Love the Brotherhood I. Introduction A. John 13:35, 1 John 4:7-21 1. One of the things for which Christianity is well-known is the command to love 2. The love for enemies is counter-intuitive and always counter-cultural (Matthew 5:44) 3. People, at least in theory, can get behind the idea we should love everyone 4. Yet we see a continual emphasis in this command in the New Testament as we see in John 13:35 and 1 John 4:7-21: the importance of loving one another B. 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 2:17, 1 Peter 4:8 1. This emphasis on loving each other is pronounced in 1 Peter 2. We do well to explore why it is that Peter emphasizes the need to love the brotherhood and to love fervently from the heart 3. From these verses let us explore the importance of loving the brotherhood in light of our standing as “elect exiles” (1 Peter 1:1) II. Loving Fervently (1 Peter 1:22) A. Peter first mentions the importance of loving each other in 1 Peter 1:22 B. Placement in Argument Flow, Substance 1. Peter began by speaking of the Christians as “elect exiles” (1 Peter 1:1) a. He thus establishes a posture he maintains throughout the letter (1 Peter 1:17, 2:11, 5:13) b. Christians as in exile or sojourn, as Israel was in exile in Babylon, informs how Peter wants the Christians to see themselves in their environment c. Christians are in sojourn as people who cannot return to their former lives, not in terms of conforming to their environment (Romans 6:20-21, 12:2, Colossians 1:13) d. Christians are in exile as people whose loyalties are elsewhere, in the Kingdom of heaven, and not with those among whom they live, not in terms of pining to return to their former lives before Christ (Philippians 3:20-21) 2. Peter opened with encouragement for Christians enduring trial, emphasizing the hope of the resurrection and the wealth which comes from a purified faith (1 Peter 1:3-9) a. All Christians do well to remember and ground themselves in the confidence of the hope in our salvation, but this is especially acute when undergoing trial b. Likewise, understanding trials of faith as purifying and sanctifying has great value and helps us endure (cf. James 1:2-4) c. This confidence of the greatest importance if we will endure as exiles 3. He continued with our confidence in the Gospel and its value (1 Peter 1:10-12) a. Another comfort is the endurance and strength of the message of salvation b. When one feels out of place, to hear that the people of God beforehand are really speaking to us, to make known the things of the Christ, and that even angels yearn to investigate these things provides a sense of community and continuity 4. He exhorts Christians as those living as sojourners/exiles to be holy as God is holy, to remember that God judges without partiality, and to conduct themselves with fear (1 Peter 1:13-17) a. Having provided strong comfort and strength Peter establishes a core principle of the exiled Christian’s posture toward those among whom he lives: in holiness and reverence toward God b. He or she must make good on being lights of the world (Matthew 5:13-16) c. It would be easy to withdraw into smug arrogance, overly confident of one’s salvation on the basis of one’s election, the trap into which Israel fell d. For many reasons we must see ourselves as sojourners and exiles, “unlike” those among us, but we must never go so far as to forget that God loves those among us as well and would have them become saved and thus “like” us (1 Timothy 2:4) e. And so the Christian life must manifest the Christian witness 5. It is within exhortation to recognize the great value of the redemptive blood of Christ and the eternal quality and duration of the Gospel, the word of God, that Peter encourages Christians to love one another (1 Peter 1:18-25) a. It is important for the mostly ex-pagan Christians to understand that return is not an option and to recognize the great value of the blood of Christ b. We do well to remember that as ex-pagans, persecution is a new experience; it may be old hat to Peter and his fellow Jewish people, but religious persecution was not something the pagan would have endured! c. Thus, not only does Peter establish the greater value of Jesus and His blood, but returns to Isaiah’s message to the exiles in Babylon, that the grass and flower of the field, representing Babylon and the nations, fades, but the word of YHWH, now in the Gospel, endures forever (Isaiah 40:6-8) d. Thus the persecuting forces will not endure forever; the cultural attitudes they endure will not remain forever; the Gospel will endure! 5. Not only are they to love one another and to do so fervently, but they do so because they have purified their souls by obedience to the truth eis, unto unhypocritical love of their brethren (1 Peter 1:22) a. Peter thus provided a directional understanding for the Christian b. To what end do Christians purify their souls by obedience to the truth? Unhypocritical love for each other c. Such is what it is all about in the end! C. Hope -> Salvation -> Holiness -> Redemption -> Brotherly Love 1. Peter encourages Christians as exiles, and so we can understand his exhortations in terms of how to live as exiles in the land 2. Much of his exhortation provides scaffolding of encouragement and strength: the hope of the resurrection, value and power of the Gospel and redemption 3. Peter contextualized their trials as crucibles in which their faith would be made pure and holy 4. Peter began to set forth the posture Christians manifest to those outside: holiness in the fear of God 5. Yet to what end? So as to manifest love toward each other in our posture we are to manifest inside! D. Peter’s conception seems radical to us, for it is quite out of place in what has passed for the American religious landscape 1. For generations Christianity maintained a strong social prestige; it was assumed that one would be at least nominally associated with a Christian church or denomination, and most disputations were among different understandings of Christianity 2. In such an environment social pressures drove a type of membership in a congregation, emphasizing the importance of being there and professing Jesus 3. Such an attitude easily morphed into a “country club” understanding of the church as membership in a voluntary organization, in which monetary participation guaranteed certain membership benefits; the group was validated in its standing and salvation by its existence and maintenance of certain dogmatic principles; there was little, if any, perceived conflict between participation in such a religious organization and full participation in American culture E. Yet now we live in a time apocalyptically prophesied for some time in which Christianity, even if tolerated, is increasingly seen no longer as a societal good but as antagonistic toward cultural harmony and consensus 1. We do well, therefore, to return to Peter’s conception of our situation! 