Tasting that the Lord is gracious

~~~~~~~ No 8 in the series - The Epistles of Peter. ~~~~~~~ **Considering 1 Peter 2:1-3** Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. *1/ Tasting that the Lord is gracious.* *2/ Two exhortations for such:* - Things to be laid aside. - That to be desired.* *3/ Two encouragements for those tasting that the Lord is gracious and who heed the exhortations:* - They are born again - as new born babes. - They have the promise of growth through the word. **Sermon Summary:** The sermon centers on the transformative experience of tasting that the Lord is gracious, a foundational reality for every believer that arises from a deep awareness of one's sinfulness and deserved judgment, yet met with unmerited divine kindness. It calls believers to two vital responses: first, to lay aside the sinful nature—malice, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speech—by actively rejecting these traits, and second, to earnestly desire the sincere milk of the Word, which nourishes spiritual growth. This longing for Scripture is both a sign and a means of the new birth, affirming that those who taste God's grace are spiritually alive and growing. The message is deeply pastoral and encouraging, assuring believers that such a taste, however small, is evidence of regeneration and that consistent engagement with God's Word leads to measurable spiritual development, not self-righteousness, but a deeper dependence on Christ alone.