[I assume that you know that the Greek NT was not originally written with the verse and chapter divisions that we have in our English translations. These were added much later by scribes and religious scholars to help us in the reading of the biblical text. In other words, the verse and chapter divisions are not inspired or inerrant, and there is no better example of this than the way 1 Peter chapter one concludes and chapter two begins. There should be no separation!

Two primary themes or topics in this paragraph, 1:22-2:3. Today we will focus on one and next week on the other. Today, we look at Peter’s understanding of the Word of God. Next week, we will look at his exhortation that we love one another fervently from the heart, what this means and how it works out in life.]

Why do I so emphatically stress God’s Word? Why do I preach the Bible the way I do? Why are you unlikely ever to hear me speak without reference to Scripture? Why do I not employ drama or other forms of modern entertainment in my efforts to communicate with you? Is it because I have a big head? Have I been bewitched by all my education? Is it due to intellectual arrogance? Do I simply lack emotions and feelings? Or perhaps I just enjoy the sound of my voice? No!

I preach and teach the way I do and devote my life to the study of God’s Word because of what Peter says about it here in this paragraph. He is not the only one to speak of the power and purpose of God’s word in this way, but this is certainly one of the more pointed declarations of what the Word of God is and what it does and why we absolutely must ground our very lives in its truths.

Today I want us to hear what Peter says, and he says no fewer than 7 things about God’s Word.

Before I say anything about the characteristics of God’s Word, let’s not skip over the critically important fact that is in, indeed, the Word of God. It is God’s Word, not man’s word, not human speculation. We would be in an utterly helpless and hopeless and spiritually pathetic condition if left to our own thoughts and agendas and wisdom.

Let us never forget that what Scripture says, God says. It is the transcript of divine speech. Paul applauded the Thessalonians because, and I’m reading from 1 Thess. 2:13, “when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in your believers.”

When Peter speaks here of the Word of God he probably has in mind both the spoken word and the written word, both preaching and Scripture. We know he has in view the spoken word because he refers to it explicitly in v. 25 as the “good news that was preached to you.” But he also had in mind the written Scriptures. (1) He quotes the OT Scriptures, Isaiah 40, in vv. 23-24. (2) 2 Peter 1:19-21. (3) 2 Peter 3:15-16.

(1) It is an imperishable word (v. 23)

The idea of something being imperishable is profoundly important to Peter, especially here in chapter one. Read 1:3-4 where he says that our inheritance is “imperishable” (not subject to corruption or decay or defilement). Read 1:6-7. Although the word itself is not there, Peter’s point is that our faith is not perishable even though it passes through the fire of testing. Read 1:18-19 where the ransom price by which we are set free from sin, the blood of Christ, is “imperishable” (unlike silver and gold). Read 1:23 he declares that we have been born again of an “imperishable” seed, namely, the Word of God. It is imperishable as contrasted with the grass and flowers that blossom for a season but soon fade away and lose their capacity to enthrall us or satisfy us, both physically and aesthetically.

The gospel message will never die or suffer decay. The written Word that contains this message will never die or suffer decay, notwithstanding all the objections thrown at it by critics and Christ-deniers.

(2) It is a living and abiding word (v. 23)

It is “living” because it has the power to impart life. It is abiding because the life it imparts is permanent and sustained and never dies.

The contrast is not between the Word of God and literal grass and flowers. The latter are cited as representative or symbolic of anything and everything in which we put our confidence. Things that are flashy and exciting and bring initial joy, but over time fade and diminish and lose their capacity to guide us and satisfy our souls. Strength, power, wealth, beauty, fame, etc.

Experts study sociological dynamics and trends in order to set the agenda for how we should do church and organize our ministries. With all due respect to sociology, in ten years studies will show that what used to work is now passé and ineffective. And through it all the Word of God will have remained true and unchanging and ever powerful.

