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1 Peter 1:23 - Born To Crawl; Reborn To Fly.

1 Peter 1:23 (NIV) 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 (NLT) For you have been born 
again, but not to a life that will quickly end. 
Your new life will last forever because it comes 
from the eternal, living word of God.  

1 Peter 1:23 (AMP) You have been regenerated 
(both again), not from a mortal origin (seed, 
sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever 
living and lasting Word of God. 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Who would ever look at a caterpillar 
inching on its belly in the dirt and think that 
within a short time it would be transformed into a 
flying wonder? 
   When it is time for the caterpillar to 
transform, it attaches itself firmly to a stem or 
branch and forms a chrysalis or spins a cocoon for 
protection. Then it waits - usually for months. From a 
slithering and destructive insect emerges a magnificent 
creature, feeding on the sweet nectar of the flowers. 
The beauty the butterfly adds to nature is 
intriguing as their wings absorb, reflect, and scatter 
light. The caterpillar is born to crawl, but it is 
reborn to fly. What a picture from God's creation. 
   The ancient Greek word for butterfly is 
psyche, meaning the very life of the soul. The 
caterpillar's transformation is a wonderfully symbolic 
picture of the miracle work of Christ in 
transforming a lost soul into a vibrant believer. The 
metamorphosis is a recurring miracle that He masterfully 
accomplishes in those who entrust their lives to the One 
who does His transforming work. 
   How has Jesus transformed you? [Peace for 
Each Day by Billy Graham] 

COMMENTARY

Born of the Word
   The change of heart by which we become 
children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth. 
Again, it is compared to the germination of the 
good seed sown by the husbandman  So from 
natural life, illustrations are drawn, to help us 
better to understand the mysterious truths of 
spiritual life. Not all the wisdom and skill of man 
can produce life in the smallest object in 
nature. It is only through the life which God 
Himself has imparted, that either plant or animal 
can live. So it is only through the life from 
God that spiritual life is begotten in the 
hearts of men.   
   When truth becomes an abiding principle 
in the life, the soul is "born again, not of 
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of 
God, which liveth and abideth for ever." This new 
birth is the result of receiving Christ as the 
word of God. Then by the Holy Spirit divine 
truths are impressed upon the heart, new 
conceptions are awakened, and the energies hitherto 
dormant are aroused to cooperate with God  Christ 
was the revealer of truth to the world. By Him 
the incorruptible seed - the Word of God - was 
sown in the hearts of men.   
   The Word destroys the natural, earthly 
nature, and imparts a new life in Christ Jesus. The 
Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By 
the transforming agency of His grace, the image 
of God is reproduced in the disciple; he 
becomes a new creature. Love takes the place of 
hatred, and the heart receives the divine 
similitude.   
   Henceforth you are not your own; you are 
brought with a price. "Ye were not redeemed with 
corruptible things, as silver and gold,  but with the 
precious blood of Christ " 1 Peter 1:18, 19. 
Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy 
Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You 
are as a child born into the family of God, and 
He loves you as He loves His Son. {FLB 19} 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

John 17:17 - Holiness from God's Word.

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201007-1438.html 

2 Corinthians 5:17 - New Life in Christ.

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230831-0901.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/