“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God…But the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which was preached to you.“-{1 Peter 1:23, 25}.
This new birth, spiritual birth having been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Beloved Son, here we are told that the “new birth” is through the means of the Word of God and not by self effort, but by God’s doing through His Word.”We are born again, “not of corruptible seed.” This is the same as in John 1:13. The “corruptible seed” which is the seed of fallen man. (John 1:13) “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” The Greek participle “have been born again,” is in the passive pointing to God’s action in the new birth. God does it!
The evil one uses various schemes to try and dupe people into ignoring, scoffing, mocking, doubting or displacing the Word of God as the ultimate authority in living life daily to honor God. The Word of God is God’s means by which faith comes by. How wonderful that though the grass and lower fade, we will never “In Christ” because we have been “born again” by an act of God that He does not change His mind and He did it we see through this passage through the means of His Word! The Word of God is Powerful, it is used by God to bring about the New Birth.
Peter says the Word of God is characterized as that which is “imperishable…living…enduring.”
“IMPERISHABLE,” –
{ aphthartos}. The word speaks of that which cannot be ruined, destroyed, obliterated. It is not in subjection to death or decay! It lasts forever! Peter used “aphthartos” in 1;4-5 to describe our spiritual inheritance, we have obtained an eternal inheritance as the fruit of this new relationship with God through the LORD Jesus, “an inheritance which is imperishable and un-defiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
The word “imperishable,” is used 11 times in 7 translations. It speaks of God being “incorruptible” in Romans 1:23.
We have been redeemed by the incorruptible blood of Christ (I Peter 1:18-19) to an imperishable inheritance (I Peter 1:4), an imperishable, incorruptible body (I Corinthians 15:53), an imperishable crown (I Corinthians 9:25), to serve The incorruptible King (I Timothy 1:17), All of this is knowable, and worked out through the imperishable, eternal Word of God.- (I Peter 1:23).
God’s Word is imperishable because God is imperishable,-{Romans 1:23}
“Through” the means by which God brought bout the New Birth…
“LIVING,” –
(zao) is speaking of a natural physical life as opposed to death. It imparts vitality to the soul and has effects. Living is in the present tense and describes as continually true of the Word of God. Jesus says “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (Jn 6:63).”Zao” is the opposite of death. “Zao” refers to supernatural, spiritual life (cf Jn 11:25, 26), Paul explaining that Christ “lives because of the power of God.” (2Cor 13:4) { Rev 16:3}
” For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart “-{Heb 4:12}. God’s Word is powerful for it is living and active, it accomplishes God’s purposes, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.“-{Isaiah 55;11}. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.”-{Rom 10;17}. The Bible is living and active, and produces what God desires as seen in the actions described in the rest of the Word in the rest of Hebrews 4:12: The Bible “penetrates” deep within us and “judges” our hearts and motivations. It is “active,” it is at work, it is not passive, stagnant, impotent or dead. To resist, reject the Bible is to our harm (Hebrews 2:1–3).
The Living Word is the means to the New Birth, {1 Peter 1:22-23}
The Living Word is the means to Build us up, ” And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to Build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”- {Acts 20;32},
The Living Word is the means to Spiritually Grow us up. “…like new born babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. “-{1 Peter 2:3}.
The Living Word is Alive is the means to Spiritually Equip Us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”2 Tim 3;16}
We have a “LIVING HOPE,”-{1:3}, through the LIVING LORD {2:4}, through the LIVING WORD! {1:23}
“ENDURING,” –
(meno) means to “remain” in the same place or position over a period of time. Often it speaks of permanence. For example, someone may travel for their work and stay in various hotels, but that is not where they live. For their home is where their permanent residence is! Settle down permanently! To dwell, live…it speaks of continuing in a fixed state, to endure! “Continue.”
People come and go in this life, kingdoms and empires come and go, but His Word never fades, decays, dies, nor is it out lived, overthrown, but is eternal, continues on and on and on and on. The Word of God is enduring and so it is never outdated, fleeting, like a fad that comes and goes, it never loses it’s power, it is continuous. It is relevant from one generation to another, because the heart of people does not change. It is always in season, it is always powerful, for The Word of God endures forever! -(Read Mt 5:18, 24:35).
” Forever, O Lord,Your Word is settled in heaven.“-{Psalm 119:89}
God’s Word outlasts, it outlives all!
Obedience to the Word of God produces repentance “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls,” to what end? Repentance leads to a love that is sincere, pure, fervent! The new birth produces a changing life of obedience to the truth and loving with affection, kindness other believers and sacrificially loving all others! And the means God uses is the Word of God which is imperishable, living and enduring! As Paul told Timothy,”preach the Word…!”
The living and abiding word is also characterized in a number of NT passages as the…
the word of His grace (Acts 14:3); the word of the Gospel (Acts 15:7)
the word of promise (Ro 9:9–note); the word of the Cross (1Cor 1:18)
the word of reconciliation (2Co 5:19); the word of life (Php 2:16 );
the word of truth (2Cor 6:7, Col 1:5); the message of truth (Ep 1:13-);
the word of His power (He 1:3); the word of righteousness (He 5:13-);
the word of Christ (Ro 10:17–note; Col 3:16);the word of the Lord (18x in NAS NT– Acts 8:25; 11:16; 12:24; );
the word of God (39x in NAS NT– Lk 3:2; 5:1; 8:11, 21; 11:28; Jn 10:35; Acts 4:31}
WISE OR FOOLISH?
” Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”-{Matthew 7:24-27}
To submit to God’s Word, Jesus says is compared to a wise person and through it the New Birth takes place leading to obedience and manifested in loving others, sincerely, with purity, fervently- from the heart!
Everyone is building their life, the thought patterns transferred into deeds, actions, are either wise or foolish. JESUS says and it all depends on the response, to hear, act upon it is compared to a wise person, to hear and not submit is compared to a foolish person. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”-{Matt 4:4}. His Word is to govern and guide us, and this it will as we submit to Him and His Imperishable, Living, Enduring Word!
“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. “-{1 Thess 2:13}
God’s Word is Powerful, Imperishable, Living, Enduring! Life altering!
God’s WORD is what the Holy Spirit uses to bring about change!