“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”
That word “So” at the beginning of today’s passage reminds us to glance back and re-read 1 Peter 1. Peter is building upon his opening statements in this letter, in which he emphasized the incredible worth of this salvation through Jesus. For the whole prior history of humanity, people could only dream of what it would be like for a Savior to come. They had glimpses, promises from God, but they did not have the full understanding of Jesus.
“So”… Because of the fact that you have an incredible gift of the knowledge of salvation, get rid of evil behavior. Just be done. Lying, hypocrisy, jealousy, unkind words. Just do whatever it takes to get that out of your life. And then cry like a baby. Yes, Peter tells us we should act like infants who want their milk. One taste of Jesus’ goodness will have you screaming for more.
Here’s your freedom for today: God is a Father who feeds his children. Here’s Peter, a man who spent an incredible amount of time with Jesus on earth, telling us that one tiny taste of the kindness of Jesus and you’ll never want anything else again. That tells you how kind Jesus was more than any other Gospel story. Peter devoted his entire life to telling everyone about it. The sense of desperation in these words gives us a glimpse into Peter’s heart. Is that where you are at today? Are you, like Peter, deeply connected with the kindness of God and desperate to tell others about it? Or are you just finding out about this amazing news? Wherever you are at in your spiritual journey, press in just a little bit deeper today and take a big drink of the kindness and goodness of God.