Sermon No. 3112: A Sermon and a Reminiscence
Exposition: 1 PETER 2.
Verse 1. Therefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking. This is what we are to lay aside, to put away from us, to banish altogether. These are the old garments of the flesh which we are to give up to the moths that they may devour them and leave not a fragment of the old rags for us to wear. "Laying aside all malice." Has anybody injured you? Are you angry with him because of what he has done to you? Freely forgive the injury and wholly forget it. "And all guile." That is everything that is of the nature of craftiness and deception. Be honest, simple, straightforward, transparent—this is a trait of character which well becomes all Christians. "And hypocrisies" of all sorts. Let us not profess to be what we are not, nor pretend to know what we do not know, or talk of experiences which we have never felt. In fact, let us never be hypocrites in any respect whatever. The God of Truth loves His children to be the embodiments of truth. Hypocrisy He hates with a perfect hatred. "And envies." We must lay them all aside—all envies of men because they are richer, or more gifted, or more highly esteemed than we are. Let us not envy anybody, for envy eats a man's own heart out and slays him, as Eliphaz said to Job, "Envy slays the silly one." "And all evil speaking." We are not to be the repeaters of stories to the discredit of others, or to make up or to exaggerate any evil reports concerning anything in their lives. Let us have nothing to do with "evil speaking" of any kind. Lay all these rags aside. Is any one of them still clinging to you? Let it be laid aside this very hour!
2. As newborn babies, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. The unadulterated "milk of the Word" is the best food for those who are, spiritually, "newborn babies." Desire this unadulterated milk of the Word not out of an idle curiosity—but that you may grow thereby, that you may grow wiser, holier, more earnest, more like your Savior—that you may grow up into the likeness of Him whose you are, and whom you serve.
3. If you have so tasted that the Lord is gracious. [See Sermons #459, Volume 8—A SERMON FOR MEN OF TASTE and #2168, Volume 36— THE TEST OF TASTE] If you have spiritually tasted this great Truth of God, you have the flavor of it upon your palate so that it makes you long for more of it.
4. To whom coming. [See Sermon #1334, Volume 23—COMING—ALWAYS COMING] That is, unto the Lord. And that name Peter evidently gives to Jesus Christ and, therefore, we worship Him and call Him, each one for himself or herself, even as Thomas did, "My Lord and my God." "To whom coming."
5. As unto a living stone, disallowed instead ofmen, but chosen of God, andprecious. "Chosen of God." The whole spiritual building is the result of the election, the choice of God. Jesus Christ, the great Foundation and the chief Cornerstone, is chosen of God—and all the living stones that are built upon Him are also chosen of God. The whole fabric is like the foundation upon which it is laid—"Chosen of God, and precious"—precious to God and precious to us!
5. You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual horse, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.We hear of certain persons being "ordained" first deacons and then priests, but all who are truly in Christ—whether they are men, or women, or children—are priests. We are "a holy priesthood" if we are in Christ. [See Sermon #1376, Volume 23—THE TRUE PRIESTHOOD, TEMPLE AND SACRIFICE] All the sacrifices that can now be offered are spiritual sacrifices which are to be offered, not by a few special persons set apart for that work, but by the whole company of God's chosen people—and so they are "acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
6. Therefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded [See Sermon #1429, Volume 24—FAITH'S SURE FOUNDATION] Those who believe on Him are built upon Him. They rest upon Him, they are cemented to Him and, being living stones, they grow into Him and He grows into them—they participate in His life and so the living Temple becomes one—the chosen men and women who are the spiritual Temple in which God dwells upon earth. We need not wonder if, like the chief Cornerstone, we are disallowed of men, but we may rejoice that, like our Lord and Savior, we are "chosen of God, and precious."
7. Unto you therefore who believe, He is precious.He is preciousness, He is an honor, He is everything that is glorious to you. You can never think highly enough of Him, or speak well enough concerning Him. All the world beside may disallow Him, but unto you He is precious!
7, 8. But unto those who are 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 offense, even to those who stumble at the Word, being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed.The ungodly reject Him and regard Him as of no account, but God has made Him
"the head of the corner." And He has done more than that, He has made Him "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" to them, "even to those who stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." That is a terrible Truth upon which I am not going to speak just now, but I want you especially to note what an awful thing it is for men to "stumble at the Word"—to hang themselves upon Christ's Cross—to turn the heavenly medicine into poison—to make Christ, Himself, who is to others, "the Savior of life unto life," to be to them, "the Savior of death unto death." "Being disobedient." The fault lies with themselves, they willfully disobey the command to believe on Christ. "Whereunto also they were appointed." So the Divine Purpose is accomplished, although the guilt and punishment of their disobedience rest upon themselves alone.
