Three Reasons To Abide In the Word

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Purified Your Soul

Peter states here that the one who has been obedient to the truth (trusted Jesus as their Savior) has purified their soul. This means that we no longer have the stinch of death associated with our soul. We have been forgiven and made new in the eyes of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Lets park here for a moment and talk about what it means to have the old things pass away and the new things have come. First lets take a look at the old things. Ephesians 2:1-3

Ephesians 2:1–3 NASB95

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

The first thing that I see hear is that we were dead in our trespasses. This means that our soul was dead. It had no life towards God. There was no spiritual life or vitality.

The second thing I see is that we walked in the ways of the world. Whatever the world dictated as right and wrong we went along with it. There was no moral restraint in our dead status. We did what we wanted without any thought of recourse or implications on others. That which was acceptable in the worlds eyes were acceptable to ours.

The third thing I see was that Satan was our leader. We don’t like to think that we were under the control of Satan, but those apart from Christ are being led by Satan. He works on their spirits influencing them for his purposes.

The fourth thing I see is that we indulged in the desires of the flesh and the mind. This is the epitome of selfishness. We did what we wanted, regardless if it was wrong or going to hurt someone else. As long as it made us happy we would dot it.

The last thing I see is that the old dead person was a child of wrath. They would have to take the wrath of God for the sins they committed

It is obvious that the old things must pass away.

Now lets talk about the things that have come. Ephesians 2:4-9

Ephesians 2:4–9 NASB95

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The first thing I see is we receive the mercy of God. He does not count our sin against us and give us what we deserve.

The second thing I see is that we are made alive together with Christ. Just as Christ has been raised from the dead, so we too are brought back to life from the state of our deadness.

The third thing that I see is eternal life in heaven. God has seated us in the heavenly places with Christ. We are secure in Christ for everlasting life.

Fourth is that we receive His grace. This is the supernatural power to operate in the will of God. We can carry on the work of Christ.

The last thing is that we are saved. We do not have to worry about eternal death. We have eternal life

We are a new person in Christ with the fullness of his promises attributed to us.

So if we have purified our souls then why do we still struggle with sin?

We are made new creatures in Christ, but the affects of sin will remain until we are taken to heaven. It is a struggle that we will have until the day we die. Paul puts it plainly in Romans 7:21-25

Romans 7:21–25 NASB95

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

We have the power of Christ to set us free from the desire of sin. But when we do sin we have the power of Christ to forgive us of sin.

We must abide in the word so we can maintain a purified soul.

Love On Another

Peter writes that in our salvation and purified souls we have a sincere love for the brethren. The Greek word here means unhypocritical. This means that we have the ability to love one another without any expectation in return. It is unconditional love. This kind of love is rare. The closest thing that I can think of is the love a parent has for a baby. A baby cannot give wisdom but causes us to rack our brains on how to raise it, a baby cannot contribute to the monthly bills but cost a lot, it cannot help with chores but demands a lot of our time. The child can give the parent nothing of value, but the parent loves them anyway.

Even in the marriage relationship we give and withhold affection based on how we treat one another.

Peter writes here that we should fervently love one another from the heart. The word fervently means enthusiastically or passionately. This is how we are commanded to love one another.

We must put aside our differences and love one another unconditionally.

Only by abiding in God’s word can we learn to do this.

You Are Born Again

Peter writes that we are born again of an imperishable seed. Seed means life. What does it mean to be born again. Jesus explains this in John 3:3-7

John 3:3–7 NASB95

Jesus answered and said to him, “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? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into 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 be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Jesus told Nicodemus that a person must be born of water and the Spirit. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied about what this means in Ezekiel 36:25-27

Ezekiel 36:25–27 NASB95

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

To be born again means that God has washed you in His holy water to cleanse you from all your filthiness. He has applied the blood of Jesus to your sin stained heart and made white as snow. The old Hymn Are you washed in the blood captures this meaning when it says:

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you washed in the blood, In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the Crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white! Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Will your soul be ready for His presence bright, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb; There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

We must be cleansed by the washing of the water. But we must also be indwelt by the Spirit of God.

We know that we are indwelt by the Spirit of God when we are living in accordance with His Statutes and Ordinances.