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It's a wonderful series we've been going through in the book of 1 Peter. And this series, I'm going to start another one here, and it's going to take a few parts. Maybe not too long, but call this the supernatural love of God that we're going to be looking at, and in particular, we're going to be looking at fervently loving one another, fervently love one another.
And saying that, so please stand with me in honor of God's holy word. Turn with me to the book of 1 Peter 1, to this wonderful epistle, this literal letter to the saints that was scattered abroad in Asia.
The apostle Peter is speaking through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we're looking at verses 22 this morning, verses 22 through 25. Wonderful text of Scripture. I'm reading from the New King James Translation this morning.
Hear the word of the living God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
Because all flesh is as of grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now, this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
Let's bow just for a moment in prayer and seek the face of our God, and His help by His Holy Spirit within this hour of study, through this text, and as we worship Him. Our Father, as we bow before You in awe and reverence and thanksgiving, Lord, we do so to Your holy word.
Lord, we are to tremble before it, to show great respect toward it, because this is You speaking to us personally. Father, we pray that this, within this hour, help us, Lord, to focus our full attention on the Lord Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased in.
Father, we ask that the help of the blessed Holy Spirit would help us to have ears to hear what You are saying to the church. Lord, give us eyes to see the only living hope that we have. That is Jesus Christ in Him crucified and risen again.
Blessed Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our King, our soon coming King, and Lord, we thank You for this, and may not one of us here in this little building leave the same way we came, but forever transformed by Your power and by Your glory.
Lord, we pray this in Your name, in the name of Jesus, amen and amen. Thank you. You can be seated. There was an old illustration of a Bible truth given to this text that I read from the MacArthur Commentary.
He used it, and I think he's used it several times, but if you haven't heard it, this is going to be a blessing to you. By a man by the name that gave the illustration, William Bilderwolf. He lived in the early years of this century, in the early 1900s, and he beautifully illustrates how Christians should be grateful for what Christ has done for them.
Bilderwolf relates the incident of a construction engineer who was inspecting a building site, and while he was on a scaffold about three stories high, he suddenly tripped, and his body plummeted to the ground in what appeared to be certain death for him.
A workman below happened to be looking up, just as the builder fell, and since he was standing where the man's body would strike the ground, he instantly braced himself, taking the full impact of the falling man.
He caught him, but he was injured.
The builder was only slightly injured, but the workman was driven to the concrete. With almost every bone of his body broken, he walked the streets from that time as an object of pity. Later, an interview reporter asked the man whose life he had saved how he was treating him.
This is so wonderful. The crippled man's reply was, well, he gives me half of everything he owns. I also have a share in his business, and he never lets me want for a thing. He is constantly concerned about me personally, and hardly a day passes by that I don't receive from him some little token of remembrance of his love and gratitude and his goodness.
Such a beautiful story, isn't it? That paints a crystal clear picture of the story and the gratitude that we should have. Oftentimes, believers, unlike the grateful engineer, in this story I've given you this morning, forget that on a hill of the skull called Calvary, there was one who caught the full impact of the falling man, who caught us in his great love and his goodness and rescued us from our sinful weight and saved us as we were on a grease slide to hell itself.
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our focus this morning. He is the person that we want to give attention to in this because He was the one that was crushed in our place as our substitute. God the Father poured out His wrath on the perfect sacrifice because of God's love upon the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world.
Isaiah 53, 4 and 5 says this, Surely He has borne our griefs. He has carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, and notice what he says, smitten by God. This was God's Lamb. Smitten by God and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And listen to this, and by His strikes we are healed.
Soul healing.
Just not physical healing, but soul healing. Jesus came to heal the soul. And as the old hymn says, Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus. How vast, unmeasured, boundless, free, rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me, underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love, leaving onward, leaving homeward, to my glorious home above.
Praise God.
What a glorious story.
And actually that is the gospel. Because it's all about the Lord Jesus Christ and His precious blood that was shed for us. Where the Apostle Peter begins this wonderful epistle as we have been seeing, with a marvelous discussion about salvation, as Brother Keith has brought to our attention.
Because salvation is of the Lord, the scripture says. That's what Jonah said when he was in the belly of the whale for three days. He came to that conclusion. Salvation is of the Lord in this prayer. And God delivered him.
And God spoke to the whale, and as the whale delivered him like a submarine to Nineveh, as he was trying to run from it in Tarsus, and then God transported him in His love and disciplined him, did all this all in one time.
And then the whale spit him out, and then he did God's bidding, and he did God's will to preach to those lost souls in Nineveh. And what a great revival it was. Well, the story of salvation, the story of God's redemption is all about God, isn't it?
It's not about us. It's about God. He redeems us. We have a story to tell. But that's the story we're to tell. We're to give God the glory because the story is focused on God's glory and what God has done through Jesus Christ and His person and His works.
That's the gospel.
You know, beginning in verse 1 in 1 Peter, right through verse 12, I'm not going to read those verses, but Peter tells us of the story of salvation, and now he is talking about the grateful response we should have to salvation, the grateful response we should have.
So we come into more of application here of what Peter is talking about. There is always a perfect order that God gives. He always begins with teaching us the right teaching, the right doctrine, which Paul calls sound teaching, sound doctrine.
And then he brings it right down home to us in practical application where we will understand and take it in our lives that it will transform us, but walk and obey the truth. That's the fruits of repentance.
And this is what he's talking about. Now, first of all, how we respond to God was His thing in verses 13 through 21. We've been looking at that. And there he called us to a proper response to God, responding with a deep gratitude that would lead us to three things.
