1 Peter 1:22 – Having purified your souls by the obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love, love one another fervently from a pure heart.
Our Savior and God has given us the blessed privilege of having relationships that flow from purity and truth (1 Timothy 1:5, 4:12; Philippians 4:8; Matthew 5:8; 2 Timothy 2:22). These relationships are to last forever; and what is more, He commands that we have them (John 13:34, 15:12; 1 John 3:11,23, 4:21; 2 John 1:5). He gave us purity of soul and heart, so the purity of His love might flow through us to everyone we touch.
Redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ has resulted in our souls and hearts being purified. The soul represents the whole of a person’s life, and the heart represents the source from which all things are created in the person’s life. From the heart and the innermost being, the rivers of God’s love flow. His love is to then be expressed through every action of our soul.
We learn to enjoy these kinds of relationships with the Father, the Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, and with one another. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to have this kind of relationship. Jesus modeled for us how these kinds of relationships work; and our responsibility is to commit ourselves now and forever to having them (John 15:13; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:7-8, 4:11; Ephesians 5:1-2).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
