Love covers a multitude of sins
I had the privilege of teaching last night in Geneva the passage from 1 Peter 4.1-11. Peter reminds the reader that since Christ suffered for sin and because he will judge both the living and the dead in the end, lives should be focused on the will of God rather than on the desires of men.
Then there is that one little quotation he stole from Proverbs 10.12 that hits the heart: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
The OT text has this: Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. NT Christians must have been impressed with the saying, or maybe they just needed constant reminders, for James 5.20 uses it too, saying: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Covering sins: seeing them, confronting them in love, then moving on is what we need to do, but often don’t because we do not love enough. Several times recently I’ve looked into friends’ eyes and told them just that: Love covers a multitude of sins. And hundreds of times I’ve looked in the mirror and been thankful for God’s covering and mindful that I’ve got a ways to go in "this pretty little thing called love".
Then there is that one little quotation he stole from Proverbs 10.12 that hits the heart: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
The OT text has this: Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. NT Christians must have been impressed with the saying, or maybe they just needed constant reminders, for James 5.20 uses it too, saying: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Covering sins: seeing them, confronting them in love, then moving on is what we need to do, but often don’t because we do not love enough. Several times recently I’ve looked into friends’ eyes and told them just that: Love covers a multitude of sins. And hundreds of times I’ve looked in the mirror and been thankful for God’s covering and mindful that I’ve got a ways to go in "this pretty little thing called love".
December 6th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
Oooo baby…relevant for me today.
Thank you for allowing the spirit to guide you.
Love to you and yours…
December 6th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
It was my love for my friend that covered my desire to blast him for taking flight lessons over assembling with us.
December 6th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
We’re pretty good at forgetting things like taking out the garbage, homework, asking the nurse (reference to my post today which BTW, I busted a gut after I read your comment) to shave you instead of using tape, and so on but we’re not too good at forgetting other’s sins and for that matter, ours as well.
Thanks be to God for his “Godly forgetfulness.”
December 6th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
I think for myself and many Christians, we can love people, but it is when they do something that “breaks our heart” or a sin that we view as really terrible, that we struggle with loving that person. That proverbs is very important and we need to remember each day the love God has for us. One of great things about scripture is that if something is important, you will find it in several different books and in both the OT and NT too. Thank the Lord for that.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:30 pm
What you are saying reveals the importance of the relationship.