Experts study psychological factors that supposedly govern human behavior and provide us with sure-fire formulas for better living and emotional and mental health. With all due respect to psychology, in ten years new studies and additional research will overturn and veto what was earlier believed to be true, perhaps even offering advice entirely opposite to what we were given years before. And through it all the Word of God will have remained true and unchanging and ever powerful.

Experts study philosophy and political theory and economic trends and church growth models and community dynamics and principles that govern interpersonal relationships. And with all due respect to the brilliance of such men and the short term help they bring us, in ten years the pendulum will have swung back and we will be told to ignore earlier discoveries and to embrace yet another theory of what makes life work and what enhances the testimony of the church and what will serve to improve our physical and spiritual welfare. And through it all the Word of God will have remained true and unchanging and ever powerful.

Why? Because the truths that God has revealed in his Word do not change.

The price of gold may rise and fall. The stock market may be bullish or bearish. Your physical appearance will improve and disintegrate. The loyalty of friends will come and go. Earthly fame will last but for a season. And through it all, the truths and principles and life-giving power of God’s Word will remain.

Let it be the anchor for your soul. Let it be the rock on which you stand. Let it be the compass to guide you through trials and tragic times. Let it govern your choices and renew your heart and restore your joy and ground your hope. Build your life on its moral principles. Embrace its ethical and moral norms. Believe what it says about the nature of God. Believe what it says about the nature of mankind.

(3) It is the instrument for bringing about new life in Christ; it is the means for the new birth (vv. 23 and 25)

What is the “word” that Peter mentions in v. 23 and twice in v. 25? The universe was created by the “word” of the Lord (Heb. 11:3). Jesus is called the Word of God in John 1:1,14. The 10 Commandments are called the “word” of God (Mark 7:13) and the covenant promises made to Israel are also called the “word” of God (Rom. 9:6).

But here in 1 Peter the “word” is the gospel: the good news that God has become human in the person of Jesus, and that by the sinless life of Jesus and the substitutionary death of Jesus and the bodily resurrection of Jesus we may have eternal life if we but repent of our sins and put our faith and hope and confidence in who he is and what he has done. That is the “word” of God.

The means that God employs in his work of imparting new and eternal life to the human soul is the Word of the Gospel that is preached and proclaimed!

The way the Word serves as God’s life-giving instrument in causing us to be born again is by awakening faith when we hear it preached.

James 1:18 – “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.” Not by our own will but by his divine and sovereign will were we born again, and that by the word of truth.

Note also the opening of v. 22 – “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth . . .” Obedience here is a right response to the truth. The “truth” is the word of God, specifically the gospel that was proclaimed (see v. 23 and v. 25). So obeying the truth means believing in the gospel. Read 1 Peter 2:8 and 4:17; 2 Thess. 1:8. So it is the Word of God that both produces the new birth in us and purifies our souls so that we can love one another!

Do you know unbelievers? Family? Friends? Colleagues? Neighbors? Do you long for them to experience the new life in Christ that you’ve experienced? Then they must hear the word of God, or see it, or read it, or in some way come into contact with its truth.

What is our responsibility when it comes to the non-Christian? What are we supposed to do? Tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. Preach to them. Teach them. Share with them. If people are going to be born again you and I must proclaim the gospel.

Then Peter tells us exactly what he is referring to with this phrase “the word of God.” He says in the last part of verse 25, “And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” The good news preached to you—that’s the imperishable seed; that’s the living and abiding word of God through which you were born again. So the way God brings about the new birth in dead, unbelieving hearts is by the gospel, the good news.

Ultimately our lives alone will not bring new life to an unbeliever. Not our good intentions or our sincerity or even our holiness or our love, but the Word of God, the gospel, is the means the Spirit employs to bring life. Contra Francis of Assissi: “Preach the gospel often. When necessary, use words.” No!

(4) It is the catalyst and cause of spiritual growth and maturity (2:2)

Peter is not saying here in v. 2 that the Christians to whom he is writing were newly converted or that they were immature. He says they are “like” newborn infants insofar as they should crave life-sustaining spiritual milk even as a baby craves life-sustaining physical milk from his/her mother. We are all “infants” or “babies” insofar as we’ve all been begotten or born of the sovereign grace of our Heavenly Father.

