Sermon Tone Analysis

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for

‘All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

but the word of the Lord remains forever.’

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” [1]

Faith and practise are determined by what one accepts as authoritative for life.

Whether conscious of the fact or not, everyone has an authority for the conduct of his or her life.

Some individuals submit to the consensus of their peers as the authority for life’s choices.

For such people, this is a sort of acceptance of the lowest common denominator for the manner in which life is lived.

Unfortunately, this choice can become a way to dumb down convictions as practitioners attempt to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings.

Other individuals see human government as authoritative.

This particular view is often advocated by individuals promoting socialistic government (almost always some form of an oligarchy, if not a kakistocracy or a kleptocracy) as being wiser than the individual.

In the estimate of such individuals, pseudo-aristocrats (so designated because of their exalted socialistic views) rule because they have established themselves as the authority for the masses.

One modern view that has gained ascendancy within contemporary society (and even among the churches of our Lord) argues that whatever one “feels” is authoritative.

Thus, emotions become a tyrant dictating life’s choices.

Ours is a Baptist congregation.

As stated in an earlier message, the term “Baptist” is not one that we chose, though we embrace that name in this present day.

The name was given in derision to our forebears; the name was conferred because of their insistence upon a regenerate church membership.

In reality, however, we are not Baptists because we insist upon baptism as a mark of the new birth rather than reducing the rite to a contrived effort to obtain the new birth.

Our convictions arise from an even more basic belief.

We are convinced that the Word of God is authoritative for faith and practise.

Where the Bible is silent, we have no warrant to speak.

Where God has spoken, we are obligated to obey.

I find it fascinating to observe the role assigned to the Word of God in salvation.

Peter claims that the New Birth is accomplished through “the living and abiding Word of God.”

What a powerful statement is attributed to the Word of God!

It is that Word that is the focus of the remainder of the message this day.

For us as Baptists, the Word of God is received as inerrant and infallible; the Word of God is authoritative and accurate.

Our hope is grounded in the Word of God, and our Faith is firmly established on the firm foundation that is the Word of God.

Focus with me for these brief moments on this Living and Abiding Word of God.

THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING — Peter is writing to believers.

This is obvious from the opening words of the text.

He addresses those who have “purified [their] souls by obedience to the truth” [VERSE 22].

Therefore, they are the same individuals who have been born again [VERSE 23].

In order to ensure that we are all on the same page, I remind you that the New Birth refers to the results of faith in Christ the Lord.

The term, “born again” was used by Jesus when He was approached by a member of the Jewish ruling body, the Sanhedrin.

The account of that interview and the response of the Master is found in JOHN 3:3-15.

“Jesus [said to Nicodemus], ‘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 and 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 said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

The wind blows where it wishes, and you 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.’

“Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.’”

The new birth becomes a reality through faith in Jesus.

To be born again is to be saved; it is to receive the forgiveness of sin.

One Scripture that I frequently cite is ROMANS 10:9, 10.

Here, the Apostle instructs those who are reading this particular letter, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Those who have been born again reveal that they have been born from above through “obedience to the truth.”

Those who are twice born will identify with Christ through receiving baptism as a testimony of their faith, and they will seek out a fellowship of believers where they will grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

By this means, they demonstrate love for Christ who has redeemed them.

Simultaneously, they also demonstrate a “sincere brotherly love” for the people of God.

The expression of love for the people of God is to be demonstrated through investment of one’s life in a community of the Faith where each believer will participate in the work of building one another up through exercise of the spiritual gifts God has given each Christian.

John says of those who are twice-born, “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother.

And why did he murder him?

Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.

Whoever does not love abides in death.

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” [1 JOHN 3:10-16].

HEBREWS 10:23-25 sums up the expression of love expected toward our brothers.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Love is expressed through union with God’s people and through communion with Christ.

Those who refuse to openly unite with God’s people for worship and for service are revealing that they have not been born again.

Salvation does not lie in the church, but those saved will seek out a congregation of God’s people at earliest opportunity.

Sometimes I fear that we Christians unconsciously pass over the various statements found in the Word of God.

For instance, what does it mean to you when the Bible declares that the Word of God is living?

Each of us has no doubt at some time read that “the Word of God is living and active” [HEBREWS 4:12], and the text affirms this same truth.

But what does it mean when God declares that His Word is living?

Does the Word of God breathe?

Does it multiply and interact with us, as might any sentient being?

We need to understand what Peter means when he says the Word of God is living.

In order to discover Peter’s meaning it will be necessary for us to think through the effects of the Word of God on the life of an individual.

As I already pointed out, and now iterate, Peter is focusing our attention on the fact that his readers are those who have been born again.

He knew they had been born again because they were obedient to the command of God.

Edwin Blum writes, “The Good News carries with it a command to repent and believe.

In the early church, this was commonly tied to baptism.

Not that the church believed that baptism itself saved; rather, it was the focal point of decision.”

[2]

For the early Christians, baptism was no mere rite, but it was a dramatic demonstration of obedience—radical obedience—to God.

Having been born from above through faith in Christ, they openly identified with Him, and as the redeemed of the Lord, they loved God’s holy people.

They were now called to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”

It is difficult to judge love for God by one’s religious actions.

Perhaps we can take note of participation at the Lord’s Table, even when it is inconvenient.

Perhaps we can register attendance at the services of the church.

Perhaps we can keep a tally of giving to determine if the individual is generous toward God.

Though all these things may speak of love for God, they are not the means by which God calls us to show our love for Him.

How do you express love for God?

One answer is found in Peter’s call for believers to “love one another with a pure heart.”