Recap – we are going through 1 Peter. Peter was an apostle of Jesus who followed him while Jesus was on walking earth and declared his resurrection and the hope of eternal life that comes with it through believing and repenting of our sins. He encourages throughout the first chapter of this letter that when we are born again we have been born with an imperishable inheritance. It’s so cool being reminded of God’s power to protect our eternal lives especially when we are so used this this fallen world.
1 Peter 2:1-3
vs 1: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
What are these things we should get rid of?
– Malice: desire to cause harm or suffering, acting with intent to injure another
– Deceit: the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.
– Hypocrisy: the practice of claiming to have beliefs, values, or virtues that one does not actually possess, or acting in a way that contradicts one’s stated beliefs
– Envy: a complex, painful human emotion defined by a painful awareness of another’s perceived advantage or possession, coupled with a desire to have that same advantage or possession
– Slander: the act of making a false spoken statement that harms another person’s reputation, and it is a form of defamation. To be slander, the statement must be false, communicated to a third party, and cause damage to the victim’s reputation
We see the opposite of all these characteristics in Jesus. Jesus walked his talk and spoke the truth. Be encouraged by his teaching: (john 8:31-32) If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Jesus also declared in John 14 (verse 6) “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus also warned us about hypocrisy Matthew 23:1-4.
Paul says in Romans 12:9 (nkjv) Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Remember that to rid these things of every kind. Not just some that will push you along a little bit, or will only hurt people that have hurt you, but all kinds.
I want to give an encouragement to you if you have experienced any of these things against you. Some maybe was a person or group of people trying to get even with you about something, or maybe it was done for no reason. Your creator loves you and hears you if you cry out to Him. In fact, Jesus tells us to go to him. One of the most encouraging passages in the Bible is at the end of matthew 11. Jesus who knew what stuff was going on in man’s heart, that people wanted to kill and torture him, and that he would be betrayed by someone close still tells us to come to him for rest.
matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Yoke is a device you attach to animals to pull something together. We can join ourselves to Jesus, the king of kings and we will take us through the trials we find ourselves in this world.
vs 2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
When mentioning newborn babies and milk in this context, is not a labeling of immaturity, but to say we as believers should desire pure spiritual milk, which can be though of God’s word and teachings. We saw in the last chapter that we have been born again through the living and abiding word of God (vs 1:23).
The Greek word here for spiritual is actually logikos, which echoes the Greek word for word “Logos”
Filling our selves with God’s word will spiritually mature us, and a babies desire for pure milk is a natural response. If we have been born again we have tasted that the Lord is indeed good and should be pursuing it daily (at least).
Peter may have been meditating on this psalm which talks about delivering the righteous from their sufferings: psalm 34: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
HW: read psalm 34.
Rememer the Lord provides: psalm 34:10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
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