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1 Peter 2:1-3

September 27, 2007

1 Peter 2:1-3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby [or “in respect to salvation,” NAS]: 3 If so be [since] ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Laying aside certain sins

1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore [in consideration of 1:23-25] laying aside [put away, strip off, cast off] all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Cast off the works of darkness

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Put off the old life style of corruption and lying

Ephesians 4:22,25 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Malice defined

"Malice" is an evil disposition, a malignant spirit, a desire to injure another. This person desires to injure, to hurt. He gets a certain pleasure from the misfortune of others. It is the desire to harm someone else, to someone you do not care about. You might not harm them yourself but you rejoice when someone else does.

Malice was part of our past lifestyle

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes [in the past] foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

In malice be babes!

1 Corinthians 14:20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, [present active imperative] but in understanding be mature.

Guile defined

It is used of deceptive actions: deceit, cunning, treachery. It means to deceive by using trickery and falsehood -- to deceive, to trick into, treachery, any cunning contrivance for deceiving or catching. Guile has to do with what you say as well as what you do. This person uses deceit in words so he uses flattery, falsehood, and delusion. He craftily preys upon the ignorance or weakness of other people to their damage. He intends to deceive and mislead others to their hurt and to his own advantage.

A true Israelite has no guile

John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

A blessed man has no guile in his spirit

Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Christ our example had no guile in his speech

1 Peter 2:21-22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Speak no guile

1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

Overcomers speak no guile

Revelation 14:4-5 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins [for they have kept themselves chaste NASB]. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Hypocrisies defined

This is a person who all the time conceals his real motives. A man who meets you with a face that is very different from his heart and with words that are different from his true feelings. A hypocrite is one who plays a part on the stage. He is a player, actor, pretender, dissembler, hypocrite, one who pretends to be other than he really is. He plays a part of someone he is not. The Lord Jesus was the opposite. He was open and without duplicity. God wants us to be ourselves and not hide behind the mask of another personality.

Duplicity

Matthew 15:7-8 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Jesus warned his disciples of hypocrisy

Luke 12:1 “…he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

Hypocrisy is linked with demons

1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Envy defined

A feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or the prosperity of others. Envy means to be resentful or discontent. Jealousy simply seeks what others have. Envy goes beyond that. This person seeks to deprive others of what they have. Jealousy simply desires to have the same sort of thing for itself. Envy desires to deprive another of what he has. Jealousy makes us fear to lose what we possess; envy creates sorrow that others have what we have not. An evil sense always attaches to envy but not jealousy. Envy grieves over the good welfare of another, at their abilities, prosperity, fame or successful labors. An envious person has feelings of ill-will at hearing of the good fortune of others

Jesus was killed for envy

Mark 15:10 For he (Pilate) knew that the chief priests had delivered him (Jesus) for envy.

Christian envy

Philippians 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

Do not envy evildoers and sinners

Psalm 37:1-3 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Love does not envy

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

A kingdom exclusion sin

Galatians 5:19, 21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Evil speaking defined

Speech that runs down others. It is speech that deliberately assaults the character of another and usually takes place behind ones back. Evil speaking takes on many forms, such as: gossip, slander, defamation, backbiting, profanities, and maligning.

Evil speaking may be found in the church

2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;

Communicate with words that edify others

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication [“no corrupt word,” Nkj] proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Crave the pure milk of the word as newborn babes

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire [crave after, long for] the sincere [unadulterated or pure] milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby [or “in respect to salvation,” NAS]::

The desire for other things can choke the word

Mark 4:19 Jesus said, "and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

The right attitude for growth

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh [continual energy or power] also in you that believe [present active].

A longing for God’s commandments

Psalm 119:131 I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.

Psalm 119:47 And I will delight myself [I find pleasure for myself] in thy commandments, which I have loved.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

Spiritual food is more important than physical food

Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Growing in fruit bearing

Mark 4:8 Jesus said, "But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased [“growing up,” Rsv] and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

The implanted word is able to save your soul

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart [or laying aside] all filthiness [all moral defilement] and superfluity [abundance] of naughtiness [malice], and receive [aorist active imperative] with meekness the engrafted word, which is able [has the power] to save your souls.

Peter’s readers had experienced the Lord’s goodness

1 Peter 2:3 ~~If so be~~ since ye have tasted (indicative) that the Lord is gracious [kind or good].