1 Peter 2
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. To whom coming, as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively
stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is
contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect,
precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people
of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I
beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that,
whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which
they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to
every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as
supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the
will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of
foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God.
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the
king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good
and gentle, but also to the froward.
For this is thankworthy, if a man for
conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it,
if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if,
when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable
with God.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again;
when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye
were healed. For ye were as sheep going
astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Having received this promise of life Peter continues in
chapter 2 to say since YHWHH Himself has given us His own life in us. Since His
life is in us He has determined to live out His will through you; sharing with
you His own purpose and working.
Think of that your creator living His life through you
sharing His works with you. Peters matter of fact delivery requires us to stop
and meditate on the magnitude of the things he says.
Since we have this life in us let us lay aside the tools by
which the self-life of our flesh attempted to accomplish its own
promotion: the desire to be established
without regard to the cost to others, manipulating others by sly and cunning
actions, acting in ways that do not reflect our heart in order to get what we
want, discontent and ill desire towards others because of their position or possessions,
and all speaking badly about others to the end we might look preferable to our
hearers.
Instead as children born again by the Spirit let us desire
to see only those things described and promised by the mouth of YHWH formed in
us by the living way of Messiah abiding in us. It is YHWH’s life shared in Him
living with no leaven of self will or action that shows us the express image of
our Elohim and makes Him a living cornerstone of the building of YHWH. This
same life abiding and living and working in us makes us also living stones set
by our cornerstone to be the temple of YHWH.
In Yeshua we are made both a living house of the living God
and the ministers of His workings through us for in our complete trust in His
death to take away the death of Adam and complete reliance that in his burial
we are buried in Him, and in our complete expectation of the Spirit that raised
Him from that death and burial into life to make that very same life of the
Spirit to be our life make us one with His acceptable sacrifice. Those things
he has done are that we can walk in them and by His sacrifice we become a
living sacrifice unto YHWH.
To us who have been shown the corruption and futility of dependence
on the self this gift of YHWH’s life in us is precious beyond words but to
those who are blinded by self-elevation, trust, and belief that we can be as
God is by self-consecrated to knowledge of how to do good and shun evil
(believing the same lie the first Adam died by) it is an offence to believe
YHWH is our maker. Such people may say they were made by YHWH but then why do
they exhibit pride and arrogance over that which they claim God has given them.
Like Cain, Korah, and Balaam before them they are offended that God and man
would not recognize their person.
Peter says it plainly that we have been called from darkness
into a marvelous light. That which is a foundation for us who believe is a
stone that causes the blind to stumble. Our salvation can be understood as
forgiveness by the blind but they cannot see we have been given freedom from
that which we had once been bound.
It is this liberty that makes us able to submit to YHWH, to
our brethren, to rulers of men as to that which is used of YHWH to keep the
evil in men’s heart at bay. In all these things the life in us is supporting
the shared life of YHWH but life cannot submit to death any more than light can
submit to darkness. I can never submit to my brother in a work of the flesh.
If my brother is the open hand of YHWH then I can be used as
the arm to help extend him, but if he acts as his own hand then I can have no
part in it nor can I not be used of YHWH to rebuke. In the same way as Peter
was rebuked by Paul though Paul had before submitted to the first apostles to
ensure he had not run in vain.
Our mind may go to the question which apostle was more favored
of YHWH but such a question is blind. YHWH is one and His favor is infinite to
all who are one in Him…for this reason it is impossible for Him to have a more favored
one. Everyone who is one with His life is highly favored of YHWH though He may
not work through us in the same way.
For this reason Peter warns not to use YHWH’s liberty as a
way to promote or defend the self of a man for that is death and separation. If
we suffer for the things we do that are wrong then we are just living in the
result of our actions.
If we have done
nothing wrong and are made to suffer hardship and our reaction is to defend ourselves
and demand fairness and what our good acts deserve then we are witnesses of the
self and separated from the oneness of YHWH. If we allow self to remain
crucified in Messiah and continue depending on the Spirit to live through us
then we are one in fellowship with the Father and the Son for both have allowed
men to buffet them with violent intent and lies to the longsuffering and
forbearing end that some may be saved.
You are no longer alone but now you have been made one.
