As I pondered this past week, my mind’s attention was captured by some of the little words in the first 12 verses. So, If, As, and But. Today’s Brick by Brick is just going to focus on that first one as there is much to ponder in that one word.
The chapter kicks off with this admonition…
“So put away all malice and deceit and hypocrisy and envy and slander.”
The word “so” refers to what came right before it – “And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1:25) Peter is saying that our behavior is connected to our beliefs. How we behave is a reflection of what we really believe. Do we believe that the word of God is indeed good news? Do we believe that Scripture is indeed the “living and abiding word of God”? (1:23) Do we believe that “the word of the Lord remains forever”?( 1:25) We can always tell what we really believe by looking at our behavior.
Do you really believe that the Bible is God’s Word and that He speaks to us and uses His Word to nourish our soul? If so, does the amount of time that you spend reading and pondering Scripture each day reflect that this is true?
Do you really believe that God listens to and answers prayer? Does your prayer life reflect this? Do you spend more than a perfunctory minute or two with our Father before His throne of grace?
Do you really believe that people who have not put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus and in His redeeming work on the cross are desperately lost and eternally damned? If so, is there any sense of urgency to make sure that the people around you have heard the gospel and know about the hope that the Lord offers us in Christ?
Do you really believe that everything we have belongs to God and that we are merely stewarding the resources that we have been entrusted with? If so, does the way that you spend and give and invest reflect that your money is actually His money?
Do you really believe that God has chosen you for His holy purposes and that you have a God-given mission to pursue? If so, do you live each day with a sense of purpose and calling and are vigilantly on the lookout for God-ordained opportunities throughout the day for the Lord to use you as His ambassador to a despairing world?
Do you really believe that God calls us to be a holy people and that sin not only short circuits our relationship with Him but also declares to a watching world that faith in God doesn’t matter? If so, in what ways do you need to repent and turn from your wicked ways and seek the Lord’s forgiveness and a fresh anointing?
May the Lord use this brick to help you evaluate to what extent you really believe what you say you believe.