¹Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ²like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, ³if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Persecution over time can lead to character creep, that is, a slow watering down of Christlikeness, drifting toward complacency and self-centeredness. We must be alert and continually return to the first things that characterized our conversion to Christ. God was immensely kind in transforming us into new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Our passage identifies five relational sins that strain our fellowship and weaken us for facing persecution. We should do nothing that harms our connection with other Christians because we collectively need each other to face the difficulties of life.

The Holy Spirit animates our minds and consciences at our conversion, so we become sensitive to how we treat others. This is a divine transformation of the heart. We yearn to learn more of God and to behave in our new life. Peter likens it to babies who enjoy and long for milk. In the Word we discover God’s surprising and abundant kindness. No longer do we see Him as a legal judge condemning us, or read the Bible as a rule book. We see Him as wonderfully good, and we can’t wait to learn more about Him and how we should live.

However, over time and as we become preoccupied with the trials of life, we can lose our focus and turn an evil heart toward those around us. The five sins our passage warns us about destroy fellowship. They reflect our lack of endurance, our impatience with the discomfort of our difficulties. This self-focus expresses itself outwardly in replacing love for others with animosity.  Malice wishes harm to others. Deceit lies rather than propagates truth, a consummate inauthentic life. Hypocrisy denies for others that which we embrace for ourselves, or judges others for the same sins of which we ourselves are guilty. Envy insatiably desires what others have. Slander tears down others with false accusations, the ultimate in verbal warfare.

God calls us to something better. He has saved us into sweet fellowship, where together we can withstand the storms of life, the forces of the world and the devil, and the temptations of the flesh. As the writer of Hebrews puts it:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering . . . and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together . . . but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Heb 10:23–25).

Lord, thank You for my fellow believers. Help me to not sin against them.