And we looked at this too. Lead us to three things, which is hope, holiness, and honor. I love those three H's. It helps my little brain to remember these things. I have to have something simple for me to understand and to remember.
And we need that, don't we? Because we have a tendency to forget. So he talks about hope, holiness, and honor. We looked at that. Wonderful study. And now we come to verse 22. The apostle Peter calls for a second response.
Here's a second response. And what is this? This second response is really very practical to us because it's a response toward others. It's the way we treat others. Now, first of all, let me say this.
Our first response is always towards God first. Always towards God. And I remember a teacher telling me this in Bible college. And I never will forget it. And I loved it. And he did it on a chalkboard.
And he drew a straight line. And he said, this is our relationship with God. It's a vertical line. And our relationship with God is upward. And then God becomes downward. That's the first vertical relationship with God.
It's first and foremost. It's supreme. It's the most important. And then he drew another line. Then toward our neighbor, our brethren, which is each other. A horizontal line. And what do you have? You have a cross.
And that is the life, the cross life, in which symbolizes Christianity. And that is symbolic of crucifixion, folks. It's symbolic of self-denial. And it's symbolic also in practical living and obeying the commandments of Jesus Christ.
Because it is He we love Him first because, well, I'm sorry, He loved us first. We love Him because He loved us first. And then our relationship with each other. That's our vertical, horizontal relationship.
I thought that was so good when he first did it.
And I said, wow.
And it seems like every time I go to the Ten Commandments, God deals with the vertical and then He goes to the horizontal. Jesus did similar things in His teaching. You will see that here after a while.
And we are truly, and if we are truly and genuinely grateful for Jesus Christ having caught us when we were falling down, downward to our eternal death in hell, that is, then we should have a proper response toward God.
Always we should have a proper response toward God. And we should also have a proper response toward others. Toward our brethren. Toward our neighbor. It's so important. This is the life of the Christian.
And what is to be our response to one another? That's a good question, isn't it? What is to be our response? And how are we to treat each other? All of us who have been given the gift of salvation by grace through faith.
That is so critical. Well, the answer is given to us in the Word of God in this wonderful text that we have read to you today in verse 22. The Apostle Peter says, Fervently love one another. Fervently love one another.
And the Apostle Peter calls it sincere love of the brethren. Sincere love of the brethren. Love one another. So our response is first toward God in verse 13. Notice with me. Back up a little bit. Therefore gird up the loins.
The loins. What does that mean?
Gird it up.
You know, people back in the New Testament time, the guys had kind of robes and they were loins. And they had to pull them up in order to run. Or they were going to get tripped up. So they had to pull them up.
And this is what Peter is saying.
He said,.
Pull up.
Pull in.
The loins. The loose ends of your thinking.
Pull them up. Pull them up.
And then he says,.
This is the way we should be thinking.
And then he says, Be sober. Be sober. And rest your hope. Another translation says, Fix your hope.
Both is good.
Rest and fix. Rest and fix. Fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And then Peter says this in verse 15. Notice the practical application and the response that we are to have.
But as He who has called you is holy. God is absolutely holy. He is other than. You also be holy. Separated. In all your conduct. All the way we live.
Our behavior.
So that is the right response to God.
Right? It is.
And then we are to have a reverent fear of God. This is missing today, isn't it? We don't see. There is no fear of God before people's eyes. We see this everywhere in our society.
There is no fear of God.
There is no respect toward God. Toward the things of God. You hear God's name blasphemed. You have people just mocking God. But scripture says God is not mocked. God is not mocked. What they sow, they are going to reap.
And if they sow to things that is not of God. Sow to the flesh. They are going to reap corruption.
Right?
But we are to have a reverent awe of the sovereign God. And all of His majesty. Because He is a majestic.
He is a holy God.
Oh how we need this in our day. And oh how the church needs this, beloved. Just not the society, but the church. The church needs a recovery of the fear of God. But in regard to each other. It is very simple, isn't it?
Yet it is very profound. It is simple enough for a child to understand this. But it is so profound. That even the greatest theologian sits back and says.
This is so deep. This is so deep.
Because this is what the scripture, this is what the gospel encompasses. We are commanded to love one another, beloved. I want us to see some scriptures about this. That is the proper fruit of salvation.
That is directed toward each other. It is loving one another. Beloved, this is the great mark. This is the great fruit of the disciple of Jesus Christ. I am telling you. If a disciple, whoever it may be.
May call themselves a Christian. A believer or a disciple of Christ. And if they do not have this mark. If they are not branded. And marked by loving God. And loving one another. I can assure you. They are not a born again Christian.
People say, well pastor you are being judgmental. No, that is basically the fruits. That is the evidence.
Okay.
And it all starts and begins. I am not talking about sinless perfection. We do fall short at times. I am not talking about that. But it is the direction of our heart. It is what we practice in our lifestyle.
Right.
And it is where we are going in that direction. So we are going to talk about that too. So everything else in the passage. In the text we read. Surrounds that very basic principle.
Love one another. Love one another. Love one another.
You see this constantly. Throughout the New Testament. It is repeated over and over. Again and again and again. Throughout the New Testament. And now, not only is it important. For its own sake. In order that we might demonstrate the love of God.
The love of Jesus Christ. That we might benefit and bless and encourage. And strengthen and to assist. And to help the church. The household of faith. I think that is first and foremost. Because Paul the Apostle set that order.
It is absolutely paramount. But it is also loving one another. Just so happens to be probably. The most important thing. Not only to the church. But also to the world. Or on the world I should say. Let me give you a few scriptures to this end.
