Loving Fervently

I Peter 1:22 "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."

I really like this verse.  It speaks of that brotherly love (phileo) we have for each other as Christians, however it goes deeper too.  It speaks of the agape love we are supposed to have for each other, and as this verse says, fervently. 

We can like people, we can have brotherly affection for them ... but do we agape?  Are we really willing to lay down our lives for them, fervently?  Peter says here that SINCE we have purified our souls, we have agape towards our brethren.  Because we are a Christian, because we have put on Christ in baptism, because we are who we say we are we have such a fervent love for our fellow Christians. 

I'm not a Greek scholar, and clearly need to learn more about the words and meanings of love ... but to me, this goes beyond just a golden rule, do unto others type of love ... it's fervent.  Having or displaying a passionate intensity.  Not a sexual passion, but an intense, ardent love with a pure heart. 

I John 4:12 "If we love one another, God abides in  us, and His love has been perfected in us." 
I John 4:20-21 "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?  And this commandment we have from Him:  that he who loves God must love his brother also." 

I'm going to work harder at this, and hope you do too.  Loving our Christian family fervently.