Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 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. (I Peter 2:1-3)
You Were Born Again With A Desire For Milk:
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word”
Prophets “search into,” angels “desire to look into,” and “newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word” (I Peter 1:10-12; 2:23-25). I have had the privilege of seeing three children birthed into this world, and all three were born with an almost insatiable desire for the milk and closeness of their mother. Born-again believers are no different. Born into the family of God from above, they are “partakers of the divine nature” and experience a supernatural longing for God through His Word (II Peter 1:3-4).
Your Past Life Can Poison Your Present Appetite:
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,”
If this is true, why do we sometimes find ourselves with no appetite for Scripture? It is because we have been poisoned! We were born again by the spirit, but our old fleshly, sinful, Adamic nature is still with us. The dying corpse of our former life can poison our present relationship with the Lord. Peter says that to cure your poor appetite, you must “lay aside” so you can drink in the Bible.
“Lay aside…” refers to the taking off of a garment. Peter says, put off your “old fashion” and“vain conversation” so you can put in the sincere milk of the Word.
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
PUT OFF THESE FORMER FASHIONS:
Malice – “a spirit of ill will and a desire to get even.”
Guile – “being untruthful, deceitfulness.”
Hypocrisy – “to play the part or to play more than one part. Pretending to be something we are not.”
Envy – “You have what I want.”
Evil Speaking – “tearing down someone instead of edifying or building up.”
YOU GROW BY THE WORD
“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.”
Jesus commanded Peter, “feed my lambs,” and “feed my sheep.” Christ entrusted Peter with believers in different stages of spiritual development. Newborn “lambs” would someday become mature sheep if they fed on God’s Word.
II Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Parents delight in their children’s growth. Milestones in childhood development are celebrated: babies’ first steps, a child’s first day of school, graduation from school, college, marriage, and our children having children are all causes for rejoicing. Spiritual parenting is no different. The Apostle John “rejoiced greatly” that his spiritual children were maturing in the faith. They were growing! They were “walking in truth!”
II John 1:3-4 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
John recognized different stages of development in his children in the faith:
I John 2:12-14 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
The Apostle Paul identified four spiritual generations of believers when he wrote to his “son in the faith,” Timothy.
II Timothy 2:1-2“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Timothy 2:1-2)
From Paul to Timothy, to faithful men, and others also, each generation of maturing saints had made their way from spiritual milk to spiritual meat. They once were newborn babes, but they were now mature and teaching others “the sincere milk of the Word.”
The measure of growth and maturity in the Christian life is compared to a nursing mother. A spiritually mature gospel parent takes in the “strong meat” of the Word and produces “milk” that faithfully nourishes other dependent babes in Christ. So, in turn, those babies might grow in maturity to do the same for the next generation of believers.
Paul mourned over the carnality and worldliness of the Corinthians that had poisoned their appetite for the Word and had inhibited their growth. The writer of Hebrews laments as well. He wanted spiritual grandchildren, but his children were still on spiritual welfare.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (I Cor. 3:1-2)
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (Heb. 5:12)
Are You Truly Born Again?
“If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
If you have genuinely received the good news of the gospel, then you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. You have already experienced the goodness of God. So, what are you waiting for? Lay aside your former life and drink in the Word that ye may grow.
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 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. (I Peter 2:1-3)
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