TWO KEYS TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH
1 Peter 2:1-2 NKJV
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
The translators divided the scriptures into chapters and verses for the sake of easier reference. I am eternally grateful that they did that. But the start of a new chapter does not always mean there is no continuation of thought. And this is true regarding our verses for today.
The thought was started in chapter one with Peter talking about being born again. And describing the eternal nature of man’s spirit versus the body that fades away. But the part of man that is born again is born of the incorruptible seed of God's Word. The flesh of man is born from corruptible seed. But just as God's Word lives and endures forever, so does the born-again spirit of man. And then Peter starts in chapter two, verse one, with, therefore. I heard a minister say that when you see the word 'therefore,' see what it's there for. That's a play on words but it's also true.
Therefore, because we have been born again of incorruptible seed, we are to put some things away. The things Peter lists are negatives that hold us back spiritually when we engage with them. The Wuest translation gives us the following list, "Rid yourselves therefore of all ill-will and all deceitfulness, of insincerity and envy, and of all evil speaking." Because we have been born again from God's living word, we have the ability to put these things aside. The list contains character issues that may have been a part of our lives before we received the Lord. But now we are changed people, and these character issues are holding us back, not moving us forward. This is the first key element of spiritual growth. Put these negatives away.
Peter continues with the second key element of spiritual growth, a genuine hunger and desire for God's Word. Like a newborn baby desires milk, we are to desire God's Word in order to grow. Babies naturally desire milk. Milk is what feeds and sustains a baby. Spiritually, we desire God's Word that feeds us and sustains us from a spiritual standpoint. Jesus said that man does not live by bread, natural food, alone, but by every word of God. So God's Word is to our spirit what natural food is to our body. This is another continuation of thought from chapter one, where Peter contrasts the natural man and the spiritual man.
Spiritual growth is not totally about receiving God's Word. According to Peter, in order to grow certain negatives have to be laid aside, put away, gotten rid of, or eliminated. You get to choose the action that you relate to the most. So put away the negatives and desire and feed on God's living word. The implication is the negatives will stunt growth. If reading God's Word was the only key to spiritual growth, Peter would not have been inspired to write us this list. But harboring ill will and envy and the other negatives will take a toll spiritually. So, we can say that spiritual growth requires good food and exercise. God's Word is the good food, and laying aside the negatives is the exercise. Growing is more than eating. There needs to be action. James declared that the ones who do the Word are blessed.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to lay aside the things that hold me back and stunt my growth. I desire the milk of Your Word so that I have not just the heart for growth but the fuel for growth.