1 Peter 1: 22--25
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. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. For, "All men
are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the
grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands
forever."
NIV
In the name of the One Who makes us grow in His word, amen.
Very often we focus on the fact that our conversion (our coming to faith)
happens in an instant. It is not an ongoing process. We either have
faith, or we don't. This is very true, but we should not forget that
while a baby is either born or not born, and a seed is either sprouted or
dead, they continue to grow.
In this passage St. Peter reminds us that we are to grow in our love for
one another because the seed by which we were born again is imperishable.
It continues to grow in us so that we become more and more loving toward
our brothers and sisters in the faith.
But our Old Adam (our sinful nature or natural man) does not want to
become more loving. It wants to return to being totally consumed with
itself. This causes a tension in us that comes out when we judge our
brothers and sisters as hypocrites. We question if they are really sorry
for their sins or if they really have faith. The tension is there
because our new man is loving; it wants to do what is right. So the
struggle is there all the days of our lives.
Which will win? It is certainly possible for the OId Adam to reject the
imperishable seed and die in self centeredness as the passage indicates
"All men are like grass." But the imperishable seed is very strong, and
as long as we do not reject it, the Holy Spirit will continue to work
through it to make us grow in our holy life. This is the mercy of God
that He gives us what we need to be what He wants us to be. May He keep
you in the true faith through His holy Word. Amen.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, forgive us for being impatient and judgmental
toward our brothers and sisters in the faith. Keep us from rejecting
Your life-giving Word. Instead, help us to grow in holiness as Your Holy
Spirit comes to us through you Word, amen.