Sunday, June 17, 2007

"Of Imperishable Seed" Sermon: I Peter 1:22-25

"Of Imperishable Seed"
[I Peter 1:22-25]
June 17, 2007 Second Reformed Church

If you are a Christian, if you believe in Jesus Alone for your salvation, you have been born of imperishable seed. What does that mean? And how ought that knowledge cause us to live?

Peter was writing to Christians on the run from Nero and his armies; their lives were at state, and they were running from Israel and hiding throughout the world. Peter wrote to encourage them that everything that we endure for Christ is worthwhile: our faith is being purified, and we are being made ready for eternity.

We saw last week that those who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation have been ransomed by His Precious Blood: God ransomed us back from the just penalty of His Wrath for our sin by putting His Son to death. The Holy Trinity, before time and space existed, in Their love for Each Other, chose to create us and save us from our sin by sending the Son to earth, to live and die, for our sakes, and to the glory of the Father.

What amazing love is this? Who could ever have conceived such a plan? That the Holy and Almighty God would choose to resurrect His dead enemies through the shed blood of His Precious Son.

This, Peter tells us, is then a call to holiness, to leave everything behind, every sin, everything that offends God, everything that is not His Will -- we must cast in away, lost in wonder and joy -- and God, the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us, is changing us, making us more into the Image of Jesus, God the Son, and we will be received into His Glory on that final day.

So, now, it only make sense, it is only simple thanks, to obey God, to seek to glorify Him at every turn and in every way, to submit to Him, to live lives that reflect Him and His Holiness. We can endure all things for Him, because what He has given us in Christ is so much greater than everything else.

And, Peter tells us, in this morning's Scripture, that love is an outgrowth of that obedience; it is an outgrowth of holiness. We love God and we love others. And we know that -- it's the summary of the Law -- that we love God with all of our hearts and all of our souls and all of our minds and all of our strength and our neighbor as our self.

We are to show love for and to one another that is genuine, constant, and earnest. We are to do whatever we are able to do to better each other's lives. We all have gifts and abilities, and we are to use them, unsparingly, to enrich each other's lives. As we do those things that God has called us to obey, our souls are purified, and we live in obedience to the truth, and as we live in obedience to the truth, we love others.

Our God is so un-American! Our motivation is more often then not, "How will this make my life better?" And it's not wrong to desire a good life -- but the only good life that is told us by God is the life of knowing Him, salvation in Jesus Alone, loving God and neighbor. That is the good life.

Even in the Church -- why did you come this morning? I fear most of us came for ourselves. Understand, it is good that you are here, it is good if you profit in the Grace of God, it is good if your learn and are drawn closer to God, if you are brought to repentance and belief, but if your primary reason in coming into this sanctuary this morning was not to worship and glorify our God, you have come for the wrong reason.

Peter tells us that we were not born of a perishable seed -- just as we were not ransomed by perishable goods, as we saw last week -- we were born of an imperishable seed -- when we heard and received the preaching of the Word of God.

We remember Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus: "Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, "You must be born again." The wind blows where it wishes, and your hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit'" (John 3:3-8).

Every human being is born of a perishable seed: we are all conceived and born alike in the flesh. But every believer in Jesus has been born again by an imperishable seed. God has resurrected our dead selves and given us a new birth in Him that cannot perish -- since we have been raised and birthed by God, we cannot die. Just as the Word of God is living and abiding, we who believe in Christ are eternal beings to life; we shall live forever with our God, in His Glory, in His Love.

Since that is true, we can love God and others. We can look at each other in this sanctuary, and even if we think another is a pain in the neck, we can and ought to love each other and do all we can to better each other in every way, but, especially, in the things of God. What does that look like?

Paul put it this way: "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil. But give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, of it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:9-21).

Is that how you live?

Do we hear both sides of the command: "Love your neighbor, as you love yourself." It is assumed and right that we care for ourselves, that we seek to have our needs provided for, that we do not neglect ourselves to the point where we are no good to anyone -- and some of us tend that way. But most of us are very good at caring for ourselves. Compared to the rest of the world, Americans are fat and rich, but it's never enough.... The command instructs us to care for others, to love others, with the same care, the same zeal, the same effort, that we put into caring for ourselves.

"Why should I? What have they done for me?"

Maybe nothing. Maybe they have hurt you. That's not the point. The point is this: if you have believed in Jesus Alone for salvation, you have been ransomed by the Precious Blood of Jesus and you have been born again of an imperishable seed, and now you are called to obedience and love.

"But I'm old; I'm sick; I'm poor." Each one of us has been gifted in different ways. Each one of us has been blessed in different ways. And we are to love earnestly in those ways that we are able -- it will be different for each of us.

"I'll do something once the kids are out of college, once my house is paid off, once I have enough money to retire, once I have my long-term care insurance paid up..."

Peter reminds us, quoting from Isaiah, that our time on earth is short. "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flowers fades."

We who believe are now of imperishable seed, but this corrupt and fallen world is fading away, our bodies, racked by sin, are falling away -- and we look forward to the day we our bodies are restored, changed, and imperishable, like our souls, and with all of the Creation -- but for now -- how many tomorrows do you have?

The commentator John Rogers wrote, "Alas, we are as bubble, a vapor of no continuance, so vain a thing is man, lighter then vanity: A little too much heat or cold, a little blow with a Horse foot, a bad favour, or the like, can quickly make an end of us: Alas, we carry the matter of many diseases daily about us, in our bosoms and bowels; insomuch that all must dye: Its so appointed, It cannot be shifted, It's the way of all flesh, high and low: This grim Sergeant knocks at every door, spares none, will not be bribed by any, Money, Physick, Wit, Wealth, cannot free us from it; even Methuselah dyed; where are all our Forefathers? Where all the mighty Monarchs? Long since gone, and so must we, there’s no remedy: yet we know not when, to day or to morrow, this year or the next; nor where, home or abroad, in our bed or in the fields, by sea or land, nor how of a natural or a violent death: Here to day, to morrow gone; The fairest flower may be soon welked: A few years ago we said, Our Fathers and Mothers are dead, and shortly our Children will say so of us, one Generation passeth, another succeedeth" (Rogers, 172).

And if that were then end of the story, perhaps we could go home depressed and spend our savings and eat, drink, for tomorrow we die. But you know better, Christian:

"'But the word of the Lord remains forever.' And this is the good news that was preached to you."

We do well to remember that we shall die, but it is within the whole context that we find the joy of living and the hope that is of imperishable seed. Peter quoted from Isaiah, who said this, "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for her sins. A voice cries, 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plane. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.' A voice says, 'Cry!' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!' Behold, the Lord comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young" (Isaiah 40:1-11).

If you have believed in Jesus Alone for your salvation, you have been ransomed with His Precious Blood and you have been born again of imperishable seed. Now, you ought to live a holy life, obey the commandments of God, love God, and love everyone else -- the same way that you love yourself. Why? Because the only hope for this world -- this world is dying -- is hearing and believing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Everything else is dying and will be lost in the fire.

If you have believed in Jesus Alone this morning, then live for Him, love for Him, obey Him, live a worthwhile life by doing everything for Him; spread the Good News, and be thankful and take hope that you are of imperishable seed.

If you have not believed, understand, you are going to die.

Let us pray:
Almighty God and Savior, Precious God and Father of Your people, we thank You for raising us and giving birth to us -- a life that is imperishable. Continue to draw us close to You, cause us to walk in love, living holy lives, lives that reflect Your Glory. And may we be witnesses who clearly show in how we live and love and speak, that hope is only found in the Good News of Jesus Christ. For it is in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.

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