And it is “by it,” that is, by means of the pure spiritual milk of the Word that we grow up into salvation, that we mature and deepen in our faith, that we come to trust God more and more each day, that we find the strength to resist temptation and the passion to serve the poor and the boldness to reach out to those who have no hope.

God has invested the biblical text with the power to change human lives and transform the experience of the church. If for no other reason we must think about, meditate upon, and study the Word. This is a truth found in numerous other texts.

The Word of God is the spring from which the waters of faith arise. Paul says in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes from hearing" and that hearing comes "by the word of Christ." Skepticism and doubt and anxious unbelief are suffocating the people of God. We desperately need faith and renewed confidence in every promise and purpose of God. But faith doesn’t happen “willy-nilly” or appear miraculously out of thin air like manna from heaven. Faith comes only if and when and to the extent that we hear the word of Christ.

It is from or through the Scriptures that the Spirit imparts perseverance and encouragement. This is Paul’s point in Romans 15:4, "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” So often we want to jump the chasm between our current discouragement and the promise of hope. What we fail to realize is that God has constructed a bridge, not a catapult, for his people. There is no easy way to be thrust across the valley of despair onto the mountain top of perseverance. It only comes if we are prepared to walk on the bridge of God’s written and revealed Word. The fruit of the vine, in this case perseverance and encouragement, is ours only by laboring in the vineyard of God’s inspired Word. There simply is no supernatural shortcut to endurance. We need a disciplined, systematic diet of the Word if we are going to fight successfully to persevere and not quit.

In a similar vein, Paul declares that it is from or through the Scriptures that joy and peace arise. He prays in Romans 15:13 that God would "fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." It is only “as” you believe or “because” you believe or “in connection with” believing that these affections become yours. The point is that God will most assuredly not fill you abundantly with these affections if you don’t believe.

Both joy and peace are therefore the fruit of believing, which in turn yields hope. But believe "what"? Belief is confidence placed in the truth of what God has revealed to us in Scripture about who he is and our relationship to him through Jesus. It is a Spirit-induced knowledge and delight in the person of God as revealed in Jesus, a confident assurance of the promises of God, and a joyful reliance on the power of God to grant us all that is necessary for life and godliness.

This is not some ethereal belief that lacks boundaries and substance. The consistent witness of Scripture is that our belief must fix itself in the foundational truths of divine revelation. We believe all and only what God has revealed to us in his Word. We earlier saw in Romans 10:17 and 15:4 that the Word of God is effectual source of both faith and perseverance. As I said, these virtues don’t fall like manna from heaven. They spring up from the soil of Scripture!

What this means is that “we look to the Word, we ponder, and we plead with God that the eyes of our hearts would be opened to see the superior glory and joy” (Piper, 105).

The problem is that people want joy, peace, and faith without believing, or at least without the hard work that true believing requires. They expect it as their “spiritual birthright”. They pray for it. They are angry with God when it doesn’t happen. But the Spirit, to a large extent, restricts his faith-awakening, joy-imparting, peace-producing ministry to the Christ-centered Word.

The Word of God also accounts for the on-going operation of the miraculous in the body of Christ. We read in Galatians 3:5, "Does he then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"

The instrument God uses to bring miracles into our midst is the faith that we experience upon hearing the Word of God! When we hear the Word of God (in preaching and teaching and private study), our thoughts and hearts become God-centered; our focus is on his glory and thus our faith in his greatness expands and our confidence in his ability to work miracles deepens, all of which is the soil in which the seeds of the supernatural are sown. Apart from the principles and truths of biblical texts, there will be little, long-lasting, Christ-exalting faith; and apart from such faith there can be no (or at best, few) miracles.

It is the Word of God, expounded and explained and applied, that yields the fruit of sanctification and holiness in daily life. Consider the following, taking careful note of the italicized words.

"And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

"In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following" (1 Timothy 4:6).

