Devotion by Steve Long
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; andeveryone who loves is born of God and knows God.[i]
Jesus’ Apostle, Peter, gives us three ways we are to love each other.
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart[ii]
1. God Wants Us to Love One Another Genuinely.
Do you remember the old western movies and television shows? We would see a whole town full of buildings. Usually there would be a Jail, Telegraph Office, Blacksmith Shop, Saloon, Hotel, Stable, Barber Shop, General Store, and maybe some other buildings. Most of the time, however, these were not real buildings. They were often just framed walls made to look like buildings from the front.
We must not wrongly put on just a show of love. Upon inspection, the façade will be easily recognized by others though we may not recognize it ourselves.
Our love for one another needs to be unpretentious. It must be real – sincere. The word “fervently” can literally be translated as unhypocritically.
Love can be faked, but not for very long. Pretty soon, something will penetrate the façade we’ve erected. Love, or a lack of love, will always be tested. We can feign adoration of others until a real trial comes along. Then our true mettle will be revealed. We must first possess love before we can practice love.
We do not well to continually declare the words “I love you,” unless we have done the deeds which say, “I love you.” “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” [iii]
2. God Wants Us to Love One Another Pure-Heartedly.
Love must go deep down. These Christians of the dispersion[iv] had already been purified. Their souls were in right standing with God. Now it would be needed by them and us to be in a right frame of heart in order to love others well.
If we want to truly love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to have our hearts right with God or we will “burn out” quickly. We should not love others because they are so loveable but because Christ loved us when we were not so loveable.
3. God Wants Us to Love One Another Fervently.
The word fervent is translated from a root that means “to stretch out”. The root word is often said of Jesus who would stretch forth his hand to heal the afflicted. In one place, Jesus stretched forth his hand to heal a man with leprosy (Matthew 8.3). Leprosy was a terrible, dreaded and infectious disease. What would motivate Jesus to stretch out his hand to a contagious leper? Might not the leper contaminate him – not to mention cause him to become ceremonial unclean?
Jesus did not love others from the other side of the universe but deliberately came to this earth to love us with sacrificial love. When he got here, he didn’t love people from the other side of the street, but went to where they were andstretched forth himself. He didn’t just give them a “like” on facebook, but actually came to where they were. He didn’t just say “I love you,” but hestretched forth his hands on a horrible cross so you and I might be saved from our sins.
That is fervent love.
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart[ii]
1. God Wants Us to Love One Another Genuinely.
Do you remember the old western movies and television shows? We would see a whole town full of buildings. Usually there would be a Jail, Telegraph Office, Blacksmith Shop, Saloon, Hotel, Stable, Barber Shop, General Store, and maybe some other buildings. Most of the time, however, these were not real buildings. They were often just framed walls made to look like buildings from the front.
We must not wrongly put on just a show of love. Upon inspection, the façade will be easily recognized by others though we may not recognize it ourselves.
Our love for one another needs to be unpretentious. It must be real – sincere. The word “fervently” can literally be translated as unhypocritically.
Love can be faked, but not for very long. Pretty soon, something will penetrate the façade we’ve erected. Love, or a lack of love, will always be tested. We can feign adoration of others until a real trial comes along. Then our true mettle will be revealed. We must first possess love before we can practice love.
We do not well to continually declare the words “I love you,” unless we have done the deeds which say, “I love you.” “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” [iii]
2. God Wants Us to Love One Another Pure-Heartedly.
Love must go deep down. These Christians of the dispersion[iv] had already been purified. Their souls were in right standing with God. Now it would be needed by them and us to be in a right frame of heart in order to love others well.
If we want to truly love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to have our hearts right with God or we will “burn out” quickly. We should not love others because they are so loveable but because Christ loved us when we were not so loveable.
3. God Wants Us to Love One Another Fervently.
The word fervent is translated from a root that means “to stretch out”. The root word is often said of Jesus who would stretch forth his hand to heal the afflicted. In one place, Jesus stretched forth his hand to heal a man with leprosy (Matthew 8.3). Leprosy was a terrible, dreaded and infectious disease. What would motivate Jesus to stretch out his hand to a contagious leper? Might not the leper contaminate him – not to mention cause him to become ceremonial unclean?
Jesus did not love others from the other side of the universe but deliberately came to this earth to love us with sacrificial love. When he got here, he didn’t love people from the other side of the street, but went to where they were andstretched forth himself. He didn’t just give them a “like” on facebook, but actually came to where they were. He didn’t just say “I love you,” but hestretched forth his hands on a horrible cross so you and I might be saved from our sins.
That is fervent love.
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