TEXT: 1st Peter 2:1: Therefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking: vs 2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby: vs 3: If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. [New Spirit Filled Life – KJV]
"GROW" defined is to increase, become larger, develop, expand,
also to thrive.
Human growth and development is a multifaceted
process spanning from conception to adulthood, encompassing physical,
cognitive, and psychosocial changes, influenced by genetic, hormonal, and
environmental factors. When you look at the stages: infancy, childhood,
adolescence, and adulthood, growing up is a never-ending process from birth to
adulthood. We are not meant to remain as infants. God want you to grow up
naturally and spiritually. Our Father's goal is for you to mature and develop
the characteristics of Jesus Christ. In the natural, if retarded growth is
noted after birth it’s viewed as a problem.
We hear a lot of talk today about church
growth, building bigger and bigger churches with more and more people. Church
growth is good, but more important than that is individual growth, personal
growth, and spiritual growth.
In Matthew 4:19 Jesus called out to
Simon-Peter, Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John his
brother, saying, "Follow Me, I'll
make you fishers of men". Scripture said, "they straightway left their nets and followed Him." I
dare say, it's not optional, but you are commanded to go and grow in God.
Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but
never grow up. They are stuck in spiritual infancy, remaining in diapers, and
booties. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment.
You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in
growing.
Apostle Peter took a very practical approach to
dealing with two major problems that his readers were facing in the letters of
1st and 2nd Peter:
(1) Sporadic persecution taking place against
Christians: (2) The challenge of false
teachers arising within the church.
Let me call your attention to an issue the
Apostle is addressing with Christians in our text from 1st Peter 2:1-3.
He is writing to Christians and having
told them in 1st Peter chapter one, "Therefore, because you have been begotten/born again by the power
of God: because you've been made a new
person, because that Word of God is eternal”: therefore, he presents them with a
challenge telling them, saying, "Put
aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil
speaking's, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may
grow thereby."
Why therefore? In chapter 1:1-3, the Apostle's
main subject is clearly about new birth
and conversion of the people. He speaks of Christians as "begotten by God the Father to a lively
hope" to stir them up to walk worthy of their high calling.
In our text, the Apostle is talking about
"sins," in fact he gives them a sin list. Sin is and has been the
greatest problem to mankind since the beginning of time. It's serious, because it soils the soul,
scars the conscience, and separates you from God (Isaiah 29:1-2). Let's not forget, we all have sinned and fell short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). But God calls on us to confess, repent, and
turn from our sins.
Here, Peter is not talking to unsaved
people. He's talking to believers, born
again people. His challenge to them is
to grow -- undergo a natural and spiritual development by increasing in size
and changing physically, as they progress to maturity. In other words, "It’s time to grow up."
The Apostle uses the following terms to issue three
commands:
the first IS SPURN:
SPURN: meaning to reject with disdain or
contempt, or to refuse. Simply put, just
say no to things not of God.
Peter instructs the believer to spurn “malice”. This is one who gets enjoyment when something bad happens to
another person; one whose heart secretly smiles at someone’s hurt. Peter says, to "put aside" this old dirty garment.
Put aside means taking off a garment in order
to put another garment on. That dirty garment is that old nature, that old self
that belong to your former life.
Spurn Guile - This
dirty garment is deceitful, trying to
pull a fast one over on people, for your own profit and gain. Ananias and
Sapphira, a married couple tried to keep up with the Joneses: sold some
property and instead of giving the full proceeds to the apostles as they had
promised, they kept some of the money for themselves. The big lie cost them their very life. How many know the big lie remain
alive and well in today’s society, but Proverbs 12:22, says, “Lying lips is an abomination (towebah') [disgust; an abhorrence; idolatry; an idol] to the LORD.”
When confronted by the apostle, they pretended
to have given all the money. How many know God hates a liar and their fate for
lying to Peter was death because that was lying to God as well. They both fell
dead. It's time for the church to grow up! Honesty is the best policy because Jehovah
Elroi, the All-seeing God, hears, and He knows all (Acts 5:1-11).
Spurn Hypocrisy - This
is just one of the many forms of deceit.
Giving compliments, but not really meaning them---that’s hypocrisy. You’re being one person in public, and another
person in private. Making promises but
not really planning to keep them. It’s an inconsistency between what you say
and what you do. It’s fake and counterfeit. You sing in the choir and serve on
the church committee and make yourself look really good, yet your worship is
not authentic. You are full of dead men bones. It’s time to put aside that
dirty garment and walk in the light of God.
Spurn Envy – This
is resentment toward someone because
they have something you want. This garment is dangerous because when it takes
root in your heart, it leads down a dark road of you looking proper and
respectable outwardly as a Christian while harboring evil poison inside.
