and they are like living stones. And as they become more like Him, further conformed to His image, they are being built into a spiritual house. Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build My church” (Mat 16:18). Now Peter (1Pe 2:4-5) clearly identified Christ as the Rock on which His church is built. Paul called the church a “temple” (1Co 3:16; Eph 2:21) and “a dwelling” (Eph 2:22).
Believers not only make up the church but serve in it, ministering as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices. All believers are priests (cf. 1Pe 2:9; Heb 4:16; Rev 1:6) and need no mediator other than Jesus Christ to approach God directly. Such priestly service requires holiness (cf. 1Pe 1:16, 1Pe 1:22). Praise to God and doing good to others are spiritual sacrifices that please Him (Heb 13:15). However, “living stones” may also offer themselves as “living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1), acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (BKC)
I like the way McGee observed the newborn babes in Christ. "Ye also, as living stones are built up a spiritual house." You will recall that after Peter's confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," the Lord Jesus said to him, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church" (see Mat 16:16, Mat 16:18). The name Peter means "rock," and the Lord Jesus was saying to him in effect, "You are going to be a little stone, a pebble, but on this foundation stone [Christ] I am going to build My church." The Lord Jesus is the foundation stone, and we know that Peter understood it that way, because he said, "Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house." Just as Simon Peter was one of the little stones, you are one of the little stones and I am one of the little stones which are built into this spiritual house. When we are born again, become children of God, we are put into this building of God.
…Paul also uses this illustration of a building. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph_2:19-22). Today God is building a temple, a living temple. Those of us who come to Him as the sinners we are, who fall upon Him, cast ourselves upon Him for mercy, are saved. And He makes us a part of the living temple He is building upon the foundation stone, which is Christ Himself.
"An holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Another picture which this epistle gives to us is that of a holy priesthood. All believers are living stones. All believers are priests. We are a holy priesthood, and later Peter calls it a royal priesthood. As priests we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. Praise to God is such a spiritual sacrifice." (McGee)
Ok, what did you get out of this lesson today? If you need to, go back to the top and scroll down and tell yourself what the lesson is about. Go ahead…real slow….what did you get out of it? If you need to, read it a second time. You should remember this the rest of your life. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
FEBRUARY 6, 2017 – MONDAY
A.M. Exodus 39-40 P.M. Matthew 24:1-22
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. (Hos 4:6-7)
SONG FOR TODAY:
Charlotte Ritchie & Ivan Parker: Tell Me the Story of Jesus (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AghsSvQ_2B8
(Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)
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