”Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.”
all
Note this comprehensive word. “All” is a disconcerting thought. “God, how about 75 percent of these attitudinal sins?” “No, ‘all.’” “Will you accept 95 percent, God?” “No, ‘all.’”
In 1 Peter 2:1, there are three categories of sin. The word “all” distinguishes each category.
Note that of the five ugly things mentioned in verse one, only three of them are prefaced by the word “all” (note Ephesians 4:31). There are some things that God hates more than others in his people. We find this in our children. Some things bother us more than others. They may be stubborn. You remember when you were stubborn as a child, only worse. Their rebellion reminds you of yourself as a child. Now you see the same thing coming out of the heart of your children.
“All” is a word we love to discount by rationalization. We read “almost all” into “all.”
PRINCIPLE:
God does not want us to reserve any sins for ourselves.
APPLICATION:
Do we attempt to have fellowship with God while reserving certain sins for ourselves? If we do, we delude ourselves. God will not bless dishonesty even if it is dishonesty toward self. God wants us to deal with “all” attitudinal sins.
