"Taste the Lord"
[I Peter 2:1-3]
July 1, 2007 Second Reformed Church
"Therefore."
I was a member of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship while I was in college, and one of the things that has always stuck with me, that was said during one of our Bible studies, was "When you encounter a 'therefore' in the text, ask 'what is the therefore there for?'"
Peter begins the second chapter of his letter saying "therefore" -- since, because, what?
Therefore, since we have heard the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Alone.
Therefore, since we have been ransomed by the Precious Blood of Jesus.
Therefore, since we see that love is an outgrowth of holiness.
Therefore, since our souls are purified by obedience to the truth.
Therefore, since our hearts are purified by our birth of imperishable seed.
Therefore, we read in this morning’s Scripture, live differently.
Since all of these things are true of a Christian, therefore, we ought to find at least six things about us that are different from the common person on the street.
First, Peter says that we are to put aside hatefulness or malice. We ought not to act sadistically. We ought not to enjoy others' suffering. We ought not to desire others to suffer.
When Hussein's right hand man was killed in a bombing some months ago, I read an article about how a Christian ought to respond to this man's death. The hateful or malicious person would delight in his death, he would rejoice and hope that he died slowly in agony.
Peter -- and the author of this article -- says that we cannot be like that. Peter first said this to Christians who were on the run, being hunted by Nero, and the implication is that they, as Christians, ought not to desire ill to befall Nero. Ought they have desired him to stop, to repent, to believe in Christ? Yes. They ought to have virtuous thoughts towards him, and not ill. A Christian desires God’s Good for all.
Second, Peter says that we are to put aside deceit. We are to deal honestly with all people. We are to do everything we can to present the facts of the matter, in conversation, in business, etc. We ought not distort the facts to our gain or to others' loss.
There is mention several times in the Scripture of unjust weights and measures. We are not to take advantage of others, but provide our the best and truest work. We ought not to cheat on our taxes, at work, etc.
I was discussing taxes with a group of ministers, and we agreed that the tax code for ministers is unjust. And then, one by one, they admitted that they cheat on their taxes to balance the injustice. We are called to submit to the authorities over us and be honest with them, even when they abuse their power. We may not lie, but we are to be known for our truthfulness.
Third, a more specific issue of truth and falsehood, Peter says we are not to be hypocrites. Instead, we are to stand for the truth, no matter what the cost is to us.
It would have been easy for Christians, confronted by Nero's men to pretend not to be Christians to save their skin. But Peter tells them and he tells us, no, we must boldly stand for the truth, and especially the Truth of Salvation in Jesus Christ Alone. We cannot be witnesses to the Truth, if we are known to be hypocrites.
Fourth, Peter says we are to put away envy.
There is no place in the Christian life for looking at others and believing that we are more deserving and should have what they have. Again, if one is on the run, being hunted like an animal, it would be easy to say, "God, I am the Christian here, and I am living like an animal, I deserve to have the nice house and family that the pagans have."
You and I do not deserve such things; we're told that we deserve God's Wrath. Americans like to talk about all the rights we have, but what rights do we have before the Living God? What fools are we to come into His Presence and claim that God ought give to us what He gave to another, because we deserve it?
No, we are to be satisfied in God's Provision of our needs. Paul wrote, "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:12-13).
In other words, we ought to be a people who trust God for our needs, no matter what state we are in, because God is trustworthy.
Fifth, we are to put away bearing false witness and slander. We ought not to give each other up, even to save our lives. We ought not to shift blame to others. We ought not to make others look worse than they are. We ought not outright lie about another person.
Instead, we are to love. And, as we have seen before, that means that we are to do everything we can to make each others' lives better, especially in the things of God. We are to build each other up, swallow our pride, and seek others' benefit.
And sixth, we are to be a people who desire the Word of God, rather than neglect it. And Peter says that we ought to desire the pure milk of the Word of God, by that, he means that we ought, first, desire to know the basic, foundation truths of the faith, and from there, we can build.
So, this actually has two parts: we ought to desire God's Word. We ought to have a passion for it. Does it ever occur to you during the day, "I want to spend some time reading my Bible." If you're a Christian, it should, there should -- be an ever growing desire to read the Bible and understand it. Do we desire God's Word?
And then, we ought to understand the basic, foundational things first, so we can build and understand more from there. You see, if we don't have the foundation set, the things we add on to it will eventually fall apart and come crashing down. For example, if we don't believe that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden as our representative and condemned every human being thenceforth, except for Jesus, to be born inclined towards sin and fit for eternity in Hell, then the Incarnation of Jesus, His Life and Death and Resurrection, are meaningless.
Peter says that these things will be the case for you if you have tasted that the Lord is good. Peter is quoting Psalm 34:
"I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us extol his name together
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
"Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction shall slay the wicked, and those who hate righteousness will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned" (Psalm 34).
Let us pray:
Almighty God, as You have saved us, we have tasted of You and seen that You are good. Cause us to live lives of virtue, truth, honesty, love, trust, and satisfaction. Make us a peculiar people for Your Glory. As we receive the bread and the cup this morning, we ask that Your Grace would be given to us that we might continue to become like Your Son. And may the world come to know You through our strange witness. For it is in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.
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