Please turn with me today to 1 Peter, chapter 4. We’ll read verses 8-11. Of course you’re probably familiar with who Peter was, especially if you’ve watched The Chosen, which I believe they’ve finished Season 5 already. I still haven’t seen season 4 yet.
But Peter is known as much for a little bit of irrational behavior as his successes. He had the audacity–in a good way–to ask Jesus if he could join him and walk on water. And Jesus, I believe, was rather impressed by this faith, so he said ‘Sure, come on in. The water’s fine.’ But Peter lost that faith quickly and nearly drowned. I can’t blame him.
Peter said he would never deny Jesus, and what happened? Just a few hours later he denied Jesus not once but three times. I honestly can’t blame him for that, either.
Peter was also the one who cut off the ear of a Temple guard when they came to arrest Jesus. I do blame him some for that. And he was the one who offered shelter to Moses and Elijah when they appeared with Jesus. Shelter…to spirits? What was he thinking? But I suppose, when you’re dumbfounded enough, you might say something like that. So I can’t blame him there, either. I mean, at least he was being polite.
This disciple’s original name was Simon, but Jesus called him Peter because Peter had the faith of a rock, and Peter means rock, or little rock–not like Arkansas. For those of you who are fans of the Christian hard rock group Petra–little side note–Petra is Greek for hard rock, so it’s a nice double meaning there.
But think of this, on the same night that Peter cut off the ear of the temple guard, which was also the same night that he denied Jesus, Jesus said to Peter, ‘Upon this rock, I will build my church,’ which also had a double meaning.
When Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered that He is the Messiah. So upon the firm foundation of that answer–that Jesus himself is the rock–Jesus has built his church. But also Peter was a church father, the one who preached on Pentecost–which is considered the birthday of The Church. So, upon that rock also, the rock of Peter himself, that double meaning, Jesus has built his church.
Before we move on, let me read to you something from C.S. Lewis:
“Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor, act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.”
In case you’re wondering, yes, this sermon does have another tie-in with a lengthy conversation I had this past week with someone who thinks that my writing and opinions that I share on social media aren’t loving enough. Now, to me, they are, but I had to assess myself and look at them from his perspective.
At the same time, Rose sent me an email–because it was so lengthy–about her thoughts on the Olympic opening ceremonies and how she touched on how we should love and pray for those who participated in the opening ceremonies.
I wrote a whole blog on that subject, I posted it yesterday, and though I criticized what went on, I tried to criticize in a loving way by balancing truth and grace. But as we live in this world of increasing darkness, and being arm-twisted into compromising with the darkness, we have to stand firm, and yet love at the same time.
How do we do this? How do we stand firm and love?
Scripture:
Well let’s look at our scripture this morning: 1 Peter 4:8-11
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.
Central Truth: So these verses really say a lot. What I’d like to focus on today is the first verse. We’ll talk a little bit about the other verses, but what I would like to talk about all boils down to this one phrase: ‘love covers a multitude of sins.’ Let’s look at that.
First, I’d like to make yet another reference to 1 Corinthians 13. In it, we find that ‘love’ is not a feeling or an emotion, but is an action that we do consciously. That’s not to say that love isn’t a feeling, but feelings come and go–good or bad–depending on our mood. God is not calling us to love based on our mood–if we feel like loving. And he’s not saying that once we become Christians, we will always feel like loving. So true Biblical love is a choice that we make in spite of our ever-changing moods.
So, love is not an emotion, but loving one another starts by controlling our emotions.
In Ephesians, Paul says 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold….
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
I could go on and on with just that set of verses alone. But it parallels with what Peter is saying. Set aside your anger, curb your desire to retaliate, forgive, and find ways to build each other up.
Wayne Grudem, a prominent author, theologian, and seminary professor, said: “Where love abounds in a fellowship of Christians, many small offenses, and even some large ones, are readily overlooked and forgotten. But where love is lacking, every word is viewed with suspicion, every action is liable to misunderstanding, and conflicts abound – to Satan’s perverse delight.”
That’s why I took heed of my friend’s criticism that I often come across as angry. Now, mind you, you can’t tell emotions through text–that’s why we use emojis–and I never realized I came across that way. And so think about that last part that I just read–to Satan’s perverse delight. Satan doesn’t want my friend saved. So he’ll find a way to jab at him with assumptions that aren’t there–at least intentionally. How many times has that happened to Christians in conflict with each other? This church hurt me, or this church does that, or this pastor…(fill in the blank)?
I know. It’s not easy. You’re tempted to hate. You’re tempted to gossip. You’re tempted to slander. You’re tempted to cause division (whether intentional or not).