Proverbs 14:30
says, "A tranquil (sound) heart
gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot." This is because envy, has a way of spiraling your heart, into a pit of bitterness.
Cain was envious of God's favorable response,
to his brother Abel's, sacrifice, and he killed him out of anger (Genesis 4). Saul's envy of David's success and anointing
from God led him to try to kill David (1st Samuel 18). If you are wearing this garment, it’s time to
put it aside.
Spurn Slander – this
garment is a little more progressive and it’s not internal. It moves beyond
wishing harm and actually brings it. Slander
seeks to put someone down or ruin someone’s reputation by speaking against
them. We are instructed to spurn "all evil speaking's" against
others, as in, backbiting.
Matthew 18:3 lets us know that a man that is
characteristically deceitful, cunning,
and crafty, cannot be a Christian. "Except
you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven".
Those who are born again are called to be
different. Now, that you are in Christ (in union with Him; identified with Him; in
covenant with Him; one with Him), sin is no longer your "Master", and no longer has
power over you and you no longer have to obey sin. You no longer have to let sin
reign over you. You have a continual choice day after day, whether to yield
yourselves to sin or to God.
1st Corinthians 10:13
states, "No temptation has overtaken
you except what is common to man: but
God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But, when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can endure it."
My friend, are you carrying bitterness in your
heart and a chip on your shoulder, although you witness about being born again
and about loving Jesus? "Well, it's time to grow up, and to
increase in size, spiritually."
Are you living just like the world lives? I'm
not talking about Sunday, but Monday through Sunday. If so, "It's
time to grow up". People of God “It’s time to spurn these things and reject
the works of the flesh".
No more excuses as, the devil made me do it; I
didn't do it; the sin in me did it.
Never use Satan as an excuse, because he is a defeated foe. Remember, Christ is available to you and
living on the inside of you. Without Christ, sin is stronger than you, so never
attempt to stand up to sin all alone.
How? As you are able to do so by the power of
the Holy Spirit, (Romans 8:13) "If
you live by the flesh, you shall die; but if you through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, you shall live". The Holy Spirit gives us the
desire and power to cast off these attitudes and actions, but our
responsibility is to do the casting off.
You are a chosen
(eklektos) generation; a royal priesthood; a
holy nation; a peculiar people (1st Peter 2:9). You've been "picked out" by God Himself!!
Exodus 19:5 "If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you
shall be My own possession (peculiar treasure) above all the peoples; for all
the earth is Mine”: vs 6: And you shall be to Me (God) a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation. You also, are a Royal Priesthood, a kingdom of
Priests!
In other words, you are "basileios" - appointed
to, fit for a king." A king is
a royal executive, an administrator who exercises rule and judgment over a domain.
A priest
is a spiritual representative between God and His people, responsible for the
spiritual well-being of the nation. When you are undefiled with Christ as
members of His body, you join in His priestly work of reconciling God and man
(2nd Corinthians 5:18-19).
Our holy priesthood is made possible by our Great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God (Hebrews 4:14). Therefore we have complete and full access
to the Father. "Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). It’s
time to grow up in the
things of God.
Those who are born again, are called to be different,
to put off all malice, and wickedness.
It’s time to live different lives.
It’s time to take sin seriously.
It’s time to live lives where repentance is a daily concern. It’s time to live lives that seek the honor
of Christ above all else. All the sins
in this vice list represent a violation of the fundamental command to "love your neighbor as thyself".
Understand, the old flesh nature still indwells
all believers and you can still be influenced by Sin. The difference now is
that if you listen to Sin and commit personal sins, you do so because you
choose to do so. This is a choice you did not have in your unregenerate state
in Adam, when Sin was your "Master,"
your "King".
If your appetite for God's Word is a bit "dulled", it maybe you are "wearing" some "dirty clothes" of malice or envy or slander, etc. Peter
says take them off and throw them away. Backsliders
begin with dusty Bibles and go on to filthy garments. And here Peter says we need to cast off filthy
garments.
Howard Hendrick said, "You are either in the Word, and the Word is conforming you to the
image of Jesus Christ, or you are in the world and the world is squeezing you
into its mold”. Remember… Dusty Bibles always lead to dirty lives. The old Scottish preacher's
wise saying still holds true…Sin will
keep you from the Bible or The Bible will keep you from sin.
Spurn malice,
guile, hypocrisy, envy, slander; spurn it! "It's time to grow up,
spiritually." Cast off these old filthy rags. All that stuff that belong to the old life, it doesn't belong to the Christian life. Living like the world, being deceitful,
hypocrites, envious, talking about people, putting them down, putting other
churches and other preachers down, again, doesn't belong to Christians.
