2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Have you ever seen a marriage that is full of slander and malice? I know I have. Some of those marriages not surprisingly ended up in divorce but some of them stayed married until the bitter end. I always wondered how you could stay married to someone that you obviously hate. Marriage is hard enough even when you are head over heels in love with someone. These toxic marriages that I saw were not Christian or had God at the center of their marriage. Sure the wife would sometimes go to church, but it was just more of a Sunday tradition rather than craving spiritual food. God doesn’t want our Christian marriages to look like those of non-believers. We are set apart and different from the rest of the world. As Peter says we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Other people do not know how good God is because they have never given their lives over to Him. And if we are not children of God, then by default we must be children of the Evil one. There is no in-between on neutral territory. No, in the spiritual world we are either saved or not, children of light or darkness, your father is either God or Satan.
Ladies, have you ever gone to those Bible studies where other women use the time of prayer requests to slander their husbands, all in the name of “I need prayer for this”? That is Satan working his way into your marriage, trying to destroy it from the inside out, all the while making it look like you are doing it for all the right reasons. The devil is crafty and he can make any kind of sin look good and appealing with the right makeup on it. Don’t fall for his lies, and don’t get sucked into conversations with other wives complaining about your spouses. In fact, do something different. Make a rule that only positive and uplifting talk about your husband comes from your mouth. If you are frustrated with him and don’t have anything nice to say, then do that in your personal prayer time. Your friends and family should think that your husband is the most wonderful man alive after they listen to how you talk about him. If you constantly slander your husband in front of others, they will eventually start to think he really is this terrible guy. Once they start thinking and believing those things to be true, it will be very hard to convince them otherwise. Plus, even if your husband is a handful right now, that doesn’t mean that he is not capable of change in the future. God works miracles every day and your husband could be one of them. So speak highly of him when you are among others, the more good things you find to say about him, the more you will notice your own opinion of him changes too.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
What does it mean to be the cornerstone? In our modern society, this analogy can get lost on us, but back in Jesus’s day, the cornerstone was traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones laid in reference. A cornerstone marks the geographical location by orienting a building in a specific direction. Historically, the cornerstone was the most important part of any building. The total weight of an edifice rested on this particular stone, which, if removed, would collapse the whole structure. The cornerstone was also the key to keeping the walls straight. The builders would take sightings along the edges of this part of the building. If the cornerstone was set properly, the stonemasons could be assured that all the other corners of the building would be at the appropriate angles as well. Thus, the cornerstone became a symbol of that which held life together. Jesus holds our lives together as well. He is the example that we look to keeping our eyes focused on him so that our lives don’t end up crooked. I know if Jesus was removed from my life, it would certainly crumble. In the last 60-70 years of the United States, we have slowly removed Jesus from our lives from taking Him out of schools to promoting divorce and abortion. No wonder our country is becoming weak and starting to crumble.
