1 Peter 1:22–2:3 (ESV)

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As I studied this week’s passage, the phrase “sincere brotherly love” captured my attention. I found myself pondering the idea of sibling affection, not because I have a brother, but because I grew up a brother to my sister. When I think about sincere brotherly love I think about the measure of protectiveness that seemed to be naturally sewn into my heart toward my sister. No one had to teach me to be annoyed with her but no one had to tell me to love her either. As with any sibling relationship, we had our moments. But the reality is I love my sister with a love that’s hard to explain.

If you can understand sibling dynamics you can understand what Peter is teaching us this week in the above passage. You see, no relationship forges us quite like a sibling relationship. Equally, no relationship carries us through a time of forging like a sibling can. And that’s the point.

This week we are going to learn that we are being forged in unity. God is forging us together as a spiritual family that is to love one another with gospel affection and mature together as we bond in God’s word. Take some time to read the above passage again and consider the unity we share in Christ. Ask the Lord to prepare your heart to be forged together with your siblings at Mission.

Here’s the worship set to help you prepare as well!

See you Sunday Church,

Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor