Seeds for 04/22/2024 - 1 Peter 1:23-25
Scripture:
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.”And this is the word that was preached to you.
Observation:
So these believers have been implored to “love one another deeply, from the heart,” because their growing spiritual maturity is increasing them in love. What is the foundation for this command to love?
They “have been born again.” They have come to faith in Jesus and now they have a new life because of the working of God in their heart. And the source of their born again life is the Word of God. How does Peter speak about the Word?
The key idea of these verses is that God’s Word is alive, active, and everlasting. The point is brought home is several ways.
First, Peter asserts that God’s Word is not like any other word. Other words we hear—words purported to be wise, insightful, steadfast, and dependable—will perish as surely as a child can turn their pencil upside-down and erase what they’re just written. These may be fine words, but they will not last. God’s Word, on the other hand is “imperishable.” It cannot die.
Second—building on this straightforward contrast, Peter describes God’s Word as “living and enduring.” Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the Word this way:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Alive and active. Living and enduring. There is a strength in the Word, a dynamic quality. We do not only read the Word, the Word reads us. We are not only to understand the Word, but to stand under its truth and authority.
Third, Peter crescendoes with this quotation from the prophet Isaiah (40:6-8), reminding us that we are like grass that looks great for a short time but will eventually whither and die. Our lifespan is short in the grand scheme of things. Unlike temporary things, the Word of God will stand the test of time.
Finally, Peter brings it all home in a simple affirmation that this word, this strong and enduring Word, is what their faith is built upon. The foundation is impeccable. The house may need renovations from time to time, but the foundation is rock-solid.
Application:
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing the firm foundation of your enduring word for my faith and my life in you. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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