Love One Another with a Pure Heart 1 Peter 1:22

Peter desired for the “scattered” Christians to know their “faith and hope in God” was afforded by God raising Jesus “from the dead” which “gave him glory”. In chapter one and verse twenty-two of his letter to them, Peter told the Christians how they were “purified” in their “souls” and should “love one another with a pure heart” where we read:

Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:

The verse begins, “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,...” Peter began with the words, “Seeing your have purified” or “to ceremonially and morally purify and cleanse” “your souls” which refers to “the scattered Christians' “breath of life, vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing, the seat of feelings, desires, affections and aversions” “in obeying” which means “complying, submitting and observing the requirements of Christianity” “the truth” or “what is true in any matter under consideration and in things appertaining to God and the duties of man both moral and religious” “through the Spirit” which refers to “by way of, in and with the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son” “unto unfeigned” which means “undisguised and sincere” “love of the brethren” which is the Greek word “philadelphia” which means “love of brothers or sisters or brotherly love” . The “scattered” Christians were “purified” in their souls which led them to an “undisguised and sincere” love of all the other Christians who are affectionately referred to as “brothers”.

The verse goes on to say, “...see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:” Peter added, “see that you love” which is the Greek word “agapeo” which is “unconditional love” or “to welcome, entertain, be fond of, be well pleased and contented at or with a thing” “one another” which refers to “loving both mutually and reciprocally” “with a pure” or “clean, purified, free from corrupt desire, sin and guilt; blameless and innocent” “heart” which refers to “the center of all physical and spiritual life” “fervently” which means “earnestly and intensely”. Since the souls of the Christians to whom Peter was writing were “purified” by the Holy Spirit, their response was to have “fervent love” for one another.

When we think through these words of Peter, we begin to see how the unconditional “love” of God the Father through Jesus Christ has not only been poured out upon us, but is also to flow through us to others. Our “souls” have been “purified” by the “love of God” through the Holy Spirit, and we should “love” others even as we have been loved. “Obeying the truth through” God's “Spirit” has not only benefited us, but should motivate us to a “pure” and “earnest” “love” for other people, and when it does, we shall fulfill what Jesus said to His disciples in the gospel of John in chapter thirteen and verse thirty-five:

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

Next time Peter shares about being “born again by the word of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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