1 Peter 1:17-25

17: If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
18: knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
19: but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
20: For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 
21: who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22: Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 
23: for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

24: For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, 
25: BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you.

*** 

If you call God your Father, Peter said, if your inheritance is the heavenly one, not the earthly one purchased with silver and gold from your earthly fathers, then conduct yourselves accordingly during your stay on earth. Knowing that God will impartially judge according to each one’s work. Your inheritance was not purchased with money, but with the precious, spotless, unblemished, blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin. So, we too should be holy.

Christ was known from before the foundation of the world (John 1:1-2) but He came during their generation for their sake, and ours. Through Christ they, and we, believe in God who raised Jesus from the dead so we may have faith and hope in Him. He is eternal—the beginning and the end—the living Word of God.

Since Peter’s readers had known of this salvation and inheritance, and had believed in Christ to obtain it, and had been obedient to this truth and purified their souls for sincere love, he said to fervently love the brethren from the heart. This was possible because they had been born again of imperishable seed—the living and enduring Word of God.

Peter quoted from Isaiah 40:6-8 to compare flesh to grass and its flower which withers and falls off. Yet, the Word of the Lord endures forever. There is no withering or fading away when it comes to the Word of God, and this is the same Word which was preached to them, and to us. The Word of God is a seed which, when one hears and believes, is implanted in their heart. It gives new life—eternal life.

When nurtured, it produces a holy, incorruptible life. Peter made it clear that this eternal Word—which existed from before the foundations of the world and will continue on forever, is the same Word which became flesh and lived among us—Jesus Christ—and is the same Word which was preached to them and to us. the same Word through which we are born again by putting faith in Christ who sacrificed Himself for us and was raised from the dead by our heavenly Father. This resurrection act is a declaration that the price is paid in full, and our salvation is complete, if we continue in faith until the end.


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