October 10, 2018
“For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” – 1 Peter 1:24-2:1
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” – 1 Peter 1:24-2:1
The original manuscripts of the New Testament were not separated into chapters and verses. This happened much later in order to facilitate finding and referencing certain passages. Because of the addition of these chapters and verses, we often make the mistake of reading each chapter as a separate work and completely miss important connections. 1 Peter, chapters 1 and 2 are a perfect example of this. The teaching of 1 Peter 2:1 is inseparable from the statement of 1 Peter 1:24-25. That is what the “therefore” at the beginning of chapter 2 is all about. We are taught to rid ourselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. But why would we do this? Our natural reaction might be something like, “because it makes for a better life,” or, “it is just the moral thing to do.” But neither of these is correct.
1 Peter chapter 1 ends by telling us that we will each wither and fade. But the same is not true of God’s Word. It will carry on into eternity. Because of this, the greatest thing we can do in this life is live in submission to God’s Word. The life that we live in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, should be a life in accordance with goodness of God. Why? because the Word of God, what He declares right and good or evil and condemned, will not change or fade for all eternity. So I ask you the question today; are you living out your temporary and selfish desires, or are you living out the good things of God in submission to His Word? Only one of those things will matter for all eternity.
Father, fill us with Your eternal Word and empower us to live it out each and every day we walk on this earth, storing up eternal treasure where corrosion and destruction have no power.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon
