Page 64 - Living Light Autumn 23

Wed November 15 - Born of imperishable seed
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23
If I am asked to describe someone but have only ever seen them from behind, my view will be lopsided at best. Only when I have a fuller perspective will I be able to give a more accurate description. What Peter gives us in this passage is another perspective on regeneration – what it means to be born again. We are familiar with John’s view, namely that a person is born again through the direct work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5- 8), but here Peter describes new birth as occurring through the agency of the word of God. He calls it being ‘born of imperishable seed’. His point is to demonstrate the eternal nature of our new birth. Since the word of God is eternal, enduring forever, so shall be the person who is born again. Good news indeed!
The Christian is one who is born of the Spirit through the ‘living and enduring’ word of God. But Peter is specific as to his meaning of the word of God here. In the concluding verse (25) of the chapter, Peter says that ‘this is the word that was preached to you’ – literally, the gospel of Jesus Christ. New life in Christ is the result of the coming together of both word and Spirit. Just as on the first day of creation – the Holy Spirit was waiting for the word “Let there be light”, ‘and there was light’ (Genesis 1:2-3) – so now; he re- creates through the word of the gospel.
Lord God, may your Holy Spirit accompany my sharing of the gospel. Amen.
Thursday November 16 - Becoming what we behold
We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being
transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory... 2Corinthians 3:18
In Psalm 115 the writer contrasts the splendour of Israel’s God with the worthlessness of the idols worshipped by their enemies. He concludes in verse 8, ‘Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.’ Whatever is looked to for meaning and satisfaction inevitably leads to being shaped after its image. The pagan nations that taunt God’s people succumb to being conformed to the likeness of their manufactured gods.
This is gloriously true for Christians, as we too become like the One we worship: ‘And we all are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Paul uses Moses’ encounter with God at Sinai, where his face shone with reflected glory (Exodus 34:30), as a ‘type’ of the transformation experienced by Christians who contemplate the infinite glories of God in the face of Christ. Before Christ came, understanding of the Scriptures was partial. Only when a person is united to him by faith does the word of God become clear. It’s in the Scriptures that we behold the glory of Christ and are transformed into his likeness, ’from one degree of glory to another’ (v 18, RSV). Unlike Moses, the Christian’s experience of beholding and becoming like Christ doesn’t diminish but increases with time as we get to know him better!
Father God, your personal promises to us still stand firm and true. Help us to hear them once again. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY