Since you have been born again (1Peter 1:22-2:3)
Biblical
Christianity is unique in its approach to personal righteousness. Its
uniqueness lies primarily in the means by which a believer is made righteous.
The previous passage encouraged believers to prepare their minds for action by
focusing on the value of the gospel. The truth of the gospel is that Jesus came
to save us by taking our sins upon himself and dying on the cross in our place.
He was then buried and was raised on the third day as promised in the
Scriptures. The good news is that all who believe in him will be saved. The appropriate
response to the good news is to believe that Jesus Christ has paid for your
sins and to submit to his authority as Lord of your life. Salvation results in
a genuine response to the truth revealed by God that results in a change in your
personal focus. It is an event that has lasting consequences and can never be
reversed. It is an encounter with God that transforms the soul and cleanses the
heart. A purified soul is necessary before you can ever hope to have the
opportunity to love and serve God. The problem is that although people are cleansed
and forgiven at the moment of salvation they are not mature. This spiritual immaturity limits our ability
to love God and others. How can we grow spiritually and learn to love deeply
and genuinely?
The word of the Lord remains forever
Sin
introduced death into God’s perfect creation and since then death and sin have corrupted
all of creation. There is only one thing that has not been corrupted by sin;
the word of God is still preserved. Some men try to explain how religion has
corrupted the Bible. They say we do not really know the message God originally
spoke through the prophets and the apostles. Some people deny the Bible’s
divine source by saying that it is written by men. They reduce inspiration to an elevated state
of consciousness that has spawned a literary masterpiece. The denial of the doctrines
of inspiration and preservation of the Scriptures begins and ends in unbelief. These
doctrines are not based on a few statements in the Scriptures. They are established
by the very assumptions throughout Scripture about its own divine origin. These
doctrines are validated by the nature of how the New Testament writers view the
Old Testament, the preaching of the early church, the testimony of the prophets
themselves (“Thus says the Lord”), fulfilled prophecy, and the position Christ
himself held regarding the Scriptures. Volumes have been written throughout the
centuries discussing the topic of the Bible’s divine origin and its
preservation. Nevertheless, the most
powerful evidence for the divine origin of Scripture is its power to transform
lives. The work of God in the hearts of men from the first day until now proves
how the message of the gospel has survived because it is still effectively revealing
God’s love and mercy through Jesus Christ.
Generations have come and gone but the message is still the same and
working powerfully to save souls from the penalty of sin and to nourish
believers supplying what is necessary for spiritual maturity.
Long for the pure spiritual milk
There
is a process of spiritual growth that should be taking place in the lives of
everyone who truly believes the gospel. This spiritual maturity is evident in
the capacity we have for loving others and the sincerity with which we love
others. We do not become more spiritual
simply by doing more good or loving more people. Our spiritual growth is the
result of something more profound than anything flesh and blood can
manufacture. We grow spiritually as we encounter God himself in the person of
Jesus Christ through the inspired and preserved word of God. When you read the
Bible you are having a personal encounter with God. This is true regardless of
whether you believe the Bible or not. God has spoken and is working to reveal
himself in Scripture so that we may know him, the only faithful God and Jesus
Christ. Your desire for the word of God is affected by your attitude toward God
himself. You will never develop a love
for the Scriptures if you are clinging to any negative attitude or lack of
reverence for God.
Open your heart to God and receive the knowledge of eternal
life through Jesus Christ. The more you
know him the more you will love him. The more you love him the more you will
mature spiritually as you see the evidence of his faithfulness to those who
draw near to him. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!!
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