Does Love Cover a Multitude of Sins?

 

This morning I felt led to read from 1 Peter 4:7-11 NIV:

[7] The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. [8] Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. [9] Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. [11] If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

The verse that grabbed my attention this morning is verse 8, for it provides an interesting principle that bears reflection. The idea that love covers sins is specifically the idea I am considering this morning. 

Looking at the original Greek, this is pretty much exactly what it says, although possibly we might replace deeply with fervently.  The Greek word here is 1618 ektenḗs (an adjective, derived from 1537 /ek, "wholly out" which intensifies teinō, "to stretch" which is also the root of English terms, "tension" and "tense") – properly, stretch out, i.e. fully because completely taut; (figuratively) at maximum potential, without slack because fully extended to its necessary outcome.

The word covers is the Greek word kalýptō – properly, to cover; (figuratively) keep secret, hidden; "covered over" (concealed).

If we properly understand sin here as the Greek word hamartia defined as having no part in, or missing the mark (think bullseye and archery), and the target being loving God and one another as He loves us, then I think we have a proper word picture of this sentence and idea.

Pulling it all together, Peter encourages us to love (agape) one another so much, stretching our love to the fullest extent, it will cover over those actions that were unloving towards God and others, as if they never happened.  Put another way, our hitting the bullseye in loving each other, effectively makes the other many errant shots as if they were all either hitting the bullseye or were never even shot.

Doesn't that just seem wrong to our human understanding of justice, and what's right.  Imagine you are in an archery competition and you hit the bullseye and everyone else gets credit for a bullseye too, or gets all their bad shots taken off the scoreboard!   We like to keep score, and this just flies in the face of that!

However, putting this in the context of loving like Jesus loved, laying down His life, paying the price for all of our sins, taking upon Himself the punishment for all our sins, we see this is actually just a small example of that type of love at work in our own lives.  Now, I am certainly not saying that we, in our love for others, are some sort of savior, messiah, or that we are paying for their sins.  There is only one savior and that is Jesus.

So how do we understand this?

I am certainly not some Bible scholar, but it seems to me this is more about our motivation to love one another, than it is about keeping score.  Our love for one another is to be a sign for others of our following of Jesus (John 13:35).  Our love for one another is supposed to be so radical that it draws others to Him.  Our love for one another is supposed to be a light in this dark world like stars shining (Phil 2:15).  Our love for one another is a sign pointing to the true Savior of the World!  Our love for one another is meant to remind us of His love!  Our love for one another can even be the rope that helps people stay anchored in God's love!  His Love and sacrifice is the only payment for sin, and ours love can become an invitation to fully embrace His love and salvation. 

Going back to the verse about love covering a multitude of sins, and the analogy of an archery tournament.  Maybe in this competition individuals only get so many failed attempts.  When I was a pole vaulter you had three shots at clearing a height.  Maybe our love extends the number of failed attempts, and basically just allows others to stay in the tournament, and conceals the fact that they have missed a bunch of shots! It doesn't cancel their failed attempts, it just continues to conceal the number of misses.

Wow!  That changed my whole perspective on this.  Maybe our love extends the love, mercy and compassion of the Lord, and allows people to experience it, even when they are failing or in sin?  Isn't that just like our God?  He never gives up on us, is always for us, and continues to give us opportunity to meet Him and accept His love! 

Oh Lord, help me to love others fervently, that they might experience Your love, mercy and compassion and see You rightly!  Help me to stop keeping score, and start stretching my love to those who need another chance!

Amen and Amen!

Is God Slow?

Yesterday at church our pastor was speaking about the Lord's prayer and mentioned that the part we have learned as "give us this day our daily bread" should actually be translated "give us this day bread for tomorrow."  The Greek word is epiousios:

Definition: for the coming day, for subsistence

Usage: for the morrow, necessary, sufficient.

He talked about how we have a common idea in the church today where we think God comes through just in time, and how to us it seems slow, even at the last minute.  I know I have had that thought and belief as well, and while I certainly always pray for things in advance, my internal belief is that, more often than not, God will come through at the last moment.  I realized that I need to repent and change the way I pray and believe! 

This morning I felt led to go to 2 Peter 3, and came across these related verses, so I guess this is a theme for me to reflect on today.  Here are the verses - 2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV:

[8] "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

I find it interesting that Peter was obviously dealing with a similar thought, expressed in verse 9.  I like his explanation that the Lord is not slow, "instead He is patient with you!"   The Lord knows I am impatient, and want things finished now, and I see clearly, as I look back at things, how the Lord was patiently working things together for maximum goodness and glory!  

His plan is multi-year, multi-decade, and multi-generational!  He has so many things He is doing, and we in our finite minds can only really think and plan at best a few months, and maybe a couple of years in advance, and then its more of a wish, for we have no real ability to impact the greater environment and culture and world events.  

