Showing posts with label forgive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgive. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Intense Love Forgives


1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

Pro 10:12  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. 

Love, intense love. From the brief study I've done on this verse the word charity is love, not necessarily charity as in giving things to others. One study mentioned that some religions believe that if you do give money, time, etc to others you are in affect paying your way to forgiveness. You are paying for your sins to be taken away, but we all know that's not how it works at all! There is NOTHING we can to do take away our sins, all the money in the world would not pay for a single sin committed freeing the person from the penalty that sin warrants. ONLY the forgiveness that comes FREELY from the Son of God can take away our sins, from the least sin to the greatest. Truly, what awful kind of God would our God be if only the rich could be forgiven? If we could work our way to heaven if not with money but with acts of charity, are we still not relying upon ourselves to save ourselves?

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Grace is a gift of God- no man can boast that they saved themselves through any action- money, working, none of it.

That brings us back to the verse above-

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

We are to have a fervent, or intense, love with those around us. Why? Because that intense love will cover - NOT do away with - a multitude of sins.

If we are intensely focused on the sins of those around us are we loving them?

I've often wondered how various people can love other people who seem cruel and bitter, unkind and nasty and I've often wondered how people can love me with all my many faults. The saying love is blind means what? That love turns a blind eye to a lot of faults. Some might question how another person can live with someone who seems awful to them, and the only answer that appeases the curiosity is that love is blind. The person is choosing to be blind to the faults because they choose to love rather than despise.

Intense love of a parent towards a child will often be the same way. They choose to love their child and overlook their faults. They choose to focus on the good in their child, not the bad.

To those outside looking in we say we are shocked and we may possibly even say stuff like we'd never love someone like that, and we don't know how another can, and yet we do the same thing with those we choose to love, don't we?

People are not really blind to the faults of others, they are forgiving of those faults and yes, often to their own detriment. That detriment is what others who are choosing not to love and forgive the faults of that person will focus on. They won't be able to comprehend how that person puts up with what they believe are unforgiveable ways, they surely wouldn't do so if the shoe were on the other foot, and that is because they are choosing not to love the person in question. Their love is conditional. However, it is very interesting to note that often what we say we could never endure in another person, ends up being what we choose to endure after all. Why? Because you choose to love when the sins come from those you give your love to.

Intense love will love in spite of the sins apparent in others.

Jesus' intense love for us, for humanity had Him sacrifice Himself in order for us to find forgiveness for our sins. His blood washes us clean of sin. God is love.

We are to intensely choose to love with the love of God- forgiving endlessly the sins of those around us, for we too need the same forgiveness from others for ours.

I have to remark here though- that anyone in an abusive, life threatening situation should not believe they have to remain in the situation in order to forgive their abuser. You should not remain in a potentially deadly situation, but your choosing to love intensely can be done from a place of safety, out of harm's way.

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

Love forgives. Love chooses to forgive. Intense love for others, the intense desire for the love of God to be all hearts is what we need. The love that forgives, covering a multitude of sins.

God help us all to love fervently!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior!