“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3, NIV).
The Police Superintendent of the City told the police trainees to increase their worth, so they could become more useful in the society or in their job. Earlier, he emphasized to them not just to think what they can get from their work, but what they can contribute into it. So, he encouraged them to pursue personal development, to continue in upgrading their value as policemen. According to him, as they become more valuable, they could contribute more good things to the police force, to the government and to society.
How about us in our church, are we just thinking for the benefit(s) we could get from it, or are we thinking what benefits we could contribute into it? Are we just thinking for the good things we could enjoy as Christians, or are we also willing and ready to contribute good things to the body of Christ or to our fellow believers and other people around us? Do we just focus our interest on the blessings we could receive from our Heavenly Father, or are we al-so prepared to endure difficulties in order to contribute for the promotion of His Glory?
I want to believe that everyone of us here would like to contribute something, so others could be benefited, that everyone of us would like to give good and favorable things to others, especially to our fellow believers, that everyone of us would like to contribute for the promotion of the Glory of our Blessed Father in Heaven. So, let us not be content of what we are now. Let’s aim to upgrade our value as workers in the vineyard of our Father, not only to be able contribute more to His Work, but also to fulfill His purpose for us – to grow as His children.
So, let us, “Grow In Our Worth,” which is my topic this time, as we deal with our text (1 Peter 2:2-3, NIV).
How, then, could we grow in our worth that God intended for us? Should we enroll to get a Bachelor, Master or even Doctorate in Theology? Of course, academically, it could help us. But, we should not let just our head to grow big. The Bible offers many effective ways how we could really grow as believers and in our text, we could identify one.
But, before we discuss it, let’s remember again that Peter was the writer of 1 Peter. He denied Jesus three times. But, before the event of his denials and even before Jesus said he would deny Him, He told Peter: “…And when you have turned back, strengthen your broth-ers” (Luke 22:32, NIV). Peter, indeed, had turned back and confessed his affection for Jesus three times and followed Him to the end.
While he was in Rome, he wrote 1 Peter before A. D. 68 and addressed it both to the Jewish and Gentile Christians, who were scattered throughout Asia Minor and were suffering local persecutions. Some years later the persecutions even became intense and widespread. Pe-ter himself suffered the horrible death, according to tradition, when he was crucified upside down in A. D. 68.
Truly, difficult condition was being suffered by the original readers of 1 Peter and the condi-tion became more difficult for them as years went by. And Peter did not just strengthen them in order to face their present trial, but even to prepare them to endure greater trials in the future.
At the very start of his letter, he channeled their thoughts on what God had done to them and so they ought to live accordingly.
He implied that the Christians then should live or react not according to their trials, but ac-cording to what God did to them. They should not focus on what their persecutors were doing against them and so they should not live as persecuted, oppressed, or threatened. They should live as true believers, as we learned last time.
And now, in our text, Peter pointed out to them that they should not be content just in their present condition as believers, but they should grow.
We read 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (NIV).
Notice the phrase in the center of the verse: “CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK.” And that’s the point that we are going to concentrate this time.
In the King James Version we read, “desire the sincere milk of the word.” In the English Standard Version: “long for the pure spiritual milk.” In the New Century Version: “you should want the pure and simple teaching.” In the God’s Word Translation: “Desire God's pure word...” And in the Bible in Basic English: “Be full of desire for the true milk of the word...”
So, this “spiritual milk” that we should crave, long for, want, or desire refers to God’s Word or to the pure and simple teaching of the Word.
And Peter exhorted his original readers to desire for it, be full of desire for it, or crave for it. Before, we learned that “crave” means to feel a powerful desire for something. In that passage, it was transliterated from the Greek word “epipotheó.” It has a definition of “I long for, strain after, desire greatly, have affection for.”
We learned also that the meaning of the word “strain” means “force (a part of one's body or oneself) to make a strenuous or unusually great effort.”
Thus, when Peter told the Christians then to “crave” for pure spiritual milk of the word or pure and simple teaching of the word, it is included in the exhortation the idea of: longing for, desiring greatly, having affection for and forcing oneself to make strenuous or unusually great effort for the pure milk of the word.
During that time, there was a great tendency for them to desire greatly, to long for, to have an affection for and even to exert an effort to have a convenient, comfortable life. The inclination of the heart and the choice of the will to be liberated from persecution or trial among Christians then was really great.
And Peter would like his suffering readers to disengage their desire and want for an easy life. Instead, he wrote them, “crave pure spiritual milk.” As if he was telling them, during this time, do not crave a perfect life, do not crave a life free from suffering, do not crave commendations and without insults, do not crave a situation without persecution, do not crave a circumstance where there is the absence of trouble and pain.
