Thursday: Love Covers All
Even in the time of Peter, Christians lived with the expectation of the soon return of Jesus and the end of this present world. We know this because in 1 Peter 4:7 he writes: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (NKJV). In other words, be ready for the end.
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In one very real sense, too, the “end,” as far as each one of us is concerned, is never more than a moment after we die. We close our eyes in death, and-whether thousands of years pass, or just a few days-the next thing we know is the second coming of Jesus and the end of this world.
According to Peter, because the “end of all things” is at hand, how should Christians live? See 1 Pet. 4:7-11.
Besides being serious and watchful in prayer, Christians are to “maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8, NRSV).
What does that mean? How does love cover sin? A key is found in the text Peter is quoting, Proverbs 10:12, which reads: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins” (NKJV). When we love one another, we more readily and easily forgive those who hurt us, who offend us. Christ’s love leads Him to forgive us; our love should lead us to forgive others. Where love abounds, small offenses, and even some large ones, more readily are overlooked and forgotten.
Peter was certainly expressing the same idea as Jesus and Paul, who say that the whole law is summed up in the obligation to love God with our whole heart and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:34-39, Rom. 13:8-10).
Peter also urges Christians to be hospitable. The Second Coming may be near, but Christians should not withdraw from social relationships because of it. Finally, when Christians speak, they must do so as those who are speaking the words of God. In other words, the seriousness of the time calls for serious communication about spiritual truths.
| “Love will cover a multitude of sins.” Who has sinned against you? How can you reveal the love needed in order to “cover” that sin? Why is it to your own advantage to do so? |
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It is heartbreaking when someone you love is not living up to the commitment you have with them, day in, day out. God is showing me what mercy, forgiveness and love are all about. It is a hard lesson and at times exhausting, but Jesus is always near to guide and comfort me. I would not have grown this much if God had not taken me down this path. We can use these lessons for good and look into which fruit of the Spirit it relates to. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Philippians 1:6
I am so thankful for God's grace, because all of us need help and mercy.
Love is something that makes one to be a true christian,because christianity is Love for is Love.I cannot be a christian without Love.The bible says,you cannot Love God whom you have not seen and hate your brother who you see every.Love is Christianity and Christianity is Love.God Bless
You All.
If it's not of love, nothing is worthy. This is the only sentiment that can justify us all! True love! Love makes anything perfect. That's why it is very important to know how to love right. God gave us His Son! Jesus is the answer to all confusion and violence that we are all seeing in this planet. I can't cling to anything else but on His mercy and love!
Quoting from the lesson, need some clarity 'where love abounds, small offenses, and even some large ones, more readily are overlooked and forgotten' this suggests that some offenses can be overlooked and some not.
Now, my question is, what kind of love is this that can overlook some offenses and does not overlook some? Do we have two kinds of love?
Love stemming from Christ is not conditional which I believe this is what we should posses us who claim to be His follower and waiting for His soon return. From the Title_"LOVE COVERS ALL" why then have 'some' overlooked? Christ died for us whilst yet we were sinner-Love so amazing.
Now as Christians, should we classify sins/offenses to overlook and not overlook? What kind of love is this?
Kindly help me understand what the writer was trying to put across.
Thank you
I'll try to give some insights. When i first read it i tought as you did. But after reading it several times i understood what it meant. The writer is not saying to overlook some offenses and others not. "where love abounds, small offenses, and even some large ones, 'more readily'[the key words] are overlooked and forgotten."
Don't forget that love, forgivness, mercy (and so on) are not natural for us because of sin, but for God yes. They are part of the christian process to become "perfect as our Heavenly Father". God forgives all instantly because of his nature. We need of his Holy Spirit to help us to love and to forgive, because of our nature.
Some offenses (small or big) are easy to us to forgive, others not. By the time God helps us to forgive those that are difficult to forgive. It should not be like that, but it's our reality for now.
You can forgive me easily as a brother in Christ if i lie or if i'm unfaithful to you, but your spouse? Not so easy. But she is also your sister in Christ, yes? You should forgive her as quick as you forgive me. But your relationship with her is different from mine. Closer is a relationship more difficult is to forgive. That's where God comes to help us. We would want to love and forgive all as Christ does but our sinful heart doesn't want.
To solve this problem we have to pray a lot, be guided by the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit transform our heart so that we may be perfcet as our Heavenly Father and forgive ALL as quick as He does.
Blessings!!!
I used to believe that love meant forgiveness without accountability. In small matters this may often be true. There have been several times that I placed myself in the position to be seriously wounded because of this belief.
I thank God He has helped me over time to learn much better how to love more appropriately, forgiving and edifying at times without resentment, holding grudges or using the experience for gossip purposes.
When I was a teenager in a Christian academy I was told that I must love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. In a moment of honesty I asked myself if I loved God that way, and I had to admit that I did not. I had never seen Him with my eyes, never touched Him, never heard His audible voice, never had a conversation with Him like with people. He seemed to me to be way out there somewhere and my love for Him seemed not to have any solid footing. I didn't know how to love Him. Neither did I know how to make that Love happen in me. So I just continued on with the feeling that, somehow, He would help me with this. I didn't know what to do except pray and ask for His pardon and for His Love.
Years later I learned that God's Love is not natural in us and that His Love is where all true love comes from. The way to receive this Love is to invite God's Spirit to motivate our thoughts and feelings with His Love in relation to every issue that occurs in our lives. When we do this one thing in each issue, He has permission to come in to our present experience and to motivate us with His Love to do what Jesus would do. He gives us His Love to deal with others and in dealing with others in His Love, we are loving Him. His Love is like light that overcomes the darkness in our souls.
I have seen that, in impossible situations, God's Love has brought solutions where my human reasoning was not able to find any plausible solution. Love truly does cover a multitude of sins and can bring solutions into all kinds of relationships including but not limited to marriage, church, business, health, education, etc.
I have seen God's Love work in my life now and have allowed that Love to enter my life enough that I am encouraged that I can love God with all my life if I will just "watch and pray" at all times inviting Him into my life in every issue. He produces victory over my selfishness and sin. He gives success in relationships. He makes the impossible possible. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
We must remember in Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Therefore we are a different person but still in the same sinful world. It is never easy to do it alone but with God ... All things are possible.
Well said Don and Irene. When we truly love others, it is not our love they receive but Christ's love, through us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27).
According to Romans5:12,Through Adam, we all have sinned and the penalty for this is death (Romans6:23). Now, because of God's great love for the fallen man, God sent His son to die for us so that we can all live eternally (John 3:16). What a great love God has for all His children. Therefore, love is the foundation and anchor of God's kingdom, without love you cannot please God (1 corithians13:1-13).
Many brothers and sisters sin against each other. We suppose to forgive them for God's love that ordering us. If we don't forgive we are not children of the Lord. Forgiveness is also love. For me I try to pray God for helping me and teach me how to forgive in any condition. It's awful hard to do this. With Jesus Christ's love we can have victory.
Forgiveness is the toughest thing to do in life. Only God can help you develop this gift.
These comments and shared experiences have been so encouraging. Thank God for the power of His life changing love. It is clear to me that it is our love for each other that show the world what it means to be Christians.