First John 1334. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is so important. Jesus gives a new commandment folks. And within this new commandment. This is what he said. This is the Lord. This is the head of the church.
This is Jesus Christ. This is God in the flesh. He comes to reveal everything about God. To man and to the disciples. And here he speaks to his own. He speaks to his disciples. The apostles in whom he chose.
And this is what he says. A new commandment I give to you. Notice what he says.
I give.
God is giving.
Giving and giving.
In his teaching. In his life. He is constantly giving to us. And we are the recipients.
We are received.
But we are to obey.
And then he says this. That you love one another. Even as I have loved you. Isn't that tall? God has loved us so much. In Jesus Christ. What did Jesus do? He gave his life. He laid down his life.
For the sheep.
Now he says this. You are to love one another. Even as I have loved you. That you also love one another. Then there is the same commandment. Verse 35. By this all men will know that you all are my disciples.
All men.
Not some.
The world.
All men will know that you are my disciples.
If. If.
There is that if.
Circle that if. If they.
If you have love for one another. A powerful command. It's a powerful command. And all of the important statements. We are known as the disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ on the basis of loving one another.
So important.
Isn't it?
So in this passage of verse 22. Of what Peter is speaking of. I like for us to break some things down this morning. And I'm going to continue this study later on.
Lord willing.
Next Lord's day.
And I think it's going to be a blessing to you. I would like for us to look at three questions before us. Three basic questions. This is not original with me. Pastor MacArthur had this. And I said again.
I cannot. I love the questions this pastor gives. And the reason I picked this. Is because he asked these questions. And the scriptures answers it. I said this is what we need. I don't want to hear man's opinion.
I don't care how smart he is. Or how intellectual he is. I want to hear what God has to say. I want to hear what thus says the Lord has to say. So this is why I chose this. What's the three questions?
From our text. It helps to explain a very practical way. This awesome supernatural love of God. The first one is. When were believers enabled to love?
When?
When were believers enabled to love? The second we will look at is. How are believers to love? How are believers to love? And last we will look. Why are believers to love?
Why? So.
Then we will look at some practical applications. In the third point. I would like to bring out. So let's look at these wonderful questions.
And.
Let's look at what the word of God has to answer to these questions. The word of God.
When were believers enabled to love? When were believers enabled to love?
Well.
Verse 22.
A.
Answers that. Through the blessed Holy Spirit. Notice what the word of God says.
Since.
You have purified.
Your. Souls.
Your souls.
Now.
According to the word of God. The scriptures makes it very clear. That the unconverted person. Is very far. From having this ability. That's a very important word. I like to bring to your attention. They do not have the ability.
Within them. To demonstrate. Or show forth.
Genuine.
Love of God. Now they may be nice. They may give.
Good works.
And good deeds. What I'm talking about is the motive. I'm talking about a. From a pure heart. The bible says. A pure heart. A clean heart. Now again. People can show acts of kindness.
There's common graces there. But the scripture says. That there's none good. No not one.
Because.
Why does the scripture say that?
Within the heart of man. Is a desperately wicked heart. That we cannot trust. You've heard the saying. Trust your heart. You can't trust your heart. It will lead you right to hell. But you can trust the truth.
In the word of God. See the heart is deceitful. We deceive ourselves. And our heart will lie to us. Our own heart will condemn us. But not God. You see the truth will never let us down. So there's a reason why.
The word of God. Says that the heart's desperately wicked. But only a true convert. That's been born again of the spirit of God. Can have genuine love for God and his neighbor. We're gonna see this. But let me first give you a few scriptures.
Concerning.
What Jesus says.
About the heart. And this inability. That we are not capable of loving God or our neighbor. Until there's a new birth. Until there's regeneration.
Let me give you a few.
You might want to write these down. You can follow me if you like. But I'm gonna go through them quickly. In the gospel of John. Chapter 5.
Verse 42.
Jesus is speaking. To the Pharisees of his days.
By the way.
The Pharisees are the religious. Theologians of Jesus day. In the synagogue. They knew it all.
So to speak.
They had all the head knowledge. They knew the law supposedly. But they added to the law. And they added their traditions. But Jesus knew something about them. And their heart. That they didn't even know themselves.
In verse 42. Chapter 5.
Jesus says this.
But I know you. That you do not have the love of God.
In you.
Notice what he says.
Speaks that to the Pharisees. Now the same apostle. Writes in 1 John. Chapter 2. You can turn with me there. 1 John chapter 2. Look at verse 9 through 11. Verse 9 through 11. The apostle John through the Holy Spirit says this.
This is powerful. He who says he's in the light. Notice what he's speaking of. He says. He makes a profession. Talk is easy. Talk is cheap.
Show me your walk.
Anybody can talk to talk.
But what about walking the walk?
He who says he's in the light. And hates his brother. Is in darkness. Until now. He who loves his brother. Abides in the light. And there's no cause for stumbling in him.
But.
He who hates his brother. Notice he keeps saying his brother. Is in darkness. And walks in darkness. And he does not know where he is going. Hey in darkness after all. You're not going to know where you're going.
There's no light.
Because. The darkness has blinded his eyes. The darkness. Has blinded his eyes. Flip over to 1 John chapter 3. Look at 1 John chapter 3.
Verse 10.
This is powerful. You know the book of 1 John. That epistle was actually written. To encourage people of their salvation. That they may know they may have eternal life. It was really to encourage them.
