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. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:22-23 (NIV)
One of the first evidences of new life is that you feel an affinity with others who have also been born again by the mercy of God. Everyone else who belongs to Jesus Christ by faith is now your brother and sister in Christ, and your holiness is to be worked out in relation to this new family.
In this family of God, relationships will continue in the presence of God forever and ever.
You’ve all been born again, not of a perishable seed, but of imperishable seed. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must learn to love one another deeply now.
The world cannot see God, but it can see that Christians love one another. So Peter says, “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1:22). Love is the heart of holiness. It’s demonstrated in the relationships that grow within the family of God.
No one lives this Christian life alone. You cannot be holy on a desert island. Instead, we are all part of this community that loves one another deeply.
Let the church be like an outpost of eternity, where relationships that will be made perfect in His presence are already begun and reflect the love of the Lord Jesus Christ between brothers and sisters.
Is there a brother or sister in Christ you could reach out to today? Perhaps he or she is going through a trial and could use some encouragement from the Scriptures or some practical help?
