Purified for Genuine Fellowship (1 Peter 1:22-25)

PURIFIED FOR GENUINE FELLOWSHIP (1 Peter 1:22-25): 

Peter cautions the scattered believers to have good conduct. The believers being ransomed through the blood of Jesus Christ, they have a purified soul from all their past ignorance and sinfulness by accepting, obeying, and committing themselves to the Truth. Also, when they came to the knowledge of God they also knew the beautiful essence in the brotherly love that exists amongst the fellow believers. The Brotherly love is selfless considering the genuine interest of one another, praying for one another, studying the word of God together, eating together, and having everything in common for God. Peter advises the Elect to continue in the steadfast love as the situations may not be the same throughout, there may be always misunderstandings and we aren’t perfect throughout. Peter quotes that it should be from the pure heart which is not explicit but much implicit. God always judges the intentions of the heart as he knew it and every believer in Christ ought to have a pure heart with right values and virtues despite others' actions and thoughts.

Peter reminds again that the Elect has been born again by the precious blood of Christ which is not by the worldly heritage that is perishable and finite. The believers are born again by imperishable seed which has been pre-told before ages and come into existence during the period of Peter. The Word of God is never changing, it is eternal, it is applicable in all situations, it resides and it accomplishes. John writes in the Book of John 1st Chapter that, ‘In the beginning was the Word… And the Word become Flesh’ who is Jesus Christ.  Thereby Peter also quotes that the believers are purified, bonded with brotherly love, born again through the living and abiding Word of God.

Everything that is seen around perishes and disappears. Peter compares our physicality i.e. flesh to the grass and the glory of the flesh to the glory of the flower of grass`. As grass withers and flower falls off after the stipulated period, every one of us should face the physical death and our physical body will be decayed too like that of the glory of the flower of grass. It is not stable and sustained. At the same time, the Word of God is eternal, remains forever without any limitation over space and time as God is eternal. In the context, Peter simplifies the Word of God to the good news about the redemption, salvation, and sanctification that was preached to the Elect. 

Stimulations for Self-Reflection

1.      How the Believers, been purified?

2.      Why the Believers been purified?

3.      How the Believers or Elect been born again?

4.      How do you think that the Word of God are living and abiding?

5.      What is compared with the flower of Grass? Why?

6.      What remains forever? How?

7.      What is the Word of the Lord to the believers?

8.      How the preached Word can be a Good news to people?

9.      How can we have brotherly love with pure heart?

10.  What are the ways we can approach the Word of God to be living and abiding in us?