The new nature

‘Love one another …. being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.’ 1 Peter 2:22–23

Suggested Further Reading: Colossians 1:9–14

Looking upon God’s people, as being heirs of glory, princes of the royal blood, descendants of the King of kings, earth’s true and only royal aristocracy, Peter says to them, ‘See that you love one another, because of your noble birth, being born of incorruptible seed; because of your pedigree, being descended from God, the Creator of all things; and because of your immortal destiny, for you shall never pass away, though the glory of flesh shall fade, and even its very existence shall cease.’ I think it would be well, my brethren, if in a spirit of humility, you and I recognised the true dignity of our regenerated nature, and lived up to it. Oh! what is a Christian? If you compare him with a king, he adds priestly sanctity to royal dignity. The king’s royalty often lies only in his crown, but with a Christian it is infused into his very nature. Compare him with a senator, with a mighty warrior, or a master of wisdom, and he far excels them all. He is of another race than those who are only born of woman. He is as much above his fellows through his new birth, as man is above the beast that perishes. As humanity towers in dignity high above the grovelling brute, so does the regenerate man o’ertop the best of human once-born mortals. Surely he ought to bear himself, and act as one who is not of the multitude, one who has been chosen out of the world, distinguished by sovereign grace, written among ‘the peculiar people,’ and who therefore cannot grovel as others grovel, nor even think as others think. Let the dignity of your nature, and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ, make you cleave to holiness, and hate the very appearance of evil.

For meditation: The apostle Paul, though a prisoner in chains, would never have changed places with an earthly king in royal robes (Acts 26:28–29). Do you value and seek to live up to your high calling in Christ (Ephesians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Peter 2:9)?

Sermon no. 398
30 June (1861)