1 Peter 2:1-3 - Long for Transformation

The Word Read

Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from 1 Peter 2:1-3:

1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

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

Behold, brothers and sisters, this is Word of the Lord. Please be seated. Let us pray.

Summation & Diagnosis

I’d like to start my sermon by reading a couple passages of Scripture:

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Christ saved me my sophomore year of college. I was attending a Jesuit University pursuing a degree in secondary education, grades 7-12, with a specialization in history and special needs. I knew immediately that the Lord was calling me into vocational ministry. I transferred to Liberty University the following semester. In my first year, the majority of guys that knew me were convinced the Lord had not called me into pastoral ministry. You see, before becoming a Christian I had a very hard-heart towards people. I was entirely closed off, did not let anyone in, and actively pushed people away. I spent the majority of my first semester locked in my dorm room studying the Bible. I would read a verse and write notes, read the next verse and write down more notes. However, over a period of time the Lord caused my heart to transform regarding people. Now, I have a heart that loves others due to the transformative work of Christ in my heart. Not my doing, but His.

Now, my story is not unique or abnormal. The realities of transformation is evident in all true children of God. My story happens to include a radical reorientation of love towards others. The specifics of our transformation stories may not be the same, but the realities of transformation are the same for each of us. As you sit here, can you think of specific ways in which you’ve grown into the image of Christ since your salvation? I’m sure, like me, there are countless stories you could tell of real experiential transformation in your lives. You know the great grace and love of Christ that has caused you to change over the years.

With this in mind, I want to remind us that Peter is writing exiles in the Roman Empire. Today we will finish the discourse on living holy as exiles. Over the last 5 weeks, we looked at the five commands that up this passage. Today the sermon title this morning is “Long for Transformation.” I have our passage broken down into two sections, 1) 1 Peter 2:1 - Remove Divisive Sin and 2) 1 Peter 2:2-3 - Long for Pure Spiritual Milk. Again, the sermon title this morning is “Long for Transformation.” I have our passage broken down into two sections, 1) 1 Peter 2:1 - Remove Divisive Sin and 2) 1 Peter 2:2-3 - Long for Pure Spiritual Milk.

1 Peter 2:1 - Remove Divisive Sin

Let us start in 1 Peter 2:1:

1 Peter 2:1 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

I’m sure we can think of not a few churches or ministries that have come to a grinding halt to due sin. We tend to think of the headliners: affairs, spiritual or leadership abuse, embezzlement, etc. However, isn’t it interesting that Peter advocates for these churches to get rid of sins that we may be more comfortable with today? Notice what sins Peter mentions to put away - malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

We are going to look at this in two different ways. First, what do these sins mean individually. Second, what do these sins mean collectively. However, do you see that Peter writes for these sins to be put away. This carries the idea of taking off an old garment. Peter is really saying these sins are old dirty vices that need to be taken off. Leave them behind and walk in your Christian identity. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander have no place in your life nor the life of the Church. These vices are not fueled by grace and create division. Therefore, remove them from your midst. Notice 1 Peter 1:22-25 and Peter’s command there - love one another earnestly with a pure or genuine heart. Since we are commanded to love one another in this manner, these sins have no place in the household of God.

Malice is a state of wickedness that ends up destroying the unity of the Church. Deceit is taking advantage through treachery or not speaking from the heart truthfully. Hypocrisy is creating a public persona that does not make one’s real motives. Envy is jealousy hoping for the downfall of others and for oneself to be recognized or have advancement. Slander is defaming or speaking evil of another person which would also includes spreading rumors. All of these sins speak to the opposite of biblical, Christ-centered love that is to freely flow in the Church.

Do any of these fill your hearts this morning? Has malice creeped in unnoticed? Is small deceit okay in your life? Do you have a heart of hypocrisy who actively creates an outer image that is not who you really are? Are you jealous of others? Are you okay with spreading rumors or talking behind the backs of brothers and sisters? I think if we are all being honest, these sins plague us throughout our lives.

Unfortunately, these sins are both conscious and subconscious. By conscious, I mean that we are knowingly and actively partaking in these sins. By subconscious, I mean they are in our hearts, but we are unaware of their presence. I can recount many moments in my life where I thought I was excited for a dear brother as God used him in ministry. However, the more I thought about him being used jealousy filled my heart. I was unaware that that sin was there. I was totally unaware there was a divisive spirit of competition towards him. Outwardly I cheered and praised him while inwardly I stewed in the envy.

One example of this is I have a dear brother whom I often go to for thoughts on theology or how Scripture is grammatical put together. We both love a good Scriptural prepositional phrase. He had the chance to preach one week. All month, I was excited for him. I prayed for him and we even went over his sermon together. I walked into the sanctuary ready to receive the Word from him. I was looking forward to sitting around him and his preaching. We sang our worship songs, listened to the announcements, and the reading of the Word. I was still very looking forward to his sermon. Then it happened. He started preaching and then this thought entered my heart, “You could preach this passage better.” The sin of jealously and envy began wrestling in my heart. I was both thankful and envious. Absolutely unaware to me, the sin of jealously had entered my heart. It was a fantastic sermon on the sacrifice of Isaac. Christ was magnified and God was glorified. However, a subconscious sin had become conscious.

