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How to Live the Christian Life

Posted on Sunday, September 27, 2015

How to Live the Christian Life

1 Peter 2

Gary Trittipoe

27 September 2015

  1. 1 Peter 2:1 – Be Holy
    • How are we to be holy: rid ourselves of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander
    • Malice = is a settled overgrown anger which inflames a man to do mischief
    • Deceit = dishonest
    • Hypocrisy = being fake
    • Envy = jealousy
    • Slander = speaking against others
    • Christians need to get rid of each of these characteristics to strive towards holiness
  2. 1 Peter 2:2-3 – Be Babies
    • As babies crave milk, crave spiritual milk (i.e. food) – the Bible
    • Our maturity will come through the depth of our knowledge of the Bible
  3. 1 Peter 2:4-8 – Be Grounded and A Living Stone
    • Jesus is the cornerstone – the foundational piece which grounds us
    • If Christians are basing their lives upon the cornerstone, Christ, then as Peter says here they can be the living stones – those around the cornerstone making up the Church
    • Today, Christians do not quite understand the concept of a true building cornerstone. Today it is more of a symbolic term. And just as the terminology has become symbolic our view of Christ is becoming more symbolic and less true. Do not forget the truth behind the statement that Christ is our true cornerstone – that which gives us out foundation for life.
    • Note: in 1 Peter2:8 it says that Christ can be a stumbling block to those who do not believe in Christ as their cornerstone – it is God who opens the eyes and hearts of men to believe in the truth – man cannot do that on their own
  4. 1 Peter 2:9-10 – Be in the Light
    • God called Christians out of darkness – out of sin
    • Christians fall short of living a holy Christian life, and yet God continues and has called us out of that darkness
    • As Christians, we are chosen, we are a holy priesthood – do we live this in our lives?
    • Do we rejoice and are we humbled because of what God has chosen for us?
  5. 1 Peter 2:11-12 – Be Ambassadors
    • We are to live as to represent Christ – to be a true Ambassador you have to know, understand, comprehend and believe in what you are representing – are you living as a good Christian ambassador?
    • We should live lives that others may see the evidence of the gospel
  6. 1 Peter 2:13-17 – Be Under Authority
    • Christians are to honor authority – yet how do we do that when authority continues to be corrupt?
    • Christians need to consider how they are going to live in accordance to the law AND to their faith
    • There is nothing new under the sun – in the new testament church Christians were being accused of cannibalism (because of communion), of being rebels (they were not worshiping the emperor)
    • Even within these hard times Peter says to obey the government
    • Christians today need to work towards spreading the gospel even with working in the world where we live
  7. 1 Peter 2:18-20 – Be Submissive
    • Even if you are not a slave, be submissive to Bosses who are unkind
    • As an employee or as part of a family work hard in a submissive manner – honoring those around you – which will honor God
  8. 1 Peter 2:21-25 – Be Looking to Christ
    • Christ is our example, our picture of how to live the Christian life
    • He suffered so we know we too can suffer
    • He served so we may know how to serve
    • He loved so we may know how to love
    • Without Christ we would still be sheep in the darkness without a shepherd
    • Christ can help us move through all aspects of life – no matter how difficult