And if you do, you’ll be playing straight into the enemy’s hands.
We just read in Ephesians, ‘do not give the devil a foothold.’
How do you do that? By combating the devil’s scheme of hatred with love. Love is an act of spiritual warfare. My friend lives in another state, so we don’t see each other, but if I can find a way to make sure our conversations are in love, I can win him over with love. I can win him over with sound theology and answer his questions as best as I can, but if it isn’t in love, then it’s just fodder for more arguing. Without love, as 1 Cor. 13 says, I have nothing and I am nothing.
It doesn’t matter who you think you are–good or bad–you are someone and you have riches because you have love. You are loved because you are love.
And Jesus is our example. There were times when Jesus had to be harsh. I understand he had to confront the Pharisees. That’s not what I’m talking about here. Even when confronting the Pharisees, his love was still extended to them. It may have been a love that isn’t blatantly seen, but his forgiveness would have been extended to them had they repented. Just look at how Jesus just so simply forgave those who were around him.
He hung there on the cross, forgave the thief, and then said–as he is being blasphemed, “forgive them for they know not what they do.” I wonder if he looked down on the Olympic ceremony and said the same thing.
There isn’t anything or anyone that Jesus can’t forgive. I understand, we’re not Christ. We’re not built with the same kind of ease to forgive. For us, sometimes forgiveness is a process that takes time, prayer, and help from the Holy Spirit.
Then what does God do after he forgives us? Leave us on our own? Say, okay, now go do that Christian thing. I’ll check back later. No. He’s there, with us every step of the way. He’s our shepherd, our God, and our friend. He doesn’t just forgive, he’s then actively pruning all the nasty brambles that ensnare us.
This is an example of what we are to do with others. When we can, with those we aren’t to distance ourselves from, we don’t just forgive them, but we walk the extra mile, take the extra step just as Christ goes on with us and for us to help us. There’s more we are to do with those who have hurt us beyond just forgiving them. We are to reconcile with them and renew our friendship.
That’s love.
I know I’m not supposed to talk about this from the pulpit, but Diana and I are still friends. We always will be. There is still love there even though we are separated and going our own way. There’s no bitterness, no anger–in fact the last time I talked to her, we made the point to make sure we both understood that we wish each other well.
Her father, just the other day, found a french fry cutter for sale online in Horseheads, sent me a text, and asked if I could pick it up for him. No hatred.
Peter said that ‘love covers a multitude of sins.’ Have you ever gone to a hardware store and seen those chains wrapped around one of those spools? You know how large some of those links are. If we don’t love, if we don’t forgive, we are creating a chain of sins one link at a time. Going back to Ephesians, Paul used several words as examples. Think about each one of these words as a single, separate link added to that chain every time you use these: bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
But, if we practice the opposite of those things, which are goodwill, peace, joy, harmony, and encouragement, we are breaking each chain we’ve already built, one at a time.
If we don’t give in to hatred, then we won’t be giving the devil a foothold and we won’t be playing into the devil’s hands.
The devil:
- Wants us to be causing division and hatred among those around us.
- He wants us to give Christianity a bad name.
- He wants us to be bound by those chains.
And by the way, it is us who get wrapped up in chains. Not the people we hold anger, bitterness, and resentment against, but we’re the ones that get wrapped around by them and carry them.
I’m reminded of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Remember Jacob Marley? He had to spend eternity wrapped in the chains that he created. When we read “A Christmas Carol” in school, I was taught that people in Dickens’ era actually believed that was an actual punishment for your sins. But in a sense, we have to go around this life being trapped and tormented, carrying those heavy chains.
Love is freedom from those chains. Love covers a multitude of sins.
Precept Austin says, “The covering of sins is the ability that Spirit filled and empowered believers have to forgive one another because Christ has forgiven them.”
John Piper writes that “our love needs to be the kind that covers each others sins. In other words the focus is on the effect of love that enables fellowship in spite of sins. Isn’t that remarkable?… Peter is saying that bona fide, authentic love and fellowship is based, in part, on the covering of many sins.
Going back to 1 Peter, verse 10 says, “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.”
In other words, Peter is saying that loving one another is not just a form of forgiveness, but it’s more. Like I said about Jesus being there as our shepherd, as our helper. Love is an action that you can do, that comes from within your personality, to meet the needs of others. It’s not just a talent, it’s a gifting in your spirit placed there by The Holy Spirit.
Just like 1 Corinthians 13, Peter gives us a list of what love looks like. In verse 9, he says to practice hospitality without grumbling. Paul said that hospitality is a gift of the spirit. You see how they’re connected?
