“You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23)
The Bible often describes the transformation of people who come to faith as “a new birth”. The apostle John says: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)
The apostle Peter uses the same imagery. He says that his readers have been born again through the Word of God, which “remains forever”. This living and abiding word is described as “imperishable seed”. So, even though humans are perishable and their bodies die, believers have eternal life. They will live forever with God on the new earth.
The Word of God is like a seed that is planted in the “soil” of their heart, and then grows and bears the fruit of the Spirit. As Jesus told in his parable, there will be people who don’t receive the word because their hearts are too hard, or because they are too preoccupied with other things. But others do receive it and are totally transformed. They receive a new, eternal life.
To which category of people do you belong? Has God’s Word produced fruit in your life?