But within these words. Is something so powerful. It's just so exposing people. Who makes false professions. Of faith and does not walk through them. That's what James does. James just opens that wide open.
But notice in verse 10 chapter 3. He says this. Something very similar in what we just read. And this the children of God. And the children of the devil. Now let me stop right there. There's no one else between that.
Other you and people today that we meet. Are children of the living God. Or they're children of the devil.
Whoa.
People don't like to hear that. But you know that's what the bible says. And this is what he says.
They are manifest.
In other words they are proven. They are exposed. And he says this. Whoever does not practice righteousness. Is not of God. Practice righteousness. Nor is he who does not love his brethren. Ravenhill said this.
You're dead to sin. Or you're dead in sin.
There's nothing in between.
Only those two. Okay turn with me to 1 John chapter 4. Now this one even gets a little stronger. And this can be very convicting to our own hearts too. Because this is a soul searcher. Notice what he says.
If someone says.
There he is.
Again he says. They make a profession. They can talk it all day long. That doesn't mean nothing. Show me the walk. He says well if someone says I love God. You hear a lot of people say that don't you.
And hates his brother. In action. He is what? A liar.
Where's liars go? They go to hell.
Folks I didn't say that. That's scripture. Those who practices a lie. And by the way scripture says. Many will believe a lie and be damned. Those who practices a lie. Will go right into the lake of fire and brimstone.
Now folks.
Why?
Because Satan is the father of all lies. And they're children of Satan. And I know that sounds hard. But this is the word of God. There's nothing in between. There's no fence to straddle. There's no gray area with God.
It's black or white. And then he says this. For he who does not love his brother.
There it is.
The brother.
Whom he has seen.
How can he love God whom he has not seen?
Wow.
I'm telling you. If you're throwing darts.
That's a bullseye.
He nails it. That is powerful. And then verse 21. Notice what he says. And this is the commandment we have from him.
Who?
He's talking about Jesus Christ. Remember. All the epistles are commentaries. On what Jesus taught. So the apostle John, James and Peter. Is teaching what Jesus foundationally taught. And he says in this commandment.
And this commandment we have from him. Jesus Christ. That he who loves God. Must love his brother also.
That's how we show people in demonstration.
That we love God.
No matter how unlovable people are. And how they get under our skin. We're to love them with the love of God.
Notice in the gospel of John. Speaking of Jesus.
Let's go.
What did Jesus say? How the response would be. When you are showing this kind of love. You know Jesus speaks more about love and hate. More than anyone else.
And you'll get the truth from Jesus.
Believe me. Because he is the truth. John 15, 18 and 19. Jesus says.
If the world hates you.
Know that it hated me before it hated you.
Oh.
Don't get your feelings hurt.
They crucified him. They hung him on a cross.
If you were of the world.
The world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world.
Because Jesus says. I have chose you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you. Because you're different.
You're supposed to be different.
As a matter of fact. If the world is not hating you.
There may be something wrong.
One more concerning this inability of hearing. Of having God's love. This inability. Romans chapter 8. There's many scriptures I can go to. I want just.
I only had.
I could choose just a few. But Romans chapter 8. Verses 6 through 8.
Don't you love the word of God?
It tells us exactly what we need to hear. Maybe not what we always want to hear. But what we need to hear. Here's the apostle Paul.
He speaks.
To be carnally minded. And that means fleshly minded. Thinking of the world. Thinking fleshly. He says it's death. But to be spiritually minded. Is life and peace. Because the carnal mind. The fleshly mind.
Is enmity against God. And that word enmity means hostile. It's a hatred toward God. It's hostile toward God. This fleshly carnal mind. And he tells us why. For it is not subject. To the law of God. The law of God.
Speaks of God's holiness.
It's not subject to the law of God.
People.
It's foreign to people. Holiness is scary to people.
There's a reason for that.
Nor indeed can be. That's the apostle Paul. Now let me give this simple equation. Which is basically in this text. The person with the mindset on the flesh. Is spiritually dead.
That simple.
And those who are spiritually minded. Have life and peace. In Jesus Christ. This is the believer in Jesus Christ. And it describes every born again Christian. So the person with his mindset on things above.
And things on the spirit. Is very spiritually alive. And at peace with God. And has the peace of God. That passes all understanding. Two different kinds of peace there. First you've got to have peace with God.
Then you can have the peace of God.
You've got to get the first.
Before you can get the second. Well there's one more scripture I'd like to point out. In Luke chapter 11 verse 42. And Jesus again is speaking to the Pharisees. And actually he gives a curse upon them.
A woe to them. That's a curse. He speaks as a prophet here. And he is the great prophet.
There was no prophet like Jesus. This is God in the flesh. He speaks to the religious scribes. And the Pharisees. And the hypocrites of his day. Once again he says. Woe to you hypocrites. You Pharisees.
For you pay tithe of mint. And rue. And every kind of garden of herb. And yet. Disregard justice. And the love of God. You disregard justice and the love of God. He's telling these religious people of his day this.
But these are the things you should have done. Without neglecting the others. Notice how he said that. First he speaks of justice. And the love of God. And he says. These are the things that you should have done.
Without neglecting the others.
In other words. What he's saying to the religious hypocrites. The external show. They were showmans.
Hypocrites.
That's actually. What the word hypocrite means. It means a play actor. Upon a stage.
With a mask.
That's what it's referring to in that day. In that analogy. And we're concerned with the minute details. The hair splitting. The external religion. For show. It was all about them to gain attention. And Jesus said.
You do not have the love of God in you.
And by the way.
