"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Loving One Another Fervently (1:22)

In our last study, we saw that "Proper Conduct As Obedient Children" means:
1.) Not to conform ourselves to the former lusts - 1 Pe 1:14
2.) To be holy in all our conduct - 1 Pe 1:15-16
3.) To conduct ourselves in fear - 1 Pe 1:17-21
Another responsibility we have as obedient children is found in verse 22...“Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:”. Simply stated, we are to "love one another fervently". A closer look at verse 22 reveals:
1) What "fervent love" is
2) And how it is possible for Christians to "love one another fervently"

But before we take that closer look, consider this question. Why is "fervent love" important? Why, because it is a demonstration of discipleship. While Judas had gone to betray Him, Jesus gave a new commandment - Jn 13:33-35 “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say unto you. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” It is a commandment to love one another, even as Jesus loved us. The reason for such a commandment: to convince the world that we are truly His disciples! Where there is no "Christ-like love", our actions betray our words. We may profess to be Christ's disciples, but failure to have a fervent love like Christ had for us will cause the world to doubt our discipleship!

Second, it is a demonstration of spiritual life. "Love of the brethren" is an indication that we have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life - 1 Jn 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.” Failure to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, without any excuse, is an indication that we are still spiritually dead! We will not be able to stand before God in the judgment and offer up any excuse for failure to follw His command "that ye love one another; even as I have loved you,"

Thirdly, it demonstrates our relationship to God. God is love, and those who truly love have been born of God - 1 Jn 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.” Failure to love leaves the impression that we have not been born again and that we do not truly know God! - 1 Jn 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Certainly these three reasons should convince us that "loving one another fervently" is important. But what qualifies as a "fervent love"? What kind of love will demonstrate our discipleship, our spiritual life, our relationship with God? What is "fervent love"? Clearly it is "fervent"! The same word is used in reference to prayer in Ac 12:5 “Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.” There it is translated "constant" or "earnest". Just as the disciples were constantly praying for the release of Peter, so our love for one another is to be "unceasing". Therefore, only that love which is constant and earnest can qualify as "fervent love".

From Barnes NT Notes:
"See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." "The phrase "with a pure heart fervently," means
(1.) that it should be genuine love, proceeding from a heart in which there is no guile or hypocrisy;
(2.) that it should be intense affection, (Greek;) not cold and formal, but ardent and strong. If there is any reason why we should love true Christians at all, there is the same reason why our attachment to them should be intense. This verse establishes the following points:
(1.) That truth was at the foundation of their piety. They had none of which this was not the proper basis; and in which the foundation was not as broad as the superstructure. There is no religion in the world which is not the fair development of truth; which the truth is not fitted to produce.
(2.) They became Christians as the result of obeying the truth; or by yielding to its fair influence on the soul. Their own minds complied with its claims; their own hearts yielded; there was the exercise of their own volitions. This expresses a doctrine of great importance.
(a.) There is always the exercise of the powers of the mind in true religion; always a yielding to truth; always a voluntary reception of it into the soul.
(b.) Religion is always of the nature of obedience. It consists in yielding to what is true and right; in laying aside the feelings of opposition, and in allowing the mind to follow where truth and duty lead.
(c.) This would always take place when the truth is presented to the mind, if there were no voluntary resistance. If all men were ready to yield to the truth, they would become Christians. The only reason why all men do not love and serve God, is that they refuse to yield to what they know to be true and right.
(3.) The agency by which this was accomplished was that of the Holy Ghost. Truth is adapted in itself to a certain end or result, as seed is adapted to produce a harvest. But it will no more of itself produce its appropriate effects on the soul, than seed will produce a harvest without rains, and dews, and suns. In all cases, therefore, the proper effect of truth on the soul is to be traced to the influence of the Holy Spirit, as the germination of the seed in the earth is to the foreign cause that acts on it. No man was ever converted by the mere effect of truth without the agency of the Holy Ghost, any more than seed germinates when laid on a hard rock.
(4.) The effect of this influence of the Holy Spirit in applying the truth is to produce love to all who are Christians. Love to Christian brethren springs up in the soul of every one who is truly converted: and this love is just as certain evidence that the seed of truth has germinated in the soul, as the green and delicate blade that peeps up through the earth is evidence that the seed sown has been quickened into life. We may learn hence,
(a.) that truth is of inestimable value. It is as valuable as religion itself, for all the religion in the world is the result of it.
(b.) Error and falsehood are mischievous and evil in the same degree. There is no true religion which is the fair result of error; and all the pretended religion that is sustained by error is worthless.
(c.) If a system of religion, or a religious measure or doctrine, cannot be defended by truth, it should be at once abandoned. Comp. See Barnes "Job 13:7".
(d.) We should avoid the places where error is taught. Pr 19:27, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
(e.) We should place ourselves under the teachings of truth, for there is truth enough in the world to occupy all our time and attention; and it is only by truth that our minds can be benefited."

Love must also be "sincere". Translated "unfeigned" in some versions. The Greek word literally means "not hypocritical". This makes it clear that "fervent love" is not to be some kind of show, but coming from the heart - Ro 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”

Finally, love must also be "pure". Love of the brethren must always be kept in the context of moral purity. Under no circumstances is our love to be a cover for sexual immorality - Ep 5:2-3 “and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;”. Pure, sincere, fervent love, then, is one that emulates Christ's love, in other words, a sacrificial love! We'll continue this lesson in a second part answering the question 'How do we measure up to this type of love"?