Milk and Stones

I Pet. 2:2-3

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 

Peter speaks clearly about the life of a believer, even a newborn believer. There is no time for hanging with the world. Growth must happen immediately! First, the flesh needs to be cut off, in particular, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. The newborn believer now is ethical and truthful in all his dealings. If he/she hangs on to these fleshly behaviors, the milk becomes polluted and before long is poisonous killing any shred of new life. Without growth there is no new life. We must constantly ask ourselves if we have tasted that the Lord is good, if so, then crucify the flesh and drink long and heartily of the pure, spiritual milk.

 

As we continue in Christ, we not only drink spiritual milk but we are also living stones being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Wow!  How exciting but at the same time intimidating! Thankfully this is all through the grace of God! This reminds me of 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were brought with a price. So glorify God in your body. In this temple I have the duties of a holy priest. O.T. priests dealt with the sins of the people. Likewise, there is no way I can come to God with sin in my life. So my first responsibility is to confess and repent. Then I must follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the living stone who was rejected by men. Being His follower means that rejection will come to me as well. I must go without the camp and bear the reproach with Him.  For me this is an honor, but for those who do not believe a rock of offense. The stumble and fall in disobedience to His word as they were destined to do, the plan and purpose of a sovereign God. 

 

Father,

I love the pure milk of the word and rejoice that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. Teach me more each day about belonging to this holy priesthood. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. What a blessing! Open my eyes to the sin within me so that I might be clean before You.

In His name,

Amen