“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

For the past couple of weeks we have been looking at the role and the place God’s word has in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Today, we look at one of the keys to spiritual growth.

Our verse says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in salvation.”

The source of growing up in salvation is God’s pure spiritual milk, God’s word. Simply put, a disciple cannot ever grow in faith apart from reading and digesting God’s word. Just because one reads and studies God’s word doesn’t mean that a person is growing in the faith. But, when a disciple is not reading and studying God’s word, spiritual growth is impossible.

There are two things we can learn about the relationship God’s word has with the follower of Jesus Christ: first, it tells us the posture disciples are to have toward God’s word, and secondly it tells us the attitude disciples are to have toward God’s word.

First, the posture disciples are to have toward God’s word is that of an infant. When babies enter our world, they have one objective: grow. In order to grow, babies need momma’s milk. Babies enter the world with an innate desire to suck. Just a mere touch of the finger to their cheek, babies instinctively turn toward the finger to suck. Babies think that the finger might be the source of momma’s milk. Babies are born to suck. Because without milk, babies don’t grow. Babies die.

When we first become a follower of Jesus Christ, we are to have the same posture and mindset regarding God’s word as that of newborn babies to milk. It is our greatest source of spiritual nourishment.

Secondly, the attitude followers of Jesus are to have toward God’s word is to crave and long for God’s spiritual milk.

• We don’t read and study God’s word just because it’s good for us. And it is good for us.
• We don’t read and study God’s word just because it will help us to grow. And it will help us to grow.
• We crave and long for God’s word because it is good. In fact verse three tells us that we have already tasted the pure spiritual milk and it is good.
• Just as we crave for a good juicy burger, a nice piece of steak, we are to crave and long for God’s word.

We are to have a sense of expectation and longing to hear the very voice of God when we read and study God’s word.

Imagine if I were to say to my wife, “I guess I will spend time with you since I have to. After all I am married to you. I guess we’ll go out. Not too excited about it, but I guess I have to do it. You are my wife.”

How would that fly?

Such a marriage would never last.

Yet, some do this to God all the time. The simple reality is that every time we read God’s word, we enter into God’s presence. There ought to be a sense of excitement and anticipation to see what God might have to say to us.

God’s word is indispensable to the follower of Jesus Christ. The surest way to grow up in our salvation is to drink God’s pure spiritual milk, the word of God.

The next time you open up God’s word, know that God is verily present with you.

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The word of God is indispensable for the follower of Jesus Christ. That followers of Jesus love, read, meditate, and memorize God’s word is a given. Loving, reading, meditating, and memorizing God’s word is not for super duper Christians. This is what every follower of Jesus does.

Why?

• Because God’s word is God-breathed. What the word of God says is what God says.
• Because God’s word teaches us the truth.
• Because God’s word rebukes us when we are wrong and when we sin.
• Because God’s word corrects us when we are wrong and when we sin.
• Because God’s word trains us in the fruit of the Spirit.

When the word of God has such a place in the follower of Jesus, such a disciple is fully equipped for every good work.

Think on that – fully equipped for every good work.

Can you imagine a world where this was the norm for every follower of Jesus in the life of the church?

I bet God would change the world through a congregation like that.

God has given us everything we need to live this life and to make “fully equipped for every good work” a reality for every follower of Jesus Christ.

I want to thank you for taking the time to study God’s word with me every morning. Keep at it. Keep studying, reading, meditating, and memorizing God’s word.

Get it in you and watch God’s word change your world.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

God’s word is profitable for four things:

1. Right teaching
2. Rebuking
3. Correcting
4. Training in Righteousness

God’s word is profitable for training in righteousness.

What does this mean?

Great question.

Righteousness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, etc. are not normal to sinners.

When we become a Christ-follower we are to learn by training and practice how to take on these characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. God’s word shows us what we are to become and how to get there. But it takes training. It takes practice.

You see, when sinners try our righteousness, it will feel unfamiliar, awkward, uncomfortable because righteousness was never our norm. But we have to keep practicing it. We have to keep working at it. The more we try out righteousness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, etc. the more it will become a part of us.

Can you remember the first time you tried to ride a bike? ski? get up on water skis? roller skate?

Every time it felt unfamiliar, awkward, and uncomfortable. But the more we practice, the better we get. In fact, with each of these skills there comes a point when riding a bike, getting up on water skis becomes second nature to us.

So it is with the fruit of the Spirit. The more we practice, the better we get.

God’s word is indispensable to shaping the character of the Christ-follower. God’s word shows us who and what we are to become, and shows us through right teaching, rebuking, and correcting how we become who God saves us to be.

This is the life of the disciple. This is the life of the follower of Jesus Christ.