They love money too. That was their love. That was their idol. That was their God. Let's take a look at a lot of. So called pastors and preachers today. They love money.
And the love of money.
More than God. And Glenn was talking about this about a week ago.
How a lot of these.
Big shot preachers. Love flying around in their little personal. Learjets. And justify it. In using God's people's money.
Folks.
They're going to have to stand before the one. Who has an eyes. His flame of fire. And stand before him.
For their motives.
And their reasons. And I wouldn't want to be close to them. On the judgment day. I got enough to answer for myself.
And yet.
These showmen.
These play actors. Did not. And could not. Let me say that. They could not manifest. And show God's love. Because it was not within them. Not knowing God. So in contrast.
Jesus declared that.
Love unmistakably. Marks the believers out. As being different.
This is how the world knows.
We're the disciples of Jesus.
By our love. Toward each other. Because it demonstrates our love toward God. By this all men.
Jesus says.
Will know that you're my disciples. My disciples. My disciples. If you have love for one another. We got to make sure. We have this.
By the help.
And the power of the Holy Spirit. So when were believers unable to love? The answer is. At salvation.
When they were born again.
Let's look at this. At salvation. The believers in Christ received the capacity. To demonstrate the supernatural love towards God.
And toward others.
And how do we know this? One of my favorite scriptures. When I was first born again. And I memorized this one.
I love it.
Says it.
Now hope does not disappoint. In Romans 5. Hope will not disappoint you.
The love of God. Has been shed abroad in our hearts. That's the old King James. But you know what the new King James is? It has been poured out. It's almost like a pouring. God has poured his love. Within our new hearts.
By the Holy Spirit. Who was given to us. It was a gift. In other words. This means that. God's love has been lavishly. Poured out. And overflowing within your hearts. When you're born again.
God literally pours his love.
Within your hearts. Praise God. And I cannot help but think about the. Parable of the lost son. I can't go through this whole chapter. But you know the story. And it's one of the most powerful stories of redemption.
In Luke 15 verse 20. And he the prodigal son. When he rose. And came out of the pigsty. And he came to his father. And it says. His father was there waiting for him. But he was still a great way off. And his father saw him.
He saw him.
He was watching him.
He was waiting for him to come.
And the Bible says.
And Jesus says.
To this sinner. He had compassion. And the father literally runs. He ran. And he fell on this. Filthy prodigal son's neck. And he kissed him. Now you know that kiss. Was a lavish love. Jesus has given us the picture of the loving.
Attribute of God. To the Pharisees. Who said. He eats with sinners.
He eats with sinners. Stay away from him.
See they were self righteous. In their pride. And then Jesus gives this beautiful parable. One of the greatest parables ever told. But the point is. That the father's love. Is that he saw. This stinky prodigal son.
Full of shame. The father had been waiting. And looking for his son's return. And the father ran. And fell on his neck.
And he kissed him.
And in the original.
It says.
He kissed him. And kissed him. And kissed him. And continued kisses him.
The Bible says.
Where they kissed the son.
But do you ever think about the father.
Kissing you.
Kissing a prodigal.
It's beyond us.
How great is the father's love. And as the father's eagerness. And joy by the way. At the son's return. Is unmistakable. The father lavishes his. This wasteful and shameful son. With great love. Great love of God.
This is the story of redemption. It's about God's love. The love of God. An attribute that. Sets God apart. From all other false gods. And demons. That men. And demons would think of. God longs to see those wicked sinners.
Come to repentance. Turn from their sin. And in heaven. There's great joy. Over one sinner that repents. More than all 99 righteous. That don't need repentance.
Oh don't you love it.
That's the gospel. Yes amen. Strike the choir.
And sing it.
Hallelujah.
Dine the glory. Amen.
Oh beloved.
What a savior we serve.
Amen.
Jesus is a great savior. We're back to 1 Peter. Verse 22.
Let's look at this.
Since you have purified your souls. The text says. Since you have purified your souls. And obeying the truth. Let me tell you a little bit about this word purified. It is a perfect participle. That describes a past action.
It's a past action. With continuing results. Don't you love that. In the original. It's a past action. A participle that. And it has continuing results to it. Not only did God cleanse the Christians. In pure past.
But he also gave them a new capabilities. For the present and the future. How do we know this? Well the prophet Ezekiel. Prophesied of this. As he looked forward to the spiritual reality. In which Jesus would fulfill.
Through the promise. He is the promise. That will fulfill that. And when he prophesied this. Of what God would do for the believers. Under the new covenant.
Ezekiel 36.
A very familiar text.
But I love this.
And let me share something here with you. As I read this. Notice there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I wills that God will do. God says I will.
I will.
God does it.
God does it. And by the way it shows you. That only God can supernaturally. Create a new heart.
And give a new heart.
And notice.
This is the new covenant.
The promise of the new covenant. That is fulfilled in Christ. Chapter 36. Verse 25 through 27. He said this. Then I will. Sprinkle clean water on you. And you will be clean.
There is another will.
If you want to put 6 there. Then God says. I will cleanse you. From all of your filthiness. And from all of your idols. When God does a cleansing work. He does a thorough job.
Moreover.
I will give you a new heart. And I will put a new spirit within you. He not only gives us a new heart.
A heart of flesh.
He gives us a new spirit. And then he says. I will remove the heart of stone. It is like a heart operation. Spiritually. And remove the heart of stone. From your flesh. And give you a heart of flesh. And again.
He says. I will put my spirit within you. And notice what he says. Cause you to walk in my statutes. And you will be careful to observe all my ordinances.
