“GROW UP!”

2 Peter 2:1-5                             (ESV)

“1 So PUT AWAY ALL MALICE and ALL DECEIT and HYPOCRISY and ENVY and all SLANDER.  

2 Like newborn 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.

4 As you come to HIM, a LIVING STONE rejected by men but in the sight of GOD CHOSEN and PRECIOUS,

5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to GOD through JESUS CHRIST.”

This is the first epistle (formal letter) written by Peter to churches who were founded as a result of The Dispersion, the general title applied to  efforts to eradicate THE CHURCH by forces of “this world” during the mid to late first century.  Over time these efforts resulted in THE CHURCH being spread into every corner of the earth and much of the New Testament being written.  The Apostle Paul was used to pen a lot of GOD’S MESSAGE to mankind, but Peter wrote some very thought provoking messages, many in this his first letter to the churches.  

Probably my favorite verse of 1 Peter is a few verses later in 1 Peter 2:9.  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of HIM WHO called you out of darkness into HIS marvelous LIGHT.”  Believers are CHOSEN (John 15:16) as A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION!  We are NOT simply afterthoughts, but we’re CHOSEN before the foundation of the world that we should be Holy and blameless before HIM (Ephesians 1:4)!  

Probably the easiest thing to overlook is when Peter says “LONG FOR THE SPIRITUAL MILK”, that BY IT you may GROW UP into salvation-IF INDEED you have tasted that the LORD is good.”  Everyone seems to want to eat the mature foods without GROWING UP Spiritually?  By experiencing the difficulties and pitfalls of GROWING Spiritually, GOD has been able to MATURE me FOR HIS GLORY in ways that I won’t know for a long time.  I’ve said this so frequently, but GOD HAS A PLAN, for each of us, and we won’t be “content” until HE has us where we are where we can fulfill HIS PLAN!  

Doing anything outside of HIS PLAN will never satisfy, it will never fill our hearts, it will always leave us empty, searching for PEACE.  But when we are PRECISELY where HIS PLAN calls for us to be, we can MATURE how HE wants us to, and HOW WE NEED TO!  Even if HE calls us to The Dispersion, or into The Wilderness, or wherever HE LEADS, as longs as we TRUST HIM in our journey to “GROW UP”, HE will be GLORIFIED....and we will be content!!!