22 Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a sincere love of the believers, [see that you] love one another from the heart [always unselfishly seeking the best for one another], 23 for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting 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 [the good news of salvation] which was preached to you.

Born again by the Word | 1 Peter 1:22-25 (AMP) 中文 

Love one another

After Loving God with our whole heart, soul and mind, the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). So through our obedience to the truth, we purify ourselves so that we can love others sincerely. As we do, the world will know we are Christians (John 13:35) and this will bring glory to God.

Born again

I’ve heard some professing Christians say that either we do not need to be born again or, even worse, that that phrase is not in the Bible. I guess it was a reaction to the “born again” movement of the ‘60’s in the US. But it was Jesus Himself who first coined the phrase in John 3:3 talking to Nicodemus. Peter certainly heard Him use this term so he uses it quite naturally. 

To be born, we need to be conceived. The “seed” mankind is conceived of is fleshly, natural, even sinful. Our flesh can never inherit eternal life. The consequences of sin starting with Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:17) cause it to die and return to dust. So we must be born again, not from flesh, but from above, from the Spirit. 

By the enduring Word

Not from perishable seed but from imperishable, the Word of God, which endures forever. And we remember John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is that Word!

Peter quotes from Isaiah 40:6-8 which emphasizes that our flesh, like flowers, fades; it cannot stand the test of time or trials. But that’s not the case for the Word. It endures. “It has survived centuries of manual transcription, of persecution, of ever changing philosophies, of all kinds of critics, of neglect both in the pulpit and in the pew, of doubt and disbelief – and still, the word of the LORD endures forever!” (enduringword.com)

RЯeflection

• Are we following the two greatest commandments? Do we make every effort to love others in the body of Christ? Can you think of someone right now whom the Spirit wants you to love – in a greater way than you have to now? Think of something or some way you can demonstrate love. But do it because Christ loves us.
• Have you been born again? It is truly a change. People notice and tell you outright that they see a change. It cannot be explained by psychology or any natural reason. It’s from God. Contact us if you’d like to know more.