I also find it interesting that Peter says that our cornerstone (Jesus) was rejected by man and caused them to stumble, but chosen and precious to God. Isn’t it interesting that something precious to God, we put to death? If we don’t think we have a sinful nature, all we have to do is look at Jesus’ crucifixion. Some people will say that we have gotten better since then. I have a hard time believing that. Just because we don’t crucify people in the streets anymore doesn’t mean our hearts have changed. Now instead, we use abortion as a means of birth control. Our human hearts have been sick and sinful for a very long time, we just express it in different ways. Jesus is precious to God and yet we turn our back on Him and reject Him daily. But what if we stopped rejecting Him and made Him the cornerstone of not just our lives but our marriages? How different would our lives and our marriages look? For me, it would certainly change the things that I find annoying and bothersome. Sometimes it’s easy to fall into a pattern of complaining about the simple things in life. But I know if Jesus was sitting on my couch with me, I would never even think about complaining about the mail all over the island and how many shoes are lying all over the house. If Jesus were sitting on my couch, I hope I would be asking His advice on how to raise my kids and how to deal with difficult situations in my marriage. So instead of finding things to complain about, look at the bigger picture, open your Bibles, and ask God how to handle life. Just because Jesus isn’t physically sitting in your living room, doesn’t not mean that you don’t have Him living in your heart, and if you want to talk to Him, your Bible is your friend. It will tell you everything you need to know about Jesus and His answer to pretty much any problem life will throw your way.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Do you ever stop to think that you are chosen by God or a royal priest? I know for me those can seem a little far-fetched. We see other instances throughout the Bible where Jesus reminds us that it was Him who pursued us, not the other way around. In John 15:16 Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” Ephesians 1:4 says, “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” It is undeniable that God has chosen those who are believers in Jesus. But why? Is there something special about me that led God to choose me? The short answer is, no, God did not choose us because of anything inherent in ourselves. He chose us out of His love and mercy, and for His glory. We see that God’s choosing of us is linked to His love. God’s choice is something that gives Him pleasure and brings Him praise. God’s choosing of us highlights His gracious character, not our merit. We know we are not saved because of our good works but solely because of God’s grace. We are all sinners who fail to measure up to God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Apart from Jesus all deserve death (Romans 6:23). But in Jesus, we can have life. It is not because of who we are that God chooses us but because of who He is. And as Peter tells us in this passage, the proper response to being chosen by God is to declare God’s praise and give Him worship.
What about this Royal priesthood thing? Last time I checked I was neither royal nor a priest so why does Peter tell us this is how we are viewed by God? In the ancient world, a priest was responsible for leading the ritual worship of a deity, especially in correctly offering the proper sacrifices. Priests were “selected from among the people” and were “appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” Priests were also considered to be distinct from ordinary people. In God’s eyes, we are very distinct from nonbelievers. We are told in (1 John 3:10) Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. We are either considered a child of God or not, and if not, our default is to being a child of Satan. We, just like the priests have been selected, and set apart, for service to God. The priests were doing something that other people were not allowed to do. As Christ’s church, we are a royal priesthood to declare the praises of God. And each of us, as a part of that royal priesthood, is responsible for offering sacrifices pleasing to God and representing God to the world around us. Being a part of this royal priesthood is both a privilege and a responsibility.
We were also told that once we were not a people and once we had not received mercy but everything changes when you get saved. Now you are a child of God and all your sins are washed away by Jesus’ blood.
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Living in a pagan place can definitely be challenging. Sometimes I feel like the United States, even though we were founded on Christian principles, has quickly backslid into a pagan, God-hating society. Since we live in a Nation that is so hostile towards God, in their words and actions, how do we as Christians stand out? I look to President Trump, even though he is not a shining example of a Christian, he is living proof of how others tried to destroy him, and accuse him of all kinds of terrible things, and yet the truth prevailed and he stood innocent before them. It’s difficult when you live in a pagan society not to get caught up in the evil things that they are doing. At first, the little things may not seem so bad and we are all inclined to want to fit in with the people we spend lots of time with. But we must be the light upon the hill and stand out for all to see. Don’t give them any ammunition against you, they already don’t like you because you are a Christian. So show them how the ideal Christian behaves, not the Christian that they are afraid everyone is like, a hypocrite. (resist sin)
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
With an election coming up, this verse is a helpful reminder of how we are to behave while we are still here on the earth. We are to submit ourselves to every human authority. That does not mean that human authority will always treat us right or fairly. There are always innocent people in jail and people who pay consequences that are not appropriate for their sins. Remember in Romans when we are told “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1. God raises up good leaders and the bad ones. We never know what God’s plan is for us here on this earth but we still need to act as Christians and obey the authorities.
