To Encourage You

1 Peter 2:1-3 “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 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.”

I’ve been reading a book by the great early American theologian and preacher Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) entitled “Religious Affections.” It’s a wonderful book that I’d highly recommend. It’s filled with many deep insights from this godly man about the kinds of things that characterize true faith and that differentiate it from that which is counterfeit. One of the headings from the book is entitled, “(A) great and very distinguishing difference between gracious (i.e., genuine believing) affections and others is, that gracious affections, the higher they are raised, the more is a spiritual appetite and longing of the soul after spiritual attainments increased. On the contrary, false affections rest satisfied in themselves.” What Edwards addresses in this section of his book is how true believers never feel like they have “enough” of all that relates to life in Christ. In other words, the more they learn of Christ as they feed on His Word, the more they want of Him. They understand that He is unfathomable, and they constantly hunger for more. On the other hand, the unbeliever, the hypocrite, although perhaps showing at one time or another an interest in the things of Christ, feels like they’ve “arrived” in a sense, and really need nothing more.

In his discussion, Edwards points to, among other Scriptures, the one above from 1 Peter 2. It talks about the believer’s longing for the word of God like a newborn infant longs after milk. An infant longs for milk all the time; everything else in their world pales to relative insignificance. Conversely, again as the passage above states, the true believer will desire to “put away” the sin in his or her life with a similar passion. They won’t be satisfied that they’re “sinless enough” but will have an active longing to be done with that which brings dishonor to their Savior, i.e., things like those that are listed, e.g., ALL malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. The unbeliever, on the other hand, may actually embrace such things as deceit and hypocrisy as they masquerade as true disciple of Jesus Christ. It is by such Biblical tests that God would have us to each “examine (our)selves, to see whether (we) are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

You see, one of the many warnings that God has given us is that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).  It’s a rhetorical question, as the implied answer is “no one can!” But there is no reason that we should stay in such a condition of not knowing our own heart. That’s why God has given us His perfect, pure, wisdom-filled Word. In the wonderful words of Hebrews 4:12 we are told that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” It’s the way we examine ourselves. His Word is the mirror by which we can see our true condition on the inside, in our heart of hearts ((James 1:23).

So, as you read the passage above from 1 Peter 2, ask yourself if that’s what your heart looks like. Are the things that we should want to rid ourselves of what you want to rid yourself of and are the things that we should long after reflect the passion of your own heart?

May the Lord give light to our eyes as we examine our own hearts by the living and active Sword of the Spirit that He has given us.