Scripture to Read: 1 Peter 4:8
We know that God’s greatest commandment is to love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37–40). Of course, the second greatest command is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, we should not be surprised that God tells us, in 1 Peter 4:8, that above everything else we do, we must continually stay intensely passionate in our love for each other. Then God tells us why our love for each other is so important. When we love with God’s unconditional love, which is only possible through His Holy Spirit in us, then our love for each other covers an abundance of sins. We need to take note that God does not say that our love cleanses an abundance of sins, but instead, our love covers a ton of sins. Now, Christ’s love does cleanse every believer of ALL sins. But, because we cannot cleanse sin, God’s love, through us, covers the sins we’ve committed against each other. We must still seek reconciliation with those we’ve sinned against by confessing our sin to them and asking them to forgive us of our sin against them. Then, three of the most powerful words we can give to someone who has asked us to forgive them of their sin against us is to say, “I forgive you.” For us to keep relationships healthy, we must love unconditionally, seek forgiveness when we’ve offended someone (Matthew 5:23–24), and give these three powerful words, “I forgive you,” to those who have asked for our forgiveness. So, let’s begin to love as God has commanded.
Challenge & Application
· How would you say you are loving those in your life and those God brings into your life?
· Is there anyone you need to confess to and seek forgiveness from and if yes, how and when will you do this?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!