Even more important is the fact that the Lord loves each of us, has good plans for each of us, and highly values us!  He is not going to "steam-roll" any of us to cause His plans to come to pass, and that is where He is so different from all of us!  I used to joke with my brothers about blasting the slow car in front of us out of the way so we could go faster!  I might not steam-roll slow drivers in front of me, but I will certainly offer a few angry comments.  This heart is certainly not the heart of God!  Ugh! 

I am very aware today of the need to pray for patience, as the Lord is patient!  I need to change my heart about His ways, and pray that I might embrace them!  I used to always warn others about praying for patience, as that always seemed to open the door for the testing of the Lord by putting every slow driver, and slow walker immediately in front of me! :-)  The truth is that I need to embrace patience, as it is tied to the Lord's mercy and compassion, and I need to be more merciful and compassionate!  

Lord help me to reflect Your patience, Your mercy, Your compassion and Your value for all people.  Help me to examine my heart and mind and see where I need to embrace change!  In the midst of all of this, I pray that You will provide today, bread for tomorrow!  You are so good, help me to embrace Your goodness in all its forms, even Your patience!  :-)

Amen and Amen!

Koinonia and Fellowship

This morning I am continuing a reflection from a few days ago.  That morning  I asked the Lord what I should be reading I heard the theme of fellowship drop into my mind, and I immediately figured I would start in Acts 2, which has a section in my Bible subtitled "The Fellowship of Believers" and here are the verses for reflection - Acts 2:42-47 NIV:

[42] "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. [44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. [46] Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

I love these verses, and also recognize the radical sort of community that is described here.  The word translated fellowship is the Greek word koinonia, and it is defined as follows - "Usage: (lit: partnership) (a) contributory help, participation, (b) sharing in, communion, (c) spiritual fellowship, a fellowship in the spirit.  2842 koinōnía (a feminine noun) – properly, what is shared in common as the basis of fellowship (partnership, community)." (from the Discovery Bible).

As we read these verses and the definitions, I am aware of how we like to limit our definition of fellowship today.  The whole idea of sharing their possessions, holding things in common, meeting one another's needs seems a bit foreign in today's modern American community, unless there is some sort of communal hardship like a blizzard or something similar.  We like fellowship that is easy, shallow and that doesn't require much beyond our time, and occasionally our food.  As I read these verses, it is clear to me that verses 44-47 are just describing what koinonia looked like and how they functioned in it.

It is important to note that there are 3000+ people about which these things are being said, and I find that amazing.  We are blessed with some awesome friends, and despite years of friendship it would be very few people with whom I could say I had this type of relationship, and then only occasionally.  

What would it look like if a group of people really decided to live out koinonia in radical way?

First, I would say that if it was their "idea" they would fail utterly!  It is absolutely clear that this Acts 2 koinonia was Holy Spirit inspired and empowered!  There had to be a deep trust in Holy Spirit, a deep opening up of lives, a laying down everything, that goes beyond our normal or natural comfort and mindset.  There was supernatural component that was being expressed in the natural!  Jesus had commanded that they love one another as He had loved them (John 13:34), and this shared life seems to me to be an expression of that command. 

If we were to go back and reflect on the few times we see the communal life of the apostles and disciples described, and not just alluded to, I think we would find precedence for this way of living.  They had left everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11) and it seems that they had little with them that was their own (Matt 8:20).  They shared meals together (Matt 15:34-35), they apparently traveled and stayed together, the series the Chosen does a good job putting some of what must have been their reality into view.  I know at times I just read on over passages and don't think about the normal stuff, like where did they sleep, eat, go to the bathroom, etc., when they were out in the wilderness, but they absolutely had to do those things, and must have done so together (except for the going to the bathroom!).

Again, the point is that the following of Jesus, the empowering of the Holy Spirit is meant to change the way we live!  We are not called to be like everyone else, and neither is our approach to life.  Jesus said it very clearly, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” ( John 13:34-35 NIV)  One of our most significant identifiable characteristics is supposed to be how we love one another!  

This word is just pounding on my idea of how my life should look, how I plan for retirement, how I think about my material possessions, how I think about my time and attention. The question at this point isn't will you sell everything and give to the poor (See Mark 10:21) but whether I would be willing to do so?  Am I willing to effectively sign over my ownership rights to the Holy Spirit?  Am I willing to lay down my crown, my dominion over my stuff, before the Lord?  Taking it even further, am I willing to love others in the same way Jesus loves me?  

I know the Lord understands our struggle in these areas, and I know He is gentle and loving and merciful.  I also know that He has called us to follow Him, and represent Him, and its pretty hard to do that if we don't act like Him, which includes loving others as He loves them.  He holds nothing back in His love for us (see Romans 8:32) and if we allow Holy Spirit to touch the deepest parts of our lives, I believe we will be empowered to step past our "this is mine" mentality, and begin to live and love the way Jesus did!  Again, to be clear, this wasn't a human inspired plan, this was Holy Spirit inspired and directed and embracing this type of life is only possible through Him.  If we try in our humanness to make this happen we end up with a cult or communism, and neither of these is healthy or God blessed.