In Christ, we are free from the penalty of sin eternally speaking but that does not mean that the penalty of sin here on earth will not have real consequences. As Christians we are free from the power of sin, we are no longer slaves to sin but that certainly does not mean that we are given permission to sin. We are free in Christ but not free to live however we want, indulging the flesh believers aren’t free to sin, but free to live holy lives in Christ. Christian freedom is one of the many paradoxes of the Christian faith. True freedom means willingly becoming a slave to Christ, and no longer being a slave to sin. Being a slave to Christ is not like any other type of slavery. When we become a slave to Christ it does not mean what we think of slavery, it means that we must humbly serve one another instead of seeking position and status, we remember the Lord’s teaching that the greatest in His kingdom are those who serve others. As bondservants of Christ, like Paul, we are to live to please God and not people, “doing the will of God from the heart” We bow down to Him alone. Our priority should always start with loving and honoring God and then taking that love and showing it to others.
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God, submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate but also to those who are harsh.
As we continue down the topic of submission to authority, we are told to submit to our good masters and the mean ones. Even though we don’t have slaves and masters anymore, we do have management and employees. Most of us can identify with having one of each of these types of bosses. There will always be wonderful people to work for and others who will be harsh and difficult to please. It doesn’t matter the kind of person who we are working for, we are still called to be a light in this dark world. We are called to treat kind people and harsh people all the same. Sure it’s a lot easier to be nice and hard-working to someone who’s nice to you, everyone can do that but we are not everyone and we were made to stand out and be different because of Christ’s blood that saves us. You never know when your good behavior and willingness to obey authority will catch the eye of the unbeliever and turn their world upside down.
9 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
How many of us want to retaliate when we are being lied about or falsely accused? It is our human nature to protect our reputation and our honor, but Jesus did no such thing. He acted as our example in all situations. He showed us that in some circumstances it doesn’t matter what we say or that we made no mistakes along the way, if people want you destroyed and gone, there is nothing that will stand in their way. I’m sure we have all had those arguments with people that no matter how much fact and logic we tell them, they don’t want to hear it. The same was true for Jesus. Everyone who was falsely accusing Him did not care about the truth, they didn’t care that He was the son of God, all they knew was that He wasn’t fitting the mold of what they thought the messiah should be. As Peter reminds us, he did not retaliate, He didn’t threaten them, He trusted His life to God the Father. I know when I am facing opposition and condemnation, I have a hard time staying silent and trusting in God’s plan for my life. I want to stand up and fight and let people know that Jesus was perfect but I’m a close second and this is an injustice. What if instead we just surrendered to God and let Him be in control of what happens in our lives? Like the Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead, sometimes there is nothing that we can say that will change the minds of those who accuse us.
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Remember at the Lord’s supper when Jesus told us that His body would be given up for us? He died for us, He gave up His life for us, and He suffered for us. Christ suffered for us to follow in His steps, and to be our example. He suffered patiently and enduringly but His suffering was more unjust than anything we could ever go through because we are sinful. He also suffered as our substitute, as the one who took our place. In Isaiah 53 we learn more about the prophecy of what Jesus was to endure on our behalf. Christ paid that price that we could not pay so that we can be free. God does not transfer the penalty from the guilty to the innocent, but He bears it himself. We are not tainting God by giving Him our sins, He willingly took them from us. He took on our sins voluntarily, with no outside influences forcing Him to do so. The word “bore” means to carry a heavy weight. The heavy weight of sin is so heavy that it even makes creation groan. Bearing inequity means to endure the punishment that we deserve. In God’s realm, our punishment is eternal separation from God in Hell. It’s not just physical punishment but also spiritual punishment. He did more than forgive us of sin and the removal of guilt. He did this to change us, to transform us into righteous people, not to stay as the sinful people we once were.
Jesus had to save us because we were constantly going astray. Isaiah also makes this statement. This straying means we are continually turning toward sin. Now we turn not towards our sin but towards Jesus, our shepherd and guardian. Jesus is referred to many times throughout the Bible as our shepherd. Jesus guards, oversees and guides His sheep, even to the point of death for us. It is easy in this life to be led astray by all the fancy and shiny things that we think will make us happy, but Jesus is always close by, keeping an eye on us to help us stay focused on the truth. Jesus is truth and He is our life source. It is in our best interest that we stay close to Him so that we are protected and safe. But if we do go astray, we know that Jesus will leave the 99 to find the one.
2 Lives, 1 Flesh 
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