FOREVER GOOD NEWS

“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 Peter 1:24, 25).  

            “All flesh” means everything that is part of this fallen world.  Peter is saying that everything in this world is born of perishable seed.  It is all temporary and it is passing away.  The glory of the flesh, everything that gives it attractiveness and beauty, all the lovely things about the world that cause us to love it, is going to pass away.  But, the word given by God, the word both spoken and written, will never pass away.  It will never perish like the things of this world.  Peter finishes these thoughts by reminding us that this is the word which was preached to us.  This is the word that was used to bring us new birth and to give us a new nature.

            Think about it!  This imperishable word of God is the word that was preached to us!  It came to us!  It came by means of parents, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, pastors, camp speakers, friends, or relatives.  God sowed the imperishable seed of his word in our lives in many different ways.  God’s word never fails to accomplish what God sent it to do!  “…So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty; but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).  We have been born anew by the word of God applied to our souls by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

            So God has given us new life.  He has given us a new nature.  He produces in us that which brings glory to himself; that which makes him attractive.  God does not produce such attractive attributes in unbelievers.  There must first be a new nature, a kind of new soil in which he can produce this fruit.  And what is that fruit which both glorifies God and makes him so exceedingly attractive to the lost?  It is love!  We Christians produce fruit in accordance with the seed that was planted in us, that seed he sowed in our souls.  And the fruit of that seed is love; sincere and earnest love!  While the glory of the world is passing away the glory of God increases and does not pass away.  It lasts for eternity!  Our love for Christian brothers and sisters will last forever!  We have established a type of the kingdom of heaven here on earth for the world to see and for the purpose of glorifying God and revealing his attractive character!