19. Fervently Love One Another

1Pe 1:18-25  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  (20)  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you  (21)  who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.  (22)  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,  (23)  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,  (24)  because "ALL FLESH IS AS GRASS, AND ALL THE GLORY OF MAN AS THE FLOWER OF THE GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND ITS FLOWER FALLS AWAY,  (25)  BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Introduction

Never in my lifetime have I seen the country more divided. Let’s see if I can get all the divisions straight. The is black vs white, there is men versus women, straight versus gay, rich versus poor. The liberals and media have us so divided that the country does not know who to trust and heaven help you if you don’t walk in lockstep with whatever division you are supposed to be assigned to. Blacks are vilified and called traitors to their race if they voice a different opinion. Women who choose to be stay at home moms are vilified for their choice in our society today. And white men, everyone is supposed to hate you. Why has it gotten to this point? How has it gotten to this point? In this past election cycle family members were disowning each other over not holding the same political views. Back in the 80’s there was a political movement called the moral majority. Their agenda was to pass laws that would make people conform to an outwardly high moral standard. Looking at where we are now almost 40 years later and I would say they were not successful. Again we have to ask ourselves why? The text this morning gives the answers to that question.

To give a summary of the verses we read: 1Pe 1:22-23 form one sentence, and the imperative "love one another" is its heart. The new life should be lived out in a community setting; it requires relationships of mutual affection among the brethren as the members of God's family. Peter reminded his readers of their experience of inner purification (1Pe 1:22a), emphasized the urgent duty of mutual love (1Pe 1:22b), and explained that regeneration is the basis that enables the Christian to love (1Pe 1:23-25). 1Pe 1:24-25 are an illustrative expansion of the teaching of 1Pe 1:23.

There are two points this morning.

1. The Inward Reality. 2. The Outward Action

I. The Inward Reality –

When we read this text our first impulse is to look at this first phrase and ask the question do we actually purify ourselves? The short answer is no, if you look at verse 23 we see ‘having been born again’. We are passive in that process just as a baby is passive in the natural birth process. In verse 3 of this chapter Peter tells us that ‘according His abundant mercy He has begotten us again to a living hope.’. But there is human agency and activity otherwise there would be no commands. We believe, we exercise faith. Hebrews 11 is called the hall of faith and those listed are commended for exercise of their faith. The prophet Daniel was called highly esteemed of the Lord. Why? Because of the exercise of his faith. We are not the authors of it, faith is the gift the Father bestows through the Spirit, but we exercise it otherwise there would be nothing to commend in the epistles and yet the writers do commend them.

Col 1:3-4  We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,  (4)  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

What do they give thanks for? Their faith in Christ and love for the saints.

So the inward reality is that our souls have been purified, not by us but by the One who alone is able to Purify. 1Pe 1:2  elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. What does purify mean? The root word describes what that which is morally undefiled and when used ceremonially describes that which has been so cleansed that it is fit to be brought into the presence of God and used in His service. James uses this root word for purity in his list of characteristics of heavenly wisdom

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

It describes a purity which affects not only a person’s motives but also their conduct. In short, it is a verb used in Scripture to describe ceremonial and/or spiritual purification and addressing both the external and internal aspects of our being. The noun form of this word is translated as holy. We have seen just a few verses earlier that we are to be holy in all our behavior. The meat of the matter is that our souls have been purified. We have not only been redeemed, having a change in our status, but we have been purified, a change in condition. The instruments for temple worship in the OT were ritually cleansed (purified) to make them fit to be in the presence of the Lord in the temple and also make them fit for service in the temple.

This reminds us of verse 2. Sprinkling of blood in the OT was for 3 purposes. 1. It was for the institution of the OT. The people were sprinkled with sacrificial blood. 2. It was for the priesthood which ministered begore God in the Temple worship. 3. It was for ritual cleansing of the leper that had been healed. Leprosy is an outward picture of decaying flesh pointing to the inward reality of the souls moral decay. Our sprinkling with Christ’s blood is our purification from our sin.

Since we have been purified, we have been made fit homes for the Spirit of God that dwells in us. 1Co 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Since we have been purified we have been made fit to serve our God. 1Pe 2:5  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

This again points us to the beauty of Christ. It reminds me of the words of the hymn – Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain He washed it white as snow.

