By His eternal and living word, God regenerates sinners to a life of obedience and purification from sin. Peter instructs believers—those who are obedient to the truth—to love one another. The blessing of salvation is not to be grasped onto selfishly, but to flow through believers into the lives of others. In this way, spiritual rebirth leads to love for in the church of God. Repentance, obedience, and love for God’s people are characteristic of genuine, born again believers.