“You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other 1DEEPLY WITH ALL YOUR HEART. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, LIVING WORD OF GOD.” (1 Peter 1:22-23) 1anupokritos: without dishonest intentions, genuine love.
Just how important is this? “…now I am giving you a NEW COMMANDMENT: Love each other. JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, you should love each other. Your love for one another WILL PROVE to the world that you are MY DISCIPLES.” (John 13:34-35)
If this is true and we know that it is because Jesus is, The “…way, the TRUTH, and the life.” (John 14:6) If we DO NOT love one another like Jesus loves us, then we PROVE that we ARE NOT His disciples! “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, for GOD IS LOVE.” (1 John 4:7-8)
“DO NOT BE DECEIVED…” (Galatians 6:7)
-Bill Stockham