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Finally, and perhaps most important of all, the written and preached Word is the means by which the glory of God is revealed and imparted to those who listen with faith. This we see in 2 Corinthians. 4:3-6. There Paul declares that

“even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Paul himself literally saw the glory of God revealed in the literal face of Jesus when he was encountered on the Damascus road. That which Paul saw, he now sets forth by means of "the truth" (v. 2) of the gospel addressed to the ears of his hearers (i.e., to the Corinthians, to you and me). When we by grace respond in faith, light from the glorified Christ shines into our darkened hearts (v. 6).

Don't miss this: the glory of God is present in the proclamation of the gospel (4:4-6)! This is why Paul is so appalled at the "peddling" (2:17) and "adulterating" (4:2) of the gospel by his opponents in Corinth. This is not a matter of mere words or a routine speech or a competitive attempt to appear more powerful or persuasive or verbally impressive than the other guy. It is not a platform for a preacher to enhance his reputation or pad his pocketbook or impress people with his eloquence.

A preacher or teacher must never open the Scriptures flippantly or casually, as if setting forth the truths of the gospel were no different from any other form of communication. The same applies anytime anyone shares the gospel with a passing stranger in a restaurant or distributes a tract to a friend. Just think of it: when you speak or write or share the message of the cross, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as revealed in the face of Jesus" (v. 6) is shining forth. What an awesome calling we have! What an exquisite treasure we carry (4:7)!

How does the Bible do all these things?

When we meditate on the Scriptures we see inspired portrayals of God’s indescribable goodness that infinitely transcends anything the physical perks of western society can supply.

When we study and muse on the Scriptures we hear infallible promises of God’s abiding presence no matter how lonely we may feel or how often others abandon us in time of need.

When we focus on the Scriptures we are reminded of stories of God’s faithfulness to others who have faced far worse than we have.

When we memorize the Scriptures we are later reminded of his inviolable purpose to bring us into glory through Jesus Christ no matter how resistant people may be or how determined they are to undermine our faith.

When we open our souls to the Scriptures we are alerted to stirring accounts of God’s power to defeat the most vile and vicious of enemies.

When we pray through the Scriptures we are nourished by poetic descriptions of his majesty and grandeur and love and kindness and splendor and glory.

And when we labor to understand the Scriptures we learn of simple and oft-repeated truths about his compassion for his children and his forgiving of their sins and his covenant faithfulness and his singing over them in passionate, heartfelt affection.

(5) The milk of God’s Word is pure and spiritual (2:2)

Being pure means it is undiluted and lacks imperfection and will not deceive or lead astray. No falsehoods in it. See especially Psalm 19:7-9.

First, "the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" (v. 7a). As for its identity, it is a law, or instruction, pointing us in the direction of what is right and away from what is wrong. It does this perfectly, without the slightest defect, never lacking what is needed to address our circumstances. Its function is to revive our souls, to refresh and renew and to remind us that the pleasures of obedience to God’s law are delightfully superior to all rival claims that would lead us in another direction.

Second, "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (v. 7b). Scripture is the record of God’s own witness to who he is and what he will provide for us in Jesus. This testimony is sure, which is to say it is true in principle and verifiable in life’s situations. The Bible takes the undiscerning, naïve and gullible person and makes him wise. He who is immersed in the Word is equipped to choose wisely where no explicit direction is found.

Third, "the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart" (v. 8a). God’s rules are never wrong. We can always rely on them to provide truth and accuracy. She whose heart is fixed on the precepts of the Lord is never at the whim of public opinion polls or the fickle fluctuations of human advice. In God’s precepts one finds cause for joy and reason for rejoicing. This is God’s remedy for a sinking, sad, broken heart. If your heart is sour and embittered and could use an injection of joy, memorize and meditate and mull over God’s precepts.

Fourth, "the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" (v. 8b). That word “pure” may also be rendered “radiant” (NIV). God’s commandments shine and shimmer and glow and glimmer. They are brilliant and bright and dispel the darkness of human ignorance and senseless advice.

