Monday, October 29, 2018

Craving Spiritual Milk

Monday, October 29, 2018

So get rid of all evil behavior.  Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.  Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.  Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.  1 Peter 2:1-3(NLT)

Peter said God’s requirement for followers of Jesus was to put aside deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.  (Boy, some people would have nothing to do!)  
That phrase “putting aside” is in the Greek aorist tense.  It indicates something that is done “once-for-all”.  It’s like taking off a garment, laying it on the ground, and never again picking it up.  In other words, we don’t just cut-back on our maliciousness and hypocrisy – we give it up altogether! 
Now, Peter wasn’t saying this just to lay out some rules, so preachers would have something to rant about during revivals.  There is a purpose to laying aside all that trash kind of behavior; the purpose is to grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ. 
If we are to become an exemplary part of the Body of Christ it will mean laying-aside all self-centeredness.  I have known some saved people who are mean-spirited and just plain “hard to get along with”.  Instead of letting the grace of the Lord Jesus transform them into mellow and gracious people, it seems the longer they live, the more demanding they become.  They make life miserable for everyone around them.
How can you prevent that?  You can do what Peter said: 

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.  And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.  1 Peter 2:4-5a(NLT)

The phrase coming to Christ indicates an habitual approach.  Peter said we are to grow by [habitually] taking in the sincere milk of the Word.  That’s how babies grow…they take in nourishment at every opportunity.  They eat habitually! 
So here is a question for you:
Is prayer and Bible study habitual with you?
As a pastor I have often been in the privileged position of watching the last number of months, days and hours of people who are getting ready to exit this world.  One of the surest signs that the end is near is when the person refuses food.  An appetite is required for health. 
My friend, if you want to be true to the Lord Who died for you, your appetite for growing as a disciple needs to be fed.  If you don’t feed it, it is a sign that you’d rather live closer to spiritual death than robust Christian life! 
For You Today
This daily devotional is more like a spiritual snack than a full, hearty meal.  If you want to be like your big brother, Jesus, spiritual food and spiritual exercise are necessary on Monday through Saturday, not just Sunday mornings.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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