The Milk of the Word

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1 Peter 2:2-3

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Here Peter is comparing new converts, in their spiritual lives, to new infants. I’m not sure how it is with infants in regard to their feeding practice. I assume that they naturally long for milk from their mother. But maybe not. Maybe they have to be coaxed or enticed to taste of the sweet milk. And the more they suck and taste, the more they long for it. Since it seems to be an imperative that a new believer long for the word, it may be that it is not a natural thing. We must develop a taste for it and discover His kindness—so that we may long for it and then “grow in respect to salvation.” That is, that we learn all about our salvation and grow into its fullness.

Putting Aside the Old Flesh

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1 Peter 2:1

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

Though they are born again of the living and enduring seed—of the Word of God, they still must put aside all malice (or wickedness) and all things like deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Peter knew that being born again didn’t get rid of all evil in one’s life. New believers have a new spiritual life, but still they have the old flesh in them, which must be “put aside,” or “abstained from” (v. 14). 

Born Again to Eternal Life

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1 Peter 1:24-25

24 For,

“ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,

AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.

THE GRASS WITHERS,

AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,

25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”

And this is the word which was preached to you.

In these verses Peter quotes from Isaiah 40:6-8, in order to explain the living and enduring word of God that is planted in them to give them eternal life. This life in them is not like the grass or the flowers that wither away, but is of an enduring, everlasting substance.

Born Again

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1 Peter 1:23

23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Here Peter is telling them that their sincere love for others is certainly possible, since they now have a new life. This new life comes from an imperishable seed; that which is planted in them by the Holy Spirit and through the living Word of God (which is actually Christ, see John 1:1).

Our Greatest Gift

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There is no better thing we can do on Thanksgiving Day than to look up to heaven and begin thanking God for His great love to us—for giving us His only Son, that he would die on the cross in order that we may have eternal life.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This is our great prize from heaven. There is no better gift. Our joy and thanksgiving overflows on this day. All other things we are thankful for pale in comparison to that great gift. Nonetheless, with hearts full already, with eternity awaiting, we thank God for all other good things. His basket of gifts fills our life. Our joy overflows.

Purified for A Sincere Love

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1 Peter 1:22

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

Here we have an obvious break in the narrative, where Peter turns more toward application. In verses 13-17 he encourages the reader toward obedience and holiness. Now he sharpens the scope toward love of the brethren. As Peter put it, in their obedience to the truth (as obedient Christians) they acted to purify their souls so that they were able to fervently love one another from the heart.

Our Faith and Hope

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1 Peter 1:21

21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

It is through Christ and His sacrifice for us that we are believers in God—who raised Christ from the dead and gave Him glory when He brought Him back to heaven. Hence our faith and hope are to be in God.

The Price of Our Redemption

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1 Peter 1:18-19

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

In our evaluation of things, seeing what value Christ put on us, that He gave His very life-blood for us (His precious blood; unblemished), this may influence your conduct.

Conduct Yourselves in Fear

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1 Peter 1:17

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

If we know that God is our Father and that He will judge us fairly according to our works, we ought to know that He will indeed see everything we have done, whether our works are valuable and enduring, or invaluable and shallow (1 Cor. 3:12-13); thus, we ought to not take lightly what we do—how we conduct ourselves.