1Pe 1:22-23 | KingComments | STEP | . After the impressive words in the previous verses about the work of Christ and the wonderful results it has for those who partake of it, it is not a surprise that an appeal follows for “a sincere love of the brethren”. You have not reached your destination yet, you are still on the way to the inheritance. In the world you are a pilgrim, but you have a company in the world where you are at home. On the way to the goal you see brothers and sisters around you, people who have the same goal in mind. They are the objects of the same love of God and redeemed by the same Lamb. In their company you feel the warmth of brotherly love. Your presence contributes to the temperature of the brotherly love, for brotherly love is mutual. It receives and radiates warmth. The call comes to you as a person whose soul has been purified “in obedience to the truth”. You have recognized yourself as a sinner in the light of God’s truth and in obedience you have confessed your sins to God and have been converted. That has done a purifying work on you ( ). You have become pure, you have received a pure heart. In practice it becomes visible in sincerely loving your brother and sister. The brotherly love is a proof of the new nature. You love your brothers because they are born of God ( ). The fact that Peter speaks about ‘sincere’ love of the brethren, makes clear that it is a true love, love without hypocrisy and without pretense. Hypocrisy, pretending to be someone you’re not, belongs to your former life. Therefore, in the company of brothers and sisters it is not about a little, dull love, but about ‘fervent love’ to one another. It is a command to love one another intensely. That excludes that we love each other dutifully. Neither should insincere motives or impure intentions play a role in this regard. It should be love that comes from a pure heart. . In a pure heart there is no room for sin; it is a heart that lives in fellowship with God. That fellowship started with having been born again. This new birth is a birth that has been worked by God’s Word and God’s Spirit ( ). The Word is the seed that was sown in your heart and out of which the new life has been developed. The Word of God has life in itself. That life is not “perishable”, transient, but “imperishable”, everlasting, as God Himself is the imperishable, everlasting God ( ; ). When He gives life, it is the life from Himself that of course also has His features. . That life is in huge contrast to the life of the man who is not born of God. This contrast you also see in the quotation from the prophecy of Isaiah ( ). From the quotation it becomes clear what natural man is like as originated from perishable seed. The life of a natural man is like grass and like the flower of grass. It is a metaphorical illustration of a life in which everything looks prosperous and wonderful, but if you look at it closely it is momentary and its loveliness quickly fades away. . In contrast to that life Isaiah does not present the life from God, but the Word of God. The life from God is inseparably related to the Word of God. We have received the new life of the new birth only because God has revealed His Word to us by preaching. That Word has worked the new life in us and therefore that life endures forever. It cannot perish, just as nothing of God’s words can perish. The new nature endures forever, for that is as imperishable as the Word of God. Now read 1 Peter 1:22-25 again. Reflection: How do you express your love to your brothers and sisters?

‏ 1 Peter 1:22-23

Brotherly Love and Born Again

1Pet 1:22. After the impressive words in the previous verses about the work of Christ and the wonderful results it has for those who partake of it, it is not a surprise that an appeal follows for “a sincere love of the brethren”. You have not reached your destination yet, you are still on the way to the inheritance. In the world you are a pilgrim, but you have a company in the world where you are at home. On the way to the goal you see brothers and sisters around you, people who have the same goal in mind. They are the objects of the same love of God and redeemed by the same Lamb. In their company you feel the warmth of brotherly love. Your presence contributes to the temperature of the brotherly love, for brotherly love is mutual. It receives and radiates warmth.

The call comes to you as a person whose soul has been purified “in obedience to the truth”. You have recognized yourself as a sinner in the light of God’s truth and in obedience you have confessed your sins to God and have been converted. That has done a purifying work on you (Jn 15:3). You have become pure, you have received a pure heart. In practice it becomes visible in sincerely loving your brother and sister. The brotherly love is a proof of the new nature. You love your brothers because they are born of God (1Jn 5:1).

The fact that Peter speaks about ‘sincere’ love of the brethren, makes clear that it is a true love, love without hypocrisy and without pretense. Hypocrisy, pretending to be someone you’re not, belongs to your former life. Therefore, in the company of brothers and sisters it is not about a little, dull love, but about ‘fervent love’ to one another. It is a command to love one another intensely. That excludes that we love each other dutifully. Neither should insincere motives or impure intentions play a role in this regard. It should be love that comes from a pure heart.

1Pet 1:23. In a pure heart there is no room for sin; it is a heart that lives in fellowship with God. That fellowship started with having been born again. This new birth is a birth that has been worked by God’s Word and God’s Spirit (Jn 3:5). The Word is the seed that was sown in your heart and out of which the new life has been developed. The Word of God has life in itself. That life is not “perishable”, transient, but “imperishable”, everlasting, as God Himself is the imperishable, everlasting God (Rom 1:23; 1Tim 1:17). When He gives life, it is the life from Himself that of course also has His features.

1Pet 1:24. That life is in huge contrast to the life of the man who is not born of God. This contrast you also see in the quotation from the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa 40:6-8). From the quotation it becomes clear what natural man is like as originated from perishable seed. The life of a natural man is like grass and like the flower of grass. It is a metaphorical illustration of a life in which everything looks prosperous and wonderful, but if you look at it closely it is momentary and its loveliness quickly fades away.

1Pet 1:25. In contrast to that life Isaiah does not present the life from God, but the Word of God. The life from God is inseparably related to the Word of God. We have received the new life of the new birth only because God has revealed His Word to us by preaching. That Word has worked the new life in us and therefore that life endures forever. It cannot perish, just as nothing of God’s words can perish. The new nature endures forever, for that is as imperishable as the Word of God.

Now read 1 Peter 1:22-25 again.

Reflection: How do you express your love to your brothers and sisters?