When that stuff permeates a congregation, God
isn't pleased and people aren't growing spiritually when these kinds of sins
are so prevalent. These things all have consequences and know that "Your sin will always find you
out" (Numbers 32:23).
SECOND COMMAND -
"YEARN"
Your growth, not only consist of laying aside
these sins, that so easily beset Christians, but it is to yearn. Yearn means to long, desire, pine, or pant for something.
In the first part of 1st Peter 2:2, it
states, "As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the Word."
New born babes – “brephos”, literally means baby, born/unborn, newly born, a babe at
the breast, one who is dependent on the mother's milk for its nourishment.
Pure milk – “the Word,” “the good news” that is preached. The literal translation of verse 2 is that we should long for "the pure, spiritual milk,"
which is not deceitful, unadulterated, not watered down.
Dishonest merchants in that day would add water
to their milk to make more profit. This was "deceitful" milk. Peter
tells us to long for the pure, not-deceitful milk.
Peter uses the character of a newborn babe
because they have no envy or malice, they have no guile or hypocrisies, or evil
speaking's, or craftiness, or envies. They are clear from these evils.
Have you noticed how a baby begins to respond
when he/she is ready to be fed and sees that bottle, or gets close to the
breast of its mother? He/she starts moving their hands, their mouth, and their
feet. They reach out for that feeding with every part of their body, indicating
a hunger for the milk.
In fact,
a new born babe act as if their life depends on their next feeding, an attitude
that should be true of believers, in our longing!
Infants eagerly want milk from their
mother and not only desires it, but
has a powerful, instinctive urge for that
milk and that's what Peter is talking about here. We must have an urge, a passion for Jesus
Christ, for His Word.
If
you're a believer, are you yearning
for the Lord: Longing for the pure (sincere) milk of the Word, its unadulterated (not watered down) truth, its good food
for your soul, and its purity?
Just as
a newborn baby comes out with the natural and needed desire to nurse, we should have that same level of desire for God’s Word.
Peter commands believers to have
this attitude of longing, yearning, and passion
for the Scripture. For he knows that
studying the Scriptures is the only means of spiritual growth, not to mention
that His Lord had instructed him repeatedly regarding the importance of proper
spiritual nutrition for God's flock (Tend
my lambs; feed my sheep) John
21:15-17. You can mark it down - There is no growth spiritually
speaking, apart from the intake of the pure Word of Truth.
Jesus, Himself clearly stated,
"Man shall not live and be upheld
and sustained by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth
of God." (Matthew 4:4). Jesus quoted this verse when the devil tempted
Him to turn stones into bread to emphasize that it is not food that is the most
necessary part of life. It is the creative, energizing, and sustaining power of
God's Word that is the only real source of man's existence.
Many people think that life is
based on satisfying their appetites. If they can earn enough money to dress,
eat, and play in high style, they think they are living the good life. But such
things do not satisfy our deepest longings.
In the end they leave us empty and dissatisfied.
Real life, according to Moses,
comes from total commitment to God, the one who created life itself. It
requires discipline, sacrifice, and hard work, and
that's why most people never find it. "IT REQUIRES GROWING UP IN
GOD".
In Moses' last words
to the children of Israel just before they crossed the Jordan River to possess
their possessions (what God had already
declared was their inheritance), he made this profound statement …
Deuteronomy 32:46: Take to your
heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command
your children to be careful to observe even all the words of this law. Vs 47: For it (the Word) is not idle
(empty, vain) for you; indeed it (the Word) is your life. And by this (Word)
you shall prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the
Jordan to possess.
How important in the
success of Israel was the pure milk of the Word and obedience to that Word?
Their very life, no doubt! The Bible can sit on your bookshelf and gather dust
or you can make it a vital part of your life by regularly setting aside time to
study it. When you discover the wisdom of God's message, then apply it
to your life and pass it on to your family and friends.
Job had come to the understanding of the importance of God's Word for his sustenance declaring.....Job 23:11: "My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. Vs 12: I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." (Bolding)
My friend, without a hunger for the Word of God
you will not grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. You will not develop
as a Christian; you will always be in your babyhood. Remember, a baby and a
full-grown man are both human beings, but they are in different stages of
growth and development. The little one needs milk so he can grow up to become a
man. The Christian, the full-grown man, grows by studying the Word of God.
There is no growth apart from the Word of God.
As one pastor said, "I spend my time
burping spiritual babies!" If those
babies would grow up they wouldn't need a pastor to pat and burp them all the
time.
Are you finding a yearning in your heart for God? Are you longing to know Him better, to grow closer to him? This longing for the Word of God is a
passion, a passion that tugs at you until you can't wait to pull up to your
desk and feast from studying His Word. It's time to grow up.
This is a challenge for many of us today
because there are so many things in our lives that cry out for attention and
take our energy and our passions. God has to deliver us from a Sunday morning
only spectator mentality. Being a
Christian is not dependent upon church attendance, nor is it simply sitting in
a pew and looking bored with the preacher.
The one who is truly born again, Peter says,
will long for the presence of the
Lord. It's a yearning, for Him, to be excited about Him. He or she will long for His Word and will make every attempt to get to know God
better through the pages of his Word.
Set your will that this year you're going to
learn to know God better than you've ever known Him before. If you set your
will to do that, He'll reveal Himself to you in His Word. I encourage you
today, to “yearn for the milk, the nourishment of God’s Word".
THIRD COMMAND - “LEARNING”:
The last part of 1st Peter 2:2, “that
by it you may grow’, denotes a learning process. To learn means to gain or acquire
knowledge of or skill in (something by study, experience, or being taught). When
you are spurning – rejecting – saying no to the wrong things and yearning for
the things of God and His presence, when you have a passion for Christ, then
comes the learning.
How do you grow
up in God?
Understand that spiritual growth is for
everyone, young and old. In other words, never try to graduate from the Gospel.
There are deep things of God to explore and study and know that builds upon the
Gospel.
The first step of growing spiritually is not
what you choose to do; it’s what you choose not to do. Peter states we must rid
our lives of the sin list.
But you don’t learn the alphabet and then try
to make words without letters. You need the letters to make the words. The
Gospel is never something you move on from. The simple truths of the Gospel
influence everything about how we think, act, and do. We are spiritually born
by the Gospel and we spiritually grow by the Gospel.
Secondly: Grab
the right bottle. Notice that Peter takes you to the source of your growth,
which is the “WORD.” That’s the bottle we should drink from. It’s in this
bottle that we find the PURE MILK we need for the nourishment of life.
Just a word of caution here: do not think you
can grab the same bottle that culture drinks from and expect to mature as a
Christian. You cannot reach for control and popularity and riches and
relaxation and expect to grow up into salvation.
You can’t reach for hours of uninterrupted
Netflix and poor music and expect your soul to be nourished. What are you
feeding your soul? Peter says, “Long for the word.” Grab the bottle of God’s
Word.
We must adopt the character of the newborn
babe, desiring, longing, for the pure spiritual milk, that by it we may grow
up in salvation.
In conclusion: 1st Peter 2:3: “If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious/kindness”.
The image of milk and of tasting the Lord's
kindness brings up the fact that the Word is not just to fill your head with
knowledge. It is to fill your life with delight as you get to know the Divine
author and enjoy Him in all His perfections.
Taste in Hebrew is perceive, which is to obtain knowledge of through the senses;
observe, to understand; it points both to personal experience and enjoyment;
the act of trusting; fearing, and seeking Him.
I can't
taste for you, nor can you for me. We can only taste for ourselves. To taste
something, we've got to experience it
up close and personal.
You can see and hear and smell at a distance,
but you can only taste something by touching it to your tongue.
You can only taste God's Word by drawing near
to God and personally knowing Him. Once you like the taste of something, you
don't just eat it to live but you live to eat it. You want it as often as you
can get it. God's Word is that way for all who have tasted His kindness, His graciousness.
Start today: If you want to taste and see that the Lord is good then
meet Him through the pages of His Word by setting aside time to spend with Him. It doesn’t matter whether you are a new
Christian trying to establish a lifelong habit of daily being with God in His
Word, or an oldie Goldie.
Tools: good study Bible to help answer who,
what, when, where, why, and how questions, as you look for the main truths of
the text.
Concordance (Greek/Hebrew definitions) helps to
get a deeper meaning of the words for a better understanding of the text.
Pick a time that fits your schedule and find a
specific place for your quiet time to spend one on one time with Jesus.
Comprehending God’s work begins with
determining what a given passage actually says and what those words actually
mean.
Copy: Writing down scriptures engrains them in
your mind.
2nd Timothy 2:15, Study to show
thyself approved unto God.
Study means to investigate, examine scripture
to rightly divide the word of truth.
Get into a good Bible study to hear and share
with others and ask questions for understanding.
THE MORE YOU FEAST ON GOD’S WORD, THE HEALTHIER YOU WILL BECOME.
Remember, you are responsible for your growth both
naturally and spiritually. In the words of my high school guidance counselor:
“It’ what you place your value on.”
In the words of
David, Psalm 34:8: Oh taste and
see that the LORD is good. He is good food for your soul and the bread of
life for all who will receive Him.
It is time now, for all of us to grow up in God.
Evangelist Brenda Hansley