So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like new born infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.1 Peter 2:1-3
Peter continue to implore the believers to put away every trace of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all slander/gossiping because they are born again. In the previous chapter he has already told us about the importance of the getting rid of all the futile ways. And we not only leave the things behind but we must also embrace the truth of God’s word. The word put way refer to Removal of the cloth and it was used in the early church to refer to the shedding of the behaviour that was inconsistent with Christina life. The people of God expected to exhibit an ethical transformation in their relationships that is characterises of their father.
In previous verse peter said the word of God is like a seed which has initiated the new life in Christ and here peter says its like milk which sustain the life of new born in Christ. So, peter wanted conclude the fact that if we are born again in Christ through the imperishable word then we need the same word of God to grow in our spiritual life.
So as how an infant long for milk lets long for pure spiritual milk so that we would grow in the Lord. Peter is speaking to a group of believers who have tasted the goodness of the Lord. And he encouraging them to keep drinking the spiritual milk to grow up into the salvation. Because God is not expecting you to be in the same place where you have started the journey.
HOW IS OUR SPIRITUAL APPETITE?
What are we really striving for/ craving for? what is that we hunger for? Are we thirsty for this spiritual milk? Sometimes we have no appetite for spiritual growth because we are either satisfied by all good things here on this earth. Or we are caught up and entangled by the busy schedules. On the last day of festival Jesus stood up and said “those who are thirsty come to me and let them drink the water from me. World cannot offer us anything through which we could grow spiritually. Are we caught with many things? What are our priorities? Is feeding your spiritual man is the primary item in the list. In midst of our busy schedules will you find time to feed your soul. Intimacy with the word who came down to this earth and regular time with the very word breathed by god is must for our spiritual growth else we are standing on a slippery place. Lets grow in salvation by driking the spiritual milk.