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Sunday School Lesson For Nov. 8, 2009
A CHOSEN PEOPLE -
1 Peter 2:1-10
BACKGROUND:
Today’s lesson follows on the heels of last Sunday’s lesson. It in fact begins (verses 1-3) by completing the thought that ended last Sunday’ verses. It would be helpful to read again 1 Peter 1:22-25 to get the entire picture. The facts as Peter sees them are in these verses, while the conclusion (The “wherefore” in verse 1) is in the opening three verses of today’s lesson...
We were, says Peter, originally born of corruptible seed; we are like grass: we die in season. We were like flowers – we fade away in time. Now we are something much more; we are reborn of incorruptible seed. We are, in fact, new life forms and in need of the things necessary to compliment our new life. Therefore, Peter opens Chapter 2 with “wherefore”...
CHOOSING A SPIRITUAL DIET (1 Peter 1:1-3)
Every living form needs nourishment. But not just any nourishment – the nourishment peculiar to that particular life form. Here, the “new” life is that of one reborn in Jesus Christ as a result of continued obedience to the Word of God. This being is indeed, as Paul once put it, “a new creature”. Obviously, the “food” that sustained the old “self” is not suitable for the new. It is therefore necessary to do two things: dispense with the old diet and take up instead the new diet...
What was the old diet? Look at verse one for a list. Here Peter admonishes the new believer to rid himself of those old habits, as they are unhealthy for the new life. Instead, the diet for the new life is in verse two – the “milk” of the Word of God. It is clear that one who is truly changed must have the Word, otherwise he dies a quick spiritual death. To the true believer, nothing can replace this Word; further, there is a natural hunger for this Word. It is not something that the believer received with a frown on his face. It is, in fact, delicious to the “taste buds” of the Spirit...
CHOOSING A BUILDING MATERIAL (1 Peter 1:4-8)
The world will not accept this new spiritual life in a person. The situation will be much akin to a building stone (cornerstone) that was rejected by the world. Of course, a cornerstone as described by Peter here is not just a decorative stone that is placed on the building’s corner for the sake of appearance; no, this cornerstone is the one that supports the building. The difference is that in cornerstones as we know them today, the building is erected, and the cornerstone is cut to fit the hole in the side of the building provided for the stone. That is, the shape and size of the stone is dictated by the building. In the latter case, however (and this is Peter’s meaning), the building is constructed to fit the stone. Of course the “stone” here is Jesus Christ – the Word of God...
Nonbelievers can read the Word, but they “stumble” over it. They are “offended” by that Word, for it requires of them things that they cannot deliver, and makes demands that the nonbeliever sees as unreasonable...
Now of course, as Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, we as believers are ourselves “little stones” that together make up the building. It is interesting that God made us so that we have only one place in which we “fit” in the whole scheme of things. We error when we either try to “fit” somewhere else, or we get the misconception that we’re the building instead of just one of the stones...
CHOOSING A HOLY NATION (1 Peter 2:9, 10)
We as God’s people should expect to be unacceptable to the world; indeed, we become unacceptable to our old friends. We should expect to be seen by worldly people as “different”. We are different mainly because we praise God without shame of hesitation. We are alike because even though we come from all different “walks” of life, we as God’s people now have Him in common. We are therefore a “people” who have through out acceptance of God, obtained mercy. We are, therefore, a Holy nation....
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By HIS stripes, we are healed...
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