Jump Start # 116

1 Peter 2:1-2 “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation”

  The words of Peter here address the spirit and attitude that ought to be found in all Christians, but especially the new Christian. Peter defines in detail the dual steps of growth. First, comes the “putting aside” or the stopping of wrong. Simply adding Bible to rotten behavior generally produces a rotten Christian. Several years before Peter wrote this, he first preached this concept, when he told the Jerusalem crowd, “Repent and be baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.” The “putting aside” is another way of saying, repent.

  Peter lists five things that must be put aside. This is not the total list. I expect Peter knew some things about these people and knew that these were the very things that would keep them from becoming what God had in mind. These five sins are largely attitudes and more than that they are attitudes toward others. Malice (wickedness), deceit (dishonesty), hypocrisy (pretending to be righteous) envy (evil spirit toward others) and slander (saying things about others that hurt and ruin them) are the spirits of a wicked and lost heart. These cannot dwell in a heart that is governed by Christ. You will also notice that Peter uses the qualifying word “all” before three of these sins—all malice, all deceit, all slander. He didn’t use it in front of hypocrisy and envy. Does that mean a person does not have to put aside all hypocrisy? We can’t be serious with such a question. Do you think God approves of “some” hypocrisy? Absolutely not. No way. “All” is implied before each of them, otherwise they have not “put aside,” they would have kept some.

  Peter is telling us, empty out the junk, the bad, the sinful and then fill your heart with God’s word. This is a two part project. Some dump the bad but they don’t fill it with the good. They are just empty. Others try to fill their heart with the good but it is so filled already with the junk that not much gets in there. They get disappointed and quit.

  When you see Christians who are mean, gossipy and hypocrites you can just figure that they didn’t “put aside” like Peter said. Some in the name of Christianity feel like they can be rude and offensive, because they are telling someone just the way it is. They like being the judge and jury and have no problems declaring that others are headed to Hell. These folks do more harm in one afternoon than can be imagined and it often takes generations to heal from such sorry words and negative attitudes. Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t treat you that way? How do we change those kind of things? “Putting aside all…”  is a good start. You will find yourself wanting to go back to these old ways, but remind yourself, “Put aside.” That will help you.

  The other step is just as important. Peter tells us to long for the pure milk of the word. “Long” means to “want it.” Newborns get hungry often. They don’t understand clocks and schedules. Two in the morning is just as good of a time to eat as eight in the morning to a newborn. They eat often. They need it to grow. So is the Christian, Peter tells us. Want the word. Go to the word often. Don’t get weary with the word. Learn it. Practice it. Understand it. Teach it. Use it. Grow and grow and grow. Peter ends his second letter with these words, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18). Do you know how that is done? Putting aside and longing for…that’s it!

Roger