I am telling you what. Those 3 verses are power packed. They are loaded.
But that is regeneration.
That is what God does.
Beloved.
This is the miracle of the new birth. This is what Jesus was talking about in John 3. Something only God can do. And no one can do them for themselves. Only God can do this. We must turn from our sins.
And there is a side that we must receive him. But even in that. God is first seeking you. And God has taken the initiative. Because God is the lover of the soul. Your soul. And he comes after us. I am telling you.
If it was the other way around.
We would never go to God. But God comes after us. He is the seeker. Not us. John 1, 12 and 13. But as many as received him. That is Christ. Received him. Jesus Christ. To them.
He gave.
There he gives.
He gives in salvation. I don't see nothing here about making a decision for Christ. He gave them the right. The privilege. The authority. In other words. To become the children of God. To those who believe in his name.
And who were born.
Listen to this.
He is talking about being born again.
Who were born.
Not of the blood.
Not of blood. Nor of the will of the flesh. Nor of the will of man.
But of God.
Born of God. Says it right there.
So.
On the surface. The word purified. Peter is talking about. May seem to refer to a human action.
But it is not.
On the contrary. It actually refers to a fully divine work of God's grace.
There is a reference. I like to point to this. Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
I love this.
1 Corinthians chapter 1. And notice. What the apostle Paul says.
About.
This.
That we are only to glory in the Lord. In our calling. And in our salvation. Notice what he says in verse 26 through 31. He speaks to these Corinthian believers. They were very immature. They were very carnal.
Minded. He said it straight. For you see your calling brethren. Speaks to the brethren.
That.
Not many wise. According to the flesh. Not many mighty. Not many. There is some. But not many. Not many noble or called. This speaks of an actual calling. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world.
To put the shame to wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world. To put the shame to things which are mighty. Why does God do this? So that people will glory in God. That God alone gets glory.
That's the focus of the Christian life. And in verse 28. And the base things which are of the world. The things which are despised. The things which are despised. God has chosen. And the things which are not.
To bring to nothing. The things which are. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Verse 30.
But of him.
Of him.
Of God.
You are in Christ Jesus. Who became for us. Wisdom from God. And righteousness. And sanctification. And redemption. That as it is written.
He who glories.
Let him glory in the Lord.
Praise God. See we give God the glory for this.
As we continue on here.
We must go on.
To look.
Our next point is this.
The next question. Who are believers to love? Who are the believers to love? Well the text gives us the answer. Since you have purified your souls. And obeying the truth.
Through the spirit.
Sincere love of the brethren. Of the brethren. That's who we are. And salvation. Believers become members. Of the body of Christ. They are baptized into Christ. Into the body. It's by the work of the Holy Spirit.
The church. Not talking about just the visible church. Even though there's a place for that. But the invisible church. Which are the saints of God. The holy ones. The called out ones. Which then becomes.
Really.
The target for.
The new spirit.
Empowered capacity to love.
This is talked about. A genuine love.
A real love.
Not something that's forced. Not something that's. Coerced. But a choice. The kind of love. That can respond to a command. And this kind of love. Is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
That's the very fruit.
Verse.
Fruit. Of the spirit that is given. If you look at that. Closely.
The fruit.
Of the spirit. Singular. It doesn't say fruits.
Plural.
In other words. It's like a huge cluster. That's all one. Bound together. Then you have faith. And meekness. And gentleness. And kindness. It all flows out. From that great love of God. That's poured out in our hearts.
Isn't that wonderful?
It is from God. And it comes from above.
Above.
Every good and perfect gift. Comes from above. From the father of lights. Which is no variable. And there's no shadow of turning. It's from the heart. And it's.
It comes out of the heart. Because God has given us. A new heart. It cannot come out. Of a stony heart. A stony heart. Does not have the capacity. To love. Apostle Paul says. In Romans.
Twelve.
Nine.
Let love be without hypocrisy. Let love be without hypocrisy.
This love is. Prevailing.
Standard.
For the believers.
Romans.
Ten.
Be kindly affectionate to one another. With brotherly love. And honor. Giving preference to one another. Notice how many times he mentions.
Brotherly love.
And honor. Giving preference to one another. So there's at least. Let me very quickly go through this.
There are four Greek words. For the word love.
I think this is very appropriate. For valentines. People need to know. What the real and the best love is. From the Greek. And from the word of God. And by the way. Not all of these words. Are used in the New Testament.
And we will see which one that is it. Let me give them to you very quickly. The first and the highest form. And the greatest. Of course is. Agape. Agape.
Agape.
This is God's love. And it's a love that involves. Self-sacrifice.
Giving.
It's sacrificial.
It is the love that is without hypocrisy.
That does not.
Have showmanship behind it. Its motives are pure. It is the New Testament believers virtue. Which centers completely on the need. And the welfare of the one love. And does whatever necessary. To meet those needs.
That is the love of God. It's hospitable to one another. Without grumbling. Wow. That's convicting isn't it. We're to be hospitable to one another. Without complaining. Without grumbling. First Peter 2.
4 and 9.
It is the opposite of fear. It is the opposite of fear. There is a lot of fear today. The Agape love of God. Is the opposite of fear. In 1 John 4. 18 and 19.
Says.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love. Cast out fear.
Fear involves torment.
Fear gives torment.
It will torment you. But he who fears. Has not been made perfect in love. When we love him. Because he first loved us. Because God's love. Children of God. Does not fear. Because. That love builds confidence.
And banishes fear.
And you know.
