YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN

Passage: 1 Peter 1:22-2:3

Key verse: 1:23

NIV

22 Now that you have purified(A) yourselves by obeying(B) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,(C) from the heart.[a] 23 For you have been born again,(D) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,(E) through the living and enduring word of God.(F) 24 For,

“All people 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 endures forever.”[b](G)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves(H) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander(I) of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,(J) so that by it you may grow up(K) in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.(L)

Footnotes
  1. 1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
  2. 1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for (A)a sincere brotherly love, (B)love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 (C)since you have been born again, (D)not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through (E)the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

(F)“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25 (G)but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word (H)is the good news that was preached to you.

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2 (I)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 (J)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual (K)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have (L)tasted that the Lord is good.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. The word of the Lord (1:22-25)

Love is the command of Jesus for his people. It is the fruit of the word of God. The word of God gives life-new birth-to those who obey the gospel truth. God's life is eternal. The world is perishing, and the glory of the world is fading. But the word of the Lord endures forever. When we receive the word of God that has been preached to us, we live in love. We are born again to eternal life.

2. Like newborn babies (2:1-3)

Being born again means living a new life. It means repenting of the sins of the world, actively ridding ourselves of every kind of godlessness. We are like newborn babies, needing pure spiritual milk. The word of God has power to nourish our spiritual life. By turning from evil and embracing the word, we grow in the salvation we have been called to. We taste the goodness of God in ever increasing measure.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your lifegiving word. Bless me to grow in hope and crave your goodness today.

One Word: Crave pure spiritual milk