Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

Steven’s Scribbles
“Love Covers a Multitude of Sins”
1 Peter 4:8


Before he talks about Christian suffering, Peter says that in our Christian brotherhood, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” How is this so? I think the crux of the matter is that our love for God is directly related to a desire to keep His commandments. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). If we are openly rebellious against Christ and His church, then we are not loving Jesus. To love Jesus is to obey Him. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it” (2 John 6). The world has a perverted view of love. Many in the world have a false belief that the way to love someone is to accept everything about them. They would say to speak against false teaching, ideology, or philosophy is an act of hate. However, God’s word is clear that the mark of biblical love is obedience to God. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). He loved us so much He sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1-3). We have an obligation to share that love with the world. It will involve believing (John 8:24), repenting of sins (Acts 2:38), confessing Jesus as the Christ (Rom. 10:9-10), being baptized for the forgiveness of sins (1 Peter 3:21), and living a faithful life (Rev. 2:10; James 1:21-22). Not everyone is going to like that message. It is still the message. How does love cover a multitude of sins? Our love for the Father, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, lead us to obey the holy word. I love you all!


In His Service,
Steven Hugley