These sins that Peter lists, when not put away or discarded as old dirty vices, are like gangrene in the body. If gangrene is not immediately treated the bacteria can spread throughout the body quickly. So, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander can absolutely destroy a congregation if there is not repentance and throwing oneself on Christ. These sins, collectively, have the potential to ruin the fabric of a local church. So by destroy I do not simply mean the church disbands. By this I mean, the spiritual vitality is threatened. A church that was once spiritual vibrant can become a shell of herself by letting these sins run rampant. This is why we need to let the Spirit search our hearts. We should pray as David prayed in Psalm 19:12:

Psalm 19:12 ESV

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

Do you pray that prayer? Are you willing to come before the Lord and say, “Lord, I’m not sure of my hidden faults, but I know they are there. Please forgive me of those hidden/unknown sins.” Let us come before the Lord knowing that these sins have the power to ruin our love for one another. Further, if we hear or see these sins in action within our congregation it is imperative that we correct one another. Let the overwhelming love of Christ be the story of this congregation, not foxed sized sins that created disruption. As Ephesians 4:1-3 states:

Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

This week ask the Lord to search your heart. Ask him, “Lord is there known or unknown malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, or slander in my heart towards a fellow believer? Am I created disunity here? God would you forgive me.” In doing so, we are admitting that our unity is hard to maintain in and of ourselves and we need Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to help us main this type of unity. As we experience spiritual transformation through the power of the Christ, we remove the old vices that we so easily gave ourselves to in our previous life. As this occurs, we collectively as the church are matured.

1 Peter 2:2-3 - Long for the Pure Spiritual Milk

Let us now come to our second section in 1 Peter 2:2-3:

1 Peter 2:2–3 ESV

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Newborn infants are entire dependent upon their mothers, well both parents really, but especially mom. Mom tenderly cares for the child. Mom nurses the child. Mom changes the child’s diaper. A newborn infant without the loving care of a parent would be left to die. Here the term is not referring to new Christians or those who have not grown, but is a term of endearment referring to all Christians. We are all dependent upon God as our Father. Think about that for a moment. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a Christian, you are still totally depend upon the Lord. He is the only one who can give you life and He is the only one who can continue to spiritually nourish you in this life.

As newborn infants, we all are commanded to long for the pure spiritual milk. What is the result? That by it, spiritual milk, you may grow up into salvation. What is the reason why we long for the pure spiritual milk? If indeed, you have tasted the Lord is good.

Through tCovid, there were shortages of materials. I think we all remember the scrambling to find toilet paper. Baby formula was another major item that had a shortage. You’d see Dads and Moms desperately looking for formula on the shelves. In the first century, infants did not have formula as it had not been invent. Infants were dependent upon the mother to provide milk for them. If a mother was unable to produce milk a wet nurse was sought and she nursed the child. Children’s lives depended upon the milk from their mother or wet nurse. If they did not receive the care and nourishment from either, they would die.

Likewise believers, as newborn infants, are commanded to long for the pure spiritual milk of God - the Word of God. Do you see how the spiritual milk of God is described? If you look at the verses you will see that the milk of God is both “pure” and “spiritual”. “Pure” stands in contrast to “deceit” in the sins that we are called to put off. This milk stands in opposition to the sins that so easily create division. So this milk is pure and it is also spiritual. This does not mean that this milk is mystical in someway. The word for spiritual can be translated as rational or reasonable which we also see in Romans 12:1:

Romans 12:1 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the expectations for Christians from the Church is woefully shallow. Show up for Sunday morning, give your tithes so we can meet our budget, and sign up for our newest project or initiative. However, growing members in Scripture so they have a robust knowledge of God is sadly lacking. We have generation after generation leaving the evangelical faith for secularism. The blame does not lay at the feet secular universities. The blame lays at our feet, the Church. Our Christianity is theologically and doctrinally desolate. As a result, we have a mindless and spineless Church in our western cultural. We end up being tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:14).

Do you see why we are to long for the spiritual milk? That by it we may grow up into salvation. We already have salvation whereby our souls have been delivered from sin, but there is a day coming where the full consummation of the Kingdom comes. There is a direct connection between the pure milk and our growth in Christ. There are three points of application I want to focus in on at this time.

Our spiritual growth, which is dependent upon the Word of God, manifests itself in three primary spheres - 1) Personal, 2) Family, 3) Congregation. Before I get to this, I want to show you from Scripture why you should care about the Word ofGod. First, you should care about the Scriptures because God’s people love the Word of God. As Joel Beeke has said,

Revelation and God (Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 1) Chapter 18: The Properties of the Written Word, Part 1: Authority and Clarity

It is a mark of the true children of God, from whatever nation they may come, that they desire to worship the true God according to his will and to hear his Word so that they may obey it.

