"Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
It's wonderful how time and prayer can help you understand something that was puzzling you you before. Last time I looked at this passage, I couldn't figure out it's relationship to the previous verses. But now it seems so obvious. Verses sixteen and seventeen state that God gives good gifts faithfully and that He was not going to stop doing this because He doesn't ever change.
This verse seems to be an example of something good He has done. "He brought us forth." Does this refer to His creative or regenerative act? Is it corporate or personal? I'm not sure if it's referring to one in particular. Certainly God did it all. He, by His word and according to His will, gave all life and redeems His chosen. But more personally, He gives me life day-by-day, and He has bought me back from the slave market of sin. This was done by His word, and it was His generous, loving, and good will. The second half of the verse seems to indicate that the focus is more on redemption than creation.
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