{"id":7156,"date":"2015-10-30T03:15:54","date_gmt":"2015-10-30T03:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=7156"},"modified":"2015-11-03T15:51:28","modified_gmt":"2015-11-03T15:51:28","slug":"1-peter-122-sincere-and-fervent-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=7156","title":{"rendered":"1 Peter 1:22\u2014Sincere and fervent love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart<\/em>\u2026 1 Peter 1:22<\/p>\n

This reminds me of one of my favorite Scriptures, James 1:21: \u201cTherefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls<\/em>.\u201d Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

You cannot be obedient to the truth and at the same time allow filthiness and all that remains of wickedness to continue unchallenged in your thought life or behavior. When a man or woman is obedient to the truth, one of the actions they will embrace is to lay aside all filth and any wicked thing that may be hanging onto their life.<\/p>\n

Receiving the truth of the Word of God into your heart and holding it fast has a profound effect on your soul. James said that such humble receptivity of Scripture on your part is able to save <\/em>your soul\u2014it brings life, stability, and wisdom to your mind and emotions. Peter declared that obedience to the truth actually purifies<\/em> your soul. And Jesus told us, \u201cIf you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;<\/em> and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free<\/strong>.<\/em>\u201d Saved, purified, and free\u2014this is what abiding in the Word will bring to your life.<\/p>\n

\u2026 for a sincere love of the brethren<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

One of the most impressive things I experienced when I was newly saved was the sincere love that characterized the motley crew I joined when I started my walk with Jesus. I heard no backbiting, saw no posturing for attention, and sensed no superior attitudes among the young believers in\u00a0that dorm Bible study. I felt accepted, 100%. Although Jesus Christ was the main attraction, everyone in that little group received plenty of positive, happy interaction. I look back on those days and realize what we were experiencing was koinonia<\/em>\u2014true Christian fellowship. We were totally real, totally accepting, always pressing on to the upward call, and full of the love of the Lord, life, and one another.<\/p>\n

\u2026 fervently love one another from the heart<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I realize now what a rare privilege I had been a part of in the early days of my Christian walk. The potential for koinonia<\/em> is always present where two or more are gathered in His name\u2014but the actual operation of it is not always apparent.<\/p>\n

Peter admonished his friends to fervently love one another from the heart. If koinonia<\/em> was a \u201cgiven\u201d whenever believers gathered, surely they would not have needed the reminder. Today the Church is no different. The \u201cstuff\u201d of koinonia<\/em> is present within all of us who in obedience to the truth have purified their souls for a sincere love of the brethren<\/em>\u2014but there are many adversaries blocking the way to its free flow.<\/p>\n

How do we allow the sincere love of the brethren residing within us to pour forth as fervent love?<\/p>\n

Paul offered a list of behaviors and attitudes native to all of us who are born again. Instead of complaining that others <\/em>aren\u2019t playing nicely, I\u2019m going to let these power points from God correct and readjust me however I need. I\u2019m ready for true koinonia<\/em> again, and I\u2019m willing to do my part. *[Note: The following confessions are\u00a0qualities and behaviors\u00a0I am reaching toward in God; not all of them describe my normal daily behavior. I am still growing. \ud83d\ude42 ]<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 13:4-8<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Love is patient. [I am patient with other believers; I listen to them without anxiously looking around or impatiently waiting for an opening for me to continue talking.]<\/li>\n
  2. Love is kind. [I am not terse or harsh. I consider how I would like to be treated if I was in the other person\u2019s shoes.]<\/li>\n
  3. Love does not envy. [I am glad for others who live blessed lives. I rejoice sincerely for them when they receive what I wish I had.]<\/li>\n
  4. Love does not boast. [I am sensitive that others may not have what I have, and I do not make a big deal out of my own advantages. I don’t seek to make anyone jealous of me.]<\/li>\n
  5. Love is not arrogant. [I realize each one has God-given talents, skills, abilities, or attributes\u2014not just me\u2014and I also realize that I\u2019m not the only one who has a unique place in God\u2019s plan and God\u2019s heart.]<\/li>\n
  6. Love does not act unbecomingly or rude. [I choose to be aware of how my words, actions, facial expression, and body language impact others, and I seek to be in control of what I am communicating. I am not only as shrewd as a serpent, but I am also as harmless as a dove\u00a0in regard to\u00a0other peoples\u2019 dignity.]<\/li>\n
  7. Love does not insist on its own way. [I don\u2019t have to have things go my way to be content or happy. I don\u2019t push my own preferences or agenda as more important than others\u2019.]<\/li>\n
  8. Love is not provoked or easily angered. [I use self-control when I feel I\u2019m about to be provoked and I let go of things easily. For example, if I get served last at a restaurant or my order is mixed up, I don\u2019t blow a gasket.]<\/li>\n
  9. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. [I don\u2019t hold grudges against those who have hurt me. I don\u2019t bring up past wrongs or flaws of those with whom I\u2019m in relationship when they do or say something I don\u2019t like. I don\u2019t pull out the things they once repented of or confided in me about to make me look better than them.]<\/li>\n
  10. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. [I am heartbroken, not giddy, tickled, or ready to dish out the \u201cjuice\u201d when a fellow believer with whom I am not \u201cin sync\u201d stumbles or falls.]<\/li>\n
  11. Love rejoices with the truth. [I am glad whenever truth prevails, miracles happen, bodies are healed, and souls come to Christ\u2014even if it\u2019s through someone whom I perceive as odd, cocky, or a bit off.]<\/li>\n
  12. Love bears all things. [I am able to press on in Christ and to remain kind-hearted even when no one else believes in me or cares much at all about me.]<\/li>\n
  13. Love believes all things. [I believe the Word. I believe in God. I believe in the Son who died for me. I also believe that the same Spirit who lives in me and convicts me also lives in everyone else called by His name\u2026and therefore, I believe He is working in them just as much as He is working in me.]<\/li>\n
  14. Love hopes all things. [I hope in Him, and my hope fixed on Him purifies me. It is an anchor for my soul, bringing me stability and hope for good to come.]<\/li>\n
  15. Love endures all things. [Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ\u2014not tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword (Romans 8:35). I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).]<\/li>\n
  16. Love never fails. [I can fail; but the love of God never<\/em> fails, and His love is poured out in my heart. As I lean heavily on that love, then I will not<\/em> fail.]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Again I ask, how do we allow the love\u00a0that is in us to pour out with sincerity and fervency?<\/p>\n

    We go to the Word and receive His living truth which will transform us day by day\u2014and we act on it as we endeavor to put\u00a0others first.<\/p>\n

    May the Lord direct us all in this.<\/p>\n

    Dorothy<\/p>\n

    …and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.<\/em> Romans 5:5<\/p>\n

    \u00a9 2015, Dorothy Frick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart\u2026 1 Peter 1:22 This reminds me of one of my favorite Scriptures, James 1:21: \u201cTherefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1-peter-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7156"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7166,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7156\/revisions\/7166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}