9. But you are a chosen generation. There is the contrast between the disobedient and all true Believers. "You" have the chosen Savior to be the chief Cornerstone upon whom "you" who are living stones are to be built up into "a spiritual house," which is to be the abiding place of the Most High God.
9. A royal priesthood. "You" are to be like Melchisedec, in whom the two offices of priest and king were combined in one person. More than that, "you" are to be like your Lord in respect to His royal priesthood. That He should have "loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and His Father," seems to be an honor which is far too high for us. It appears to bring us almost too near our Lord, yet it is not so, for Peter wrote under Divine Inspiration, "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood."
9. An holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light God's Grace has been bestowed upon you in order that you may show forth His praises. Or, as the marginal reading puts it, His "virtues." Note what the Lord has done for you—He has called you "out of darkness" into light, into His light, "into His marvelous light." There are three thoughts there that are beautifully blended into one. What marvelous light that is into which God calls us! Try to measure it by the darkness in which you were! Try to measure it by the deeper darkness into which you were going! Try to measure it by the eternal darkness which would have fallen upon you if you had died in the dark. God has graciously brought you into His marvelous light! [See Sermon #2765, Volume 48—MARVELOUS LIGHT]
10. Who in timespast were not a people, but are now thepeople of God: who hadnot obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.How the Apostle delights to set forth these contrasts between the past and the present of the Lord's chosen people! By remembering what we were, we are made to appreciate and enjoy more what we now are. We may well praise Him who has worked this wondrous change in us. We were not His people, we were sinners of the Gentiles, not the chosen Hebrew race. In times past, we were not worthy to be called a people, but we are now the people of God. We had not obtained mercy, we had not even asked for it—some of us were so blinded by our self-righteousness that we did not know that we needed God's mercy, or did not want it! But now we have obtained mercy.
11. Dearly Beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul Fleshly lusts always hurt the soul. They do serious injury to the body, for they are contrary to the laws of health. But the main point for you to consider is that they "war against the soul." No men or women can ever commit an act of uncleanness of the body without grievously injuring the soul. It leaves a weakness, a defilement, a wound, a scar upon the soul—so may God graciously keep us from it altogether!
12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers. This they are sure to do and the more holy your life is, the more they will probably speak against you. Even if you could live like an angel, some would call you a devil! But you are not to be judged by men's judgment, thank God for that, and so live, "that whereas they speak against you as evildoers."
12, 13. They may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinances of man for the Lord's sake. "We are to obey kings, and governors, and magistrates, even when they may not be all that we wish them to be—"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake."
13-15. 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 you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Ignorance, you see, is a noisy thing. An empty drum makes a loud noise when it is beaten. And empty men, like empty vessels, often make the most sound. How, then, are we to silence this noisy ignorance? By argument? No, for it is not amenable to argument. Ignorance is to be silenced "by well doing." Holy living is the best reply to infidel talking!
16. As free. For there are no others under Heaven so free as God's servants are! "As free"—
16. And not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Not talking about liberty in order to stab at order. Not prating about liberty with the design of enriching yourself by robbing someone else. That is not God's will, but "using your liberty...as the servants of God" should use it.
17. Honor all men. Whoever they may be, be courteous, respectful, kind to all men because they are men. Whatever their circumstances, they are men. Therefore "honor all men."
17-19. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor 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 endures grief, suffering wrongfully.Not always "sticking up for his rights," as an ungodly man says, but feeling that the greatest right in the world is the right to do without your rights! To suffer wrongfully will often glorify God much better than to stand up for what you have a right to be or to have.
20. For what glory is it, if when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? But if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. It may be hard to bear, but in that very hardness lies much of the fragrance of it towards God. As spices must be bruised, so must you be pressed and crushed to bring out your sweetness. If you want to be where there is nothing to suffer and no wrong to be endured, you are in the wrong world for that as yet—that will be in the world to come!
21. For even hereunto were you called. Called to do right and to suffer for it! Ah me, what a call is that!
21-23. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, thatyou should follow His steps; who didno sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; and when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judges righteously: who in His own Self bore our sins [See Sermons #2790, Volume 48—
OUR LORD'S SUBSTITUTION, #2887, Volume 50—A DIRE DISEASE STRANGELY CURED and #1143, Volume 19—DEATH FOR SIN AND DEATH TO SIN] in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed. For you were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.