1 Peter 1:13-25 (NKJV)

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon
the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your
ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each
one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,
from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot.
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest
in these last times for you
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him
glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 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,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the
word of God which lives and abides forever,
24 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,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the
gospel was preached to you.

Be holy, for I am holy. Peter here rightly argues that if we are born again, everything
about us should change. This new life should infuse every aspect of our lives.

Who without partiality judges… God is not partial to anyone. This is one of those
truths that must sink down deep in your thinking. God operates by fairness and justice
for all. He isn’t malicious or capricious – that is – He doesn’t just decide to throw you a
bad event out of the blue. His word is fair and open to anyone who believes it. If it
works for one person, it will work for anyone!

Redemption
1:18, 19. The word redeem means “to purchase.” When Christ died for our sins, He paid
the price that satisfied the demands of God’s holiness. The price of redemption was the
blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). Illustration: In explaining redemption to the Galatians,
Paul used three different words that were applied to purchasing servants at the ancient
slave markets. The first,agorazō, meaning “to purchase in the market,” is used to
explain how Christ paid the redemption price of His blood, which was sufficient to
purchase every one “sold under sin” (Gal. 3:10; 2 Pet. 2:1). Ekagorazō, meaning “to
purchase and take home,” emphasizes that Christians have been purchased out of the
marketplace and are no longer for sale (Gal. 3:13). The third word,lutroō, meaning “to
purchase and give freedom,” emphasizes the liberty that belongs to a soul redeemed by
God (Gal. 4:5). Application: The Christian is encouraged to “stand fast” in that liberty
(Gal. 5:1). (First Reference, Gen. 3:21; Primary Reference, 1 Pet. 1:18; cf. Rom. 5:8.)
King James Version Study Bible

19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot. Note the continuity that Peter assumes between the Old and New Testaments in the
phrase like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. This metaphor of Jesus as the
sacrificial lamb may have been the first thing that Peter himself learned about Jesus (see
Jn 1:29–42). KJV Bible commentary

Leviticus 22:20-21 ESV

(20) You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.
(21) And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow
or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be
perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.

John 1:29 ESV

(29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1:22 Obedience to the truth produces sincere love for God’s people (1:22–25) and a
desire for spiritual growth (2:1, 2). Believer’s Study Bible

Love of the brethren (and sistern) is evidence of being born again. People who are born
again will love – not may or hope to. Like discerning the tree from the fruit that falls off,
we may discern those who are truly born again by their love walk. The closer you get to
God, the more you become like Him. God is love. Thus the truest test of anyone’s
spirituality is their love for their brothers.

1:23 The Regenerating Power of God’s Word, THE WORD OF GOD. Just as we owe
our natural existence to the Creator’s spoken word and life-giving breath, so we owe our
New Birth to the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s activation of its power.
God’s intent for our created being is only completely fulfilled when our spirits are alive
toward Him. As sin has produced spiritual death in people (Eph. 2:1-3), so salvation in
Jesus Christ has provided spiritual life. This text tells us that the “seed” that has produced
new life in us is the Word of God, which has begotten us again by the Holy Spirit’s power
(Titus 3:5) and made us members of God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). The power of
God’s Word—the Holy Scriptures—is in no way more manifest than in this: its power to
bring spiritual life to all who open to its truth. James 1:18 elaborates the fact that God’s
“word of truth” is the means by which He brought us new life, emphasizing that He has
done this as a direction of His own will. God’s will to save us (2 Pet. 3:9) has been
effectively expressed in His Word, which accomplishes that work (John 1:13).
Spirit Filled Life Study Bible

We must never forget that it is the “Word” that is the seed (not your $1,000 offering).
The word must be planted in the soil of our soul and spirit man. As I was reviewing the
soul winning script on revival.com, I noticed something: after a brief introduction, they
launch right into the scriptures – the seed begins to take root immediately – so that after a
few short scriptures, the person is ready to pray. It is the “Word” that does the work!

The word of the Lord endures forever. Man’s theories come and go – God’s word is
the same yesterday, today and forever. If you want to know the truth – then read your
bible not man’s opinions!