Having called them to a life of holiness and
reverence, Peter now called on them to demonstrate sincere love for the
brethren. This love must begin from the heart and ought to be a duty that they offer
to each other in the family of faith. For the evident and mark of a true Christian
is love. And it must be love that is sincere and earnest. What Peter said here in
these verses is precisely this: true love is genuine and it comes from the
heart. And it is something that Christians are called to show. Loving one
another should be the natural outcome of one who is born again. How so? Having obeyed
the truth, Christians
would also have purified souls. This would enable them to love the brethren.
In
verse 23, Peter showed that it was the Word of God that brought about the
believers’ new birth. And the Word is seen as seed that is imperishable. And
this Word is also enduring. It gives life and accomplish God’s purpose, and
will never return to the Lord void. This Word will make God and all His
fullness known to us. And since God is also love, the Word will also give us love.
Peter wants us to know that through the Word of God, not only did we gain
Christ but we are also given love.
In
verses 24-25, we find the quotation of Isaiah 40:6-8 that contrast the momentary
makeup of natural things with the permanent quality of the Word of God. Every natural thing will eventually die and
pass away, but the Word of God will never disappear. And this is the abiding,
eternal Word of God that believers heard. We have found life in God through His
Word. So Pater’s point is this, let us then express love in this gift of life.
We should be people who are known for living a life demonstrating the love of God.
Earthly life is short and while we are
here, why don’t we live life to the fullest, expressing God’s love in the way
we live it?
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