The season of Christmas is upon us! Christmas is a cultural tradition but for those who believe in Jesus Christ, it is a celebration of His birth! Our family has recently been blessed with a new birth. This little boy, now three months old, gulps his milk without taking a breath. He acts as if he is starving. This is a great picture of what our longing for Jesus should look like. As you celebrate the traditions and Truth of Christmas, I pray your desire for the word grows. As you have opportunities to share the gift of Christ’s birth, I pray you also share the sacrifice of His death for us. There is great cause for celebration – because of God’s gift of grace in our lives, because of the faith He alone gives, because of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, we have hope now and for the future. Celebrate Christmas!
1Peter 2:2-3 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
We will look at the condition of our growth first, which is stated in verse three – if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. Peter is not questioning his audience about their salvation; he is stating what the result should be because they have experienced God’s kindness. It is important for us to always remember it is only because of God’s grace in our lives that we know Him; it is only because of His work that we are able to grow in our faith and understanding of Him.
Consider how you might become discouraged with someone when you are trying to share Truth. It is disappointing when they do not understand what is so clear to you. Hopefully, you can respond with a spirit of compassion for their lost state and a spirit of gratitude for God’s work in opening your eyes and heart to Himself. The new Christians Peter is writing to have tasted God’s kindness. They have experienced the grace of God.
What happens when you taste something delicious? A desire is developed in us to repeat what we experienced; therefore we want more! There are thousands of companies that will offer a ‘free trial’ of something in order for you to sample their product. They know if you try it and like it, you are more likely to buy it. This is basic marketing, and it is built on a premise that we will want to repeat a positive experience.
When we are called by Christ to understand who He is, and we recognize His work and blessings in our lives, we will desire to know more. Consider the past trials in your life. Perhaps someone pointed you towards God and reminded you of the peace He offers. When you felt weak as if you could not go on, you may have experienced God’s strength and the rest that is found in Him alone. When you truly understand God as your source of peace and strength, you will seek Him.
Tasting <geuomai> means to experience. We often relate experience to a feeling. Yet, it is much more. WordWeb defines experience as “the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities; the content of direct observation or participation in an event”.
To taste of God’s kindness is to know for certain of His work in your life because you have seen His power and experienced His peace in your heart.
You develop an expectation built from what has happened in the past. Your trust in Him deepens and your love for Him grows.
Remembering how God has worked in the past will grow your confidence in the plans He has for your future.
In Psalm 34:8 the word taste means to perceive,
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
1 Peter 2:3 speaks of tasting the kindness of God. What is God’s kindness? The KJV uses the word gracious. It is translated from chrestos meaning goodness, gracious or kind. It comes from the root word, chraomai, which means to furnish what is needed.
God will provide to His children all that is needed, and often, so much more. The Brethren NT Commentary makes this comment on 1 Peter 2:3, “If they had ever felt the unparalleled mercy, peace, love and forgiveness of the Lord, they would not hesitate to lay aside all the evil and desire all the good”. Think upon the kindness of God, the mercy He continually extends towards His children.
Psalm 86:15 But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
Psalm 136 is filled with thanksgiving to God for His mercies and recounts the Israelites sojourning through the wilderness and their release from captivity. God has extended His mercy to you and has released you from the captivity of sin. Consider what it means to be controlled by sin. Look at the world around you, the thinking and actions. What was the driving force in your own life before you were saved?
When we think of being kind, we might consider the quality of someone who is considerate and warm, thoughtful, and sympathetic; someone who shows tenderness and is helpful to others.
The kindness of God is so much more. It reaches to the lowest depths, to those most unworthy, even to those who blaspheme in return. His lovingkindness extends to those who are ungrateful and wicked.
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil [men].
God’s kindness is purposed for our repentance.
Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
Isa 30:18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
Ephesians 2:4-7
If you are God’s child, you have been pardoned; you are favored. When you taste the kindness of the Lord, your desire grows to know Him more. William Burkitt New Testament notes says, “It is but a taste of the sweetness of God and His word which a Christian partakes of in this life; satiety and satisfaction are reserved for another state”. This commentary reminds us that right now we see only a small example of God’s care for us; we will one day be fully engulfed in His perfect love.
Because you have tasted the kindness of the Lord,
You will put aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander (1 Peter 2:1), and
You will, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (1 Peter 2:2).
This is a great visual. Just as a newborn infant automatically turns its head towards its mother’s milk, a new believer will have an appetite for Truth. Picture an infant latching on to its mother’s breast. Their desire for milk is strong and their cry for it will pierce ears; once they are attached to their source of nourishment, they literally hang on! A baby or child instinctively wants to be close to those who will provide what is needed. If a newborn is not fed the proper nourishment, it will have a difficult time thriving. If a child does not receive enough calories, their brain development is affected. Many studies have documented that language development, memory, and IQ, are lower in children with poor nutrition. A child simply trusts, without questioning or analyzing, that their needs will be provided. A Christian, in order to make steady progress and expand in their knowledge and understanding of Christ, needs constant nourishment in the truth of God’s word.
The pure milk of the word – the spiritual truths of the gospel – is in direct contrast to those things listed in 1 Peter 2:1, malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
We are to desire God’s word as earnestly as a newborn yearns to be fed. The sin that once enticed us is replaced by the desire for spiritual nourishment from God’s truth. Matthew Poole’s NT Commentary states the comparison of verses 1 and 2, pointing out that longing for Truth is “in opposition to their former corrupt and unregenerate state, in which they were destitute of all spiritual life; and so this agrees, not only to young converts, but generally to all regenerate persons”.
We are in a life-long process of growing and maturing in our spiritual knowledge and understanding.
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 6:13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God.
The word of God is our food for growth.
Ephesians 4:13-15 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him, who is the head, [even] Christ,
“That is to say, if we be indeed believers, God has bestowed upon us a spiritual and incorruptible life; therefore, let us have done with the evil fruits of the old nature. We are born into a new world, let us cast aside the defiled and leprous garments of our former condition. Anger, deceit, and slander are as unbecoming in a Christian as the cerements of the grave would be unfit for a living man. It is ours, henceforth, to live upon the truth and to practice it, to rejoice in a gracious God, and act graciously ourselves. We desire to know the word of God, that by its sustaining power the life within us may be nurtured and made to advance to perfection”, Spurgeon Devotional Commentary.
Do you crave God’s truths more than anything else? Describe your craving. What does it look like? How do you satisfy it?
Do you want to understand and know Jesus more so you can serve Him well? How are you engaged in learning more about your Savior? How has this affected your serving?
Do you look to the unadulterated word of God, the pure truth written for us, without adding or subtracting? This means there is no excuse. The challenge is to act according to His word no matter the circumstances. So if you are insulted, offended, treated unfairly, bothered, or hurt, your response is to trust God and live to honor Him. In addition, we seek to follow God’s word even though it may be difficult. We do not choose some or part and ignore what we do not like or what does not fit our lifestyle.
1 Peter 2:23-24 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
I pray you continue to grow in your fervency for His word. I pray your longing is for God’s truths. I pray that you develop an insatiable appetite to know and understand Him. I pray that through His strength and work in your life, you will combat sinful behavior and live to glorify God in all things.
God’s Word, through His Spirit, is the source of understanding and knowledge of His Truths; it is our complete guide to growing in righteousness.
Psalm 19:7-10 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Without Jesus, none of this would matter. We would be unable to comprehend true love. Forgiveness and redemption would be unattainable. Celebrate Christ, God’s gift to the world, given because He loves us!
