- As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
- Read 1 Peter 2:1-3
- 1 Peter 2:1 begins by telling Christians to “put away . . .” In the original language, this phrase is used to describe taking off certain clothing. In what way do you think this is an appropriate analogy regarding a Christian’s behavior?
- Do you notice a common theme among each of the sinful behaviors noted in 2:1? What kinds of sins are these?
- 1 Peter 2 continues the themes of 1:22-25. In light of a believers “new birth,” they are called to nurse on the right milk. The “milk” that believers need here is the Word of God — the Bible. As milk is essential for the growth of a child, so the Word is essential for the growth of the Christian. Christians are to “long for” or literally “develop an appetite for” the Word of God. How can a Christian develop an appetite for God’s Word? What kinds of things help Christians be excited about finding nourishment in the Word of God?
- What is your regular plan for finding spiritual nourishment from the Word of God?
- The end product of being nourished by the Word of God is that people “grow up” into their salvation . . . that is they live a life consistent with their identity in Christ. In what way has studying God’s Word allowed you to grow in your life?
- Peter’s assumption in 2:3 is that the readers of this letter were already followers of Christ. They were people who had already “tasted that the Lord was good” – in other words, they had experienced the salvation offered in Christ. While anyone can find certain general encouragement from God’s Word, a believer has a new and special appetite for it. Read Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:25-27. These verses help to unpack WHY Christians (as recipients of the New Covenant promised in these Old Testament passages) have an appetite and aptitude for the Word of God. Summarize your understanding of these verses below:
To link to the entire “True Grace” Study of 1 Peter for download, click here.