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!
