Cultivating Our Growth

Introduction

After his death, Osama-bin-Laden made his way to the pearly gates. There, George Washington greets him. "How dare you attack the nation I helped build!" yells Washington, slapping Osama in the face. Patrick Henry approaches and says, "You wanted to end the Americans' liberty, so they gave you death!" Henry punches Osama in the nose. James Madison comes up next, and says, "This is why I allowed the Federal government to provide for the common defense!" He knees him in the gut. Then Osama is subjected to a series of similar beatings from John Randolph, John Adams, James Monroe, and a steady procession of other people who have the same love for liberty and the United States. As he writhes on the ground, Thomas Jefferson picks him up to hurl him back toward the gate where he is to be judged. Osama screams in panic, "This is not what I was promised!" An angel replies, "I told you there would be 72 Virginians waiting for you. What did you think I said?"

Now in 2:1-3 we will see how to maintain this family unity, with a negative command followed by the challenge of positive growth.

1 Peter 2:1–3 AV

1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1. Remove that Which Hinders Growth

Verse 1

A. Understanding this Removal

Wherefore laying aside…

Wherefore gives us a connection. Obviously, connected to the previous verses, but realize that 1:23-25 builds on 1:22.

Seeing that we’re to love one another fervently with a pure heart, we should lay aside…

Laying aside – abandoning, renouncing, ridding oneself, thus as we’ve termed it in our notes - a removal.

Generally in the NT it indicates removing our wicked nature and character that we had prior to salvation.

Romans 13:12–14 AV

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Colossians 3:8–10 AV

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

All of these texts also have the positive command that follows, and so does our text.

This laying aside is in context of 1:22a where it’s assumed we have purified our souls.

What we are to remove (shortly) will help us to avoid hypocritical love of the brethren. We are to get rid of attitudes and habits that are harmful to others.

Note that this is something we are able and expected to do. Christian growth is in the Christian’s control.

B. The Removal of General Evils

All – listed three times here – conveys totality with no exceptions.

1. Malice

Generally, evil – wickedness, ill-will, wrong-doing with regards to behavior. 3:9-13. Doing harm to someone.

Ephesians 4:31 AV

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

So, malice/evil/wrong-doing is clearly the counterpart to unfeigned love with a pure heart. Doing wrong is always contrary to the will of God.

2. Guile

Also deceit, cunning, treachery. Listed in Mark 7:22 and

Romans 1:29 AV

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

This contrasts the truth and pure heart of 1:22. Guile is the opposite of sincere in 2:2. Dolos and adolos. Guile or deceit is unbearable within the brotherhood.

See again 3:10 – refrain our lips from guile.

C. The Removal of Specific Evils

The previous were singular, these are plural.

1) Hypocrisies

Playing a part, an actor, pretense, an outward show; insincere and deceitful.

Galatians 2:13 AV

13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

1 Timothy 4:2 AV

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Similar to guile – the opposite of truthfulness and genuineness – one who lacks integrity – actions don’t match words. Jesus said this of the Pharisees.

Of course, this is the opposite of ‘unfeigned (unhypocritical) love of the brethren.’

2) Envies

The displeasure at the success or health or possessions of another; includes the malevolent desire to see these things destroyed.

Struggle between the haves and the have nots.

This is associated with greed and the refusal to share ones goods with others in need.

Proverbs 23:6–8 AV

6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

Envy was the cause of Jesus’ betrayal in

Matthew 27:18 AV

18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

and revealed in opposition against the early church in Acts 15:7; 13:45. This envy is certainly detrimental to brotherly love.

3) Evil Speakings

Slanderings – insulting language – verbal abuse

James 4:11 AV

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

This is socially divisive behavior and has no place in a Christian family. This violates Christian love and stunts good healthy growth.

So we can’t grow as we ought without removing these sinful thoughts and attitudes.

2. Add Proper Nutrition

Verse 2

A. Begins With a New Life

As newborn babes…

A group of tourists visiting a picturesque village walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked him, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man replied, “Nope, only babies.”