2. We are as exiles and sojourners: we are not going to be completely comprehensible to our fellow man, even if we share much in common 3. Instead we are going to receive indifference or antagonism from those without; toward them we must manifest holiness and fear of God 4. Yet toward one another we must love unhypocritically, recognizing that those in the church are our fellow people sharing in something more precious than anything which might divide them (Ephesians 2:11-18)! 5. Everything else will fade; nothing else will stand; in the end, the only people we are going to have are the fellow people of God, and we are to love them as God has loved us in Christ (1 John 4:7-21) F. The church can no longer be seen as a “country club,” a social organization with membership perks, but as the community of the people of God, the Body of Christ, a place where Christians love each other and support each other since they cannot rely on those without G. The church can only develop this posture when each of its constituent members come to this realization, no longer considering brotherly love as a nice add-on to the faith primarily about holiness and righteousness, but in fact as the goal toward which holiness is to be directed! III. Love the Brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17) A. Peter later expands on outward vs. inward posture in 1 Peter 2:11-17 B. As sojourners and exiles Peter would have Christians to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul so that when Gentiles speak of them as evildoers they will be compelled to glorify God on the final day because of the good works and lives of the Christians (1 Peter 2:11-12) C. Such good works feature obedience to the civil authorities appointed by God to maintain law and order; God’s will is for Christians to silence the ignorance of foolish men by living as free, not to cover up evil but to live as God’s servants (1 Peter 2:13-16) D. Peter then sets forth in pithy statements how Christians are to conduct themselves: honor all men; love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king (1 Peter 2:17) E. Posture 1. Peter takes it for granted that Christians will suffer opposition from Gentiles, and while at times earthly authorities may stand for justice, there is no guarantee 2. He does not expect Christians to take down the government; he expects them to obey, to silence the ignorance of the foolish 3. This absolutely happens when Christians abstain from fleshly lusts, subject themselves to the earthly authorities, and live as free to serve God 4. But it cannot happen effectively if Christians do not love the brotherhood and do not put their trust in the way God intends to work in the world! 5. We do well to recognize in both 1 Peter 1 and 1 Peter 2 the posture Peter suggests for Christians toward those without vs. those within 6. To those without we do good, we show honor, we manifest holiness, we abstain from fleshly lusts 7. Among those within we assuredly do not become lecherous or lascivious, but the impetus is on loving each other F. To love the brotherhood demands to put the brotherhood first in honor and preference (cf. Romans 12:9-10, Ephesians 2:11-20) 1. The whole premise of the faith is that God has torn down barriers between people in Christ; thus, those who share in the faith of Christ must not allow any worldly barrier to overcome them 2. The people of God are easily distracted into putting their efforts and hope into other causes, even allowing the division of the Body in the process; this is shameful! 3. There is no salvation in the legislation process, political machination, benevolent institutions, non-governmental organizations, or other such causes 4. The only place there is salvation is in Christ (Acts 4:12); the only sanctified body is the church (Ephesians 5:22-32) 5. And so we must manifest the all-important priority of the people of God by making them the all-important priority in our lives! 6. If we will share in the resurrection with them, should they not be very important to us? 7. Who among us wants to be guilty of causing division and separation in the Body of Christ about various worldly ideas, issues, disagreements, and divisions that will perish like grass? G. Are we fully committed to loving the brotherhood? IV. Above All Things Loving One Another (1 Peter 4:8) A. In 1 Peter 4:7-11 Peter set forth the implications of the eschaton 1. Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer (1 Peter 4:7) a. This speaks to not being intoxicated by anything in the world b. Yet, in our modern culture, it also speaks to avoiding distraction c. So many different distractions would impose upon us; we get so used to dealing with distraction that we can no longer truly focus! 