Preach it

DEVOTION 1 PETER PREACH IT 1 Peter 1:22-25 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. NIV In a sense this purification is only due to the choice to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That is the obeying the truth spoken of here, for we all know there is not a single other thing we can do which would make us pure enough to enter the Kingdom of God. This purification of our hearts, this new birth has changed us from a people who did not love one another into people who do, and not just this fake out in the open love, this façade kind of love, but a love which drives us to action for the benefit of others. This deep love from the heart is what causes us to share the good news with them, so they will not perish in the lake of burning sulfur, but rather enter into the paradise of God with us. If we keep our mouths shut than I am afraid we really are not obeying the truth. Sincere love demands we share the gospel message, what greater expression of love could there be? If we have been born of imperishable seed, and allow others we know and meet to stay born of perishable seed, how is that love, much less sincere deep love from our hearts? We much preach it, teach it, speak of it, make it the main focus of our life, show our love by our actions yes, but also by our words. How can we stand idle and watch those we love who have not accepted Christ to simply go their merry way, without make every effort to explain the truth about Jesus Christ? Sure, they may reject him, but that is a choice they get to make, but if we do not share the Gospel we are making the choice for them and that is simply not loving them, but condemning them to perish. No we must preach it!