1 Peter series – “Holding onto Hope in a Hostile World”

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.  ²³ For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. ²⁴ As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. ²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 2 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

After calling us to live confident lives, consecrated lives, and committed lives Peter now calls Christians to be cravers and consumers of God’s Word.  Scripture stands forever, it is eternal and Peter preached the Word because God’s Word has life, God’s Word gives life, God’s Word nourishes life. Not only are we conceived by the Word but we must continue in the Word.  The problem is that many of us are not in God’s Word. How neglected is your bible? Now one of the most common mistakes of this passage is to assume that the phrase “newborn babes” means brand new Christian converts. Peter was writing to a church that contained mature believers as well as babies in the faith. The phrase “newborn babies” does not necessarily mean that Peter’s readers are brand new in their faith. In this context, milk does not refer to basic and elementary teaching as it does in Hebrews 5:12-13 where milk is contrasted with meat or solid food. Here Peter is simply saying that all believers are to have a longing for God’s Word just like a baby whales for its mothers milk. What are you crying out for and craving? A healthy infant is a hungry infant. Let me ask you how often does a baby eat? Every couple hours, that is why Moms trade sleeping all night for naps. What you are doing is worth it. As believers we are to be like babies, we’re to go after God’s Word ferocity and frequency. Job said in Job 23:12: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Why do we need the Word, because the Word helps us:

1. KNOW

We’re to desire the “pure milk of the Word.” The word “pure” means, “not deceitful, not watered down or adulterated.” Several years ago I went and fueled up my truck and shortly after I started it, it began to splutter and died, I tried to start it but it just turned over it wouldn’t fire. As I got out I looked around to realize I was not alone, everyone who had filled up had cars that were dying. I quickly ran in and told them to shut the pumps down, that something was wrong with the fuel. We discovered that the last fuel truck to fill the tanks had accidently been full of water. The fuel had been watered down to the point where it was worthless. There is a lot of watered down preaching today by upbeat smiling preachers who want to make everyone feel good instead of teaching them about God.  This toxic teaching, no matter how good it might make you feel. If sin is minimized and the cross is marginalized, God will not be magnified. This kind of preaching is poison. Jeremiah 6:14 says, “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.” The pure spiritual milk of the Word helps us know ourselves, helps us see sin, as 2 Timothy 3:16 says it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.