Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 2:1-3

1Pe 2:1-3  So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.  (2)  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-(3)  if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Peter has repeatedly affirmed our assurance in Christ and is now moving us into some practical and surprising areas of living out our faith.  He has already called us to love one another earnestly based upon our union with the Lord.  Now he moves on.

“put away”

No, this is not “work” but it is part of our growth in Christ.  We are never called to do what we cannot – but we cannot without His power. 

When we read a command or an admonishment, we are often tempted to put it on “the” list and dig into the “doing.”  Though the high motivation is a good thing springing from a pure heart, the rushing into the “doing” might not be so wise.

Commands or directives are not challenges thrown out for us to “prove” our love for Him.  Rather, they are intended to draw us closer to Him first seeking His direction and power to obey.  If commands and directives are intended to “prove” anything, it is to prove that we need Him and that He is faithful to provide what we need from Him to follow.

In Romans 1:5 Paul writes about, “obedience of faith.”  Many a late night has been spent where the meaning of this is debated and analyzed.  But if we can just accept the simple fact that faith (trust) changes our actions, we will be a lot closer to understanding what Paul is saying.

Jesus calls us to “trust” His faithfulness and His power and His love for us.  He calls us to “do” so we might be in a better position to see His trustworthiness.  The more we act, trusting Him, the broader and deeper our trust grows.  I have trusted Him (not always well) for over 30 years and He has never failed me.  Where the bumps in the road come for me is in not paying attention and acknowledging that in every circumstance and situation He has been the source of any and every ability to obey.  

Just this morning I was mulling over our present circumstances and wondering whether we had provision for the future.  I had to laugh at myself because we have much more provision for today than we could ever need.  All our needs are met in Him today – I can rest in Him – today.  But friends, today is all we ever have.  Tomorrow is just impending today – when it gets here, it will be today.

I’d love to write about our souls longing for eternity – an eternal “today.”  But I’ll save that thought.

Peter calls us to, “put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”  Now we might – possibly – be able to put away these things on occasion, but Peter nails all of us when he says we are to put them ALL away.  That ALL is the clincher – the crusher. 

I don’t even see these things all the time – I engage in them and then later remember.  If I don’t notice them ALL, it’s not likely I’ll put them all away.  Here comes faith/trust!  He can enable me to notice and stop.  He can make me sensitive to their potential in every situation.  He can shut my mouth and ears. 

Peter tells us how to embark on this “putting away.”

V 2:  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-

“Like” new born infants!!!!!!!  How dependent is a new born?  That’s how dependent we are to be upon Him.  But, what’s  great is that what we need is provided – we need to desire it!  It is, “the pure spiritual milk,” that we grow by.  Milk – “Got Milk?”   What in the world is Peter talking about?

1Co 3:2  I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

Heb 5:12-14  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,  (13)  for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  (14)  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Ahh – perhaps this is why Peter ends this reference to milk with, “that by it you may grow up into salvation.”

Jesus is a gentle teacher and a loving friend.  He knows we are weak and frightful.  He knows everything about us – and He provides us with what we specifically need when we specifically need it.  In this instance, we need “milk” to grow us as we “put away” these sinful things. 

Remember, the picture here is of infants not big strong strapping adults.  Remember, too, that this is not just about our bodies but about our hearts and minds as well.  It’s called humility and it’s a tough thing.  We have to learn that we can’t – He can.  We need to pray that we will humble our hearts and accept our infantile needs in Him and allow Him to feed us that “milk” which we must have to grow.

Milk first and fundamental - as He shows you what and how and enables you to do so.

I suspect that the toughest part of this whole passage is:

“Like newborn infants”