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Today's Teaching
Regardless of what you've heard before, the New Testament refers to PEOPLE - not a place - as "The House of God". Today we are going to discover how people who are part of the House of God should live & love.
Our love for God and appreciation for His forgiveness should overflow in how we treat each other. We must have a sincere love for each other - we are to love one another deeply, from the heart.
- Does that sound like your relationship with other Christians?
Real Deal Love:
1. Spend time TOGETHER.
2. Speak the TRUTH in LOVE.
3. Be kind, patient, & forgiving - knowing how kind, patient, and forgiving God has been to us.
WE have been changed & transformed, born again. The one who turns from sin and turns to Jesus will become a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). We can love one another sincerely and deeply because we are a forgiven family called to LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE - especially those in our faith family.
How can we KNOW that we are born again? We TRUST the promises from the living and enduring word of God - the good news about Jesus spoken through God’s servants is that is TRUE and TRUSTWORTHY for all time!
While people, like grass and flowers, will soon die, “The word of the Lord endures forever.” [Is 40:6-8]
- Trust God at His word. He will not lie nor let you down. He will be TRUE to US!
Stop Sinning & Start Pursuing
1 Peter 2:1 (NIV)
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
- Notice what Peter DOESN’T say - “Rid yourselves of this sin…WHEN you’re ‘at church’.
- Peter writes to The House of God saying rid yourselves of SIN. God doesn’t snap His fingers, drown our sinful desires, and turn us into mature believers overnight.
The Greek term translated “rid yourselves” or “put away” (ESV) was sometimes applied to stripping off dirty clothes. Some ancient baptism ceremonies would have the person strip off the clothes they wore to the ceremony, step into the water to be baptized, and receive new white clothing symbolizing that SIN was gone and PURITY had come!
The believer is to make the conscious daily decision to rid ourselves of all this sinful behavior like:
- Malice - a desire to harm others, sometimes translated simply as “evil”.
- Deceit - to trick & manipulate others; a term literally referring to “BAIT for fish”. We aren’t to lure others with lies. We are to be people of TRUTH.
- Hypocrisy - practice what we preach instead of telling others to do what we SAY, but not what we DO.
- Envy - We should be happy for brothers and sisters who do well rather than wishing it was us instead.
- Slander - speaking evil to cause harm to the reputation of others.
- Thomas Schreiner “The sins listed tear at the social fabric of the church, ripping away the threads of love that keep them together. Peter signals thereby that no sin is to be tolerated in the community, that sin is to be rejected comprehensively.”
1 Peter 2:2–3 (NIV)
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. [Ps 34:8]
Like newborn babies, crave [yearn, long for, desire] pure spiritual milk, and grow up in our salvation.
King David “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Ps 34:8). Those who have done so need to GROW UP! It’s time to spend time seeking God and obeying His truths.
- But many of us are spiritually anorexic. We don’t crave God’s Presence or God’s Scriptures, feeding on junk food and wondering why we’re not GROWING and have no significant purpose.
- Hope, forgiveness and purpose is found - in the Lord Jesus.
The House of God
WE ARE The House of God where the Spirit of Christ lives and moves. There is no more physical temple nor a need for one. And there’s no need for a holy priesthood to offer physical sacrifices…because God’s people are His holy priesthood.
We offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ as we:
1. Walk in obedience and thankfulness.
2. Intercede as messengers who pray for and share with others who cannot yet enter into God’s house.
The Most Precious Stone
Who is this STONE talking about? JESUS! He is the Cornerstone, the One that the entire house is built on and around. And what one does with Jesus will determine their eternal destiny. Sadly, many refuse to follow Jesus.
Destiny of the Damned?
House of God?
- Those who TRUST in Jesus and live for Him...WE are The House of God! Let’s start to LIVING LIKE IT! LOVE ONE ANOTHER and bless each others’ lives. Then, carry this message of HOPE to our Christ-less culture.
- Not a follower of Jesus? - Consider talking with a Christian who seems to live their faith. Ask them WHY they follow Jesus and have them share some of what they claim HE has done in their lives.