Now we shift from the negative command to the positive.

This of course reminds us of our new birth in Christ as believers with 1:3, 23.

This phrase is merely showing our new life in Christ, not a mark for or against maturity.

2 Corinthians 5:17 AV

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

salvation presentation

B. Develops with a Strong Desire

…desire the sincere milk of the word,…

This is to hunger for, fervently desire, long intensely, yearning eagerly.

As a newborn longs for milk so we see this used as an example for the believer’s desire.

This milk is something to be eagerly desired for nourishment. We aren’t to follow our old impulses in 1:14.

James 1:21 AV

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

** There are two descriptions of this milk.

First it’s sincere – guileless – free of deception and impurity; pure. This describes the milk and our second adjective.

Of the word. That which is reasonable / rational with Rom. 12:1. Even spiritual.

What is this pure word-milk, or pure reasonable milk.

Clearly it’s the Word of God, this the context of 1:23-25. There is no new idea introduced here.

The word of God is life-giving in v. 23 and life sustaining here in v. 2.

The OT clearly teaches the purity of God’s Word. “The words of the Lord are pure words.”

By reading and listening to the Word of God we are taking information in – seen in the metaphor of drinking milk.

C. The Outcome of Proper Nutrition

…that ye may grow thereby.

Are you growing spiritually or just growing old?

This is the natural outcome of those that feed on the word.

This shows maturity and an integration into the family of which he has been reborn.

We are nourished and growing in the Lord through the Word.

It's time to plant our gardens. As you plant, may I suggest the following rules for your garden planting: Plant three rows of squash: 1. Squash gossip; 2. Squash criticism; 3. Squash indifference Plant three rows of peas: 1. Purity; 2. Patience; 3. Perseverance Plant six rows of lettuce: 1. Let us be unselfish and loyal; 2. Let us be faithful to duty; 3. Let us search the scriptures; 4. Let us not be weary in well-doing; 5. Let us be obedient in all things; 6. Let us love one another No garden is complete without turnips: 1. Turn up for church, prayer service and Bible study; 2. Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult; 3. Turn up with determination to do your best for God's cause After planting, may you, "Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

The only way to plant this kind of garden is my feeding on the Word of God!

There is no substitute – no college textbook, no devotional book. Now I agree with reading and chewing meat and spitting out bones, but there is only one sincere spiritual milk for you and that is the Word of God.

I have a companion, a dear, faithful friend, A union of blessing that never shall end; Till Jesus returns with His saints from on high We'll travel together, my Bible and I.

So now that we are in the Word which adds to our spiritual growth, we have one last important task.

3. Remember the Goodness of the Lord

v. 3

A. The Moment of Goodness

The ‘if so be’ is causal.

In other words, if you’ve been saved, you’ve tasted that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8 AV

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

By using the word tasted, Peter is going back to our previous experience in salvation.

Tasting the sincere milk of the word is tied to this tasting of salvation and the graciousness of the Lord.

B. The Identification of God’s Grace – Jesus Christ

Here we see that the Lord is good or kindly, benevolent. He truly has been in saving us…this previous experience we know.

Our experience of having first tasted the graciousness of the Lord is the foundation for continuing to desire His word. This tasting experience should continue!

Hearing the good news of Christ is equivalent to tasting sincere goodness of the Lord – His word-milk.

But how can the graciousness of the Lord be a reason to long for the words of Scripture? Well we find here that this sincere word-milk is Jesus Christ. To read or listen to Scripture is to hear the Lord - and what He says is good and nourishing. We are tasting again and again what He is like and we continue to experience his goodness, just like when we were first saved.

CONCLUSION

The same word that brought us our new life, is the same word we grow by.

We then grow by the milk-word! This gives us ongoing personal responsibility for growth toward God and in our relationship to each other.

An unknown writer said, “This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.”

The more you read the Bible, the more you love it. The more you love it, the more you read it!