“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit 
and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 
and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, 
so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 
if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
~~1 Peter 2:1-3~~

As this passage begins with “therefore”, let’s look at what the “therefore” is there for.  At the end of 1 Peter 1, in verse 23, Peter tells the people “…for you have been born again not of seen which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” So Peter is teaching that since we are believers, born again by the Spirit of God, we are live like the new creation that we are.  

Last time we studied “how” to love – “fervently…from the heart”.  So with that in mind, Peter is going a little further by mentioning what behaviors can’t coexist with fervent love.  Today we will dig into each one.  Get ready for more growing pains.  

Peter says, “rid yourselves” if the following things.  The Greek word for this phrase is <apotithemi> and it is in the participle mood (it’s an “-ing” word denoting continuance). <Apotithemi> means to put away, cast off, to put off and renounce.  So factoring in the participle mood is would read like, keep on puttING away, keep on castING off, keep on renouncING.  

If I put something away, I’m not using it anymore. 
If I renounce something, I refuse to follow, obey, or recognize it any further.  

Before we move onto the list of things we are to “rid ourselves” of, let’s look at the little word “all” because it is used repeatedly in this passage.  <Pas> is the Greek word for all, and it means each, every, any, all, the whole, all types.  All means ALL.  Ok, onto the list.

MALICE <kakia> is defined as a very serious and dangerous behavior or nature, tending or likely to grow and spread in a rapid and uncontrolled way that can cause death; actively malignant.  “Actively malignant” really impacted me.  I have a friend who is battling “actively malignant” breast cancer.  She is going through multiple treatments to be followed by surgery in order to try to remove the cancer from her body and restore her health.   Applying that spiritually reminds me of how James described the rapid growth of uncontrolled sin.  “But each on is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15).

PAUSE TO PONDER.  Malice is defined in the dictionary as: desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another : intent to cause harm.  Sometimes I can get a better grasp of a word by looking at the synonyms.  Here are a few that really helped me get the gist of “malice” – cattiness, nastiness, spite, venom, vicious.  Did you. notice in those synonyms that just being “catty” is lumped in and just as bad as “venom” which can kill a person!  There are degrees of malice, but regardless of that; we are to keep on riddING ourselves of it.  

DECEIT <dolos> means to catch with bait; a lure, snare; craft (skill at deceiving to gain an end), deceit (the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid :  the quality of being dishonest or misleading), guile (deceitful cunning : duplicity : tricky).  Ok, here’s where “ouch” meets “transparency”.  There have been times where I have not outright lied, but I have crafted my words carefully so as to lead someone to come to a certain conclusion.  Ok, that was the long way around to say, deceit is crafting your words to manipulate someone into doing or thinking the way you desire them to.  We are to keep on riddING ourselves of doing that.

“HYPOCRISY <hypokrisis> means acting under a feigned part; dissimulation (to hide under a false appearance).  Catch this.  An antonym of “dissimulation” is “to unmask”.  Think back to what we studied in the last blog about fervent love from the heart.  No masks allowed.  Say what you mean and mean what you say.  (“Funny” that this came up again, isn’t it?  Think God wants us to get the point?)   

ENVY <phthonos> is defined as a painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another with a desire to possess the same advantage; to begrudge (to think that someone does not deserve something; to regard something as not being earned or deserved; to give or allow something in a reluctant or unwilling way).

PAUSE TO PONDER.  As I looked at the synonyms of envy, I had to giggle because a  “green-eyed-monster” was among them.  As I sat in that for a minute though, I realized how clever the enemy of our souls is to put a cutesy name on sin to make us think lightly of it.  I mean, I’d surely rather say, “I’ve been bitten by the green-eyed-monster”, than say I’m choosing to sin by envying what that chick over there has.  Just wow…and ouch.

SLANDER <katalalia> means defamation (the making of false statements that damage another’s reputation); backbiting; evil speaking. 

PAUSE TO PONDER how easy it may be for slander to wear a pretty “please pray for them” mask.  We have to so careful not to try to disguise gossip with that mask.  That kinda thing doesn’t go unnoticed by our Father.  Because we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, our words are to be used differently. 

“He died for us so that…we may live together with Him. 
Therefore encourage and build one another up”
~~1 Thessalonians 5:10-11~~

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,
but only such as is good for building up,
as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
~~Ephesians 4:29~~

So, DON’T do the above list, instead…”like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word”.  The Greek word for long <epipotheo> is a command, not a suggestion.We are to earnestly desire greatly. Peter is not just wasting his breath here, he’s using this to serve as a guide that will govern our lives and influence our choices.  It’s the pure <adolos> milk of the Word we are told to long for — nothing added to it — nothing taken from it — the Word of God, complete and total.  

PAUSE TO PONDER the phrase “like newborn babies”.  A healthy new baby has an instinctual yearning for its mother’s milk.  A new baby desires to eat often.  Here’s a sobering thought — dead babies don’t desire to eat.  Are you spiritually live in Christ?  If so, your desire for the Word of God will be proof of life.  Think about what would happen to a baby who didn’t yearn for milk and eat often.  It’s wouldn’t thrive and grow!  Do you have the instinct, the desire, to be in the Word of God?  How’s your spiritual appetite?    

The Word of God, rightly used
does not leave a man as it finds him, 
but improves and makes him better.

Considering how eating and growing go hand in hand, that is the perfect segue into the next phrase.

“So that by it you may grow in respect to salvation”.. The Greek word for grow <auxano> is a passive verb meaning an increase of inward Christian growth.  The passive tense denotes that we are the receive of the action.  Because we have been born again by the living and enduring Word of God, we grow by the same living and enduring Word.  By the same Spirit by which God saved us, He also sanctifies us (we grow in respect to that salvation) making us more and more into the likeness of Jesus.  

Peter then gives us one more proof of new life — “if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”.  The Greek word for tasted <geuomai> means to taste, to perceive the flavor of, partake and enjoy; and the Greek word for kindness <chrestos> speaks of management that is kind (having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others; wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others; of a forbearing nature; of a kind to give pleasure or relief) and  benevolent (marked by or disposed to doing good; marked by or suggestive of goodwill; organized for the purpose of doing good).  

PAUSE TO PONDER Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  God wants you to partake of His Word because He knows that  once you have “tasted”  the kindness of God written about in His word, the natural outcome will be for you enthusiastically want to  receive the Word of God more and more and more, and the outcome will be for you to become more like Jesus.  

The kindness and graciousness of our Lord is best discovered by an experiential taste of it.  We cannot taste at a distance.  We may see, hear, and smell from a distance, but to taste, you have to be up close and personal with the Lord.  

APPLY IT.  Do some personal examination.  

• Am I growing in my Christian walk?  Is that growth evidenced by both what I don’t do, as well as what I choose to do?
• Is my growth in Christ evident in how I relate to others?  
• If I’m not seeing the growth I think I should, can I honestly answer “yes” to the question of “am I eating enough to prompt growth?”  

I know that this study has been heavy and has given us a lot to chew on (pun intended).  Let’s commit to pray for one another that we will be able to learn it to live it.