1st Peter 2:1-3 SPIRITUAL MILK The salvation of sinners began in the mind of God before the creation of the world. When our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world and He reigns in righteousness, we will have experienced what the fullness of salvation really means. The word "therefore" at the beginning of 1st Peter chapter two connects the new birth experience of those who are born by the Spirit and the word of God into the family in chapter one with the words, "as new born babes."
A birth brings joy into a family when a new life begins with all of its potential, its gifts, its uniqueness and its 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 for a newborn to want often nourishment that leads to growth. The growth rate of a baby is very easy to see from one month to the next. That growth is due to the nourishment of milk.
There are things a new believer (older believers also) 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 harms others.
Malice is bearing ill-will toward other people. Even though one may feel justified in this for some reason, bearing malice against another person is sin that must be gotten rid of. Guile and deceit are the same actions of deliberate dishonesty that appears to be one thing but is actually not what it appears to be. Our Lord is the example for us of One who had "no deceit in His mouth." Hypocrisy is essentially a mask that is put on to hide the reality in a person. Envy is a form of resentment that if allowed to go unchecked can lead to terrible consequences. Pilate knew that the chief priest had "delivered Him (Jesus) for envy" to be crucified. Evil speaking has as the true motivation behind it, the desire to hurt another person's reputation. Any and all of these will curb, and perhaps stop, the spiritual appetite for the spiritual nourishment we get from the word of God.
As those who are genuine believers show an actual craving for the word of God, there will be growth as they read and learn from the pure, reasonable and logical word of God. They are born again through the word of God and the Spirit of God and now must grow through the word of God the Holy Spirit has moved "holy men of old" to write. Once a believer learns how to find nourishment for their spiritual life through the scriptures, their spiritual appetite will increase and the maturing process will become evident.
The word of God stands uniquely alone among all the writings of men. Whether it be the books of other religions, or things people write about the Bible, the word of God alone is free from impurities. It is not tainted by the variety of opinions men hold. When truth is accepted as spiritual milk, there is satisfaction that accompanies the understanding of divine things that God reveals in His word. One taste leads to another and before long a habit is formed that becomes real and satisfactory to our spiritual appetite.
Our first taste of spiritual food was the grace of God and the goodness of the Lord when He saved us. His salvation provided a new taste for that which we had never experienced before. We wanted more knowledge and understanding of this One who loved us and saved us. We had a desire to share that with others so they too could have and enjoy what we had. In our thirst and hunger for righteousness and the satisfaction that life gives us, we are encouraged and motivated to go farther into "the sincere milk of the word." The growth process, once it begins, by its very nature urges us to get more because the taste of these nourishing words is so satisfactory.