They should crave not just for deliverance from difficulty. But, they should crave for “pure spiritual milk,” which is the Word of God or its right teachings.
And, again, why should they crave for the pure milk of the Word of God?
“So that by it you may grow up in your salvation” – That they may grow up as persons who are saved, as persons who trusted Jesus, as persons who “have tasted that the Lord is good.”
It says, “…by it you may grow up…” Peter was telling them that it was not the “craving” that would make them grow. It’s the Word – the pure, unadulterated, uncontaminated teachings of God’s Word that would make them grow as believers. It’s what they need to grow. Instead of growing in their apprehensions, growing in their desire or want for life free from difficulty or pain, or growing in affection for life of ease and comfort, they should grow as those who have trusted the Lord. They need the Word to grow in their faith.
Believers, today, should also realize their great need for the pure spiritual milk – uncontaminated Word of God or the pure teachings of the Word. They ought to crave for the Word of God. It’s the Word that could make them grow. And as they grow, God could use them better and He could use them for greater work.
Problems, difficulties, troubles, or pain would also inflict any Christian in our time. And it’s easy that one would be so overwhelmed by discomfort and would be occupied also how to be freed from them.
Of course, we should think or try to find a way to solve our problem, or to relieve us of our pain. But, if craving for “painless” or problem-free-life in our mind would begin to set in, it’s best to direct that craving for the Word.
And that craving for the pure spiritual milk should really drive us to have it. It should not just remain as craving for it.
I could just remember what Jeremiah wrote in chapter 15:16, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.”
When Jeremiah encountered God’s Word, he did not just crave for it, but ate it – received, accepted, kept it, made it a part of himself – so, it could nourish his spiritual life. In the English Standard Version, we read Psalm 119:129 this way: “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.”
Imagine a man who is craving for water to satisfy his thirst. Would he just content himself to satisfy his thirst just by craving for water? No. He would really act to find the water. He would search in all possible places where he could get it. He would not stop until he find it. And when he would locate it, he would not just continue to crave for it. He would drink it. He would not even stop drinking, until he is fully satisfied with it.
So, as Christians, who want to have spiritual growth – to increase our value – so that our Savior could use us effectively – we need to desire to take in “the pure spiritual milk” as much as we can. Find every opportunity wherein we could bask on it.
How about us, saints, do we really long for, desire greatly, have affection for or even force ourselves to make strenuous or unusually great effort to have the pure milk of the word? Or, do we just crave for attention, for commendation, for pleasure, for ease and convenience?
Youth in the church, do you just crave for the thrill and excitement in this world? Why not crave for the wonder of His Word?
And once young in the church, do we just crave for leisure and comfort in our remaining days? Should we not crave for the refreshing and comforting words of our Maker? (Psalm 119:165, “Great peace have they who love your law [or precepts, promises, rules are used interchangeable with the “word” in Psalm 119], and nothing can make them stumble.)
For those who are suffering pain right now – physical, emotional, or whatever – do we crave for complete and total deliverance from such pain? As I stated earlier, of course, we could think, or plan and even pray for deliverance. But if our heart and mind – our desire or will is beginning to be consumed by it, it’s best to re-direct our yearning to God’s promises.
Finally, is there anyone who would just content himself to have an adulterated or polluted teachings of God’s Word?
As members, we need to look for every opportunity wherein our craving for pure teaching of the Word would be satisfied. We should not be content that His Word or Jesus is just mentioned. We need to have the right teaching of both the written and Personal Word – the Bible and the Biblical Jesus.
If we really crave for the pure spiritual milk of the word, then, we should be excited to attend every worship service to be fed by God’s Word. We should be thrilled to attend every Bible study that we could be nourished by His Word. And we would be motivated to read and study our Bible every day to be refreshed and strengthened by His promises. We would even strive to memorize His testimonies, not only we have enough “spiritual bullets” to fire against negative or evil thoughts, but also to be reminded always of His Greatness. We will stop at nothing until we are fully satisfied by His Word.
In closing, do we really crave for the pure spiritual milk, which is God’s Word or the pure teachings of the Word?
Let’s realize that not everyone will have that great longing, that affection, that great mental exertion to have the Word.
Who will only have that kind of craving?
Notice verse 3, “…now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Peter was telling his readers that “now that have tasted that the Lord is good” – they were the believers, who trusted the Personal Word, Jesus. They “tasted” not the Person of Jesus, but the goodness, the trustworthiness, the “sweetness” of His promises or His Words.
We, too, who have trusted Jesus and tasted some of His written Word -- how sweet, encouraging, enlightening, and refreshing it is – let us crave for more of it.
