1Pet 2:1 Therefore putting away all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation,
[Part 2 of 2] The salvation in verse 2 is not salvation in the initial stage or in the stage of consummation; it is salvation in the progressing stage, in the stage of transformation. Regeneration [the new birth] is in the stage of initial salvation; transformation, in the stage of progressing salvation; and glorification, in the stage of consummation. Transformation is different from a mere change.
Transformation involves a change from one form into another form. However, it involves an inward change in nature or constitution, not simply an outward change in form. For example, suppose a person is ill, and his complexion does not look healthy. He may try to improve his appearance by putting some kind of coloring on his face. I do not like that kind of skin coloring, for it makes me think of the work of a mortician, who tries to make the face of a dead person appear as attractive as possible.
Today many Christians are involved in outward works of self-improvement, works that can be compared to those of a mortician. Such an outward change is altogether different from living, inward transformation. There is no need for sick person to color his face, because the healthy color comes out of the inward nourishment. If the sick person, eats, digests, and assimilates nourishing food, his life will be restored. The nourishment is transmitted into his cells, fibers, and even into his skin, and cause him to have healthy skin color.
This is an illustration of transformation. Peter charges us to long for the guileless milk of the word that by it we may grow unto transformation. We do not grow unto outward correction or outward adjustment or outward improvement. On the contrary, we grow unto inward transformation by life and in life.
Prayer Confession Oh Lord my God thank you for this word. Thank you for revealing to me that this guileless milk which is the word of God is to grow me unto transformation in my nature and in life with this very life of Christ. Lord, I purpose to eat, digest and assimilate your word as nourishment that it may be transmitted in all my body parts causing me to change from within in Jesus’ name, Amen