SCRIPTURE | 1 Peter 1:22–23 “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a love of the brothers without hypocrisy, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

OBSERVATION | First we learn from the “living and enduring Word of God,” how the Lord commands true believers to “fervently love one another from the heart.” Now, it is good to be sure we understand this word “love.” This is God’s kind of love. This is what is called agape love, and it is much different from the world’s love. God’s love is self-less and self-sacrificial. The worlds love is self-centered and expects others to do the sacrificing for itself. God’s love lives for God’s glory. The worlds love lives for self-glory. God’s kind of love in us comes from God’s love for us. It causes us to love Him and others. But worlds kind of love can make even God’s love for us all about “me, me, me.” The worlds love twists the love of God for us and distorts the faith into its own self-centered love. But God’s love is God centered and others centered (Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 22:36–40). God’s kind of love, loves God’s will and ways. The worlds kind of love, loves self’s will and self’s ways. God’s kind of love is the polar opposite of the world’s kind of love, and if we don’t keep the differences clear we are in danger of mixing them up. If we are going to “fervently love one another,” as we are commanded in this verse, we must love with God’s love and not the worlds.

Second, we learn how we need this God-like-love for a specific group of people, “one another.” Peter is calling his audience to love each other. Who are they? Verse 1 says they are “aliens… who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” These are true believers. And this command to love them if you are one of them is significant.

Nowhere in scripture is it written that we ought to fervently love the world. In fact, God warns that if we love the world, we are his enemies (James 4:4). And lost people are “people of the world.” (1 Cor 5:10) Yet, we are to “love our enemies,” and “love our neighbors” (Matt 5:43). Yet this is a lesser command to love then the “fervently love one another” before us. We learn here how there is a biblical difference between our love for others and our love for follow believers. Jesus says our love for one another is evidence that we are His disciples (Jn 13:35). Our love for other true-believers then is much more deep, serious, and intentional than our love for others in general.

Consider this in connection Jesus command for us to “make disciples.”(Matt 28:20) What is a disciple? How is one made? Jesus says “teaching them to obey all that I command you.” (Matt 28:20) How is that done? A disciple is translated literally as a “student.” Now a student is a student when they first enter some form of education, but to make a student one who obeys ALL that is commanded is maturing and growing process. In other words, it is a long and ongoing process. The beginning, which is conversion, is only the starting line.

The point being, to make a biblical disciple requires true believers to work with “one another” after the moment of salvation. And since the opposite of obeying all that the Lord commands is sin and error, this growth process is not as easy as math or history. Growing as a student of the Lord then is difficult for one another. Hence, the call to “fervently love one another from the heart” is necessary and fitting.

Now, compare an emphasis to convert and “love the lost.” Sounds much easier doesn’t it? Conversion is momentary. Requires no working through sin and error. No teaching of obedience. It also can be easily measured and boasted about by the church. Whereas the Lord instead requires a fervent God-like love to stick with someone through the hard work of growing in faith and obedience. Through the mess and hardships of life. Learning to be a God glorifying father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, friend or neighbor. Learning to be an obedient and holy child of God by faith.

Sadly, it contradicts a God-like love to just see someone get started at salvation and then ditch them to figure out sanctification (growth in holiness) on their own. Notice now how this modern “love for the lost” is really more like the world-like love that was described earlier, than God’s love.

If we are going to be truly obedient to the great commission, it requires “a love of the brothers without hypocrisy, fervently loving one another from the heart.” Without this real and zealous devotion to a love for the brethren, we fail to stick with one another and discipline one another to maturity. We then actually fail what has become the holy grail of missions and taglines for so many churches, the great commission. Because we fail to make true disciples according to Jesus command. According to Jesus Word and ways instead of our own.

Third, if we are going to fervently love one another today, true believers will need to turn away from the sinking ships of the so-called churches who tickle ears, and love and cater to the worldling instead of making true disciples who grow in obedience to God’s Word. If somehow, true believers could find a way to locate one another and group together, though they may find themselves small in number, they will find a real God-like and fervent love present among them. It will radiate through them in a way it cannot among the lukewarm, hypocritical and apostate ear ticklers. It will be a love that crosses all social, economic and age barriers. Why? Because it will be authentic, just as the group’s faith would be authentic. It will be beautiful, and it will be a love that is all for God’s glory and each other’s good.

Fourth, we learn from this passage that such unifying and God-like love begins with purified souls “in obedience to the truth.” In other words, a qualification for God-like disciple-making love is that we first purify ourselves and obey the truth. In other words, the first disciple we ought to be making, is ourselves. That is to say, if we are living willfully in sin and error, we cannot love others fervently and without hypocrisy. As we have seen in the past, aiming for a purified soul is an act of sanctification. As a goal perfection is not required, but reached for. Though this is the goal, we run the race to reach that destination in heaven, at the end of the finish line. It is a growing process. Yet, for the true believer that is is not an excuse to neglect running the race for the prize, but the gracious and merciful love of God that spurs us on all the more.

Our text teaches then, if we are not serious about our own growth of sanctification, we cannot rightly walk along others in their growth with God-like love. This makes sense. If we are not growing in sanctification we are falling back into self-centered ways. So then, we must not ignore the teachings of scripture. Especially those that are hard for us to trust or hard for us to live out. Those are the ones that we need sanctification and purity in the most. We need to boldly put our faith in God and all of His Word, applying even the teachings of scripture that are radically counter-cultural. Even those that will be awkward to live out at first. And it will be awkward at times. Because God’s ways have become the ancient paths of the modern ways of thinking and living. We need a “purifying” of obedience to the whole counsel of scripture. And It is adequate for every area of life and faith.

Fifth, we end with the cause for such love of the brethren. You are to love because, “you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” Our new birth and life which are eternal is what we have received through the Word of God. This is the cause of our God-like love for other believers. In other words, the Word is both the truth we purify our souls with in obedience (v.22) and the Word is the means of our rebirth (v.23). Because of both of these works of the Word we can fervently love one another as we ought to.

Oh, if we could only understand the infinite value of Holy Scripture we would hunger for it more, devote ourselves to it more and live it out more. The precious Word of God is the cause of what causes us to “fervently love one another,” both through justification and sanctification. Being a biblical disciple then, which is the word for learner, causes us have a biblical love of disciples. We learn and grow in the Scriptures, and we learn and grow in our love for one another.

APPLICATION | Have I been born again through the truth of salvation in Jesus as both Lord and Savior the way scripture teaches? (Romans 10:9-10) Have I purified my life in obedience to the Word of Truth? Do I fervently love the brethren, the true church? It not repent, and study the Living and Enduring Word of God. Become a true student of the Word, a disciple. It will effectively transform your life through the power of God, to love God and love others more and more until you do perfectly in heaven.

PRAYER | Father, give me your fervent love for the brethren. Your love for true believers. I know I have failed and disobeyed the truth. My soul is not pure. I need the purifying love of Jesus, the sacrifice of Jesus to wash away my sin. I need the repentance of your Spirit to give me the strength to turn from my sin and grow in purity. Help me to live out the new life I have through Your Living and Enduring Word. So that I might love Your people rightly for Your glory alone. Amen.