Fifth, "the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever" (v. 9a). David has in mind that fear of God that the Bible produces in us. It is clean both in terms of its essence and its impact on our hearts. Its power and purpose never end; we can always count on God's Word to do its work; God's Word does not change with the seasons or with fashions; it is always "in"!

Finally, "the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether" (v. 9b). What God says in his word is never false or off the mark. His Word is the only barometer for reality. One need never again live in doubt and hesitation concerning what is righteous. Guesswork is gone. The certainty of God’s Word is our foundation.

And the best part of all? The Word of God brings us satisfaction and joy and delight so that we will not be enticed and tempted by the passing pleasures of sin. The laws and precepts and commandments of God’s Word are more to be desired “than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (vv. 10-11).

Yes, there is “great reward” in the treasuring of God’s Word in our hearts. God’s Word rewards you with restoration of your soul, wisdom for your walk, joy for your heart, enlightenment for your eyes, truth you can count on, and the provision of righteousness. Wow!

(6) This Word of God is to be earnestly desired and sought after and longed for (v. 2).

How do you feel about the Word of God? When I hear Peter exhort us to “long for” the Word I am reminded of Psalm 119 and I’m rebuked by the passion of the psalmist:

“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches” (v. 14).

“My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times” (v. 20).

“Behold, I long for your precepts” (v. 40).

“for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love” (v. 47).

“The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (v. 72).

“Oh how I love your law!” (v. 97).

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v. 103).

“Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart” (v. 111).

“Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold” (v. 127).

“I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil” (v. 162).

“My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly” (v. 167).

Peter’s point is simply this: Crave the Word of God. Be desperate for it! Seek it. Yearn for it. Long for it. Desire it. Tolerate nothing in your life that might diminish your hunger for God’s Word.

“But Sam, how can you tell me to desire something I dislike? I can’t just flip a switch in my soul and suddenly long for something that I find boring and dry and incomprehensible.”

True. But you can obey! You can discipline yourself to read and study and meditate and memorize and listen to God’s Word, all the while you trust God to use it to change your desires and to create a new affection in your heart.

What this says is that just as essential as having the desires for the Word that we are supposed to have is having the trust in God that he gives what he commands. If God says to desire, when we don't desire, then we trust him that he must know something we don't know. He must have some power we don't have. There must be a way. God commands it. So there must be a way.

And most often he will do it without you even knowing it. No goose bumps. No chills or physical manifestations or angelic appearances at the foot of your bed. But as you expose your soul to the Word and immerse your mind in its truths, the Holy Spirit will gradually and often imperceptibly reconfigure your thinking and ignite your feelings and recalibrate your heart and stir up a desire for even more.

One man shared his struggles with alcohol / “God, the problem is that I love that stuff more than I love you.” Obeyed command to be baptized. Felt nothing. Weeks later he found himself saying No to opportunities to drink and indulge fleshly desires: “Lord, now I find that I love you more than I love those things.”

If the Word of God is powerful enough to create new life through the new birth, then the Word of God is certainly powerful enough to create desire in languishing Christian souls. If God’s Word recreated you by causing you to be born again, can it not create desire in you as well? Trust it.

This metaphor of longing for “milk” like a newborn infant is easily understood by any parent who has been rudely awakened in the middle of the night by the desperate cries of a baby who is hungry and who simply will not shut up until he/she is filled!

When Peter speaks of “newborn infants” he is not talking about one stage of spiritual maturity, as if to suggest all Peter’s readers were spiritual infants or were languishing in immaturity. All born again people are to be like “newborn infants” when it comes to their hunger for the Word and their dependence on the Word for life and growth. Look at how babies desire milk. Be that way in your desire for Scripture. Feel the urgency that a baby feels when it is hungry. Be as desperate for God’s truth as a baby is for his mother’s milk.

(7) Your craving for God’s Word is the fruit of your tasting of God’s goodness (v. 3).

