Above is the second sentence of I Peter 2. I have never really read it as"following " the first sentence. I have always read them separately. I think one can read it either way....but if you think about it...Peter probably meant this to be connected.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk. Paul is saying for us to go after our spiritual nourishment.....the "elementary truths" of the gospel...the "basics" of scripture...and go after them like a little starving baby. A growing little baby is almost always hungry...they need a great deal of simple milk...for their bodies to grow. We need the basics of the Word to begin maturing as Christians. So what is pure spiritual milk?
If we take the 2 sentences together....we notice the first to say: "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."
Could it be that pure spiritual milk includes "repentance"? This sure would make sense. Rid yourself...purge yourself of the sin in your life. Get rid of it...denounce it...run from it (flee). Repentance was always the starting point for a relationship with God. All the Old testament prophets preached repentance....so did Jesus.
When we fear God....repent...believe in Jesus....surrender to Him/follow Him...suddenly we start growing as new Christians. When we delight in these elementary truths...then suddenly God begins to show us a better, more mature way....LOVE.
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