1Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
First, the assumption for those being addressed is they have acted in obedience to the truth. This means they have heard the gospel, have acted in faith through the work of the Holy Spirit, and are in the process of sanctification, learning to be more like Jesus.
The readers of Peter’s letter have developed a sincere kindness and affection towards those who are of the same mind – the ‘one anothers.’ This love is intentional and pure. The KJV says, “love one another with a pure heart fervently”.
Obedience begins in a heart yielded to God’s commands. We hear His truth, we understand His truth, then we act upon His truth in obedience. These actions look different than the world’s actions. And they result in love for one another. There is a recognition we are all in this together, seeking to walk a path honoring to God.
Because obedience to truth is essential, we are challenged to consider our own response to the Gospel.
How has God, through the work of His Holy Spirit, manifested His love in your heart?
Have you yielded to His commands; are you striving to follow God in all circumstances?
Obedience involves action and it may not always be what we would choose. Consider this example – you offer your help to someone, and they willingly accept. This alone may take us by surprise because we can easily say words which sound good but have no sincere meaning. Sometime what someone needs is a bit more time consuming or difficult than what you anticipated.
We might love one another the way we think we should, when it fits into our schedule or comfort, but what about loving one another the way God tells us to? It takes effort to obey the truth. Our response often is to watch out for self first or to act based upon our feelings. We have a built-in protection mechanism of survival and preservation. However, when we recognize that our true value is in Christ, a heart of humility softens our selfishness. This means you will be pleased to sit and talk with someone – even if they say the same thing over and over – and you will be pleased to scrub a floor for someone – even when your own floor needs attention. You will be pleased to spend time with those who are ‘difficult’ and those who are ‘easy’. Yielding to God will result in a genuine sacrificial love for one another.
Try consistently praying for your own heart towards those whom you have a ‘difficult’ relationship. For myself, God is always faithful to change my heart and attitude towards individuals, even to the point of feeling genuine care and concern. This truly is remarkable when you realize God has replaced animosity with care having fixed your own problems. This is only from the work of the Holy Spirit and is a testimony of your salvation.
The KJV uses the word unfeigned in 1 Peter 1:22. Its meaning is ‘without hypocrisy’ or ‘without dissimulation’. There is no deceit or ‘hidden’ agenda for self-gain in this type of love, only a sincere desire to see another’s best interest.
Consider our greatest example of love. Read Paul’s words to the church at Thessalonica, “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for [anyone] to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another”, 1 Thessalonians 4:9.
Sincere love is genuine. It is honest. It does not seek to give a false impression. It must come from the heart before resulting in action. Otherwise it is a façade. Picture a historic mining town. There are several you can visit in California, and some have preserved their history well. Many of them have a similar look with the center of town lined with buildings where all mercantile transactions took place. The fronts of these stores look very detailed and have exquisite framing and fretwork. It is obvious that skilled carpenters put their creative thoughts into making each building look unique. However, if you walk around to the back of these buildings, what you see is that each is roughly the same – a square or rectangle shape with a façade on the front. Sincere love does not act so that others might see, it acts so that others might be blessed.
What do we learn about love from God?
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Philippians 2:5-8
Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Love is sacrificial. Sincere love for one another does not differentiate between background, race, appearance, social status, accomplishments, or anything that might set us apart in the world. It does not judge an individual who thinks different than yourself. Sincere love is possible because a believer recognizes that each person has the singular need of God’s redeeming love which is available only through the sacrificial offering of His Son. There is no distinction in our need of a Savior. We are all saved through the blood shed of Jesus Christ. No matter who we are, what we have done or where we have come from, our destruction is imminent without God’s act of great love for mankind. We are destined to wrath if we do not accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus.
Take the wealthiest, the poorest, the highly-educated, the non-educated, the largest, or the smallest – the Gospel is the same for everyone and it is received in the same manner for everyone, by humbly admitting the need for a Savior and accepting Jesus’ death and resurrection as a gift from God. Truly, not one individual is better than another or has more importance when all are bowed at the foot of the cross.
Consider what it requires to prefer another above self.
Perhaps even when you are tired and feel you have nothing else to give, you may need to stretch and give just a bit more.
Preferring others above self may mean setting aside your schedule for someone’s need at that moment.
Think about your willingness to forego ‘your time’ to respond to a request for help. Are you willing to sacrifice your comfort to serve others? Practically speaking, many of the things I might need to get done will wait without much consequence. We need to be willing to give up our own interests, our rest, and our comfort, to help another. While we may not be able to ‘be there’ for everyone, we do not want to miss the opportunities that are placed before us.
Do you sincerely love your brothers and sisters in Christ, preferring their needs above your own?
1Peter 3:8-9 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
1Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
1John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
Hearing, understanding, and responding to Truth produces faith which leads to repentance resulting in a soul purified, yielded in obedience and characterized by a sincere love for fellow believers. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says, “Love to the brethren is the evidence of our regeneration and justification by faith”.
We are to ‘fervently’ love one another from the heart. This is intentional love, characterized by purpose and willingness to labor for one another; having a strong and tender affection for one another. Perhaps one of the greatest proofs of God’s work upon a heart is the love and kindness shown toward another. Those individuals Peter addressed had been following the world in their deeds and desires. Their repentance and trust in Christ should have turned them from selfishness to service. Peter challenged them in their obedience to the truth, to love one another fervently.
Fervently means we intentionally love one another. Our love is purposed, more than just talk, but accompanied by action. Love takes the time to consider what would encourage someone and then it follows through with a plan. Intention with no action has no value. Sincere love has a heart that desires to see others prosper. Love takes sacrifice and selflessness.
We are only able to love from the heart sincerely and fervently because of our relationship with Jesus.
