1 Peter 1:22-25

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

You have purified your souls

The soul refers to all that we are; our entire beings. Our souls are purified when we respond to the truth in obedience. The truth cleanses us as we live our lives in this world.

Love one another fervently

In this passage, Peter is telling the Christians that since they have cleansed their souls with the word of God, they should love one another sincerely. The word agape is used here, which is used to express the unique, self-giving love of Jesus. The Old covenant taught people to love their neighbor’s as themselves. But Jesus gave a new commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Jesus laid down His life out of His love for us. 1 John 4:7 says, “Let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” Jesus commanded us to love even our enemies.

Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible

The word “seed” carries the idea of procreation. The word gives us spiritual rebirth. William Tyndale the Bible translator said, “The scriptures spring out of God and flow unto Christ, and were given to lead us to Christ.”

Things in our lives change, but God’s word never will, and every part of it will be fulfilled. Prophecies about Christ that were spoken 4000 years before His birth, came to pass. The destruction of Babylon through king Cyrus happened just as Isaiah and Jeremiah had prophesied, 150 years before the king was even born. Matthew 5:18 says, “Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

The word of God is the one thing we can stay our lives on. When we align our lives to the word of God, we will not be the same.

So Peter reminds us through these verses that the Word of God is

– A saving word, by which we are born again

– A sanctifying word, by which our souls are cleansed

–  A staying word, that endures forever