22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:22-23
The process of sanctification comes with obedience to the truth of God’s word. The truth is the simple fact that we ought to love God and love our neighbors as summarized by Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:37-40. Here in this context, Apostle Peter emphasizes on loving one another sincerely. The audience of this letter were facing verbal abuse, threats and attacks from their outside neighbors; and in that, their obedience to this truth was tested. Their sanctification depends on the obedience of this truth of loving the unlovable and bearing the pain of severe persecution. It was God’s will that they remain with their fellow neighbors and live to love them instead of trying to pursue sanctification by isolating themselves from the world.
It is important to note that the Spirit brings about the new life (John 3:8), and it is the Spirit that prepares the heart to receive the seed of God’s Word to grow and bear much fruit. The action of pure love is the outcome of the Spirit’s work and God’s word. They cannot be separated. The term used here for the Word is “imperishable” and “enduring” which signifies that the Word has the power to survive through all testing and trials. It is this Word that will take the believers through the severe challenges of faith and living.
