Series: 1 Peter
Title: As Newborn Babes
Text: 1 Peter 2: 1-4
Date: March 17, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Every born again child of God has tasted that the grace of the Lord. Nothing humbles the believer like experiencing the Lord’s grace. And we grow in grace by the sincere milk of the word. 1 Peter 2: 1: Wherefore…
· Seeing as how we did not choose God, but God—by grace alone—chose us (not because of any merit in us but of his own will)
· Seeing as how Christ came to where we were and purchased his people—not with corruptible things as silver and gold—but with his precious blood as of a Lamb without spot or blemish
· Seeing as how the Spirit of God has sanctified you, believer, not by works of righteousness which you have done—but by the washing of regeneration—purifying your souls by faith in Christ.
· Seeing as how all we are in our flesh is grass—the very best glory thereof being no better than the flower of the grass—both of which wither and fall away
1 Peter 2: 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.
I. Our first lesson is one of humility toward God.
God is pleased to give us life by the word—this is the word whereby the gospel is preached unto you—and God is pleased to grow us by the same means. Those who are born of the Spirit aer growing—and grow more dependent upon the word--those who are not born of the Spirit are withering--and grow less dependent upon the word.
Every believer begins as a new born babe. (1 Peter 1: 23)
Christ is the Word which was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we never separate the written word from Christ because Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life of which the written word speaks.
John 5:39: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40: And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
It pleased God to save by the foolishness of preaching (1 Peter 1: 25)
And by the means God has been pleased to use to give us spiritual life in the beginning—it pleased God to grow us—a true spirit says yes--but we never grow beyond an absolute dependence upon Christ the Word, the living word, by which the gospel is preached unto us.
Notice this connection: 2: 1: Wherefore laying aside all malice…2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Now turn to: 1 Corinthians 14: 18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
Paul calls a desire for showy spiritual gifts to be malice—but the meekness of a babe desiring the sincere milk of the word is the understanding of true spiritual maturity.
Believer’s do grow. And the believer grows more utterly dependent upon the word of the gospel which God has appointed to grow us.
Ephesians 4: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
1 Peter 2: 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.
II. Our second lesson is in humility toward one another—particularly love for one another---this is vitally connected with the gospel and our need of the gospel.
The amazing thing about the word of our Lord is that as we are taught in the heart by the Spirit, as he grows in knowledge of Christ, he grows us in grace—so growing up in the spirit we grow down in the flesh—unfeigned love is grown while the malice and guile of the flesh is subdued.
I Peter 1: 22: Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:…
The Lord Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13: 35.) Not by earthly honors, by any style of dress or any other fleshly distinction, but by love.
The love of God which is in the believer is not simply sentimental, pity and care—folks who have never even heard the truth are able to do that. But natural “love” is selfish and seeks natural advantage and honor among men and puffs up—especially a feigned, religious love (John 5: 42-44.)
There is no unfeigned love of the brethren but from the purified soul, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8: 7.) In the natural born state every person—religious or otherwise is: “… living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” (Titus 3: 3)
Notice in 1 Peter 1: 22: the word “purified.”
The Levitical law was full of ceremonial washings (red heifer.) But none purified the soul, they only pictured what the gospel does ((Numbers 9: 11-22.)
Hebrews 9: 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? v22: Seeing ye have purified your souls…and it is continual—the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin--(how?)
1 Peter 1: 22:…IN OBEYING THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT…25:…And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Not error, but truth; not of merely religious facts and systems of doctrine—but taught of Jesus Christ. The Pharisee’s did many wonderful works but the Lord said to them, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you” (John 8: 38.)
Unfeigned love is by the word of God living and abiding in us—and is grown more as the word of the gospel is declared in our hearts through the Spirit.
John 17: 26: And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
1 Peter 1: 24: For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: {Isaiah 40: 7:…because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it:}
As the truth is continually set forth the Spirit blows—our flesh withers but the hidden man of the heart is edified and grown in grace. This is why Peter connect the unfeigned love of brethren with the word of the gospel and thus exhorts us to lay aside the old man of the flesh and as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. As the Spirit, grows us in knowledge of Christ, he grows us in grace—so growing up in the spirit we grow down in the flesh—unfeigned love is grown while the malice and guile of the flesh is subdued. Unfeigned love is vitally connected with the gospel word. Christ receives all the glory!
John 17: 26: And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
The man whose religion is natural will blow up and say he does not have to hear the gospel preached, while the mature believer, knows his need for he knows he is a baby in comparison with what he shall be in glory. Our best knowledge here is still as that of infants and our best expressions of God are still like a baby stammering in comparison with glory hereafter.
1 Cor 13: 1: 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Matthew 18: 1: At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Humility and unfeigned love toward God and our brethren is grown through the living word whereby the gospel is preached unto you.
1 Peter 2: 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.
Amen!