Deeply Love One Another

Peter wrote this letter to encourage believers — we still need the same encouragement from the Holy Spirit today. We face similar struggles — because we are human just like they were — our faith is ridiculed and attacked just as theirs was. Peter reminded them and us that God allows trials so that we can be tested. Not to catch us in failure but to strengthen our faith and so that people will recognize God’s power at work in our lives. He makes us holy by the power of His Spirit.

Recap:

The future of HIStory — that’s what this letter points to. Peter encourages them…strangers and pilgrims — “Lift up your head. Read the will and you will find that your inheritance is sure…the Lord himself guards it…today, tomorrow, and forever. Since Jesus has paid the price…we can love and trust Him and we know that our inheritance is fully funded.

His plan saves and keeps us today, while leading us to its intended destination in His presence…at the completion of our salvation. Salvation is past, present, and future.

Since you have been saved and empowered by Christ, you have a sure hope! Keep your head up — be alert and sober — don’t fall back into the life you had before you knew Jesus. Instead…”be holy” b/c He is holy and He enables His own to be holy because of His grace and the power of His Spirit.

Week 1 - “Read the Will, Please!” (1:3-7)

Following God’s call to be a pastor, for me, has always been exciting and a great privilege. It’s an unusual life in many ways — sometimes I wonder if we are making a difference for the Kingdom. Other times the power of God’s hand at work is overwhelming. Regardless, I

For example, over the last 35 plus years, I have been involved with just about every kind of wedding you can imagine. I have performed weddings in churches, back yards, creekside, community centers, golf courses, somewhere on an Air Force base in Japan, even a bowling alley. In other words, I have helped many couples tie the knot. It has never gone off without a hitch.

I performed a wedding yesterday that involved tying all kinds of knots and stepping over a broom. You had to be there. It was actually a nice wedding.

Since Christ paid the price for sin through His suffering, death, and resurrection, your inheritance is fully funded today, tomorrow, and forever.

Here’s the thing, no matter where a wedding happens or how it is done, the most important part is a sincere commitment on the part of the bride and the groom to make this a permanent situation — in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, til death do us part.

A traditional wedding is the culmination of a process — courting, engagement, getting to know both families, and so many other things.

A traditional wedding is the culmination of a process — courting, engagement, getting to know both families, and so many other things. Once they become a brand new creation in Him, with a brand new life: new priorities, passions, hope, and dreams.

Week 2 - “Salvation: Past, Present, Future” (1:3-12)

Love and trust Jesus with unspeakable joy, knowing that His plan saves and keeps us today, all the while leading us to it's intended destination in His presence.

Week 3 - “A Sure Hope” (1:13-16)

The sure hope you have in Christ should powerfully energize you to live in joyful obedience to Him

Today’s passage

Demonstrates how the love we have for God and one another is fueled by the word of truth. The Good news of Jesus not only saves us and brings hope…it creates a passionate love within us, for God and for others.

1 Peter 1:17–21 NIV

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:22 NIV

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Prayer:

1 Peter 1:22–2:3 NIV

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 1:22 NIV

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

1 Peter 2:1 NLT

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

Prayer:

22b “love one another deeply, from the heart”

1 Peter 1:22 The Message

Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it.

1 Peter 1:22 NLT

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

22b “love one another deeply, from the heart”

This one thing enables and us them to love one another deeply, from the heart (can be expressed in several ways): when they obeyed the truth…they were cleansed from their sins. It’s about their foundation…where they got started…Jesus. He is the only reason we can love like this.

The one thing enables them to love one another deeply, from the heart (can be expressed in several ways): when they obeyed the truth…they were cleansed from their sins.

The truth

The Living Word of God

The Enduring Word of God

The Word that was preached to you

Pure spiritual milk

----- The Gospel

Big Idea: When you embrace the Living Word of the Lord, the Living Lord of the Word makes it possible for you to deeply love your brothers and sisters in Christ

,the Living Lord of the Word purifies you and helps you to love your brothers and sisters with a deep

Interrogatory: What is it about the Word of God…the Living Word, that enables us to love so deeply?

