Grow in the Word of the Lord

1 Peter 2

II. We are all born corrupted by sin

Psalm 51:5 (KJV), “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Colossians 3:5 (KJV), “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Romans 5:12 (KJV), “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

Psalm 58:3 (KJV), “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

III. You know that you are truly BORN AGAIN if you desire to be fed by the milk of God’s Word

1 Peter 2:2-3 (KJV), “² As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. ³ If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

The NKJV says, “³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

Make sure your foundation of your salvation is solid and cannot be withered away

1 Peter 2:4-5 (KJV), “⁴ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ⁵ 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.”

Salvation of your acceptance of Jesus Christ is NOT likened to a lifetime membership card whereas if you keep the card in your wallet, you are protected and promised a lifetime of salvation.

IV. You don’t choose God, He chooses you

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV), “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.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 (KJV), “⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”

Ephesians 1:11 (KJV), “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”

John 6:44 (KJV), “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:64-65 (KJV), “⁶⁴ But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.  ⁶⁵ And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

Proverbs 20:24 (KJV), “Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?”

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (KJV), “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”

V. We are to submit to those who God puts over us

1 Peter 2:13-15 (KJV), “¹³ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;…¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (KJV), “¹¹ Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.  ¹² Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”

Hebrews 4        

I. Peter is giving us an analogy by relating us to the Jews who were given ample opportunity

Hebrews 4:2-3 (KJV), “² For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  ³ For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

Hebrews 4:6 (KJV), “Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief.”

II. Do not fall to disobedience

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV), “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

III. Our Perfect and Compassionate High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-15 (KJV), “¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  ¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Jeremiah 8

I. The Peril of False Teaching

Jeremiah 8:4-6 (KJV), “⁴ Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?  ⁵ Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.  ⁶ I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.”

II. Jesus is God

John 10:30 (KJV), “I and my Father are one.”

John 8:58 (KJV), “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

III. Is the God of the Old Testament an angrier and different than the God of the New Testament?

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV), “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

IV. Why did John the Baptist call the Pharisees vipers?

Matthew 12:34 (KJV), “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

Jeremiah 8:17 (KJV), “For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.”

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (6848) – adder, cockatrice; From an unused root meaning to extrude; a viper (as thrusting out the tongue, i.e. Hissing) — adder, cockatrice.

Proverbs 29       Abomination goes both ways

Proverbs 29:27 (KJV), “An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.”

Ezekiel 7

The continuous transgressions against God brought their true destruction

Ezekiel 7:1-4 (KJV), “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ² Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.  ³ Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.  ⁴ And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.”

When you read this chapter, God really shows His anger.   I have heard so many times from certain teachers and counselors that the God of the Old Testament is a much angrier and meaner God of the New Testament.  The promised ones of the OT were continuously guided and provided by God but also continually denied Him and turned on Him.  God then gave Moses the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of Law) knowing that no one could possibly abide by them. 

Galatians 3:19 (KJV), “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”

We must thank God for His gift to us

John 3:16 (KJV), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”