17 and if on the Father ye do call, who without acceptance of persons is judging according to the work of each, in fear the time of your sojourn pass ye, 18 having known that, not with corruptible things—silver or gold—were ye redeemed from your foolish behaviour delivered by fathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted—Christ's— 20 foreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, and manifested in the last times because of you, 21 who through him do believe in God, who did raise out of the dead, and glory to him did give, so that your faith and hope may be in God. 22 Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly, 23 being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God—living and remaining—to the age;
24 because all flesh 'is' as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away, 25 and the saying of the Lord doth remain—to the age; and this is the saying that was proclaimed good news to you.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Peter 1:17-25
Commentary on 1 Peter 1:17-25
(Read 1 Peter 1:17-25)
Holy confidence in God as a Father, and awful fear of him as a Judge, agree together; and to regard God always as a Judge, makes him dear to us as a Father. If believers do evil, God will visit them with corrections. Then, let Christians not doubt God's faithfulness to his promises, nor give way to enslaving dread of his wrath, but let them reverence his holiness. The fearless professor is defenceless, and Satan takes him captive at his will; the desponding professor has no heart to avail himself of his advantages, and is easily brought to surrender. The price paid for man's redemption was the precious blood of Christ. Not only openly wicked, but unprofitable conversation is highly dangerous, though it may plead custom. It is folly to resolve, I will live and die in such a way, because my forefathers did so. God had purposes of special favour toward his people, long before he made manifest such grace unto them. But the clearness of light, the supports of faith, the power of ordinances, are all much greater since Christ came upon earth, than they were before. The comfort is, that being by faith made one with Christ, his present glory is an assurance that where he is we shall be also, John 14:3. The soul must be purified, before it can give up its own desires and indulgences. And the word of God planted in the heart by the Holy Ghost, is a means of spiritual life, stirring up to our duty, working a total change in the dispositions and affections of the soul, till it brings to eternal life. In contrast with the excellence of the renewed spiritual man, as born again, observe the vanity of the natural man. In his life, and in his fall, he is like grass, the flower of grass, which soon withers and dies away. We should hear, and thus receive and love, the holy, living word, and rather hazard all than lose it; and we must banish all other things from the place due to it. We should lodge it in our hearts as our only treasures here, and the certain pledge of the treasure of glory laid up for believers in heaven.