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1 Peter Chapter Two

 
Chapter Two General Review
 
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
 
1) To note what is necessary in order to grow spiritually
 
2) To reflect upon our privilege and duties as God's special people,
 living as sojourners and pilgrims in a world not our home
 
3) To review our duty to submit to governmental authorities, and to make
 application of the instructions to slaves in our lives as employees
 
SUMMARY
 
Having described how they were born again by the incorruptible Word of
God, Peter admonishes his readers to put aside sinful attitudes and to
grow spiritually with an infant-like longing for the Word (1-3).
 
He then depicts Jesus as a living stone, and Christians as living
stones. The latter are being built up as a spiritual house and holy
priesthood in order to offer spiritual sacrifices through Christ. As
foretold in the Scriptures, Jesus is the chief cornerstone that is
precious to those who believe, while a stone of stumbling to those who
are disobedient. Christians are called on to proclaim the praises of
God as they are now a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, His own special people who have now obtained mercy (4-10).
 
As the people of God, Christians are sojourners and pilgrims in this
world. Their duties as such involve abstaining from fleshly lusts, and
keeping their conduct honorable among the Gentiles (nations) through
good works designed to glorify God. They are to honor and submit to
governmental authorities, and honor all people while loving the brethren
and fearing God (11-17).
 
Christian slaves are told to submit to their masters, even when they are
harsh and cause them to suffer grief wrongly. Peter reveals that such
submission is commendable before God and follows the example of Jesus
whose own suffering delivered us from sin (18-25).
 
OUTLINE
 
I. A CALL TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (1-3)
 
 A. WHAT TO LAY ASIDE (1)
 1. All malice, all deceit
 2. Hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking
 
 B. WHAT TO DESIRE (2-3)
 1. The pure milk of the word
 a. As newborn babes
 b. That you may grow thereby
 2. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious
 
II. OUR PRIVILEGE IN CHRIST (4-10)
 
 A. AS LIVING STONES (4-8)
 1. Coming to Christ as to a living stone
 a. Who was rejected by men
 b. Who is chosen by God and precious
 2. We as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house
 a. To be a holy priesthood
 b. To offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
 Jesus Christ
 3. Christ is the precious cornerstone
 a. As foretold in Isaiah 28:16
 1) God would lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect,
 precious
 2) He who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame
 3) Precious to those who believe
 b. As foretold in Psalms 118:22 and Isaiah 8:14
 1) A stone rejected by the builders, which has become the
 chief cornerstone
 2) A stone of stumbling and rock of offense to those who are
 disobedient
 3) To which they were appointed
 
 B. AS PEOPLE OF GOD (9-10)
  1. They are now:
 a. A chosen generation
 b. A royal priesthood
 c. A holy nation
 d. His own special people
 2. They are now:
 a. To proclaim the praises of God, who called them:
 1) Out of darkness
 2) Into His marvelous light
 b. The people of God, who once were not the people of God
 1) Who had not obtained mercy
 2) But now have obtained mercy
 
III. OUR DUTIES IN CHRIST (11-25)
 
 A. AS SOJOURNERS (11-12)
 1. To abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul
 2. To have conduct honorable among the Gentiles
 a. That when they speak against you as evildoers
 b. They may glorify God in the day of visitation
 c. Because of your good works they observe
 
 B. AS CITIZENS (13-17)
 1. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake
 a. To the king as supreme
 b. To governors as those sent by the king
 1) For the punishment of evildoers
 2) For the praise of those who do good
 2. For this is the will of God, as bondservants of God
 a. That by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of
 foolish men
 b. As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice
 3. Therefore:
 a. Honor all
 b. Love the brotherhood
 c. Fear God
 d. Honor the king
 
 C. AS SERVANTS (18-25)
 1. Submissive to your masters with all fear
 a. Not only to the good and gentle
 b. But also to the harsh
 2. For this is commendable before God
 a. If because of conscience before God one endures grief,
 suffering wrongfully
 b. What credit is there when beaten for your faults, you take
 it patiently?
 c. If when you do good and suffer, yet take it patiently, that
 is commendable
 3. For we were called to Follow in the steps of Jesus our example
 a. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth
 (Isaiah 53:9)
 1) When He was reviled, did not revile in return
 2) When He suffered, He did not threaten
 3) He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously
 b. Who bore our sins in His own body on the tree
 1) That we, having died to sins, might live for
 righteousness
 2) By whose stripes you were healed
 3) You were like sheep going astray, but have now returned
 to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
 
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
 - A call to spiritual growth (1-3)
 - Our privilege in Christ (4-10)
 - Our duties in Christ (11-25)
 
2) What must we lay aside to grow spiritually? (1)
 - All malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking
 
3) How should we long for the Word if we want to grow spiritually? (2)
 - As newborn babes desire milk
 
4) What should motivate us to desire the Word with such longing? (3)
 - If we have already tasted that the Lord is gracious
 
5) What kind of stone is used to describe Jesus? (4)
 - A living stone
 - Rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious
 
6) What two metaphors are used to describe Christians? (5)
 - Living stones, being built up as a spiritual house
 - A holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through
 Christ
 
7) What prophecy foretells the laying of a chief cornerstone in Zion?
 (6)
 - Isaiah 28:16
 
8) What is Jesus to those who believe in Him? To those who do not
 believe? (6-8)
 - The chief cornerstone, elect, precious
 - A stone of stumbling, a rock of offense
 
9) What is the appointed end of those who do not believe and are
 disobedient? (8)
 - They stumble
 
10) How are Christians described by Peter? What is their duty? Why?
 (9-10)
 - A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own
 special people
 - To proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into
 His marvelous light
 - They are now the people of God who have obtained mercy
 
11) What is our duty as sojourners and pilgrims in this world? Why?
 (11-12)
 - Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul
 - Conduct ourselves honorably among the Gentiles
 - That they might glorify God in the day of visitation because of our
 good works
 
12) What is our duty toward the governments of men? Why? (13-15)
 - Submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake
 - That by doing good we might silence the ignorance of foolish men
 
13) How are we use our freedom in Christ? (16)
 - Not as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God
 
14) What four admonitions summarize our duties to others? (17)
 - Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king
 
15) What is the duty of servants to their masters? (18)
 - Be submissive with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but
 also to the harsh
 
16) What is commendable before God? (19-20)
 - To endure grief, suffering wrongfully though doing good, because of
 conscience toward God
 
17) To what have we been called? (21)
 - To follow in the steps of Christ, who suffered for us and left us
 an example
 
18) How did Jesus suffer wrongly and bear it patiently? (22-23)
 - He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth
 - When reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did
 not threaten
 - He committed Himself to God who judges righteously
 
20) What good did Jesus accomplish by suffering such abuse? (24-25)
 - He bore our sins in His own body on the tree
 - Making it possible for us to die to sin and live for righteousness
 (by His strips we were healed)
 - Like sheep gone astray, we have now returned to the Shepherd and
 Overseer of our souls

The Living And Abiding Word (1:22-2:3)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. As Christians, we are but pilgrims in this world; our lives are but
 a sojourn toward our true home which is in heaven
 a. But as we travel through this life, we are not left without a
  "spiritual roadmap"
 b. To guide us on our journey, God in His grace has given us His
 wonderful Word, contained in the pages of what we call the Bible
 
2. What is sad is the fact...
 a. That many people go through their lives and never seriously
 consult this book which can direct them to heaven
 b. That even many Christians go through life ignorant of much of its
 content!
 
3. I am hoping that in the course of this lesson...
 a. I can awaken any such people to the value of the wonderful Word
 of God
 b. And that I can impress upon you the importance and necessity of 
 reading the Word of God on a daily basis
 
[In an effort to do so, I encourage you to open your Bibles to 1 Pe 1:
22-2:3, where we read of the nature of God's Word (read).
 
Within this passage of scripture, we can glean various attributes 
possessed by the Word of God that make it so wonderful. Consider, 
then...]
 
I. THE WONDER OF GOD'S WORD
 
 A. IT LIVES AND ABIDES FOREVER...
 1. Verses 23-25 stress this point:
 a. "not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible"
 b. "which lives abides forever"
 c. "the Word of the Lord endures forever"
 2. Jesus has also spoken of the indestructibility of the Word of
 God - Mt 24:35
 3. History has borne out the fact that despite man's efforts to 
 destroy and do away with it, the Bible continues to endure 
 forever
 a. The efforts of Diocletian
 1) In 303 A.D. he proclaimed an edict requiring Christians
 and their sacred scriptures to be destroyed
 2) But within 25 years, the succeeding emperor ordered that
 50 copies be made and distributed at government expense!
 b. The claims of Voltaire, the French atheist (who died in 
 1778)
 1) He boasted that within 100 hundred years of his 
 lifetime, Christianity would be swept from the earth
 2) But only fifty years after his death, his own printing
  press and house were being used by the Geneva Bible 
 Society to produce stacks of Bibles!
 4. How true, then, is the statement of Isaiah as quoted by Peter 
 in 1 Pe 1:24-25
 
 B. IT CAN CAUSE ONE TO BE BORN AGAIN...
 1. There is a law of science known as the Law of Biogenesis which
 states that "life begets life"
 2. Because the Word of God is what it is, it is able to produce
 spiritual life! What is it?
 a. It is "incorruptible" seed which "lives and abides forever"
 - 1 Pe 1:23
 b. It is "living and powerful" - He 4:12
 c. As Jesus said: "...The words that I speak to you are 
 spirit, and they are life." - cf. Jn 6:63
 3. When a person receives the Word of God and obeys it, he or she
 is truly born again! - cf. Ja 1:18
 
 C. IT CAN PURIFY THE SOUL...
 1. Notice carefully: "Since you have purified your souls in 
 obeying the truth..." - 1 Pe 1:22
 2. By obeying the truth (the Word of God), our souls are purified
 - cf. Jn 17:17
 3. That is because the truth contains the gospel, which when 
 believed and obeyed, results in the remission of sins by the 
 blood of Christ!
 
 D. IT CAN PRODUCE CONTINUAL GROWTH...
 1. "...desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow 
 thereby," - 1 Pe 2:2
 2. Spiritual growth as a Christian is totally dependent upon the
 Word of God!
 
[Do you see why the Word of God is too wonderful to neglect? There is 
no way you can destroy it, and if you desire to be born again and grow
spiritually, it is impossible without the incorruptible seed of the 
Word of God!
 
Now if we desire to allow the Word of God produce in our lives its 
desired effect (spiritual life and spiritual growth), there are at 
least two things mentioned by Peter which are essential...]
 
II. GROWING BY THE WORD OF GOD
 
 A. FIRST, WE MUST PREPARE THE SOIL OF OUR HEARTS...
 1. Just as when we prepare the ground for planting a garden
 a. We cleanse the ground of all insects and weeds
 b. So that seeds can grow unhindered
 2. Likewise, there are things Peter says we must lay aside...
 a. MALICE - an evil disposition, malignant spirit, a desire to
 injure another
 b. GUILE - that is, craftiness 
 c. HYPOCRISY - deceptive and deceitful actions and attitudes
 d. ENVY - feelings of unhappiness because another has that 
 which one desires for oneself
 e. EVIL SPEAKING - slanderous and defamatory statements about
 others
 -- For the Word of God to flourish in our lives, we must rid 
 ourselves of these things
 3. Note also that these attributes must be rid of, if we are to 
 be able to "love one another fervently" (as commanded in 1 Pe
 1:22)
 
 B. SECOND, WE MUST HAVE THE PROPER DESIRE FOR THE WORD...
 1. Peter illustrates the proper desire...
 a. We are to be like "newborn babes" who desire milk - 1 Pe 2:
 2-3
 b. Just as babies "long" for milk, we are to "long" for the 
 Word of God
 2. Do our present attitudes toward the Word of God indicate such 
 longing?
 a. Do we demand regular feeding upon the Word of God?
 b. If we feasted upon food as often as we feasted upon the 
 Word of God, would we survive physically? - cf. Mt 4:4; 
 Ps 119:165; Jer 15:16
 3. Failure to have this longing for the Word of God is a main 
 reason for the lack of spiritual growth in many today
 a. It is why many do not overcome sin in their lives - cf. 
 1 Jn 2:14
 b. It is why many never become the godly men and women you 
  would expect of Christians who have been such for 5,10,15
 years or more
 4. A question I often raise:
 a. If we do not read, study and meditate upon the Bible 
 daily...
 b. If we go year after year, failing to read through the Bible
 on a regular basis...
 -- Can it be said that we have the proper desire for the Word
 of God?
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. The Word of God is too wonderful for Christians to neglect! Yet I 
 dare to say that there has been a wholesale neglect of the Word of
 God among Christians in the Lord's church today
 
2. "If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious", as Peter
 says, if you have been born again by the Word of God, then I plead
 with you to make Bible reading an intricate part of your daily life!
 
If you have not even obeyed the gospel, why not do so this very day?
For the wonderful Word of which we have been speaking is contained
within the gospel (cf. 1 Pe 1:25b; Mk 16:15-16).
 
Yes, be born again through obedience to the Word of God (cf. 1 Pe 1:
22-23), and begin a life where you can continue to grow, feeding upon
"The Living And Abiding Word!"

Jesus: Cornerstone, Or Stumblingstone? (2:4-10)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. When the infant Jesus was being presented to the Lord at the temple,
 an interesting statement was made concerning Him by Simeon:
 
 "Behold, this Child in destined for the fall and rising of many
 in Israel..." (Lk 2:34)
 
2. In other words, Jesus was destined to have different effects on 
 different people...
 a. To some, He would be the cause of their rising
 b. For others, He would be their down fall
 
3. In 1 Peter 2:4-10, the apostle Peter expands upon this same theme...
 a. To some people, Jesus serves as a "cornerstone"
 b. To others, He is a "stumblingstone".
 
[What's the difference? Well...]
 
I. TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE, JESUS IS A "CORNERSTONE"
 
 A. HE IS A "LIVING STONE" (4)
 1. Which was rejected by men
 a. As stated by John in Jn 1:10-11
 b. Instead, they crucified Him
 2. And yet, He was chosen by God, considered to be precious
 a. As foretold in Ps 118:22, God has taken that which was 
 rejected by men and made it the "cornerstone"
 b. The cornerstone of what?
 
 B. THE "CORNERSTONE" OF A GREAT SPIRITUAL HOUSE OR TEMPLE (5-6)
 1. Upon which we are being built
 2. The same thought or illustration is used by the apostle Paul
 - 1 Co 3:9-11, 16-17; Ep 2:19-22
 3. As this spiritual house built upon Christ, we fulfill certain 
 responsibilities...
 a. We serve as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual 
 sacrifices to God, e.g.:
 1) Our bodies - Ro 12:1-2
 2) Our praise - He 13:15
 3) Our doing good and sharing - He 13:16
 4) Even our deaths - 2 Ti 4:6-8
 b. We therefore serve as God's special people (9-10)
 1) With a special task of proclaiming the praises of God
 2) For by His grace...
 a) We have been called out of darkness into His 
 marvelous light
 b) We who were not a people, are now the people of God
 c) We have obtained mercy!
 
 C. JESUS IS ALSO THE ROCK UPON WHICH WE AS INDIVIDUALS BUILD OUR
 LIVES - MT 7:24-27
 1. By following His teachings, we are able to establish our lives
 on solid ground
 2. And this enables us to withstand the "storms" of life
 
[So in more ways than one, Jesus is truly a "cornerstone" to those who
believe in Him and follow Him.
 
But what about those who do not believe in Jesus, who do not make Him 
the "cornerstone" of their lives?]
 
II. TO THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE, JESUS IS A "STUMBLINGSTONE"
 
 A. THERE IS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE (7-8)
 1. Either Jesus is the cornerstone...
 a. Upon which we are being built as stones in His temple (the
 church)
 b. Upon which we are building our lives by following His 
 teaching
 2. Or He will be the "stumblingstone" over which we will meet our
 doom!
 
 B. THAT JESUS WOULD BE A STUMBLINGSTONE TO SOME...
 1. Was foretold by Isaiah, who Peter quotes - cf. Isa 8:13-15
 2. We saw that Simeon also foresaw the same thing when Jesus was
 presented in the temple as a newborn - Lk 2:34
 3. Even Jesus saw Himself as this stumblingstone - Mt 21:42-44
 
 C. SADLY, JESUS HAS BECOME A STUMBLINGSTONE TO ISRAEL...
 1. Cf. Ro 9:30-33; 1 Co 1:23
 2. Jesus was a stumbling block to many of the Jews because...
 a. They thought that they could attain righteousness by
 keeping the Law
 b. They could not accept the need for a suffering Messiah to
 atone for their sins!
 
 D. IN A SIMILAR WAY, JESUS IS A STUMBLINGSTONE FOR MANY PEOPLE
 TODAY...
 1. Pride prevents them from accepting Jesus on His terms!
 2. They think that they can please God and go to heaven on the 
 basis of their good deeds
 3. Therefore, they are unwilling...
  a. To confess their sinfulness, and their need for Jesus 
 Christ
 b. To turn their lives over to Jesus, and to do His Will
 
 E. THE SAD PART IS THIS: TO THOSE WHO STUMBLE BY BEING DISOBEDIENT,
 DOOM AWAITS!
 1. For such doom has been appointed by God - 1 Pe 2:8
 2. Such is logically necessary, for without Christ...
 a. We will die in our own sins - cf. Jn 8:24
 b. Righteous punishment can only follow - cf. Re 20:11-15
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. We often sing "Jesus, Rock of Ages," for truly Jesus is like a rock.
 But what kind of rock is He to us?
 
2. If we are willing to believe and obey Jesus, He can be the
 CORNERSTONE...
 a. Upon which we can be added as part of His church, the spiritual
 temple
 b. Upon which can build our lives so as to have a full and
 meaningful life
 
3. But if we disbelieve and are disobedient. then by necessity Jesus
 will be our STUMBLINGSTONE...
 a. Over which we will fall
 b. Under which we will be broken and be ground to powder
 
There is no middle ground. What will Jesus be for you? Are you
obedient to His Word?

Spiritual Sacrifices Acceptable To God (2:5)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. An important principle taught in the New Testament is that of "The
 Priesthood Of All Believers."
 a. It is true that under the Law of Moses there was a distinction 
 made between priests the common people
 b. Even today, many religions professing to be "Christian" have 
 developed a clergy-laity distinction
 c. But the New Testament teaches otherwise - Re 1:5-6; 1 Pe 2:9
 
2. The fact is, in Christ we are ALL "clergy"
 a. I used to say that we had no clergy in the church, but in reality
 we have no "laity"
 b. Does this mean we are all free to use "clergy-parking"?  I'll let
 you discuss that with the security guards at the hospitals! 
 
 
3. As "a royal priesthood", our responsibilities are described in 1 Pe
 2:5
 a. "to offer up spiritual sacrifices"
 b. "sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ"
 
4. My goal in this lesson...
 a. Is to make sure that we understand our duties as "a holy 
 priesthood"
 b. And to encourage us to carry them out faithfully
 
[Let's take a closer look at the idea of "spiritual sacrifices"...]
 
I. SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES
 
 A. TYPES OF SACRIFICES TO BE OFFERED BY CHRISTIANS...
 1. Our bodies, as "living sacrifices" - Ro 12:1-2
 2. A lifestyle characterized by sacrificial love - Ep 5:1-2
 3. Praise and thanksgiving, which we do in prayer and song - He
 13:15
 4. Doing good and sharing with others - He 13:16; Ph 4:15-18
 5. Even in the way we die for the Lord! - Ph 1:20; 2:17; 2 Ti 4:6
 
 B. THE PURPOSE OF THESE SACRIFICES...
 1. In the Old Testament, sacrifices were offered for one of two 
 reasons...
 a. For those OUT of fellowship with God, to restore them back
 to the Lord
 b. For those IN fellowship with God, to express thanksgiving, 
 praise, love and devotion
 2. But in the New Testament...
 a. Only Jesus can provide the sacrifice needed to restore us 
 back to God - He 10:11-18
 b. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that our 
 sacrifices are not to "remove sin" or in any other way to 
 try to "earn our way" into heaven!
 3. Rather, to express thanksgiving and praise, love and devotion,
 for the goodness and mercy God has shown to us!
 
[Such is the nature of the "spiritual sacrifices" we offer to God. But
as our text says, they must be "acceptable to God".
 
We can learn some valuable lessons from the Book of Malachi about what
constitutes "acceptable sacrifices"...]
 
II. ACCEPTABLE TO GOD
 
 A. IT MUST BE THE BEST WE HAVE TO OFFER - Mal 1:6-8
 1. Otherwise we despise the Name of God by offering "defiled 
 food"
 2. Would we render the same kind of service to our employers,
 etc.?
 3. If not, God would rather someone "shut the doors" or let 
 someone else serve Him - cf. Mal 1:9-11
 
 B. IT MUST BE OFFERED WITH SINCERITY AND ZEAL - Mal 1:12-13
 1. Lack of zeal is evidence of lack of sincerity!
 2. Lack of both results in offering "blemished sacrifices", which
 brings a curse from Him who deserves proper reverence - Mal
 1:14-2:9
 3. How does this apply to our spiritual sacrifices?
 a. Like singing praises?
 b. Like doing good to others?
 
