God's antidote for persistent sin: 1 Peter 2:1-3

We all have certain qualities, patterns, and personality traits that are sinful and that we wish would go away. Don’t be deceived by the Sunday morning veneer; below the surface, we all have these pockets in our life. Peter gives us a list in 1 Peter 2:1 that includes malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but it does give us examples of sin that are common to all of us. Maybe you can think of sin patterns in your own life that you wish you could put away that expand on these areas. Or maybe you can think of other areas that are not included in this list directly—whether it is perfectionism that causes us to try control life that results in fear and worry, impatience with the kids that lead to outbursts of anger or ongoing anxiety, or fear of failure that leads to perfectionism and high expectations for others that cripple relationships. The point is this, everyone has besetting sins that haunt them in one form or another. Peter’s command is simple; put away these things—all of them.

Stop it!

Comedian Bob Newhart once appeared in a sketch as a counselor in which he counseled patients with a simple a direct method for solving their problems. They would discuss their specific affliction with him and then he would give his revolutionary solution--'JUST STOP IT!'

When we see our sin, we have two ways to attempt removing that sin area from our lives. The first is to decide that the sin is no longer worthy of our time and energy. This is our most natural approach and the spiritual equivalent of taking Bob Newhart’s advice to ‘just stop it!’ No one doubts that this would be a great strategy, we get the logic behind it. These sins are problematic, and they are even easy to identify. So, the strategy is sound… except that it doesn’t seem to work. What makes the Bob Newhart sketch so humorous is that all of us agree that our sin is a problem, but we also know that is not as simple as just stopping. If it were, we wouldn’t be doing it repeatedly in the first place.

To say that we can simply decide that the sin pattern is no longer worthy of our time and energy and that we can just stop it, is to suggest that our deepest problem is that we have bad information resulting in bad decision making. Of course, the problem with that is, no one lies awake at night, controlled by anxiety about their life because they didn’t know that they shouldn’t. Few lash out at the kids because they think it’s the best parenting strategy. And no one who lives in reality can do so very long before they realize that impossible standards will never earn them meaningful relationships.  We could not ‘stop it’ if we wanted to. So if that’s not the answer, what is?

The biblical strategy

Peter continues in verse 2 by saying that rather than practice these sinful habits, we are to ‘long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it we might grow up into salvation.’ Peter’s suggestion for your ongoing sin is not that you work hard to chase down every bad action, anxious thought, or controlling moment and tame them. Instead, he is saying that you need to fix your attention on something better. Find something else that is more worthy of your time and energy and fixate your attention on that. Only then will you be free of the trap of your ongoing sin.

In Greek mythology, we are told of the mythical Island of the Sirens. The Sirens were a race that sought to lure passing ships in through their beautiful and captivating song. The song was so compelling that when a ship’s crew heard it, they could not help but be drawn to it and steer toward the island. But the Sirens were wicked. Their goal was to lure men toward the island where their ship would be broken up on the rocks and the men would be consumed.

Two notable characters in Greek mythology developed a strategy to pass by the island without perishing. The first was Odysseus. Odysseus’ method was to have his crew tie him to the mast of the ship so that when he heard the song, he could not steer the ship toward its’ destruction. Odysseus employed the ‘stop it’ method.

Jason, however, had a different plan. His strategy was to hire singers who could sing a better song than the one coming form the island so that when the Siren’s song came to them, they would not be tempted to shipwreck because they had something better in their ears already.

Peter tells us that what we need to overcome our sin problem is not a rope and a mast like Odysseus, but a better song, the song of the gospel. We are to continue to fill our ears with that gospel message. To continue to crave that pure spiritual milk like a newborn infant. We are to remain in the Word and to live in community with the church that is built upon the foundation of the gospel alone. There we will find the better song that brings relief from our afflicting sin as we mature over time. When we find ourselves continuing to fall back into the trap of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, slander, and all those other besetting sins, we don’t need better information or a stronger will power. We need that old gospel message of the Lord’s goodness to us. That is the place where we will grow to maturity, where our salvation will see itself worked out.

Taste and see that the Lord is good

Peter finishes this thought in verse 3 by saying, ‘if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.’ This way of resisting temptation to sin is only effective by continuing to ‘taste’ the goodness of the Lord. Taste is a very personal thing, an experience that no one can have for us. Someone can describe taste to us accurately with facts about a food’s saltiness or sweetness, but until we have tasted it ourselves, it cannot be truly known to us. Information falls short when it comes to taste. It also falls short to experiencing the power of the gospel’s work in our lives. There are true facts that we must understand about the gospel, but we must experience the Lord’s goodness personally. Only by experiencing his love and forgiveness as we dwell in the word, can we grow up into that mature salvation.

Questions for Reflection:

In what sin area is the call of the Siren’s song most tempting in your life (see Peter’s list in 2:1 or consider another)? Who do you most relate to in your fight against temptation: Odysseus (resisting with will power) or Jason (resisting with something better)?

Why do you think resisting with will power is so natural to us? Why do you think God calls us to resist by meditating on his goodness in the gospel?

Would you describe your attitude toward spending time with the Lord in his word and with his church as a “craving”? Why / why not?

How might this reflection on how God uses his word encourage you to read his word more regularly and more expectantly? Do you need to change your Bible habits?