WEDNESDAY September 2, 2026

Obeying the Truth

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever....
1 Peter 1:22-23

How were our lives sanctified? Peter revealed a key aspect of our responsibility toward salvation. Once the truth was presented to us, we had a choice to make. We obeyed the truth. We acted upon it, repented, and received the Spirit of God. We became born again of God’s Spirit. The manifestation of the Spirit’s work in our lives is God’s agape love––unconditional love. Peter spoke of having a sincere, brotherly love toward others in the church. In the Greek language, the word is philadelphia––meaning “brotherly love.”

What does the phrase purified your souls mean? It speaks of the sanctifying work, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the life of a believer, as taught in 1 Corinthians 6:11: ...you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Know this: Our sanctification is a lifetime process.

What is truth? The Word of God is truth. The incorruptible Word of God must take root in your heart. It is the living Word which lives and abides forever: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The Prophet Isaiah tells us: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Obedience to the truth of God’s Word brings profound blessings––your justification and sanctification––but your life of obedience must be one of action––loving one another fervently with a pure heart. When you obey what God says in His Word––staying on course by reading and meditating on the Scriptures––God can greatly bless and use your life.

In justification the word to be addressed to man is believe—only believe; in sanctification the word must be 'watch, pray, and fight.’
~J.C. Ryle~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!