Peter also spoke to this same cross of Christ compelling love for each other, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,” 1 Peter 1:22
Question 6. According to 1 Peter 1:22, what essential ingredient precedes being able to love others earnestly, as Jesus did on the cross?
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
Purity precedes godly passion. This biblical principle is an essential truth for all who follow Christ and earnestly desire to look like Christ. When we come to Jesus for cleansing by His blood, we are obedient to the gospel and empowered by God's Holy Spirit to love others sincerely from a pure heart.
Jesus Christ obeyed His Father in all things, and most significantly through His death, Jesus evidenced that He loved His family (both temporary and eternal) earnestly and sincerely. The cross teaches us what brotherly, earnest, and sincere love is. It is caring for others, being interested in their well-being, making provision for them, and putting their interests ahead of our own. Pure and sincere love for others is thinking of others and serving them even when we are in hardship. It is supernatural, cross-focused, Spirit-empowered love!
The cross is God's pledge to love, care for, and meet the needs of all who come to Him. By our coming to the cross in these studies, we have heard Jesus pray words of forgiveness for His enemies, speak words of life and hope to the thief dying beside Him, and now we have listened and learned from Jesus' words of love and care for His mother who stood by Him in His hour of death. May God enable us to cleanse ourselves at the cross of Christ, honor our parents, and love our brothers and sisters in Christ sincerely from pure hearts, for His glory.
Question 7. Please share any final thoughts or questions about this lesson:
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
Qynne writes, "I am so falling in love with my Savior all over again! Thank you for helping me turn my gaze upon His loveliness."
Wende writes, "Seeing Christ love and care on the cross motivates me to love more and care more for others. "Purity precedes godly passion", is so true! As I get purified at the cross by acknowledging my sins and failures as He convicts me and receiving His cleansing, I notice I do have a greater desire to love and care for others. Oh the amazing love and work of Jesus also in my heart!"
Shay writes, "I have just come from reading a critique of Christianity on an Islamic apologetics website, which pointed out "contradictions" and unresolved issues of the Bible. One of the things that stood out was that they said Christ was substituted on the cross, and so escaped. Since this was in direct opposition to the truth I learn here, I meditated on what might happen if this did happen. I saw no future for my soul or me, nor for any reason to love or cherish those things I hold dear. I saw no personal relationship with God. I only saw the demanding quite unmerciful face of Allah, to whom compromise is a luxury that he bestows on his faithful who lie and kill in his name. I saw a long blackness in which neither is hope nor peace. Needless to say, I thanked and praised God for reconciling me to Him with the cross, and in particular, to the love that I have now from Him with a pure heart, the very heart of worship to God."