Old Habits Die Hard
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
11/26/2021
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3)
Everybody loves new things. A new car; a new house; new clothes; new friends; new beginnings—in general, new is usually more exciting than old. The same is true of the new life in Christ. Just as a new winter coat is much better than an old, worn out, flimsy jacket, likewise the Christian life, if lived according to the guidance of God’s Word, is much more pleasant and enjoyable than life without Christ. This fact should motivate us to live by the principles of God’s Word.
In 1 Peter 2:1-3, the Apostle Peter challenges his Christian readers to endure hardship and persecution and reminds them that the ways of the Lord are far better than the ways of man. Having just expounded upon the amazing nature of our new birth in Christ (1 Pet. 1:22-25), Peter now says in essence, “In light of your new nature, take off the old nature.” The phrase “laying aside” in 1 Peter 2:1 literally means to “take off.” It carries the idea of “putting something down so that you no longer hold on to it” or “taking something off so that you are no longer wearing it.” Since we have a new spiritual life, with all of its resources and blessings, why would we continue to “wear” our old way of life? Hanging on to old habits only hinders us from experiencing the full blessings that God has for us day-by-day.
After reminding his readers of what not to do, Peter goes on to tell us what we should be doing. In verse two, Peter says that believers should “desire” the Word of God in order to grow spiritually mature. It is not enough just to cast off our former ways of sin. If we don’t replace our old habits with new ones, we will soon find ourselves slipping back into the old ones once again. The word “desire” literally means “to develop a taste for,” or “to long for,” or “to pursue with a deep love for.” The Word of God is not merely a mechanical resource in our lives. Rather, it brings such joy, peace, and direction to our lives that we ought to long for it like cold water on a hot summer day.
This desire for God’s Word has to be cultivated. The more we read God’s Word, the more we desire it. The more it nourishes us, the more we want its nourishment. That is why Peter challenges us to “develop a taste for the pure milk of the Word.” We need to become so in love with God’s Word that anything else tastes bitter by comparison.
In verse three, Peter reminds his readers that they have already “tasted” that the Lord is good. The NKJV begins verse three with “if indeed.” The original Greek word has the connotation of “since” or “now that.” In other words, Christians already know firsthand that the ways of the Lord are good, refreshing ways. They have “tasted” it. The word “tasted” literally means “to experience fully.” Those who trust Jesus as their personal savior have experienced the amazing goodness of the Lord in His grace. We know what it feels like to be redeemed and to receive the free gift of eternal life by faith. We know that our God is a good God.
The word “gracious” in 1 Peter 2:3 means “virtuous, good, pleasant, kind and benevolent.” “Gracious” is a good summary word to encompass all that God is to us. Since the Lord is so gracious; and since we have experienced His graciousness firsthand; we should develop a taste for His Word and set aside any of our old habits that keep us from fully experiencing the joy of the Christian life. It is true: old habits die hard. Yet, we should always remember that for Christians, our new habits are so much better than the old ones. Let me encourage you to get into the Word of God….and stay there.
11/26/2021
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3)
Everybody loves new things. A new car; a new house; new clothes; new friends; new beginnings—in general, new is usually more exciting than old. The same is true of the new life in Christ. Just as a new winter coat is much better than an old, worn out, flimsy jacket, likewise the Christian life, if lived according to the guidance of God’s Word, is much more pleasant and enjoyable than life without Christ. This fact should motivate us to live by the principles of God’s Word.
In 1 Peter 2:1-3, the Apostle Peter challenges his Christian readers to endure hardship and persecution and reminds them that the ways of the Lord are far better than the ways of man. Having just expounded upon the amazing nature of our new birth in Christ (1 Pet. 1:22-25), Peter now says in essence, “In light of your new nature, take off the old nature.” The phrase “laying aside” in 1 Peter 2:1 literally means to “take off.” It carries the idea of “putting something down so that you no longer hold on to it” or “taking something off so that you are no longer wearing it.” Since we have a new spiritual life, with all of its resources and blessings, why would we continue to “wear” our old way of life? Hanging on to old habits only hinders us from experiencing the full blessings that God has for us day-by-day.
After reminding his readers of what not to do, Peter goes on to tell us what we should be doing. In verse two, Peter says that believers should “desire” the Word of God in order to grow spiritually mature. It is not enough just to cast off our former ways of sin. If we don’t replace our old habits with new ones, we will soon find ourselves slipping back into the old ones once again. The word “desire” literally means “to develop a taste for,” or “to long for,” or “to pursue with a deep love for.” The Word of God is not merely a mechanical resource in our lives. Rather, it brings such joy, peace, and direction to our lives that we ought to long for it like cold water on a hot summer day.
This desire for God’s Word has to be cultivated. The more we read God’s Word, the more we desire it. The more it nourishes us, the more we want its nourishment. That is why Peter challenges us to “develop a taste for the pure milk of the Word.” We need to become so in love with God’s Word that anything else tastes bitter by comparison.
In verse three, Peter reminds his readers that they have already “tasted” that the Lord is good. The NKJV begins verse three with “if indeed.” The original Greek word has the connotation of “since” or “now that.” In other words, Christians already know firsthand that the ways of the Lord are good, refreshing ways. They have “tasted” it. The word “tasted” literally means “to experience fully.” Those who trust Jesus as their personal savior have experienced the amazing goodness of the Lord in His grace. We know what it feels like to be redeemed and to receive the free gift of eternal life by faith. We know that our God is a good God.
The word “gracious” in 1 Peter 2:3 means “virtuous, good, pleasant, kind and benevolent.” “Gracious” is a good summary word to encompass all that God is to us. Since the Lord is so gracious; and since we have experienced His graciousness firsthand; we should develop a taste for His Word and set aside any of our old habits that keep us from fully experiencing the joy of the Christian life. It is true: old habits die hard. Yet, we should always remember that for Christians, our new habits are so much better than the old ones. Let me encourage you to get into the Word of God….and stay there.
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