Another quote from John Piper – Gifts are not for a few but for all, and every believer has abilities which the Holy Spirit has given and can use to strengthen others. And it is the supreme joy of life to discover what they are and then pour yourself out to others through these gifts. And you will find them if you really desire to be God’s instrument in bringing about faith and joy in other people. That, you recall, is the fundamental problem.
Another quote from Precept Austin – A spiritual gift is a graciously-given, supernaturally-designed ability granted to every believer, by which, the Holy Spirit ministers to the body of Christ for the glory of the Father.
John MacArthur – Essential to unity is diversity. Unity of spirit and purpose can be maintained only through diversity of ministry. But unity is not uniformity. A football team whose players all wanted to play quarterback would have uniformity but not unity. It could not function as a team if everyone played the same position… God gives His people varieties of gifts just as players on a team have varieties of positions.”
Paul, going back to 1 Corinthians, says essentially the same thing in the previous chapter, Chapter 12, except he uses the illustration of the human body. He says, “17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
He prefaces that by saying “4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”
Peter goes on to say that we receive these gifts, by “being entrusted as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms.” What does that mean? It’s just a brief little part of a sentence that we usually gloss over, but it means so much. It’s quite powerful, actually.
Let’s take a look at the word, steward. Have you ever wondered what the word, steward means? It’s a Biblical word, we hear it in Christian circles, usually when it comes to tithing. The church is stewards of the offering money that it receives. Taxing entities such as the town, village, and school district of Watkins Glen are stewards of your taxpayer money.
Those of you who have watched or read “Lord of the Rings,” you’re probably familiar with ‘The Steward of Gondor.’ His family line was placed on the throne of Gondor generations ago, and there they remain until the rightful heir claims his place.
A Steward is literally “one who governs a household.” The Greek word that Peter uses here, Oikonomos, and it speaks of the responsibility of the proper use and disposition of something entrusted to one’s care.
So think about it, Peter says that these gifts are God’s grace. So in other words, the gifts that God gives us are tangible forms of His grace that He has portioned, distributed, and entrusted to us to use for others.
That’s a powerful picture of loving one another, isn’t it? Whatever gift you have, it’s up to you and The Holy Spirit to find out. Peter just gives a couple of examples here: speaking and serving. Earlier, like I said, he used hospitality. But whatever gift you have, it has been given to you by God, entrusted to you to steward, to use to build up, encourage, and strengthen others. To love one another.
And what does God get out of it? I’m glad you asked.
He gets the glory.
Verse 11: “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.”
You see, if we do it right, He gets the glory. There are a lot of Christian celebrities out there, and I’m not talking about an actor or actress who’s a Christian, I’m talking about pastors, Christian musicians, and so on. It’s easy to give them the glory because we become fans. I’m guilty. Now there’s nothing wrong with following someone or being a fan, but the idea is that sometimes because we give them the glory, sometimes they give themselves the glory too. But what we do should be, as Paul said to the Colossians, 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
I’m using a lot of quotes from John Piper this morning, and I couldn’t pass this one up. He said: “There is nothing more thrilling, more joyful, more meaningful, more satisfying than to find our niche in the eternal unfolding of God’s glory. Our gift may look small but as a part of the revelation of God’s infinite glory it takes on stupendous proportions.”
Love covers a multitude of sins. Love shows the world that something–or rather someone–beyond our own humanity is living in us. That someone is God, who has entrusted in us gifts to serve others and point the way to Him so that He can be glorified.
There’s a guy I’m working with now who is a Christian, and he kind of puts me to shame. He’s a recovering alcoholic and a big bald biker guy, and his joy, enthusiasm, and Godly demeanor are more pastoral than mine. He even ministers to passengers more than I do–carries a Bible with him, and listens to Family Life Network…have you seen and witnessed the Holy Spirit in others, who put you to shame? Isn’t that what draws you to certain people? It’s the Holy Spirit within them. I would like to be more like that co-worker, but God didn’t make me that way. I have this quieter, introverted personality who listens to the oldies station rather than Family Life, and you know what, I’ve found that God still uses this personality He gave me. How about that? Would you like to be someone who draws people to Christ because His Spirit is within you?
God is calling you to be that person. That person whom Paul mentioned to the Ephesians, who is making a resolute stand to 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
To be that person that Peter says to “love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Maybe you need to reach out to someone, maybe you need to forgive and reconnect with someone, or maybe you just have to do like I do and watch the way in which you come across on social media.
Whatever it is, it might take a dozen times to get it right. But you can’t go anywhere if you don’t take steps. He is calling us to live in love.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on First Baptist Church of Watkins Glen
Featured Image by Anthony Intraversato on Unsplash
