God has marvellously created living cells so they will multiply and divide to produce growth. God’s plan for growth is amazingly wonderful. In a similar way, God has also planned for our spiritual growth. God does not want us to remain spiritual babies. He wants us to develop and advance spiritually.

Transition

In our text today, we are going to find three requirements for spiritual growth.

To grow spiritually…

We Must Have Tasted of the Lord’s Goodness (v.3)

While verse three is at the end of this sentence, it describes a requirement that Peter knew took place first in the hearts of his readers.

  1. They tasted that the Lord is gracious
    1. The Lord is gracious.
      1. Here Peter probably referred to Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
      2. The word gracious refers to that which is fit, fit for use, useful, virtuous, good; manageable, mild, pleasant (as opp. to harsh, hard sharp, bitter).
    2. Peter’s readers tasted that the Lord was this kind of good Lord the moment they trusted Christ for salvation. They experienced God’s goodness in saving their souls.
  2. If so be …
    1. This term literally means “since.”
    2. Peter was writing to Christians who had tasted of God’s goodness. Any person who has truly come to know the Lord and tasted of His goodness will want more of it. He will have a desire to obey and please the Lord who saved him.
    3. A person who claims to know the Lord but has no desire whatsoever to obey and please Him is deceiving himself and is likely unsaved. It is impossible to grow spiritually until you are born again into God’s family (1Pe 1:23).

To grow spiritually…

We Must Lay Aside All Hindrances (v.1)

  1. “Wherefore” looks back to the previous sentence.
    1. True Christians have been purified and born again into God’s family.
    2. They know brotherly love and they are working to develop agape love for fellow Christians.
  2. To “lay aside” means to get rid of it.
    This is necessary for spiritual growth. Unconfessed sin is like a ball and chain fastened to your leg. You cannot go forward as long as you are chained down to sin. Laying aside sin is a choice. God will help us, but we must confess and forsake sin.

    1. Lay aside all malice. The word “malice” describes wickedness in general. It refers to all kinds of evil. God tells us that we must put evil out of our lives. If you are doing something that God calls wrong, you will not grow spiritually until you confess it and forsake it. Also, James wrote, (James 4:17) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. That means if you know the Bible commands something and you refuse to do it, it is sin. That includes getting baptised by immersion, getting involved in a local church, witnessing, daily reading the Bible and praying.
    2. Lay aside all guile. “Guile” is deceit. This word describes fishing bait used to trick fish. Christians are not to be involved in any kind of trickery and falsehood. God wants us to be truthful and honest.
    3. Lay aside hypocrisies. This word describes the acting of a stage player. It is pretending to be something that you are not. Many Christians pretend to be godly on Sunday but yell, scream, swear, curse, fight, drink, or gamble during the week long. You may fool people, but you cannot fool God. (1 Samuel 16:7) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
    4. Lay aside envies. This word is used “to express the envy that makes one man begrudge another something he himself desires but does not possess. It is sadness occasioned by the thought of another’s good and aggression in seeking to do harm, at least through slander.” Cleon Rogers God wants us to be satisfied with what He gives us. We ought to be happy when others are blessed. Envy will stunt your spiritual growth.
    5. Lay aside all evil speaking. Here God forbids us to run down others. This is defamation. This includes talebearing and gossip. We do not like it when someone tells others about our failures, so we must not do it either. He is not talking about confronting a person who has sinned (Mat 18:15-17). That is our duty. He is talking about gossip.
      ☆ Once we lay aside these hindrances, we can grow spiritually. It would be great if we only had to lay aside these things once, but the devil is crafty and sometimes these evils can return if we are not careful (1Pe 5:8-9).

To grow spiritually…

Eagerly Feed on God’s Word (v.2)

  1. We are to desire the sincere milk of the word.
    1. We ought to desire the Bible. The word “desire” describes a longing for the Bible.
    2. This desire ought to be unquenchable like a new born baby’s desire for milk. They want milk often, all day long. If you are a Christian, you ought to desire the comfort, encouragement, and direction of the Bible every day.
      ² We live in a feeling-orientated world that chooses sugar-coated over healthy, pleasing over proper, feeling over conviction, relativism over absolutes, entertainment over sound doctrine, and fables over truth.
    3. Our desire ought to be for the sincere word of God. “Sincere” refers to that which is pure, unmixed, or unadulterated. Cults mix the Bible with their false teachings and human writings. Many churches today are watering down the message of the Bible so no one will be offended. Preachers avoid mentioning fornication, adultery, hell, and judgment. Many no longer insist that God created everything in six literal days without using evolution. Their Bible teaching is not pure.
    4. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
      ☆ “This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.” Author Unknown
  2. The Bible is what will make us grow spiritually.
    1. The Bible is God-given food for our spiritual growth.
    2. If you want to grow spiritually, you must passionately desire the pure word of God as food for your soul. Read it. Study it. Hear it preached. Meditate on it. Memorise it. Let it change your life. Live it.
    3. If you have time to read books, watch TV, play sports, or do Facebook, you have time to read and study God’s Word. As a new born baby, you must make the milk of the Word a priority above all else or you will not grow.

Conclusion

Are you growing spiritually? You may be learning more about God, but that does not mean you are growing spiritually. In order for you to grow spiritually, you must meet the three requirements that Peter listed in our text. 1) You must have tasted of God’s goodness. In other words, you must be truly saved. 2) You must lay aside all hindrances. With God’s help stop every kind of wicked sin, trickery, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking. 3) Eagerly feed on God’s Word. Read and study it often. Apply it to your life. Let it cleanse you.

If you are not positive you are a child of God, I would be delighted to show you from the Bible how you can become one.

If you are like a stunted child that is not growing properly, it is time that you changed. Deal with the sinful hindrances in your life. Then ask God to give you a craving for the Bible. Begin to read it and live it.

Song: Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord – 337
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Spiritual Growth
14 June 2015 AM – 1 Peter 2:1-3 – 1Pe15 – Scott Childs