2. Above all things love one another (1 Peter 4:8) a. Here love is again, primary, highly emphasized! b. Facilitates the forgiveness of sins, for God is love, and God is pleased when we reflect Him (1 John 4:8) 3. Showing hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9) a. Part of the means by which we manifest love: table fellowship b. We share meals and time with those whom we love c. Truly loving relationships can only be built when we associate outside of the assembly as well as in it, and hospitality opens the door and the vulnerability required to foster such relationships d. Beyond that, the days may come when we must rely on each other more than we do now, and need a place to lodge, and to whom else can we turn? 4. Using God’s gifts to us to serve others (1 Peter 4:10-11) a. God has blessed all with various gifts b. Christians are to use them to serve one another, another way of manifesting love c. Specifically mentioned: speakers as speaking oracles of God, those serving as serving through the strengths God supplies B. Coming to Grips with the Imminent Eschaton 1. As Christians we “know” that Jesus is coming back and could come at any time 2. We are aware of Matthew 25:1-30, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, 2 Peter 3:9-13, etc. 3. But do we really “know” that? Has that reality and its implications sunk deeply into our hearts and minds? 4. Put simply: are we living as if Jesus might come back at any time? 5. How much differently would we decide to live our lives and change our priorities if we were given reason to be absolutely certain that Jesus would return within the next 5 years? 6. Would we not intuitively understand that our lives would thus follow the pattern Peter establishes in 1 Peter 4:7-11? C. Love as Prioritization 1. We do well to note how “above all things” we are to be fervent in our love for one another (1 Peter 4:8) 2. I am convinced we all “know” that we are to love one another, and to do so fervently 3. Yet, again, has that “knowledge” sunk deeply into our hearts and minds? 4. To truly love one another as God would have us demands that we prioritize one another and prioritize the development of that love 5. The eschaton reminds us of what is really important: everything else is as the grass of the field and will burn, if not in our lifetimes, then when the end comes! 6. Our career field? As grass, will not endure! Social media and websites will perish; the great technological fad will be no more! D. Peter calls us to recognize what is eternal in our lives from what is transient; what is of the world from what is of God; and above all things, to recognize that to love one another is one of our highest callings 1. Who is your “church?” Who are the people in whom you invest? 2. Will they be sharing in the resurrection of life with you? Are you striving to that end with and for them? 3. What hinders you from getting to better know and serve those with whom you plan on sharing the resurrection of life? E. Will we make loving the people of God a high priority in our lives, or will we continue to be distracted by the temptations of the world? V. Conclusion A. As Peter writes to Christians of Asia Minor in terms of exile, he continually exhorts them unto love for one another B. Hope and comfort are important; holiness and reverence are necessary; but they all are to lead to fervent love for one another (1 Peter 1:1-25) C. We must honor all people, fear God, and honor the emperor, but we must love the brotherhood and maintain our greatest loyalty to them and the Kingdom we share in Christ (1 Peter 2:11-17) D. The end of all things is at hand: we must resist the distractions of the world, show hospitality to one another, and serve each other, but above all we must fervently love one another (1 Peter 4:7-11) E. What defines us as Christians? 1. The sign out front? Anyone can make a sign 2. A set of propositional truths? A great start, but to what end? 3. Insistence on adherence to a certain set of beliefs? Agreement on what is true is the foundation, but to what end? 4. Smug confidence in being the in-group as defined by not being the out-groups? God is impartial and judges based on what we do! 5. Moral striving unto holiness? Great but insufficient 6. In the end, as Jesus Himself says, we are defined as Christians if we have love for one another (John 13:15) 7. Our love for one another includes a love for truth since we are in Jesus and He is the truth (John 14:6) 8. Our love for one another is not exclusive of the faith delivered once for all the saints or the holiness without which we will not see the Lord, yet all such things are in vain without love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Hebrews 12:14, Jude 1:3) 9. True love for one another encompasses all such things; thus our highest striving ought to be to love one another fervently! F. As sojourners and exiles, therefore, may we prove loyal to one another, prioritizing one another, and recognize that for good reason we are to fervently love one another above all things! G. Invitation Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently (1 Peter 1:22). Peter wrote to the Christians of Asia Minor as exiles and sojourners. He encouraged them in their faith and reminded them of their hope. He expected them to live as holy people. Yet the goal of it all was to love one another. In a world full of opposition, we must love one another as fellow Christians. We may not have anyone else on whom to depend. May we love each other fervently! 2: Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (1 Peter 2:17). Peter expects Christians to respect proper authorities and to honor everyone. But he also expects special care to be directed to the brotherhood, the fellow people of God. All other causes and forms of association will fail; only those in Christ will endure. May we love the brotherhood, honor all men, and revere God! 3: Above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). The end of all things is indeed at hand. Jesus could return at any time. How would we live if we had absolute certainty that He would return within our lifetimes? We must remove distractions and serve each other. But above all things we must love one another, and we should prioritize each other appropriately. May we be fervent in our love among ourselves! 4: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Jesus established the primary identity marker of the believer. It is not in the name he or she professes, or the tenacity with which he or she holds to certain propositional truths. It is in whether he or she loves his or her fellow Christians. Other things are important and have their place; without love they are worth nothing. May we above all things love one another and reflect Christ in His body!