Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 14

 We as Children of God are Called to be Holy Part 5

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle Peter now speaks to those scattered Jewish believers 'in Christ' back then and all we true believers who are alive today and those from every era and generation since the Cross of Christ of the extraordinary, exceptional, and extreme results of the miracle of our regeneration, redemption, and resurrection from spiritual death has and is continually molding or forming us into new creatures (that is, a new race of humanity) as we continue down here on the earth as sojourners and pilgrims on our way home to Heaven. The Apostle Peter first declares that we have obeyed the truth and been purified by the truth to be able to love one another 'in truth', as it is written here, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" (1 Peter 1:22) (KJV). The English phrase 'Seeing ye have purified your souls' that begins this verse of Scripture is translated by the Greek word hagnizō meaning to make clean, that is, (figuratively) sanctify (ceremonially or morally). The hearing of the Gospel of Grace and the subsequent repenting of one's own personal sin and believing in the finish work of Christ on the Cross for your own personal sin is the purifying/sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit in the inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 of every redeemed soul. This purifying work of God gives an immediate love 😍 to the reconciled sinner, as it is written with these words by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) (NKJV). We now love what God loves and we hate what God hates. Our love for other brothers and sisters 'in Christ' flows from the love that God has for them that has been shed abroad in our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 and to be honest our love for fellow true believers 'in Christ' is far greater than our love for blood related relatives who do not know Christ through repentance and faith. The English word 'unfeigned' is translated by the Greek word anupokritos meaning undissembled, that is, sincere: - without dissimulation (hypocrisy), unfeigned. The English phrase 'love of the brethren' that follows unfeigned is translated by the Greek word philadelphia meaning fraternal affection: - brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren.

In other words, the love that the True God sheds abroad in our hearts 💕 does not lead us to want to fleece or swindle or con our brothers and sisters (whom Christ loves dearly) out of their money in order to enrich ourselves that we may build for ourselves a kingdom down here on the earth 🌎 as the so-called christian prosperity gospel hucksters do to many well meaning people promising them prosperity for their money sent to them, when in actuality the  only one's who prosper materially are the false prophets/profits who spew this false gopsel throughout the world 🗺. The love that Jesus gives is the love that never intentionally does harm (Romans 13:10) to those whom He loves such as sleeping with a brother 'in Christ' wife or spreading lies or gossiping about a brother or sister 'in Christ' to put them down and elevate yourself or vandalizing anything that is in their stewardship or any other thing through words or deeds that will cause them harm, remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers @ Corinth in his second (2) letter, "We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by PURITY, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by SINCERE LOVE," (2 Corinthians 6:3-6) (NKJV). Those who in actuality who have not this 'love of God' shed abroad in their hearts pervert the meaning of true love 😍 with or by turning it into sensuality by always seeking to gratify the flesh and lead others into this false, fraudulent, and fake love to their own eternal doom and to the same for those who follow after their exceedingly harmful teachings and ways, remember beloved brethren and sisteren what the Apostle Jude said of these people, "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:16-19) (NKJV). Likewise let all of us who are truly Christ' redeemed ones recount, recall, and remember these words written too by the Apostle Jude to us and about us, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 1:20-21) (NKJV).

Here is what John Wesley says of 1 Peter 1:22, "Having purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit, who bestows upon you freely, both obedience and purity of heart, and unfeigned love of the brethren, go on to still higher degrees of love. Love one another fervently - With the most strong and tender affection; and yet with a pure heart - Pure from any spot of unholy desire or inordinate passion." Here is what Adam Clarke says of 1 Peter 1:22, "Having purified your souls, in obeying the truth - by believing in Christ Jesus, through the influence and teaching of the Spirit; and giving full proof of it by unfeigned love to the brethren; ye love one another, or ye will love each other, with a pure heart fervently. These persons, First, heard the truth, that is, the Gospel; thus called in a great variety of places in the New Testament, because it contains The truth without mixture of error, and is the truth and substance of all the preceding dispensations by which it was typified. Secondly, they obeyed that truth, by believing on Him who came into the world to save sinners. Thirdly, through this believing on the Son of God, their hearts were purified by the word of truth applied to them by the Holy Spirit. Fourthly, the love of God being shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, they loved the brethren with pure hearts fervently, intensely or continually; the full proof that their brotherly love was unfeigned, a fraternal affection without hypocrisy. Here is what Matthew Henry says of 1 Peter 1:22, "It is not to be doubted but that every sincere Christian purifies his soul. The apostle takes this for granted: Seeing you have, etc. To purify the soul supposes some great uncleanness and defilement which had polluted it, and that this defilement is removed. Neither the Levitical purifications under the law, nor the hypocritical purifications of the outward man, can effect this. (2.) The word of God is the great instrument of a sinner's purification: Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth. The gospel is called truth, in opposition to types and shadows, to error and falsehood. This truth is effectual to purify the soul, if it be obeyed, John 17:17. Many hear the truth, but are never purified by it, because they will not submit to it nor obey it. (3.) The Spirit of God is the great agent in the purification of man's soul. The Spirit convinces the soul of its impurities, furnishes those virtues and graces that both adorn and purify, such as faith (Acts 15:9), hope (1 John 3:3), the fear of God (Psalms 34:9), and the love of Jesus Christ. The Spirit excites our endeavours, and makes them successful. The aid of the Spirit does not supersede our own industry; these people purified their own souls, but it was through the Spirit. (4.) The souls of Christians must be purified before they can so much as love one another unfeignedly. There are such lusts and partialities in man's nature that without divine grace we can neither love God nor one another as we ought to do; there is no charity but out of a pure heart. (5.) It is the duty of all Christians sincerely and fervently to love one another. Our affection to one another must be sincere and real, and it must be fervent, constant, and extensive.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…