Why would you want to long for more of God’s Word? You only will want to do this “if” you have tasted that the Lord is good (v. 3)! In other words, what ultimately will motivate you to obey Peter’s command to long for the Word is your prior experience of the goodness and sweetness of God!

In other words, tasting God will make you come back for more! If you are truly devoid of a hunger for God’s Word, it may be due to the fact that you are devoid of any saving experience of God himself.

Why “taste”? Why didn’t David exhort us to “think” or “remember” or some other purely cognitive exercise? “Taste” is the most intimate and personal of all human senses. It is the one sense that entails ingestion, making the experience of God internal to oneself.

The words “long for” and “taste” point to experiences, to emotions, to deep and powerful affections and not mere thoughts. These are feeling words, words that point to an engagement of the whole soul, the heart, mind, spirit, will, and even the body.

Describe “taste” here rather than merely “know” or “speculate” or “think” or “experience”. There is a savoring of the Lord in all his goodness and beauty and greatness that Peter has in view. It is both intellectual and emotional, both in the mind and in the heart. The Spirit has given us new spiritual taste buds when he caused us to be born again and by them we savor the flavor of God! Only if the Lord is your delight and your treasure and your most valuable prize in life will you hunger after his Word and proclaim it fervently to a lost and dying world.

Remember: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him (Piper)! The imagery of tasting makes the point that experiencing God is pleasant and enriching to the soul. There’s a spiritual sweetness to the knowledge of God! God is delicious! Jesus is delectable! It’s as we savor the flavor of his glory and splendor that he is most honored and exalted in us.

This isn’t to say that those who “taste and see that the Lord is good” will be insulated from pain and persecution. Far from it. Their determination to seek ultimate satisfaction in God above all else may in fact expose them to even greater oppression and opprobrium. But it matters little, for abiding in his presence awakens spiritual joys that are incomparably full and spiritual pleasures that never lose their capacity to enthrall and satisfy (cf. Ps. 16:11).

What does it mean to “taste” the “goodness” of God?

• Knowledge of the forgiveness of sins
• The peace that comes from knowing you will never endure God’s wrath
• The presence of the Spirit awakening you to your status as God’s child (“Abba! Father!”)
• The power you experience in resisting sin
• The awe and amazement that fills your soul as you contemplate the moral beauty of JC
• The joy that Peter says is inexpressible and full of glory (1:8)
• The love you feel for God
• The feeling of God’s love for you
• The calm in your spirit from experiencing his sufficiency in the midst of suffering
• The unshakable confidence in knowing that your eternal future is secure
• The excitement you experience in seeing God at work in transforming a friend’s life
• The breathtaking wonder evoked by God’s creative work in nature
• The abiding comfort in your heart knowing that God is present though trials are massive
• The gentle reminders from the HS that God will never leave you or forsake you
• Physical healing
• Answers to prayer

That is just a small morsel of what it means to taste the goodness of God! That is what Peter says will ultimately draw you back for more of God’s Word, for it is in God’s Word that God makes himself known to you and performs his work of grace in you.

Conclusion

The Word of God, whether it is preached and heard or read and memorized is more than simply true. It is effectual. The Word of God does more than merely announce: it accomplishes! It doesn’t just impart information: it creates life! God speaking is God acting (Michael Horton). God’s Word is always carried along by God’s Spirit and empowered to produce what it proclaims.

Consider this story from the ministry of Charles Spurgeon. An aged woman on death-bed told of how she was converted; took out a crumpled piece of a newspaper that had been torn from a page; on it was an extract from one of Spurgeon’s sermons. When asked where she got it, she said it had been used to wrap a gift sent to her by a relative in Australia! Spurgeon preached in London; the sermon was printed and put on a ship for the U.S. Upon arrival in New York, reprinted in a newspaper that eventually shipped across country to San Francisco; from there to Australia; reprinted in an Australian newspaper; thoughtlessly cast aside only to be used to wrap a gift that made its way by ship back to London where the Word of God performed its work in the hands of the Holy Spirit, regenerating her heart!