This is actually the kind of love. That the Apostle Paul spoke of. In 1 Corinthians 13. You can turn with me there. This is the Agape love. I love the old King James translation. Charity. Because it seems like.
That word charity. Is not used much in our day. But it separates. What people would say. If you mention charity today. They look at you.
What? Charity.
You mean giving something.
Well yeah.
Charity is really giving. Sacrificially.
You mention love today.
We'll look.
In a few minutes. At those other Greek words. What people think of love.
It's not the love of God. God's love is the Agape.
Paul says this.
In 1 Corinthians 13. The love chapter of the. Of the Bible. Though I speak with the tongues of men. And of angels. And I have not love. I have not charity. I have become a sounding brass. Or a clanging cymbal.
Just a big noise. That's all you are. That's what he's saying. Though I have the gift of prophecy.
Oh my.
You can prophesy.
You can preach.
And I.
I can understand all mysteries. All the mysteries. And I have all knowledge. And even though I have all faith. So that I can even remove mountains. Notice what he says.
If I have not love.
If I have not charity. I'm nothing. Boy he gets to it. That nails it. You're nothing. We're nothing.
Unless we have God's love.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor. You could do all these things. And though I give my body to be burned like a martyr.
But I have not charity.
Have not love. It profits me nothing.
There's no profit in it.
And then he gives us the heart of this chapter. Love suffers long. Is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. It is not puffed up. No pride folks. Does not behave rudely. Boy that's convicting.
How many times have we been rude this week?
Lord help us.
Does not behave rudely. Does not seek its own. It's not provoked. It thinks no evil. It does not rejoice in iniquity. But rejoices in the truth. It bears all things. It believes all things. It hopes all things.
It endears all things. Love never fails. But whether there is prophecies they will fail. Whether there are tongues they will cease. Whether there is knowledge it will vanish away. For we know in part as we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come. I think about Jesus Christ. Then that which is in part will be done away. And when I was a child. I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. And though I was a child.
But when I became a man I put away childish things. And now we see in a mirror dimly.
But then face to face. And then I know in part. And then I shall know. Just as I am known. And now abide.
Faith. Hope. Love.
And these three. But the greatest of these is love.
That's powerful isn't it?
R .C. Sproul says that's the most convicting chapter in the word of God.
I believe it.
I don't know about you.
That walked all over me. Well that's agape. The next Greek word.
Very quickly.
The next Greek word is phileos. Phileos means affectionate regard. This is the kind of love that's derived from the word philodephia.
That's where we get the philodephia.
Translated brotherly love.
Philodephia is the city of brotherly love. That's where they got that. It's a Greek word.
That refers.
And it's referred to in Romans 12 10. Another Greek word is used for love.
It's phileo. Phileo.
Storgas. Storgas.
Phileo storgas. Not the best on pronouncing Greek. But bear with me.
I give you the meaning though.
That means a family affection. We have a family affection. That kind of love toward our family. And that is very strong and binding. But it is translated a kindly affectionate in Romans 12 10. The word of God speaks of it.
Now this is interesting. The last Greek word is the most known in the world. But in the word of God it does not even mention it. That's interesting isn't it? It's the word eros. Eros.
It's the word when we get erotic.
Erotic.
And then that erotic. If you notice these porn sellers and the people of these porn shops. You always see this word.
Eros. Erotic.
It's lust.
That's right. It's self-centered. It's all about the lust of the flesh.
The New Testament does not even mention that word once. In that sense.
Of that love.
Because it's not love.
Lust.
Does not even appear in the New Testament.
Does that say volumes? Well so the greatest proof of truth of the gospel message is. The reality that Jesus is love.
And that love.
Agape believers show toward demonstrate to each other in truth. Paul said it. Speak the truth in love. Demonstrate this. Even when you speak truth.
Warn them. That's loving. Because.
The one that loves you the most warns you the most. I got a rooster. He warns me every morning. I mean he's waking me up. But he's out there saying something. Sometimes I think he's.
Brother Keith.
I love what he says. His interpretation. He's a leader of the choir.
You know.
Trying to get all the other birds to sing.
You think about the rooster crowing when. Peter denied Christ. Every time I hear a rooster crow. I can't help but think of that. Jesus laid down his life for the sheep.
Well my last question is. How are believers to the love? And this is really comes to our application. And I need to squeeze this in very quickly.
How?
Well Peter says through the Holy Spirit. One translation says through the Holy Spirit. Love one another fervently. With a pure heart. That's our answer. Right there. The agape kind of love. The love of God.
Is exercised by the will. Rather than the emotion. It's a love of willing. Rather than feeling. Now folks. You know how we are.
We're very fickle.
We.
Cold or hot.
Whether that you.
Be cold or hot. Not lukewarm. But we can get very lukewarm too. I heard an illustration one time. You could put a frog in water. Ice cold. And then turn up the temperature. To boil him alive. And he'd never know it.
And the worm can get comfortable. With that frog. And the next thing you know. He's burned up.
Boiled.
That's a meaning to that. We do not need to be.
Lukewarm.
God help us. God save us from lukewarm. Norness. We need to return. To our.
First love.
Jesus.
Said this kind of love.
The love.
That is a choice. It has no strings attached.
But he says the word.
Fervently.
And I want.
To draw your attention to this. In application. This is a word in the greek. That terms. It means to stretch. To the furthest limit. Of a muscles capacity. That's what fervency means. In the greek.
I want to say that again.
