We’re delighted that our good friend and brother, Simon Chase, has agreed to prepare a few “lockdown ponderings” for us! These are adapted from a series Simon is teaching at Gillingham Baptist Church, and which began when the UK went into Lockdown due to the coronavirus.
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1 Peter 1:22-25 Having purified your
souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one
another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of
perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of
God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains
forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Peter wrote to a
people scattered over a large area, yet all were chosen eternally by God,
and all had been redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ. They all had an imperishable inheritance stored up
for them and they all enjoyed the power and presence of the Spirit to bring
them safely to glory. And all this is true of us. We know (as they did) we need
to live holy lives fearing God, having a faith and hope rooted in God Himself.
Now Peter tells
this chosen people to be a changed people – for they have been
changed by being saved. And as Scripture, all this applies equally to us, for
we are Christians just like those who first read this letter.
1. CHANGED BY PURIFICATION v 22
‘Having’
indicates both what has happened and that they were involved in it. How were
they involved? ‘Obedience to the truth’ indicates how they participated – not by
baptism or any kind of ritual, but by saving faith in Jesus Christ. Faith
involves obedience; the Greek word carries both ideas.
They are
‘purified’ not by their own act but, as verse 2 says, by ‘sprinkling’ with the
blood of Jesus. God Himself has done this – ‘in the sanctification of the
Spirit’, v 2. Purification has a particular purpose – ‘for a sincere love’.
Again, just as in v 2’s ‘for obedience’. The result of becoming a Christian is
that God has changed us so that we may be purified, sanctified and obedient.
God calls for a changed
person to show change. The evidence is ‘by a sincere brotherly love’. This is a
new feature in a new Christian’s life: love for other Christians. There is a
new sense of kinship and affection. And Peter says because of what they now
are, they must do it more and more: ‘love one another earnestly from a pure
heart’. That call applies to us as well. We cannot be godly, changed Christians
and ignore the fellowship of the local church. To God, the second commandment –
to love your neighbour as yourself – really, really matters. And even though at
present we too are scattered, we should look for opportunities to show this
love.
2. CHANGED BY REGENERATION v 23
Peter has word themes
that run for a while (like ‘revealed’). Here, it is new birth, see verse 3 and
chapter 2 verse 2. This transformation within us is a new birth, a ‘regeneration’.
It is a spiritual birth. It is not ‘perishable seed’ but ‘imperishable’. That’s
another word theme – see verses 4 and 18. No earthly or human process produces
regeneration, but God’s Word does. It happens ‘through the living and abiding
word of God’. That is why the Bible is so important, why preaching is so
important (look at verse 12 again) and why explaining the truth to others is so
important. Paul tells us that ‘faith comes from hearing, and hearing through
the word of Christ’ in Romans 10:17. We come to new birth ‘through’ the Word of
God. We do not bring ourselves to new birth; God does this through the Word, by
the Spirit.
3. CHANGED BY THE GOSPEL vv 24-25
The prophets,
directed by the Spirit ‘of Christ’, served us, speaking of Him, v 10-12. So
Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory in chapter 6 of his prophecy is explained in
these terms in John 12:41. Here Peter quotes Isaiah 40:6 and 8. Why? Well,
Isaiah 40:1-2 speaks of comfort replacing trouble. Then verses 3-5 speak of
John the Baptist and his days. The effect of the Word comes in vv 9-11 – gospel
days! So the point of Peter’s quotation is to underline that the ‘word’ is
particularly the gospel of Jesus’ coming, life, death and resurrection.
The quotation
also contrasts what humans are and can do compared to the always-relevant and
life-giving word of God. Times come and go; people have their time ‘on stage’
in this world. We wax and wane. Yet God’s Word remains suitable, powerful for
everyone everywhere for evermore.
Peter applies
‘this… word’ (that is, this section of Isaiah chapter 40) to the Christians of
his and of every succeeding generation. He says ‘this word is the good news
that was preached to you’. This is good news: the good news. Isaiah
spoke of it; Jesus is it. They believed it. So all this glorious change –
purification, regeneration – is produced by gospel preaching. This comes as no
surprise if verse 12b is true. The living word is such because of the Spirit’s
work in us. And the gospel of conversion is the gospel which also speaks of
sanctification. God still works in us this way.
Chapter 1 ends
like this: a changed people are to go on changing in the same direction
increasingly. We are to love one another – sincerely, earnestly, purely. Even
though we are scattered.
Living as a
growing Christian includes, but is more than just, doctrinal knowledge. It is
also more than just personal holiness. These are both inward things. Love of
other Christians, in this church and in others, is out-going, like the love of
God. Like the ‘love that drew salvation’s plan and brought it down to man’ as
an old hymn goes. This, supremely, shows that we are a changed people.
So let us love
one another.