My encouragement this morning is to press into these words in my life and allow them to penetrate deeply!  I am encouraged to look at my way of thinking and acting and compare them against this way of life that I might see where I am unwilling to lay something down, or release ownership or control.  Lord, help me to open my life to You, first, that I might open it to others as You direct, inspire and empower!  Help me to be open to koinonia as You lead me further on in You!

Amen and Amen! 

In Times of Transition

I was thinking this morning about how I am in a bit of a swirled time.  The Lord has us in transition and we don't have clarity yet on our next step.  Sometimes these transitions can be confusing and feel directionless, and for me that is not a good thing.  I like having a path in front of me, a sense of where I am going, what I am doing, and why, and times like these lack most of that clarity.  I find that I am terrible at waiting and trusting and have a tendency to latch on to the first thing that seems good and gives me direction, but I also have this distinct feeling that such a decision would not be wise, and not in line with the Lord's purpose.

I will say that nothing the Lord brings about will be without importance and impact, and each will in some way add to His unfolding purpose and plan.  I am reminded this morning of the pattern of worship and sacrifice God established through Moses and David, how they were patterns and types of what He revealed in Jesus!  I am reminded of the many Messianic prophecies that were spoken hundreds and even thousands of years before they were fulfilled in and by Jesus!

I am also reminded of how the Lord works, and is creative in all His ways.  Oftentimes I want the Lord to work or speak the same way again, as then I will easily know His ways, recognizing Him by that familiar sign, and yet when I look at Jesus in the Gospels, it seemed like He was always doing things differently.  I am sure the apostles and other disciples were trying to figure out what to do and how to do it, and the answer was always a bit different.  The reason is that Jesus was in an active relationship with the Father, and doing what He saw and heard the Father doing and telling Him to do!  We want a repeatable pattern, He demonstrated relationship. 

Here are just a few verses of Jesus healing those that were blind:

Matthew 12:22 NIV: "Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see."

Mark 10:51-52 NIV:  “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. 

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 

[52] “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."

John 9:6-7 NIV:

[6] "After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Matthew 9:28-30 NIV:

[28] "When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” 

“Yes, Lord,” they replied. 

[29] Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; [30] and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”

There are several other records of Jesus healing the blind, and each is slightly different, but the end result was always the same, they were healed. We tend to want to camp around a method, and in doing so, miss the more important sign, that this all flows out of relationship.  Jesus in His wisdom always points to the Father.  He said many times that He was doing what the Father showed Him (See John 5:19-20; John 10:36-38; John 14:9-10 for a few examples)

Yesterday I was reading back through a few of my blog entries and came across this reflection on Manna and the Lord's provision, and while on a totally different subject the theme was very similar.  Here is a link to that reflection - https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2022/12/manna-and-lords-provision.html

This morning I am encouraged that the Lord is moving!  He has plans and purposes and will reveal to us our path forward!  I am encouraged that He will make our ways fruitful, providing for us creatively!  I am encouraged that His revelation will come at the perfect time and that waiting on Him, pressing into relationship with Him is the best thing I can do!  I am encouraged that even though His plans and purposes, His path forward for us might look and feel different, that there is purpose in that too!

Lord help us to be patient and trust in You and in Your ways!

Amen!

Laying Down Our Crowns

Yesterday while taking our dog Tilly for her walk I was thinking and praying and for some reason the image of the elders laying down their crowns (See Rev. 4:10) came into my mind, and I started reflecting on this imagery.  For context, here are the verses - Revelation 4:2-4,9-11 NIV:

[2] "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. [3] And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. [4] Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads."

[9] "Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: [11] “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

I have reflected on these verses before, and heard several teachings and my thoughts might be related to any or all of the these, but yesterday they felt fresh.  My first thought was that these crowns were related to the authority, judgements and decisions of the elders.  Laying down their crowns before the Lord, I believe, indicates their recognition and decision that the Lord's authority, judgments and decisions are superior to their own.  It is a if they are saying the only real decision they need to make is to fully trust God with everything.  Every judgement, every decision, every situation, every thought God has is superior to their own!  They are recognizing His superior sovereignty!  I think it is such a beautiful picture of humility in the presence of God.

As I was reflecting on this I was reminded of the following verses from Revelation 5:9-14 NIV:

[9] "And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

[11] Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [12] In a loud voice they were saying: “

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 

[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 

[14] The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Verse 10 is the significant verse to me today, for we are told that we are a Kingdom of Priests whose role in serving God is to reign on the earth! In other words we each have authority over some sphere, and our authority, decisions and judgments matter.  Here is the Word Help for the Greek word that is translated reign above - Cognate: 936 basileúō (from 935 /basileús, "king") – to reign as king, i.e. exercise dominion (rule).  Clearly we are each a king in some fashion, and we have the same opportunity before us, to lay down our crowns before Him!   We have the opportunity daily, to submit our authority, our decisions, our judgments to His superior Reign in our lives. 

Oh lord, help me today to recognize Your superiority in every area!  Help me to lay down my own judgments and choose instead to trust Your judgments in every area, in every decision, in all my ways!

Amen!