SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12-16-03
My Worship Time Focus: Love the brethren
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: 1Peter 1:22-25
Message of the verse: 22 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, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but
incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24
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, 25 But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word
which by the gospel was preached to you.” (NKJV)
“22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you
have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the
heart. 23 For you have been born again,
not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring
word of God. 24 For, "All men are
like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass
withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the
word of the Lord stands for ever." And this is the word that was preached
to you.” (NIV)
This section begins a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book
on 1Peter, “Be Hopeful.” He entitles
this chapter “Christian Togetherness,” and goes on in his introduction of the
chapter to write that this section in 1Peter 1:22-2:10 speaks about spiritual
unity because it presents four vivid pictures of the church. The first picture is entitled, “We are
children in the same family (1:22-2:3).
This section I am dealing with today is 1:22-25, and is subtitled “We Have
Experienced The Same Birth.”
Peter is saying that because we have all experienced the
same birth we should then have fervent love for all of the brothers with a
clean heart. (v. 22) The reason we have
a pure heart is because it has been given to us at the new birth, and that new
birth was purchased “not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the
Word of God which lives and abides forever.”
Jesus Christ is the Word, as described in John’s gospel. Hebrews 4:12 also speaks of God’s Word being
alive, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.” I believe that Peter is
describing our first birth, which is of the flesh, in verses 24-25. Peter is quoting Isaiah 40:6-8 in these two
verses. If we compare our old self with
the grass and the flowers we see that it does not last very long, but if we
have been born-again through the Word of God and the Spirit of God then we will
have everlasting life. Peter then tells
his readers that this is the Word that has been preached to them, and not only
them, but also all who have been born-again.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I
believe that God is speaking to my heart about the love that I, as a believer,
have for other believers. I am speaking
about the trial that God has sent to our church, and how easy it is to be upset
with the people in our church who do not agree with me about how this trial
should be handled. God’s love never
fails, and as a believer I have experienced that love in my life, and so even
though I am very upset with some of the deacons in our church I am to speak the
truth in love: “Ephesians 4:15 but
speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is
the head, even Christ.”
The Word of God was
convicting to me as I read it this morning.
My Steps of Faith
Today: I want to pray about whether or not I should speak to
Pastor Dunn and Mark MaCain about the trial that is going on at church. Continue to trust the Lord for the salvation
of Valerie and Mike. Trust the Lord to
give me wisdom to say the things that He would have me to say at our Bible
Study this evening.
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