The Living Word Purifies

...enabling you to love sincerely

Exposition:

Wherefore, having purified your souls by means of your obedience to the truth, resulting in not an assumed but a genuine affection and fondness for the brethren, an affection and fondness that springs from your hearts by reason of the pleasure you take in them; from the heart love each other with an intense reciprocal love that springs from your hearts because of your estimation of the preciousness of the brethren, and which is divinely self-sacrificial in it’s essence.

love one another constantly

(Wuest’s Expanded Translation) Wherefore, having purified your souls by means of your obedience to the truth, resulting in not an assumed but a genuine affection and fondness for the brethren, an affection and fondness that springs from your hearts by reason of the pleasure you take in them; from the heart love each other with an intense reciprocal love that springs from your hearts because of your estimation of the preciousness of the brethren, and which is divinely self-sacrificial in it’s essence.

The word of God renews, cleanses, and matures us - enabling us to live a life of love

Obedience to the truth stirs up the genuine love of God within our lives.

accepting the message of Jesus Christ and surrendering one’s life to Him

His love transforms…replaces despair with hope, hate with love, deceit with truth

The truth of Jesus’ love

Jesus’ transforming love at work in us motivates us to love brothers and sisters with an intense love

It is intense love b/c that is the kind of love Jesus loves us with

It stretches us beyond what we are able to do in our own strength. The work of Jesus on the Cross naturally highlights God’s love

We are like a plant that leans in toward the sunlight.

This love God gives us supernaturally enables us to recognize the extreme value Jesus places on each one.

We can love like this only because the Holy Spirit transforms us and enables us to turn our back on the old man of when we were lost.

If we find ourselves feeling mostly other things and not love for others…go back to vs. 13

1 Peter 1:13–15 NIV

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

1 Peter 1:13-

Interrogatory: What is it about the Word of God…the Living Word, that enables us to love so deeply?

The Living Word Endures

...enabling you to love constantly

The Living Word Endures, enabling you to love constantly

Exposition:

1 Peter 1:23–25 NLT

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

(Wuest’s Expanded Translation) Having been begotten again through the Word of God which lives and abides: for every kind of flesh is as grass, and its every kind of glory is as the flower of grass. The grass withers away, and the flower falls off. But the Word of the Lord abides forever. And this is the Word which in the declaration of the good news was preached to you.

Love one another constantly

John 1:1 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

produces love for god

produces love for brothers

Interrogatory: What is it about the Word of God…the Living Word, that enables us to love so deeply?

The Living Word Nourishes

Love one another deeply

...enabling you to love deeply

Exposition:

1 Peter 2:1–3 NLT

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Wherefore,putting away once for all, all wickedness, and all craftiness, and hypocrisies,and envies, and all slanderings. As newborn infants, intensely yearn for the unadulterated spiritual milk in order that you may be nourished and make progress in (your) salvation, in view of the fact that you have tasted that the Lord is excellent.

Challenge

What makes the truth of God so powerful and transforming? Because it is not merely ink on paper. These are the words of life. Jesus is the Living word…His actions bring life and hope to the words.

When you embrace the Living Word of the Lord, the Living Lord of the Word stirs within you a deep and sincere love for your brothers and sisters in Christ

The Word of life purifies

When you say yes to the message of Jesus and follow Him…He purifies you — washes away the blackness of your sin and places new garment on you

The Word of life endures

Stay committed to the good news --- the truth — the living word because it is life and it is eternal

Other paths and options fall apart…disintegrate…and even destroy

But the word of the Lord stays and stays and stays — it is eternally established

The Word of life nourishes

When you consistently feed on the Living Word of truth, you will reject the things you used to embrace. You will become more mature, discerning, and humble — able to love deeply because of the transforming power of the Lord working in you.

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