“if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
Peter alludes to Psalm 34:8 in this verse. When David wrote Psalm 34, he was lonely and without friends. Saul hunted him down like a deer in the forest. He ran to the territory of the Philistines. There he faked madness to avoid punishment by the king. Alone in the cave of Adullum he wrote, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good.”
This phrase “if indeed” continues the analogy of the milk of the Word in verse 2. His argument assumes that a Christian has come to experience God’s grace in salvation at some point in life. The “if” does not express doubt. We can translate “if” as “since.” This is an argument from their actual personal experience.
Since they have come into a personal experience with God’s goodness, they should lay aside the five sins of verse one.
The word “tasted” means to cause to taste. God is the cause of our personal experience with the Lord. We did not seek him. He sought us.
The word “taste” continues the analogy of milk and indicates the personal experience of salvation. This is the point of our salvation. They have personally experienced the new birth. Christians can taste the goodness of Christ’s redemption. We can taste the flavor of God’s grace.
We experience God by the Word. This is where we find God’s goodness and grace. Those who feed on this pure milk will experience God’s provisions.
PRINCIPLE:
Personal experience of God’s grace motivates us to be free from the soul-kinks of verse one.
APPLICATION:
We must personally experience God to know his goodness. Once we come into that experience, living in the flesh will not satisfy us (v.1). The relationship sins of verse one spoil our appetites for the Word and fellowship with God.
We discover grace best by personal experience. When we experience God’s goodness, provision, and providence in our daily encounter with him, we worship him. We cannot fellowship with the Lord afar off. We must know him personally to know him truly.
