These verses give us the consequences of holy living in that Peter talks about the attitude of Christians toward one another. After believers have received new life from God, they express this new life in new ways...such as in brotherly love.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (verse 22)
The truth is what searches out motives. It comes from God's Word and is the tool that the Spirit uses to bring about God's desired results in our lives. God produces purification through His Word and His Spirit by our being yielded to the Spirit and not giving is to our own selfish desires and impulses. Purity in the Old Testament referred to ceremonial purification, but in the New Testament it refers to moral purification, being delivered from the power of sin in our lives. As we are obedient to truth, which is the living and eternal Word of God, we are purified and the love of Jesus compels us to love others.
As we yield to the Spirit, the fruit of love for our brothers is produced in our hearts. This happens because we are filled with love for Jesus, which compels us to show love and kindness to others. If we have little love for Jesus, we also have little love for others. As we walk close to the Lord, love for Christ overflows towards others. There is no substitute for love for our brothers in practical, everyday Christianity. How much we give to the Lord's work, and how much time we spend in personal meditation, is without merit if we do not also love and serve others. A Christian without love is not fruitful, or even usable, in God's kingdom.
This love must come from the heart and be sincere. That means it is free from hypocrisy and evil. When love comes from a heart that has been purified, it is genuine...one does not have to play-act. Sincere love is selfless, not self-centered. The love of God sets one free from focusing on one's self and refocuses on meeting the needs of others. Just as Christ gave of Himself sacrificially, we are to follow His example and sacrifice ourselves by serving others with a love that is fervent.
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