The verb is perfect tense meaning that it was a one time act with on going consequences. It underscores the permanence of the once for all transaction of salvation. he present context of 1Pe 1:22 describes an internal, supernatural cleansing which occurred when they received the living and abiding word and were caused to be born again by God (1Pe 1:3).

In Obedience to the Truth

We have been purified in our obedience to the truth. The obedience" denotes the needed human response to the hearing of the gospel message. Our obedience is not in itself the instrument or means that procures purification; it designates the needed human response to the message which enables the Spirit to purify. EX: The Philippian Jailor ask Paul and Silas, ’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And their response was believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved. Obedience is the intentional, thoughtful listening to instruction and willing submitting to the instruction to completion. In this context obedience is synonymous with faith. There are some that make an unbiblical distinction between the two. James makes it perfectly clear. True faith will be accompanied by works of faith. Jas 2:14-19  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  (15)  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,  (16)  and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  (17)  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  (18)  But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  (19)  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

The truth is in this context is the whole of this first chapter but not only of this chapter but whole council of God as found in the Old and New Testament . Not only believing the gospel but living the gospel. And what does obedience to the truth produce? A sincere love of the brethren. But isn’t the OT out dated and no use to us today? Isn’t it all about the Law and no grace? Jesus was asked what the two greatest commandments were. Mat 22:37-40  Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

It is in the Law of God that teaches us how to love our neighbor.

II. Outward Action – sincere love of the brethren

Truth has a purifying and separating power, removing all obstacles to the exercise of brotherly love, such as selfishness, obstinacy, self-sufficiency, men-pleasing, ambition, flattery, in fact, all manifestations of egotism. This chapter has been a chapter of contrasts: perishable with imperishable, what is precious in the sight of God and that which is precious in the sight of men, there is a contrast of live as well. Verse 14 not conforming to our former lusts but the call to be holy in verse 15. This sincere love of the brethren stands in contrast to our former lusts. Lust is not love, it seeks its own fulfillment, has at the center self rather than others. Paul lays this out clearly.

2Ti 3:1-5 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. (2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, (4) treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

This is not a sincere love of the brethren. This is nothing more than a counterfeit, the giving of love to get something in return. When we first moved Dubai there were all kinds of street vendors. My dad had purchased a really nice Seiko watch and had gotten this really sweet deal. That is until he inspected it more closely. It is not a Seiko S-e-i-k-o but a sieko – s-i-e-k-o. Looking on the back he read that it did not have 19 jewels as advertised, but 1. Just like counterfeits are known for it was a cheap replica of an expensive watch design to take advantage of the ignorant. This is the love of the world. But having our souls purified by the truth gives us a un-hypocritical genuine brotherly affection for one another. Peter moves from stating the fact of their sincere brotherly love to an imperative.

love one another fervently with a pure heart

The word for love in the command is different than the word love in ‘sincere love of the brethren’ The love of the brethren is phileo love – brotherly love. Peter does not dismiss it as lesser, he commends it but commands us to a higher kind of love beyond brotherly affection. Agape love is that love which is given without merit and seeks the highest good in the one that is loved.

1Jn 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Paul defines this love in 1Co 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; (5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We have already seen an example of this in Peter’s letter in Christ’s redeeming us. We are our Father’s children and as he has loved us so we are to love one another. And not just a little, not on low heat, but with the fire turned all the way up. It is not just going through the motions but is from the heart. This love is not based upon the whimsy of a feeling but rather with steadfast commitment to one another.

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Application: Our faith is exercised in the community of believers. It is in our love for one another that we stand in contrast to the world. It is in our love for one another that marks us as Christ’s disciples.

Joh 13:34-35  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  (35)  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

It is a love that requires us to be obedient to the truth and in order to do that we must become students of what the Scripture says. The focus is obedience not knowledge. You can have knowledge of the Scripture without obedience to it but you cannot have obedience without knowledge. Obedience is simply practically working it out in our day to day lives. Will we do it perfectly, no, not all the time, but as we work we will get better at it.

May he who has purified our souls grant us grace to grow in our fervent love for another from our heart.