True children of faith come to realize that the Scriptures are the very Word of God and they are unlike anything else that has been written. Psalm 119:103:

Psalm 119:103 ESV

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Second, you should love the Scriptures because the Bible is the authority of the Church. No leader or council of leaders has final authority over the Church. The Word of God alone has final authority. As our beloved Westminster Confession states,

Revelation and God (Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 1) Biblical Authority and the Church

The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.

Contrary to Rome, we do not believe that the Bible is built based upon the Church. Instead, the Church is built upon the Scriptures and derives all truth from the very Word of God.

Third, you should love the Scripture because of what the Scriptures are to us. Psalm 119:105

Psalm 119:105 ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Remember a few months ago when Bill Robertson graciously filled in for me because my headlight broke when I was driving back from Pennsylvania? You know how many times I thought, “If I only had a flashlight, I could probably fix this!” How often do we travel through valleys without the Light that illuminates our path. A life without the Word is a life of darkness.

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The Word searches us and is able to discern what is occurring within our heart because it is active and living. How many times have we thought our walk with Jesus was going well only to have the Word pierce us? This piercing was not a simple prick, but a deep wound that revealed a sin that had a stronghold in our lives. The Word searches the depths of our being.

The Word is a mirror to us.

James 1:22–25 ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

These are just a few of the reasons we should love the Word of God. Now, how do we live this out? Here are the three spheres we spoke of earlier. First, the Word should play a prominent role in our personal lives. Do you currently have a quiet time where you long for the Word of God? Is your longing for the Word deeper in 2024 than it was in 2020? I remember when I first became a follower of Christ, I’d read a devotion like the Daily Bread. I am so thankful for resources like the Daily Bread and others like it that served me well in my growth of Christ. However, now I need something deeper. As you grow in Christ, you move deeper into the Word of God where growth is found.

Second, the Word of God should play a prominent role in your family life. Family worship is something that is often overlooked in our churches today. Family worship is a time that is specifically set aside each day by the family to worship the Lord. Our family sets this time aside right before we put the children in bed. The Scriptures should dominate this time. Parents with children, I want to specifically speak to you, especially Fathers. Do not neglect your duty to disciple your family in family worship. Set aside 10-15 minutes each night to read the Word of God with your family, to pray with and for them, and to worship with them in song. This is your covenantal responsibility as a parent before the great and awesome God of heaven.

Third, the Word of God should play a prominent role in the life of a congregation. Again, the Scripture is our final authority in all matters of life. Prior to our elder’s retreat in July, a number of the Ruling Elders read a book called “Word-centered Church”. I had mentioned I had read through it a few times. One Ruling Elder said, “so should we read this book?” My humble response, “yeah, sure if you’d want to read it.” The thesis of the book is simple: “Churches become healthy and Christians become vibrant through the same things today as they did in the New Testament churches: through evangelizing, preaching, teaching, singing, praying, and discipling one another with God’s Word.” The Word of God must be central to the life of the congregation. There is no substitute for the Word of God. A church that is a Word-centered church will grow, but not overnight. It will take time, and a lot of time, for the spiritual work to be done in the life of the congregation through the Word of God. The Word of God isn’t like a commercial. Think about this, most commercials last 30 seconds. They must grab your attention quickly with emotionalism. That is not how the Word works. What did Jesus compare the working of the Word? A seed. A seed takes time to grow. It yields its fruit slowly. This is the same with the Word. The Word is effective and powerful, yet it works over a period of time. Thus for us at FPC, we must be a Word-centered church where the Scriptures take center stage throughout the entirety of the week, not just Sunday morning, but in Women’s ministry, the Pastor’s Study, in the choir, in Science with Jesus, in every crack, crevasse, and fabric of this congregation. We trust in the Word of God to build this congregation, not the entertainment of American cultural.

In the last portion of our text, Peter quotes Psalm 34:8 - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Psalm 34 speaks to the reality that as the righteous suffer, they can trust that God will deliver them from their afflictions. Is that not a theme of the book of 1 Peter? Does this not beautifully fit the book of 1 Peter? There is hope in suffering. Though these churches suffer as exiles, they can be confident that the Lord will deliver them eschatologically in the last days. He will be there ultimate deliver. This also speaks to the experiential relationship we have with our Lord. Not only do we come to know Him in the Word, but we also experience Him throughout our lives. We’ve tasted the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ and as a result we long for the pure spiritual milk that will transform our lives.

Conclusion

We’ve come to the end of this great discourse where Peter is calling the Church to live holy. Living holy is not an option. It is a command in Scripture that we can only do through the power of the Holy Spirit. He provides spiritual weapons whereby we are able to remove divisive sin in our hearts and our congregation. He alone causes us to long for the Word of God that creates spiritual growth in us over a period of time. Let us today become people of the Word because we’ve already tasted the goodness of the Lord.