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  BEING BORN AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED
  by C.H. Spurgeon
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Summary: We are called to live up to our noble birth and immortal
destiny as children of God, embracing our royal priestly dignity and
avoiding the appearance of evil.

Topics: "Christian Identity", "Love Among Believers"
Scripture References: John 3:3, Romans 8:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 4:7, Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:1-2

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DESCRIPTION
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C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the importance of loving one another with a
pure heart, drawing from the divine nature bestowed upon believers as
heirs of God. He compares Christians to royalty, highlighting their
noble birth from incorruptible seed and their immortal destiny, which
should inspire them to live with dignity and holiness. Spurgeon urges
believers to recognize their elevated status and to conduct themselves
accordingly, avoiding worldly behaviors and embracing their identity as
a chosen people. The sermon calls for a deep understanding of one's
regenerated nature and the responsibilities that come with it.

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CONTENT
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Peter most earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other
"with a pure heart fervently" and he wisely fetched his argument, not
from the law, from nature, or from philosophy, but from that high and
divine nature which God hath implanted in His people.

Just as some judicious tutor of princes might labour to beget and foster
in them a kingly spirit and dignified behaviour, finding arguments in
their position and descent, so, looking upon God's people as heirs of
glory, princes of the blood royal, descendants of the King of kings,
earth's truest and oldest aristocracy, Peter saith to them, "See that ye
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 the flesh shall fade, and
even its existence shall cease."

It would be well if, in the spirit of humility, we recognized the true
dignity of our regenerated nature, and lived up to it.

What is a Christian? If you compare him with a king, he adds priestly
sanctity to royal dignity. The king's royalty often lieth only in his
crown, but with a Christian it is infused into his inmost nature. He is
as much above his fellows through his new birth, as a man is above the
beast that perisheth. Surely he ought to carry himself, in all his
dealings, as one who is not of the multitude, but chosen out of the
world, distinguished by sovereign grace, written among "the peculiar
people" and who therefore cannot grovel in the dust as others, nor live
after the manner of the world's citizens. Let the dignity of your
nature, and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ,
constrain you to cleave unto holiness, and to avoid the very appearance
of evil.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ch-spurgeon/being-born-again-not-of-corruptible-seed/
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