Part 4. The Regenerating Power of God’s Word -- This post is the conclusion of Part 4.
[If you have not read Parts 1, 2, and 3, I recommend that you do so in order to benefit from the full context of these writings.]
I now resume and bring to a conclusion the quote from Matthew Henry. Even though I am including a large portion of his commentary on 1 Peter 1: 13 - 23, there is much that I recommend you to read when you have the time. Mr Henry concludes: "The word of God lives and abides for ever. This word is a living word, or a lively word, Heb_4:12. It is a means of spiritual life, to begin it and preserve in it, animating and exciting us in our duty, till it brings us to eternal life: and it is abiding; it remains eternally true, and abides in the hearts of the regenerate for ever.” [Resource: "E-Sword" - Matthew Henry Commentary]
When you go back to my start of Henry's quote in the provious post, it is agreeably quite a long one, but oh, how eloquently he describes the regenerating power of God’s Word made available by the shed blood of our precious Christ! I recommend that you read through it again, even more meticulously, pulling out Truths, concepts and statements that resonate in your own spirit. Such a statement for me would be, “Persons, when converted, differ exceedingly from what they were formerly. They are people of another fashion and manner from what they were before; their inward frame, behaviour, speech, and conversation, are much altered from what they were in times past. (4.) The lusts and extravagances of sinners are both the fruits and the signs of their ignorance.” Another is, “The word of God is the great instrument of a sinner's purification: Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth. The gospel is called truth, in opposition to types and shadows, to error and falsehood. This truth is effectual to purify the soul, if it be obeyed, Joh_17:17. Many hear the truth, but are never purified by it, because they will not submit to it nor obey it. (3.) The Spirit of God is the great agent in the purification of man's soul. The Spirit convinces the soul of its impurities, furnishes those virtues and graces that both adorn and purify, such as faith (Act_15:9), hope (1Jo_3:3), the fear of God (Psa_34:9), and the love of Jesus Christ.” ["E-Sword" - Matthew Henry Commentary]
Here is a good place to point out that in the referring passage, I Peter 1: 13-21, the Apostle Peter is addressing fellow believers in Jesus as Messiah. So if you are a believer and follower of Jesus, you can know that his instructions are for you and for me. If you are not a follower of Jesus, Yeshua, allow me to encourage you to become one --- right here, right now. It’s not a hard thing. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner --- you have broken one or more of the 10 Commandments in your life. You must believe that Jesus really is the only Son of God, that He died on the cross to take the punishment for your (and my) sins. That He was buried and rose to life again, on the 3rd day, and now is in Heaven at the right hand of God the Father. So --- you must repent of your sins and receive the forgiveness of God that was made possible by His Son, Jesus. In this you received or accept Jesus into your own heart, as your personal Savior. If you have just done this, you are now born again. --- Welcome to The Kingdom of God! This is, by far, the most important decision a person can make. Now go and learn more about Jesus in the Bible and tell someone about your decision. Get a Bible and read the Gospel (or Book) of John and then read Matthew, Mark , Luke and so on. Please know that because of your decision, the angels are rejoicing and that your eternal destiny is now Heaven. God is pleased and the Holy Spirit of Christ now abides in you. You will learn more about all of this as you read and study God’s Word. Also it is important to get plugged in to a good Bible believing, Bible teaching church or assembly of believers.
While we are taking a look at commentaries on this subject, the comments of Bible Scholar, Jack Hayford are certainly worth reading. Let's soak this in: “The Regenerating Power of God’s Word, THE WORD OF GOD. Just as we owe our natural existence to the Creator’s spoken word and life-giving breath, so we owe our New Birth to the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s activation of its power. God’s intent for our created being is only completely fulfilled when our spirits are alive toward Him. As sin has produced spiritual death in people (Eph. 2:13), so salvation in Jesus Christ has provided spiritual life.”
“This text (I Peter 1:23) tells us that the ‘seed’ that has produced new life in us is the Word of God, which has begotten us again by the Holy Spirit’s power (Titus 3:5) and made us members of God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). [Titus 3:5-- ‘not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit’] [II Corinthians 5:17—‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.’] The power of God’s Word – the Holy Scriptures – is in no way more manifest than in this: Its power to bring spiritual live to all who are open to Its truth. James 1:18 elaborates the fact that God’s ‘Word of truth’ is the means by which He brought us new life, emphasizing that He has done this as a direction of His own will. [James 1:18— ‘Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.’] God’s will to save us (2 Peter 3:9) has been effectively expressed in His Word, which accomplishes that work (John 1:13). [II Peter:3:9— ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.’] [John1:12-13— ‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’] (2 Cor. 3:5-8/Ps. 119:89-91) [II Corinthians 3: 5-8— ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?’ /Psalm 119: 89-91— ‘Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants.’] J.W.H.” Spirit Filled Life Bible, "Kingdom Dynamics", page 1908.
>> Coming next, watch for Part 5, titled "Jesus: The Word Made Flesh". <<
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