“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’”
And above all things
The phrase “above all things” makes love priority above all other virtues. We see the primacy of love in other passages such as these:
1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Colossians 3:14, “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Love is an essential virtue (Jn 13:34; 1 Jn 4:7,8; 3:14) and indispensable for Christian relationships. Sacrificial love is the first order of importance of living out our relationship with others.
Love is more than simple emotional affection but a divine capacity to sacrifice self for others. This kind of love is at the very essence of the love of God (Jn. 3:16). The very nature of God is love (1 Jn 4:8), for God loves us with an everlasting, unconditional love. God loves without limit. Such love manifests itself in unlimited sacrifice for others.
Eph. 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
PRINCIPLE:
Sacrificial love is the highest priority of Christian virtues.
APPLICATION:
Sacrificial love is the preeminent virtue of the Christian life and is a prerequisite to all other virtues of the Christian life. Three great apostles agree that love is the highest virtue:
Paul said that Love was the greatest virtue (1 Co. 13:13; Ro 13:8).
John said the same thing (Jn 13:34,35; 1 Jn 3:23).
Peter here in this passage.
All three apostles agree that love is the supreme qualification of character for the Christian. Love makes all other virtues of the Christian life what they should be. Love is a prerequisite to any activity of Christianity. Our love for God will show itself in sacrificial love for fellow Christians (1 Jn 3:17).
Show me electricity without energy, and I will show you a faith that does not produce the love of God. Show me fire without heat; then, I will show you a faith that does not express itself in sacrifice for other Christians. As the sun shines its light, so must a person who has come to Christ shine his love to others.
What does the phrase “love will cover a multitude of sins” mean? I do not fully understand what “multitude of sins” actually refers to.
Roy, read 1 Peter 4:8c
It can mean two things. One, we forgive that person (simple yet sometimes hard). Two, their sins are not exposed for everyone. It keeps gossip and rumors down and the person who may have done a wrong is not publicly ridiculed.
Love recognize sin; but offers mercy, grace and forgiveness where it is needed; where sin abound grace abound much more, love offer these things without you having to earn it, you cannot earn God's love!
I Peter 4:7-8 “The end of all things is near. Therefore BE alert and OF sober mind SO that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. MY MY MY! CAN WE SEE SATAN USING HATRED, RACE, ANGER, BITTERNESS, AND JEALOUSY IN THIS WORLD SO WE WONT BE ALERT TO THE TRUTH! WHAT IS THE TRUTH??? THAT ONLY LOVE CAN OVERCOME THE EVIL IN THIS WORLD! 1 John 4:16 ” And so WE KNOW and rely on the love GOD has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.” IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES, FORGIVE THOSE WHO DO US WRONG, WE MUST RELY ONLY ON THE LOVE OF GOD!!! CAUSE GOD TRULY LOVE US WITHOUT CONDITIONS! WAKE UP WORLD CAUSE THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR!!! AMEN! GLORY BE TO GOD!!!
Hope This Help You Roy