The, The, The
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| Desire this? More than the Bible? No way! |
The Desire (2-3)
Have you ever had a hankering for something? I mean a real desire for some treat that will not be satiated until you get your bootie in the car & make it to that particular restaurant to purchase & consume that special dish. For instance, I have that fetish with cinnamon rolls. Sometimes I just have to have one!That is the feeling that Peter says we should have toward God's word. It should be like an addiction. We should crave it. Why should we crave it? We should because we have tasted it & know it to be good. We should gobble it up like candy or sourdough bread or cinnamon rolls, because it is good stuff.
The Stones (4-8)
Peter uses the picture of a stone to describe Christ & to imply our own position. Take note of how people reacted to Jesus. If Jesus was rejected, why would we be accepted? If Jesus offended, why should we appease people? If people stumbled at Jesus' message, should we be surprised that they trip over ours? The answer is no.God's grace appears to us as great. It appears as a terror to the unbeliever in an equal magnitude.
The People (9, 10)
Peter now declares that we are God's special treasure. But how is this special treasure treated? He is treated as follows:- God delights in the believer.
- God chooses & calls the believer.
- God owns the believer.
- God illuminates the believer.
- God reveals Himself to the believer.
- God is merciful to the believer.
- God employs the believer.
The Aliens (11, 12)
Aliens make a return in verse 11! It's a reminder that we need to behave in this world. However, this means more than just playing nice--it's a call to be more like Christ.The Anarchists (13-20)
Lest we take our position in Christ to mean we can behave like anarchists in this world, Peter makes sure we know this is not what he means. We are to be respectful of authorities while always giving preference to The Divine Authority.
The Purpose (21-25)
Verse 21 gives us our purpose in this world: to follow in Christ's steps. Be humble & bring salvation by presenting His finished work to the world