Fervant Love

Scripture: I Peter 4:8...' Above all, keep 'fervant' in your love for one
another, because love covers a multitude of sins.' (NASB)
The warm gentleness and tenderhearted forgiveness in Paul's
description on love, in I Corinthians l3, identifies LOVE as the
'foundational' fruit of evidence of God's true Spirit in us, from which all
other gifts and graces grow. (As the Lord disclosed to me when in His
Presence through prayer...'Love is the Key!') Love is also a gift of the
Spirit because it is only as we abide in Him and He in us, that we can
LOVE as Christ loved us as we allow the love of Christ to flow through
us to others. Here, in Peter's lst epistle, we find another important
teaching on LOVE, which is condensed into one tiny verse by the big
Galilean fisherman...'Above all things have 'fervant' love among
yourselves; for Love shall cover a multitude of sins.'

Peter was a man who had a fervant love of His Lord, and the elderly
apostle encourages us to let LOVE be a dominant theme in all our
lives. Peter also knew the amazing grace and perfect peace that comes
when sins are covered. He knew the liberating joy that flows the soul
when sins are covered by Christ, the lover of our soul.

Peter had been deeply impacted by Christ's unconditional LOVE
unconditional love toward him. He had first-hand experience of
receiving Christ's divine love, through the covering of his own sins. No
doubt he often recalled the day when the One, whom he loved so
dearly, yet had so blantantly denied with a curse, entrusted him with a
great commission to 'feed my sheep' and 'feed my lambs'.

No wonder Peter emphasized the need for us all to have a 'deep,
heart-felt, and intense LOVE for our Lord, and a similarly deep,
impassioned, fervant LOVE for one another. Does not He who loved us
so deeply, even to the point of death on the cross (demand) that we
display unselfish LOVE toward one another?

Such love does not wink at sin or make excuses to sin, nor does it
translate imperfections into destructive criticism, but is gracious toward
the faults of others while speaking the truth 'in LOVE'. They encourage
others in their Christian walk. They 'forgive' past offenses. Peter knew
that God is LOVE. He understood that he who dwells in LOVE dwells in
God and God in him. No surprise that Peter exhorts us 'above all, Keep
fervant in your LOVE for one another, for LOVE covers a multitude of
sins'.

When the LOVE of God abounds in our hearts, then, the offenses of

others, together with our own sins, are covered in Christ-like forgiveness.

As far as the east is from the west is the distance that our Heavenly
Father has removed our transgressions from us. Surely, we should
cover the sins of those who sin against us and be gratelful that our own
sins are covered in Christ's forgiveness?

Should not we who have had the sordid sin-washed, covered, and
cleansed forgiven by our gracious God reflect His tender-hearted
forgiveness, His warm gentleness, His deep compassion and fervant
LOVE in our dealings with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Should not we above all things have FERVANT LOVE for one
another, knowing the LOVE of Christ covers a multitude of sins?

CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father...Thank You for your
unconditional and unrestricted forgiveness! Thank You that as far as
the east is from the west, is the distance that my sins have been
removed from me. Thank You for the truth, that LOVE covers a
multitude of sins. I pray that I would not misuse this verse to tolerate all
sin but LOVE as Christ LOVED me, loving and forgiving in grace for
others. I pray that I may reflect Christlikeness in all my dealings with
others, so all the glory goes to You! In Jesus's Name.....Amen.