Let Love Cover It
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8 NKJV
We were made for relationships, to live with each other. In relationships we will be offended and offend each other, but since the goal of the relationship is unity and peace we should never allow these offenses to ruin God-given relationships. God Himself did not allow our sins and offenses to come between us and our relationship with Him. He said that He is the One Who blots out our transgressions for His own sake (Is. 43:25). He chooses to forget all our sins completely (Heb. 8:12), so that we can have a good and healthy relationship with Him. He then tells us how to do this with fellow brethren, how it becomes possible to overlook offenses and forgive sins: love. Solomon was the first to mention this truth and said that hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins (Prov. 10:12). Because God loves us, He was and still is able to forgive us as His love covers all our sins.
Human love can still cover sins, as evidenced by mothers who despite what their children do they still love them and seem to overlook the offenses. I’ve heard of mothers even defend their clearly naughty children when their reprehensible behaviour is reported to them. If human love can do this, what about the God kind of love which was poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who was given to us (Rom. 5:5)? God gave us His love so that we can love like He does, unconditionally. We shouldn't just love, but love fervently (passionately). When we do this we’ll find ourselves living at peace with others and drawing people around us to God as they see God's love at work. The Bible doesn't say that love excuses sin, rather that it covers sin. Some hold on to offenses as they think letting it go is excusing it. However by calling it a “sin” the Bible acknowledges that is an error, and still commands us to let love cover it. So rather than focus on struggling to forgive we should focus on loving and stirring up this God-kind of love in us, and when it's stirred it will cover all sins. One may say it's not possible to love for some people, but the fact that the Bible commands us to “have fervent love for one another” it means it's possible. So a believer who isn't loving others fervently and letting this love cover their offenses continually hasn't been unable to, but doesn't want to.
Reflection:
Are there some people who you’re still viewing through the lens of their sins or offenses to you? Any time we see people and remember what they did to us we are looking at them through the lens of what they did to us, not through the lens of God's love. How would it feel if God always looked at us through the lens of our sins against Him? Are there some relationships you've allowed to die but that could still be healthy if you chose to allow love to win and cover all offenses (instead you let hatred and pride to win)?
Grace and peace to you!
We were made for relationships, to live with each other. In relationships we will be offended and offend each other, but since the goal of the relationship is unity and peace we should never allow these offenses to ruin God-given relationships. God Himself did not allow our sins and offenses to come between us and our relationship with Him. He said that He is the One Who blots out our transgressions for His own sake (Is. 43:25). He chooses to forget all our sins completely (Heb. 8:12), so that we can have a good and healthy relationship with Him. He then tells us how to do this with fellow brethren, how it becomes possible to overlook offenses and forgive sins: love. Solomon was the first to mention this truth and said that hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins (Prov. 10:12). Because God loves us, He was and still is able to forgive us as His love covers all our sins.
Human love can still cover sins, as evidenced by mothers who despite what their children do they still love them and seem to overlook the offenses. I’ve heard of mothers even defend their clearly naughty children when their reprehensible behaviour is reported to them. If human love can do this, what about the God kind of love which was poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who was given to us (Rom. 5:5)? God gave us His love so that we can love like He does, unconditionally. We shouldn't just love, but love fervently (passionately). When we do this we’ll find ourselves living at peace with others and drawing people around us to God as they see God's love at work. The Bible doesn't say that love excuses sin, rather that it covers sin. Some hold on to offenses as they think letting it go is excusing it. However by calling it a “sin” the Bible acknowledges that is an error, and still commands us to let love cover it. So rather than focus on struggling to forgive we should focus on loving and stirring up this God-kind of love in us, and when it's stirred it will cover all sins. One may say it's not possible to love for some people, but the fact that the Bible commands us to “have fervent love for one another” it means it's possible. So a believer who isn't loving others fervently and letting this love cover their offenses continually hasn't been unable to, but doesn't want to.
Reflection:
Are there some people who you’re still viewing through the lens of their sins or offenses to you? Any time we see people and remember what they did to us we are looking at them through the lens of what they did to us, not through the lens of God's love. How would it feel if God always looked at us through the lens of our sins against Him? Are there some relationships you've allowed to die but that could still be healthy if you chose to allow love to win and cover all offenses (instead you let hatred and pride to win)?
Grace and peace to you!
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