Lay Aside All Malice, All Deceit, Hypocrisy, envy, And All Evil Speaking, As New Born, Desire The Pure Milk Of The Word, That You May Grow Thereby, If Indeed You Have Tasted That The Lord Is Gracious
Change Requires Change
1 PETER 2:1-3
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
”I Peter 2:1-3 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/1pe.2.1-3.nkj
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Once new born babies have tasted their mothers milk, they will crave for more, they love and are attracted to that taste. It's that milk that will give them the very nourishment that they need that will make them grow up into healthy adults.
In the same way, we believers need to start our walk on pure spiritual milk that will make us grow, and in God’s perfect timing, must take in the deep satisfying solid food that will help us to mature in Christ to the full experience of salvation and become able and empowered to serve God at the highest levels.
My brethren, just like a baby learns to walk, we believers need to learn to walk with God; and just like babies, we can expect to fall at times, and that can be painful; we can expect to suffer for Christ, after all, He suffered for us, and He wasn’t the one who messed up and involved in sin.
We humans sinned and the process of cleansing is painful, but necessary for salvation.
My beloved, it's time to change, to get rid of all evil behaviours-jealousy and quarrelling amongst ourselves; one’s moaning and complaining proves he or she is still walking in the sinful flesh and are controlled by their sinful nature.
Many claim to be believers, but are living like people of the world (1 CORINTHIANS 3:3).
Furthermore, many have been believers so long now that they ought to be teaching others. Instead, they need someone to teach them again the very basics. They are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.
My beloved, someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right (HEBREWS 5:12-13).
Are you growing in Christ? Is your behaviour changing? Is your knowledge growing? Are you getting understanding?
Are you still on the same old roundabout facing the same old troubles, addictions, worries and anxieties? “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
Psalms 34:8 NKJV
If you desire change, you have to change something yourself; the same old ways and attitudes will result in the same old results.
But it is encouraging to know that Jesus has sent the help we need to live right, grow, and serve with power and authority.
He said, ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
But to receive, one must separate from the sinful things of world and commit completely to Him in obedience; “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:21-24 NKJV
It is then that a process of transformation begins by the renewing of the mind, that one’s very nature becomes Christ like.
Once received, one must choose to walk obediently with Him. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
The truth is, Jesus is the way-the only way that leads to lasting peace, joy, and contentment; He is the truth-the only truth to be relied upon, and the life. He is the only way to our Father in heaven (JOHN 14:6).
Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10 NKJV
Do you want life and to have it more abundantly? Or are you going to allow the devil to steal what is yours by his deceit and false promises?
The Lord told us through His prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
Hosea 4:6 NKJV
We can gain knowledge by simply reading the Bible, but true understanding and revelation can only come from God.
Make the decision today to lay aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking; be right with God and make time to build your relationship with Him. If necessary, start again, as new born babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow into maturity and the fullness of Christ, and as you grow, ask God for understanding and revelation.
The devil has knowledge of the word, but he clearly has no understanding; if he did, he wouldn’t have placed Christ on a cross to be defeated. In that very moment, every believer was snatched from his hands and Jesus said, “it is finished (JOHN 19:30).
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