It stretches to the furthest limit. To a muscles capacity. And let me give you a metaphor. From the scriptures. The word means to go all out. It means to reach. To the furthest extent. Of something. And in luke chapter 22.
Verse 44.
When jesus was praying. In the garden of gethsemane. And he was in the olive press. And the wrath of god. Was about to be poured on him. On the cross. As he was going to be crucified. He's in agony.
Pain.
And he prayed more earnestly. Folks we would have backed off. Jesus when he saw it coming. And all that he was going to take on him. He went a little further. Like no one else could.
And he prayed more earnestly.
And then his sweat. Literally became like. Great drops of blood. Falling down to the ground.
That's fervent praying.
No one had ever.
Ever touched that. True fervency in praying. Oh god help us. And jesus agonized. Over his approaching death. Taking the wrath. And the full weight. Of our sin. And the effects. Of god's wrath upon him.
Because of his great love.
Toward us.
But because of his. Hatred towards sin.
Horrible sin.
Because it was our sin. That nailed him to the cross.
Agony.
Jesus went a little further. He went all out. He went to the fullest extent. That's fervency.
Such love.
Peter says it in 4 .8. Above all keep fervent. Your love for one another. Because love covers a multitude of sins. Now Peter is not suggesting that.
One.
One Christian loves. Atones for another Christian sins. He's not saying that. There's only one that atones for our sins. And that's the blood of Jesus. But rather what he's saying is. It's introducing a proverb.
And he says this. From Proverbs 10 .12. He's reminding us that. Love does not stir up other sins.
We are to hate it.
And we can demonstrate. Our love for our fellow believers. By truly forgiving them. And not talking openly. About the past sins. That are so horrible to god. It's love in action. Well love covers a multitude of sins.
Psalms 40 .8. I delight to do your will. Oh my god. And your laws within my heart. Romans 8 .2. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Has made me free from the law of sin and death. Proverbs 4 .23.
Keep your heart with all diligence. And out of it springs.
The issues of life.
Now in my conclusion. I'll give you a story. I think it's a beautiful story. Go with me to Luke chapter 10. Very quickly. Luke chapter 10. How are we to love? That Jesus tells us plainly. And he gives an answer here.
And I think going to the words. Of our Lord Jesus Christ. We're always very safe.
Oh my goodness.
Are we?
And behold. In verse 25. Behold a certain lawyer stood up. And tested him. Saying teacher. What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
What a question.
He said to him. What is written in the law? Jesus comes back with another question. What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? He asked him personally. What do you read of it? So he answered and said.
You shall love the Lord your God. With all your heart. And with all your soul. With all your strength. And with all your mind. And your neighbor as yourself.
He knew that.
And Jesus told him.
And he said to him.
You have answered rightly.
Do this.
And you will live.
Obey.
Do it.
But he wanting to justify himself. Said to Jesus. And who is my neighbor?
Oh wow. What a question.
Who is my neighbor then?
You know how Jesus is. In his perfect wisdom. Jesus answered and said. A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among thieves. Stripped him of his clothing. Wounded him.
Departed.
Leaving him half dead. And now by chance. A certain priest came down that road. First it speaks of the priest. And when he saw him. He passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite.
When he arrived at the place.
Came and looked. And passed by on the other side. A priest and a Levite. Jesus is talking about something. Then a certain Samaritan. A half-breed. A reject. As he journeyed.
Came as he was. And he saw him.
And had compassion.
And he went to him.
And banished his wounds. Pouring oil and wine. He set him on his own animal. Brought him to an inn. Took care of him.
And on the next day.
When he departed. He took out the two denarii. Gave them to the innkeeper. Said to him. Take care of them. And whatever more you spend.
When I come again.
I will repay you. So which of these three.
Jesus said.
Which of these three. Do you think was neighbor to him. And fell among the thieves.
And he said.
He who showed mercy on him. Compassion. Then Jesus said to him. Go and do likewise. Folks I believe that says enough for us. Go and do likewise. If you see someone in need.
Go and do likewise.
If you see a need. Meet that need. Fervently love one another. With brotherly kindness. Peter says. Add to your godliness. Brotherly kindness. We are adding to our brotherly kindness.
Love.
So the command to love one another. Is the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. So when did we come.
Able.
To love.
At salvation. Who are we to love. One another. How are we to love. From the heart. A clean heart. A pure heart.
Let's pray. Our Father in heaven. We thank you. First of all. For your great love toward us.
Lord.
We stand in awe. Of that great love. This morning. In the presence. Of a wonderful God.
That showed love.
To undeserving. Sinners like us. You demonstrated. And send in that great gift. The greatest gift that you had. That was your one and only son.
Lord you loved us.
So much. Actually the word. You so loved the world. God so loved the world. That you gave.
You gave.
You're giving and you're giving and you're giving constantly.
No one can out give you. Your only begotten son. That whosoever believes in him.
Will have everlasting life.
So Father.
How rich.
How measureless. How strong is your love. It will forever endure. The saints and angels song. A great love. A kind of love. That you showed and demonstrated to us. And even those. That nailed you to the cross.
You said Father forgive them. For they do not know what they do.
Help us Lord.
To love the unlovable. Just not to those.
That love us.
Because you said. Your son said. What reward do we have? Lord we need to love those that don't love us.
And those that hate us.
And Lord we know that. That takes your supernatural love. Help us.
We pray. Teach us oh Lord.
By your spirit.
To live.
Live each day.
To show love.
To all those.
In the household of faith. But also in the world.
That may know.
We are. Your disciples.
For your glory.
And I ask this. In Jesus name.
And amen.