Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 17

 Consume the Word of God as Food for Your Soul

1 Peter 2:1-3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle Peter now tells them and us that because we have been born again or begotten again by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, then we are to respond by devouring the Word of God as food for our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩, as it is written, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:1-3) (KJV). In so doing, we should be as Peter puts it 'laying aside' things that are so common, callous, and cunning in our old nature. This English phrase 'laying aside' is translated by the Greek word apotithēmi meaning to put away (literally or figuratively): - cast off, lay apart (aside, down), put away (off). We have no ability to do this in our own strength, but we can be strengthened with the mighty power of our Father in Heaven just as the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers with these words, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19) (NKJV). The only way we can be filled with all the fullness of God is to feast on His Word just as Peter says above that we may grow thereby. When a new born baby enters into the world through his or her Mother's womb, that baby has no side agenda, only that he or she desires their Mother's milk as their number one priority, likewise as newly born again spiritual babies 🤱in the family 👪 of God the Father so must every son and daughter of God desire the consumption of His Word daily in big doses that just as the human baby grows up into a strong child 🧒, so will the born again son or daughter grow up spiritually by the Word of God.

The Apostle Peter tells us of five (5) things that need to be put away or cast away from us that can so regularly come from our old man 👨 or old woman 👩. The first is 'malice' and this English word is translated by the Greek word kakia meaning badness, that is, (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble: - evil, naughtiness, wickedness. This is common in every human heart and cannot be subdued except by the Power of God. It is why there have been numerous wars over the centuries and many violent acts perpetrated by humans on other humans from the first murder commited by Cain against his own brother (Genesis 4:8) and this badness, malignity, and depravity continues in the same manner right up to this very day of May 5, 2024 just check the news at the end of this day. The second is 'guile' and this English word is translated by the Greek word dolos meaning to decoy; a trick (bait), that is, (figuratively) wile: - craft, deceit, guile, subtilty. If we are true regenerate brothers and sisters 'in Christ' there should never be a cause or reason for us to trick or deceive our brother or sister 'in Christ' which is completely against the nature and character of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle Peter will say later on in this very same Chapter verse 22. The Psalmist (King David) writes these words that should be the desire of every man 👨 and woman 👩 belonging to our Lord Jesus Christ, "Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit." (Psalms 32:2) (NKJV). The third is 'hypocrisies' and this English word is translated by the Greek word hupokrisis meaning acting under a feigned part; that is, (figuratively) deceit: - condemnation, dissimulation, hypocrisy. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of hypocrisies, "The word being plural comprehends all sorts of hypocrisies. In matters of religion hypocrisy is counterfeit piety. In civil conversation hypocrisy is counterfeit friendship, which is much practised by those who give high compliments, which they do not believe, make promises which they never intend to perform, or pretend friendship when mischief lies in their hearts." The fourth is 'envies' which is translated by the Greek word phthonos meaning ill will (as detraction), that is, jealousy (spite): - envy. The Proverbs says this about envy, "A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones." Proverbs 14:30 (NKJV). Envy is one of those self harming sins that come from the old nature and destroys the person from the inside out. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of envy, "Every thing that may be called envy, which is a grieving at the good and welfare of another, at their abilities, prosperity, fame, or successful labours."

The fifth is 'evil speakings' which is translated by the Greek word katalalia meaning defamation: - backbiting, evil speaking. This definition explains itself, wherein, it is when any person wants to besmirch the character of another amongst others in order to make them appear bad, when in actuality they are not. It  is done to ruin a persons character and good name. Since all true believers have tasted the goodness of our God in the soul, we should not allow ourselves to yield ourselves back to our old nature for any reasons, but instead we must feed upon the Word of God that the life of Christ may be dominant within us as He said we must do with these words, "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.'" (John 6:53-58) (NKJV). Our Lord Jesus Christ was not speaking here of His literal flesh and blood, but symbolically of His Word, as He is the Word of God made manifest or visible in the flesh (John 1:14), therefore, He is telling us that we must feast upon Him by devouring His Word daily and in so doing we will abide in Him and He in us. Amen! Here is what the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary has to say of inner man 👨 or inward man 👨, "Component of human personality responsive tothe requirements of the law. According to Paul's understanding (Rom. 7:22-23), human personality has three components: (1) the inmost self where the law dwells; Paul equated this with reason (nous, vs. 23); the inmost self approximates the rabbinic yetser hatov (inclination to good); (2) the members or the flesh that is responsive to desire; the flesh approximates the rabbinic yetser hara' (inclination to evil); and (3) the conscious 'I' which is aware of both reason and desire. In rabbinic thought, the law served to tip the balance in favor of the good inclination. Paul, however, rejected this optimistic view of the law. Only the Spirit dwelling in the inner self can free the individual from the power of sin (Romans 8:2; Ephesians 3:16)."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…