Crave Pure Spiritual Milk

PRAY !!!

Introduction

We all know what it is like to feel the sharp pangs of longing something. That deep ache within our chest. When we were young we may have craved the company of our sweetheart, after a significant time away. We may long for a icy cold drink after a long peroid in the hot sun. We may even long for rest after an extremely busy day of work.

The new born baby has one desire, and one desire only. The desire for food. One of the first things babies crave when they come out into the world is the nourishing milk of their mother. They have a one track mind. Milk, milk milk. If they are left waiting for even a few seconds their wailing gets intense, their cries become unbearable.

The change that happens within a person when they come to faith is such that the New Testament compares it to being born again. This is the analogy Peter gives us. That every Believer should be known for, the deep seeded desire for the pure milk of the Word of God. In First Peter chapter 1 we have heard that Believers have great reason to rejoice.

We have reason to rejoice because:

v1-2, we are the elect, foreknown, sanctified, and justified by God.

v3-5, We are

Born again by God’s mercy

To a living hope

A perfect inheritance

Kept by Almighty God until the fulfilment of time.

And to top it all off even the angels have been looking forward to the reaveling of Christ and His salvation. The message of salvation by faith is the same message that was written of in the Old Testament.

From verse 6 Peter turns to the consequences that come from being born again. Still in chapter 1. Verse 13 sees Peter shifting from our benefits as Children of God to our responsibilities as new creatures. Peter now exhorts Christians to live a life worthy of the salvation Christ’s death and resurrection has bought. To live a life of holiness. Of separation from the worlds ways, its ideals and values. In other words Peter is showing us how to both lay aside our sinful nature and live in a way that gives glory to God. Behind all our effort in living the life that pleases God is the great truth we read at the beginning. Namely, that it is ONLY possible to live holy lives through the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit. Living lives that are pleasing to God is our reasonable service, our spiritual act of worship.

This is in part why the Bible has been given.The Holy Spirit does this by helpping us understand what He has written and He gives us wisdom to put it into our practical lives. With the Holy Spirit’s help our whole life will transform into the image God intended from the beginning. The family of God.

New Birth

Why does Peter say Christians need to put aside malice and deciet, etc, and long for pure milk of the Word?

In 1:23 we read, that Christians are those who have been reborn by the living and abiding Word of God. If you remember, we are reborn the moment we come to faith. And in that moment we are given a new heart, and a new disposition. One that is willing and able to love and obey God. Ultimately it is with the new birth in mind that Peter is encouraging Christians. This is a great encouragement because salvation belongs to the Lord, who sovereignly reigns from His throne.

Discard the Sin

If you have your Bible on hand, can I encourage you to keep it open at the begining of 1 Peter 2. The word therefore is placed here at the begining of this passage because Peter is applying the truth of our new birth, namely that those who have true faith in Christ, who have heard the Gospel preached, and responded to God in faith, are those to who will desire the pure milk of the Word. Before we get there, though, lets first look at v1.

Peter gives the believers five attitudes and actions, in v1, that are inconsistent with being a Child of God. Five characteristics that should not be found in the fellowship of Believers. Strong language, I know, but this is the language Peter himself uses.

He begins by saying,“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.” These unchristian vices are to be layed aside. The verb “laying aside” is used gerenally to take off, remove the old worn out clothes and throw them aside. In the context of the Christian life, we are to remove the all malice, deceit, etc, from our daily lives. The same word for laying aside in 1 Peter 2:1 is found in Romans 13:12 as ‘cast off’, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." We are to be known as people of the light, people of love. so we are to cast off the works of darkness, the works of Satan.

What are we called to lay aside, to cast off?

The first sin we are to rid ourselves of is malice. Peter doesn’t go for the gross immorality of the world, but uses an almost involuntary vice that destorys the brotherly love spoken of in v22. Malice is the most general in this list with the rest of these sins (deceit, hypocracy, envy, and evil speaking) all stemming as bad fruits of this evil tree. A dictionary definition of malice is a desire or wish to do harm or injury to another person.

another word for malice is malignancy. In the medical world we know of malignancy in terms of cancer. There are two main types of cancer, malignant and benign. Benign tomours are the type that stay in the one spot. But malignant tumours have the wish and ability to spread abroad in the body. Deceit, hypocracy, envy, and slander, all feed off us thinking we are, or should be, better than another person. And from this comes the willlingness to do harm to another person.

We all have a tendency to be deceitful to others, whether we think it is for our own good or for the other person’s good. In Colosians 3 Paul says the same thing as Peter when he says do not lie to one another. Paul adds the qualifier, though, “to one another” highlighting the importance of loving one another in love.

