1 Peter 2:1-3 – “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.”

No one desires God for God, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  R.C. Sproul told a story a while back about a man who came to him asking if he was saved.  He asked the man a series of questions.  He said first – do you love God as you ought to love Him?  The man said no.  He then asked him if he loved God perfectly.  The man again said no, not even close.  So RC then asked Him, does He love God at all?  The man said, yes, and had his answer.

You see, people come to God for all sorts of reasons.  They come to God during times of hardship because they don’t want to be in hardship anymore.  They come to God in times of need because they don’t want to be needy anymore.  They come to God to ask for a great many things, but they never come to God simply asking God for more of Himself.  That is because they don’t love God, they love comfort and the things of the world.  If they call themselves Christian, they deceive themselves because they neither know God rightly, nor love Him for who He is.

Do you know God?  What do you know about Him?  Do you come to God ascribing to Him traits based on what seems right to you, or do you sit under His Word, and allow Him to reveal Himself to you rightly?  Do you love Him?  How do you love Him?  When you have to choose between God and comfort, who wins?  Christian, these are daily battles in the fight for faith that we all encounter.  We all would answer like the man above that none of us loves God rightly or perfectly, but my hope is that you do know Him and you do love Him, even imperfectly.

If you have come to know God and love Him; if you have tasted that the Lord is good – He is for you in every circumstance good and bad, then we are exhorted to cast off those things which draw us away from Him.  Put away anger – instead pursue peace and reconciliation.  Put away lies – and instead pursue honesty and integrity.  Put away self-righteousness – and instead be humble knowing that Jesus died for your sin, and the sin of the brother or sister you have conflict with.  Put away envy – and instead call to remembrance that this is not our home, our Treasure is in heaven, eternity with God in infinite joy in relationship with Him.  Put away slander and gossip – and instead seek to daily build up and encourage those around you.

We walk daily in repentance – quick to turn from our sin and to our God who died to make an end of sin and reconcile us to God.  None of this is possible though unless you have tasted that the Lord is good.  So look to Christ.  Who is He for you?  He has done more than save us from our sins, He has saved us to God, and He is very good.  He loves you.  He is for you, and He has plans for you.  What do you believe about God today?  Not from your head, but from your heart.  Do you want more of Him in your life, knowing that it means that He is calling you away from sin and towards Himself?  Stay encouraged and keep moving forward, knowing that in Christ you have a treasure that will never perish, and is greater than anything we can imagine.

Grace and Peace,

Adam