1 Peter 1:18-25

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; Our redemption was not with corruptible things, that is, silver and gold. Though both highly esteemed among men, these have no value until they become currency or are fashioned into an exchangeable manner, but here Peter calls them corruptible, and indeed, anything man assigns value will see corruption.  What a great contrast Peter draws.  To see the richest and most desirable metals of men, when put beside the blood of Christ, which he does next reveals in comparison how awful they appear! 

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  In all of creation, can there be anything more precious than the blood of the sinless, spotless, perfect Lamb of God? 

1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Paul’s epistles were penned by the time Peter began writing, and we know he had access to those letters, (2Pe 3:16) so to hear Peter speak of the doctrines of grace in a similar manner confirms that the two were speaking by the same Holy Spirit, and presenting one doctrine in unity. 

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.   Paul tells us that Jesus must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet.  1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. It is the Father who covenanted with himself to bring about our salvation and redemption through his only begotten son.  We hope and have faith in God, who has reconciled us to himself and even Christ will one day deliver the kingdom up to him. 1Co 15:24 

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:   Peter uses poetic language here.  Our souls were purified by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and as we cannot perform that action in any measure, we are again drawn to the daily performance of service in obedience that helps to keep sin from us, and us from sin, thereby ‘purifying our souls.’ 

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  The word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever is discussed below.

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 

1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.    John calls Jesus the word which was with God, and the Word was God. (Jhn1:1)  Paul speaks of the word in Hebrews 4:12 and here Peter says the word of the Lord endureth for ever.  All three men are speaking of the Living Word, the Lord and Saviour, and not the gospel or written word.  The spoken gospel will come to an end, and the scriptures we now enjoy will not follow us to heaven.  As Peter points out in the verse prior, all the glory of man will wither and fall away. Grass, trees, (paper) papyrus and scrolls will see an end. 

And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.  Jhn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  Every child of God will hear the ‘word’ at the new birth when Jesus speaks life, (John 5:25; 6:63) when the dead hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear, live.  That life-giving word endures forever.  At some point in your natural life, after having heard that heavenly voice, you may hear the good news of the preached gospel, or encounter the written gospel, but it will have no impact if the life-giving gospel has not preceded it.