Hypocracy originally came from the theatre. Actors wore masks over their faces in their portrayal of the various characters in that particular play. We can see this in the Japanese theatre where they still may where masks in their shows. It describes any behaviour that is not consistent with one who has been reborn into God’s family. The new life in Christ does not match up with their profession of faith, and therefore they are simply wearing a mask.

The next fruit is envy. Envy is coveting another person or something that is rightfully theirs. One commentator says that envy “is the gnawing sorrow we feel when someone else has something that we think we deserve.”

Evil Speaking refers to the little whispers and tattling we do behind peoples back. We know this more commonly as gossip, slander, and backbighting. We have all done it, but Peter tells us to rid ourselves of all these evil fruits.

These immoral habits are like the malignant tumour, not only do they have the desire and ability to do great harm to Christian fellowship, but if we don’t stop them in their tracks then we are at a greater risk of harm to the brotherhood of Believers.

One commentary puts it this way: “The sins listed tear at the social fabric of the church, ripping away the threads of love that keep them together. Peter signals thereby that no sin is to be tolerated in the community. That sin is to be rejected comprehensively.” These sins are not an exhaustive list, meaning that anything else is fair game. But is only respresentative of the wicked behaviours we have. All sin is to be laid aside as we strive to be a pleasing aroma to God.

This is Not Baby food

As we lay aside these wicked fruits we must fill the empty space they create with something wholesome. We are to fill this now empty slot with God’s pure Word, which Peter tells us in v23 is living and abiding forever. Where the vices in v1 cause splintering and brings destruction, v2 causes unity and godly love.

Peter commands us, in v2, to “desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.”

The sole and desperate craving a new born baby has for milk is the same desperate craving we a to have for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is only to be found in the Holy Bible. And in the same way milk serves to enable growth in the new born, it also enables growth in the Christian.

You may be thinking that this metaphor of the pure milk of the Word relates to the new Christian, alone, and not to the more mature among us. You may cite 1 Cor 3:1-3, “I could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.”

Or even more potent, Heb 5:12-13, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Both these passages use the milk metaphor in respect to the maturity level of the Christian believer. They say that milk is for the new Christian, proper food is for the mature Christian. But in passage in 1 Peter there is no qualifying remark. He doesn’t say, this is for the new Believer only. Instead he tells us that everyone who has “tasted that the Lord is gracious” is to crave the pure milk of the Word. Why is that? If you will look again at v2 we will find out precisely why Peter is including all Christians. He says, “that you may grow thereby.” you see, as long as we are this side of Heaven we will continue to do battle with sin in our lives. Every Christian needs the repeated nourishment the pure milk of the Word gives us.

Desire -> Grow

The order in v2 is also important as well. The old adage is true isn’t it. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. The preacher can explain what Peter says until we are blue in the face to crave the pure milk of the Word. But unless we have a deep longing to love God with every breath we will not put the effort into understanding God’s Word. I could open a Bible and place it right in front of you. You may look at it, but if you don’t truly desire the pure mik of the Word, you will not take much in. There will be no real lasting change because there will be no real hunger.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this of the normal traits of His Followers.

Matt. 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

We are first to desire it. To hunger and thrist for His righteousness. This word is used to refer to an intense, recurring, and demanding passion. This is brought out extremely well in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” Our desire should by like the deer who has a fierce and unquenchable passion for water. We hear children say “If I don’t get [this] I will die”. This is the kind of passion Peter wanted his readers to have for Scripture.

As we quench this desire for God’s pure Word and feed on it in our hearts we will grow in our knowledge of God, and our love for doing that which pleases Him. Our minds and hearts will be prepared as we rest in God’s promises. We will know and live in the fear of God as we believe He is the Sovereign King who is also our Saviour. And we will be obedient to the truth, loving our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Conclusion

When we are reborn into new life in Christ, there is a supernatural transformation that begins in us and isn’t complete Jesus Christ returns. This supernatural work grows out of and centers on the Word of God, our obedience to the truth, the Gospel. The Holy Spirit begins the act of sanctification, making us holy, through the Word of God. He works in our whole being. Our thoughts must be reformed to Him, our lives must be reformed according to His pure Word, even our relationships with God’s people must be in a state of reforming. All these must be continually reforming until we leave this mortal coil. This is sanctification and happens on two levels. The Holy Spirit changes us from within. But we, also, are commanded by God to “work out our salvation.” Here Peter is encouraging us to continually lay aside the old life, and place our trust and care in the God who saves us and transforms us into the likeness of His Holy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

As this happens, we will trust more fully the God who has shown great grace, mercy and love in the death of His Son for our sins.

If you are a Child of the Most High God, then You are commanded to desire the pure milk of the Word, diligently committing to be nourished by it. But we do this in joyful obedience.

If God has declared us righteous before His judgement seat, then let us desire, crave, hunger and thirst after His Word, which lives and abides forever.

Let us pray.