GOOD TO GROW
1 Peter 2:1-2 NKJV
2 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,
Keep in mind that these letters to the churches were not written in chapter and verse. They were added by the translators to make referencing easier. And I am so glad they did. These first verses in Chapter Two are connected to the last verses of Chapter One. Chapter One ends with believers being born again of the incorruptible seed of God’s Word. And so, because of what has taken place in the new birth, Peter says, therefore. Therefore, put some things away and desire the things that will make you grow.
Therefore, laying aside. The CSB version says rid yourselves. Get rid of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. That is quite a cleanup. This is not the first time we have seen the scriptures give directives regarding certain character traits. Or we could say a lack of character traits. The Olive Tree Dictionary lists malice as evil in a moral sense, wickedness of heart, life, and character. Getting rid of malice is a wise move. And getting rid of these other areas is also wise. They are not a good witness for the Lord Jesus. And they stand to hinder spiritual growth. There is no way we can grow spiritually and habitually lie and deceive people. Being a hypocrite is something that led Jesus to rebuke the Pharisees. Envy can do a bad number on the soul, and speaking evil is all through the scriptures as something to absolutely abstain from. We often tend to focus on verse two as the key to growth. But these verses are connected. To grow as believers, we need to put away and get rid of the things that hold us back and trip us up. Then verse two becomes all the more powerful.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word. A couple of things we know about babies - they are not malicious, deceitful, hypocritical, envious, or evil-speaking. The obvious retort to that statement is Duh, Alan, they are newborns. But their innocence is still worth noting. The other thing about babies is that babies are hungry. Babies need milk to grow. The spiritual milk of God’s Word is still the greatest factor in spiritual growth. No word, no grow. Jesus said man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus likened God’s Word to spiritual food, and Peter reiterates that truth here in his first letter.
We must read and feed on scriptures in order to grow and develop spiritually. We are able to read and feed on scriptures more effectively when we have gotten rid of the negative things that hold us back. Good to grow is the best way to go. Rhyme intended.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to get rid of things that would stunt my spiritual growth. I desire Your Word to know it and put it into practice in my life. I purpose to keep growing spiritually.