 C. IT MUST BE OFFERED IN CONJUNCTION WITH RIGHTEOUS LIVES - Mal 
 2:13-16
 1. The priests of Malachi's day had been quick to divorce their
 wives
 2. Even Peter taught that our treatment of wives would have a
 bearing on the effectiveness of our prayers - 1 Pe 3:7
 3. This can be applied to many other things as well - cf. Ps 41:
 1-3
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Some in Malachi's day did not think it of any value to serve the
 Lord faithfully - Mal 3:13-15
 
2. But others heeded his words, and it is touching to read what was
 said about them - Mal 3:16-18
 
3. Shall we be among those who serve God? May we never forget that in
 the sight of God we are to be "a royal priesthood", called to offer
 "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ"!
 
May God help us to truly be one of His "jewels"!

A Plea To Pilgrims (2:11-12)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. Having said that as Christians we are...
 a. "a chosen generation"
 b. "a royal priesthood"
 c. "a holy nation"
 d. God's "own special people"
 ...Peter makes a heart-felt plea concerning our conduct before those
 in the world - 1 Pe 2:11-12
 
2. As we consider this "plea to pilgrims", remember that Peter is 
 speaking by inspiration; i.e., it is actually GOD who is making this
 plea!
 
[Before we examine the plea itself, let's notice some things mentioned
in the passage that serve as...]
 
I. THE BASIS OF THE PLEA
 
 A. YOU ARE "BELOVED"...
 1. Beloved by whom?
 a. By Peter, of course - 1 Pe 2:12; cf. also 1 Pe 4:12
 b. By Paul, James, John, & Jude, all of whom used this same 
 term of endearment
 c. But most of all, we are beloved of God and Jesus! - cf. Ro
 1:7; Co 3:12
 2. It is out such human and divine love that this plea is made
 
 B. YOU ARE "SOJOURNERS AND PILGRIMS"...
  1. You have not yet reached your heavenly home
 2. As we will see later, failure to heed the plea will mean you 
 will never reach it!
 3. In view of that real possibility, we find this plea made even
 in form of "begging"!
 
  C. YOU ARE ENGAGED IN WARFARE...
 1. A war in which "fleshly lusts" wage war against the "soul"
 2. The outcome of this "war" will determine whether or not we 
 will reach our heavenly home
 
 D. YOU ARE BEING OBSERVED BY OTHERS...
  1. Some of which who often speak evil of you (even as they did of
 Christ)
 2. But by heeding this plea, it is possible to cause those very 
 ones who speak evil of you to glorify God in "the day of 
 visitation"
 a. This "day of visitation" might refer to the Day of Judgment
 b. In my opinion, it refers to the "day" when God's grace is 
 shown through a presentation of the gospel to them - cf.
 Lk 19:44
 c. In either case, we have an opportunity to bring glory to 
 God by the way we heed this plea
 
[In view of these four reasons, then, God through Peter is making a 
heart-felt plea. What is this plea?
 
It contains two parts, which we shall now look at closely...]
 
II. THE PLEA ITSELF
 
 A. FIRST, THE PLEA BEGS US TO "ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS"...
 1. The word "abstain" means "to hold one's self constantly back"
 2. From what are we to abstain?
 a. "Fleshly lusts", some of which are defined by Paul in Ga
 5:19-21
 b. Notice that they involve more than just "sexual" sins (such
 as fornication)
 c. They also include sins of the "emotions" (hatred, outbursts
 of wrath, jealousies, envy, etc.)
 3. Why must we "hold ourselves constantly back" from these 
 things?
 a. According to Peter, they "wage war against the soul"
 b. According to Paul, they can keep us out of the kingdom of 
 God! - cf. Ga 5:21
 c. So if we want to succeed in our spiritual "pilgrimage" and
 reach our heavenly destination, we must heed this "plea to 
 pilgrims"!
 4. How can one abstain from fleshly lusts? In his epistles, Paul
 explains how...
 a. Keep your mind on the things of the Spirit, and not on the