As Newborn Babes
1 Peter 2: 1-4
God is pleased to birth his children again by the word. (1 Pet 1: 23.) This is the word whereby the gospel is preached unto you (1 Pet 1: 25.) And God is pleased to grow us by the same means (1 Pet 2: 2; 1 Cor 1: 21; Eph 4: 13-15.).) Christ is the Word made flesh--the Way, the Truth and the Life--of which the written word of the gospel speaks (Jn 1: 14; 5:39-40; 14: 46.) The amazing thing about the word of our Lord, through the preaching of Christ, is that as we are taught in the heart by the Spirit we are grown not only in knowledge but also in grace (2 Pet 1:2.) Therefore, as the Lord grows the believer in spirit, the flesh is withered because the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it (1 Pet 1: 24; Isa 40: 7.) Knowledge apart from grace puffs up the flesh for his word has no place there (Jn 8: 37; 5: 42-47; 1 Cor 8: 1-3.) But those in whom his word is planted grow both in grace as well as knowledge so that we become as little children in malice, knowing our best knowledge here is still as that of infants and our best expressions are yet like a stammering baby in comparison with glory hereafter. We evermore need the word of the gospel as much as a baby its mother’s milk (1 Co 13: 1-13; Heb 9: 13-14; Jn 17: 26; Mt 18: 1-4.) Wherefore lay aside the old man, and as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.