A DELIBERATE DECISION. 1st Peter 2:1 The salvation of sinners began in the mind of God before the world's creation. When our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world and reigns in righteousness, we will have experienced what the fullness of salvation truly means. The word "therefore" at the beginning of 1st Peter chapter two connects the new-birth experience of those born of the Spirit and of the word of God to the family in chapter one, using the words "as newborn babes."
Presently, believers in Christ are strangers and pilgrims in this world. In chapter 1, Peter instructed that we who have been born again are to be holy, live in the fear of God, and love one another. In chapter 2, he explains how that is done and why. The subject continues with believers as “newborn babies” learning to live by and practice the characteristics of our Father, as exemplified by our Lord Jesus when He was here. We are learning to be a “kingdom of priests,” privileged to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through our Great High Priest. We exercise our privileges as royal priests by declaring the message of the Gospel of Christ and by the spiritual conduct of our lives.
A birth brings joy to a family when a new life begins with all its potential, gifts, uniqueness, and promise. One characteristic children share is a likeness to their parents and a similarity to their siblings in many ways. There is also an instinct in a newborn to seek nourishment that supports growth. A baby's growth rate is very easy to see from one month to the next. That growth is due to the nourishment provided by milk.
Spiritual growth comes through the word of God, by which He speaks to us and gives us the instructions and exhortations to live and grow in spiritual strength and health. To do this, we have to “love one another fervently” with a “pure heart,” which demands that we get rid of everything that may harm our brothers and sisters in Christ. This means deliberately “laying aside” and “getting rid of” all attitudes and habits that harm others. We have to “put off,” like taking off an old, dirty, unfit garment of clothing, those things that are contrary to our new life in Christ.
There are things a new believer (and older believers as well) will want to get rid of because of the spiritual poison they contain. Any sin prevents spiritual growth. Anything that is not suitable for a true believer must be put off so the divine nature and the love it produces can be real and evident. There is a list of five specific items at the beginning of this chapter that harm others.
Malice is bearing ill will toward other people. It is wishing that bad things will happen to someone. This antagonism against another person may be caused by prejudice, jealousy, or a hidden agenda we might have. Even though one may feel justified in this for some reason, bearing malice against another person is a sin that must be gotten rid of.
Guile and deceit are deliberate dishonesty that appear to be one thing but are not what they seem. It is a subtle deception that happens when we try to advance ourselves and use what is not right to our advantage. Our Lord is the example for us of one who had "no deceit in His mouth."
Hypocrisy is essentially a mask worn to hide a person’s true self. It is demonstrated by pretense and insincere words and actions that may seem acceptable but hide self-interest, self-advancement, and selfish interests at someone else’s expense.
Envy is a form of resentment that, if left unchecked, can lead to terrible consequences. It resents others' success with a jealous attitude. It is the opposite of thankfulness when something good happens to others. Instead of “rejoicing with them who do rejoice,” envy looks for ways to be greater and superior to others. Life becomes a competition, lived with a determination to bring others down. Pilate knew that the chief priest had "delivered Him (Jesus) for envy" to be crucified.
Evil speaking, at its core, is motivated by a desire to harm another person's reputation. It takes many forms, all designed to damage others' reputations. It may take the form of an unspoken statement such as, “I know he is gifted, but there is… well, I won’t say any more, but…” We can even slander a person by saying, “I think we should pray for so-and-so. I can’t say why, but just pray for him.” Those kinds of words, spoken or unspoken, suggest that something about another person is sinful, and that can be a form of evil speaking.
Any and all of these will curb, and perhaps stop, the spiritual appetite for the spiritual nourishment we receive from the word of God. These sins are contrary to the commandment to love one another fervently. This requires a person to deliberately rid themselves of these attitudes, actions, and implications, just as we would when throwing away a garment that is contaminated and filthy beyond recovery.
The new birth is real. You are different now – sometimes it is hard to explain just how or what has happened so others understand. You live in the same body but are a different man, with different interests and a different Guide who doesn’t just talk but lives deep inside this body of clay, offering new perspectives on life and the spiritual birth that happened to you. The reactions to things and pressures around me have faded away a lot since I’m on redemption ground. Instead of being concerned about what others think, I want to please Him who saved me from hell’s awful brink and changed not only my life but my nature as well. So, I want to, and am able to, please Him who paid my ransom and set me free to live my life in spiritual liberty.
Now these grievous things, like hypocrisy, evil speaking, malice, guile, and enmity, no longer control the life I live – And I have power to serve the One who gave His life on the cross, and it’s revealed in His Word. He died to save me and that He might be Lord of my life, so that from now on the things I do will honor Him and perhaps bless others too.