1Pet 1:23-25
INTRO: Here are three marvelous verses which will tell us something of the centrality of the word of God in our lives of discipleship. In a world where religion is so prone to subjectivism and feelings we need to realize the true role of the word of God and its value. The truth is that there is a monumental ignorance of the Bible. And there is a great amount of religion for religions sake. Thats where the word must enter the picture and again be accorded the place God would have it hold. Note here:
I. THE BEGETTING WORD 1:23a
A. In 1:3 Peter referred to this new birth
1. God, he says, has begotten us again
2. the new birth is one of the great New Testament themes
3. a new parentage, new family, new name, new inheritance
4. but now Peter speaks of the method of the begetting
B. The seed is the word of God
1. in a birth a seed is essential - no birth without it
2. Lk 8:11 the seed is the word of God
3. Jas 1:21 the implanted word
4. the new birth works only in association with the word revealed by God
C. Now, how does this process operate?
1. the process of implanting is intellectual one takes in the word through reading and study
2. word then begins to control desires and actions
3. it comes to fruition in faith and baptism (Jno 3:5) as one learns what God wants of Him (Acts 16:14,15)
4. but there is no direct work of the Holy Spirit it is clearly the word that is the seed
II. THE ENDURING WORD 1:23b, 24, 25a
A. It abides forever
1. here is a word which suggests permanence
2. this special word succeeds generation after generation
3. when first announced, the gospel came into a world proclaiming how great Diana was; how incomparable Rome; how permanent is Judaism
4. all that is truly left of them is rubble ... the word remains! 1:24
5. in truth, one can hardly think of the eternal God apart from the everlasting word
B. It lives forever
1. the word of God has a forever relevance
2. the usefulness, practicality, sensibleness of its message did not die with new generations
3. 2 Pet 1:3 with Jude 3 this special word is a once for all word
4. its remedy for sin, its answers to practical problems, its principles of morality are relevant and constant in all ages
5. no modern revelation supercedes it
III. THE GRACIOUS WORD 1:25
A. The word ... by the gospel
1. here is a significant elaboration
2. this special, living, enduring word is the gospel
3. now, gospel has a special meaning in the New Testament
B. It is the gospel of salvation the message of grace!
1. 2 Tim 1:9,10 life, immortality ... the gospel!
2. the word of God is the only source of information about Gods gracious offer through Jesus ... good news ... it is not just a book of interesting history and facts
3. in fact Rom 1:16
IV. THE PREACHED WORD 1:25
A. The gospel is preached unto you
2. proclaim it, preach it ... send the light
3. Rom 10:14 indeed, how shall they believe?
B. No wonder Christians are to go ... teach
1. a prescription left in the bottle is useless ... to leave it there is foolish and irresponsible
2. Acts 8:4 here is Gods purpose in action
3. right here, in 1 Pet 1:25, each of us is challenged to be a soul winner for Jesus
CLOSE: There is no aspect of life in Christ in which the word of God should not be central. Lets work to put the word into our lives ... and to share it with others.
Cecil A. Hutson
29 April 2001
You Must Hear the Gospel
Romans 10:17
You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
You Must Believe
Hebrews 11:6
You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)
You Must Repent
Acts 3:19
You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)
You Must Confess
Romans 10:9
You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)
You Must Be Baptized
Acts 2:38
Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!
You Must Be Faithful Unto Death
Revelation 2:10
Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)