In 1 Peter 2:1-3 Peter’s premise in these first three verses is because we have been born again. God has given us a new ability to Love others as He has loved us. To do so he shows them how “love” is different, by reminding them five characteristics that won’t be seen in God’s love. In fact, the believer is called to “separate themselves” from these five characteristics one and for all:
Malice: This word in the Greek just means wickedness in general
Deceit: This word means to catch with bait and the idea is the use of words to get what a person wants, flattery.
Hypocrisy: We are familiar with this word as it describes an actor playing a role as they are impersonating something they are not.
Envy: This word is self-explanatory and will usually be accompanied by the last, evil speaking.
Evil speaking: This word in the Greek means to speak down or slander another person.
When Christians are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus they will be peacemakers not troublemakers and as such will promote unity in the body of Christ.
In contrast to that Peter says that we are newborn babes into God’s family and as such should be growing as we are in the nursery of heaven now. How completely amazing is it to realize that as His children our weakness fraught with evil habits and dullness of vision due to our fallen heredity will never drive God away from us instead, they draw Him nearer as a tender parent to a needy infant!
It is a great heavenly paradox that our maturity in Christ can only come about as we remain like an infant: Dependent upon Him and hungry for His Word! To accomplish this, we need first “desire” an intense yearning or appetite for the Word of God. Loss of appetite is one of the most dangerous symptoms of starvation and so too in the spiritual realm. This is why we need to rid ourselves of the five-junk food items in communication mentioned above as it has taken away the appetite for “the pure milk of the word.” Furthermore, it ought to be noted that you cannot merely attend a restaurant or look at your food on a plate at a bible study if you are going to grow you will need to eat!