As The Scripture Say, "People Are Like Grass, Their Beauty Is Like A Flower In The Field. The Grass Withers And The Flower Fades
Focus Your Thoughts On Things Above
1 PETER 1:22-25
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
”I Peter 1:22-25 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.1.22-25.NKJ
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My beloved, we must show each other “sincere love.” This involves selfless giving, caring for others needs as one does his own needs without expectation of something in return.
A self-centred person cannot truly love.
God’s unconditional love and forgiveness frees you to take your focus from yourselves and to reach out and meet the needs others.
To love is a commandment (MATHEW 22:34-40; MARK 12:29-31), and all the Law and the Prophets hang on it.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
I John 4:17-21 NKJV
By sacrificing His own life, Christ showed His love and faithfulness to all people; “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13 NKJV
Now you can follow His example, by loving others unconditionally, and giving yourself sacrificially.
Quoting ISAIAH 40:6-8, Peter reminds us believers that in this life everything will eventually fade away; possessions, accomplishments and people will disappear. Only God’s will, Word, and work are permanent.
We believers must stop grasping at the tempory and begin to focus our time, money, and energy on the permanent, the Word of God and our eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Therefore my beloved, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Colossians 3:2-4 NKJV
Money, status, and all material things are temporary. The cannot give continuous joy nor peace.
Even the bodies we live in, like grass they will fade away.
Surely then, we thank God, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
II Corinthians 5:1, 7 NKJV
My beloved, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
I Corinthians 15:50-58 NKJV
Money cannot buy happiness nor anything eternal; your status has no place in God’s kingdom, for we are all one in Christ, and Christ is the head.
That new car will soon be outdated and will give way to the elements and rust away; and anyways, we cannot take a single thing with us from this earth; “We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 NLT
Does that mean we believers shouldn’t have a nice car, home, or money in the bank? Does that mean we shouldn’t have a prestigious job? Of course not, but we must hold lightly to the blessings of God and not allow them to become too important to us.
The blessings God pours out come with opportunities. Therefore, we must steward them well for God’s Kingdom and His glory.
Giving to the needy or indeed, nor any good works cannot purchase one’s place in heaven, but with it comes reward that money cannot buy.
Nothing is more rewarding than to help someone in need.
Furthermore, “The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.”
Proverbs 11:25 NKJV
But giving must always be by the leading of the holy Spirit, for a fool and his money are quickly parted. Furthermore, giving from the flesh can undermine God’s work in others and bring poverty on one’s self.
One may not be in a position to give financially, but we can all make time to serve in other ways, and to lift others up in prayer.
Ones flesh in this life remains corruptable, and like grass it shall wither away, and our personal accompaniment shall fall away like flowers, for they are irrelevant to our eternal future.
But being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God which lives and abides forever, your eternal future is sealed by the in-parting holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of one’s eternal future (EPHESIANS 1:13-14; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:22).
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV
Therefore my brethren, ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
