344
The Acts of the Apostles
of receiving Christ as the Word of God. When by the Holy Spirit divine
truths are impressed upon the heart, new conceptions are awakened,
and the energies hitherto dormant are aroused to co-operate with God.
Thus it had been with Peter and his fellow disciples. Christ was
the revealer of truth to the world. By Him the incorruptible seed—
the word of God—was sown in the hearts of men. But many of the
most precious lessons of the Great Teacher were spoken to those who
did not then understand them. When, after His ascension, the Holy
Spirit brought His teachings to the remembrance of the disciples, their
slumbering senses awoke. The meaning of these truths flashed upon
their minds as a new revelation, and truth, pure and unadulterated,
made a place for itself. Then the wonderful experience of His life
became theirs. The Word bore testimony through them, the men of
His appointment, and they proclaimed the mighty truth, “The Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ... full of grace and truth.” “And
[521]
of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
John 1:14,
16
.
The apostle exhorted the believers to study the Scriptures, through a
proper understanding of which they might make sure work for eternity.
Peter realized that in the experience of every soul who is finally victo-
rious there would be scenes of perplexity and trial; but he knew also
that an understanding of the Scriptures would enable the tempted one
to bring to mind promises that would comfort the heart and strengthen
faith in the Mighty One.
“All flesh is as grass,” he declared, “and all the glory of man as
the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth
away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the
word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying
aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all
evilspeakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious.”
Many of the believers to whom Peter addressed his letters, were
living in the midst of heathen, and much depended on their remaining
true to the high calling of their profession. The apostle urged upon
them their privileges as followers of Christ Jesus. “Ye are a chosen
generation,” he wrote, “a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called