1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 

Love “covers over”. This covering over is like a warm blanket of forgiveness. Not a cover-up as if the sin doesn’t exist, but to deal with it. Or that consequences don’t come. 

But forgiveness is the covering. Love is the covering. 

Jesus tells us that in order to be forgiven, we must forgive also. 

Matt 6:14- 15 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Loving deeply is what enables us to forgive. God so loved, 

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The finished work of the cross is a covering for us and our sins. It is love at its core. 

 And you might say, well, that’s all nice and all, but you don’t know what “they did,” or you don’t know “what they said”....

This is true, but forgiveness is not forgetfulness. It’s not excusing or passing over it, even. Sometimes things do need to be addressed, and boundaries need to be set. 

But even if we don’t grant someone the same type of access to us, that does not mean forgiveness has not taken place. 

To go even one step further. Those who hurt us, lied about us, gossiped, and did all kinds of evil, perhaps, those we consider our enemy. We are called to forgive them as well 

Matt 5:43-45

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 [a]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Love deeply my Growing In God’s Grace Friends. Love from the overflow of what our Heavenly Father has given to us. Be filled by Him, so that what you have overflowing and pouring out comes to those whom He has placed in our path. Forgive as you have been forgiven, as commanded. And trust in the process and the fact that hate and unforgiveness are like a weight around your own neck, not the person whose forgiveness is needed. 

I know that this is a hard one! Let me pray for you. 

Abba Father, I lift to you today those who have unforgiveness in their hearts. Those who have been hurt deeply and forgetting has not been an option. Lord, you have covered us with your precious blood. You have forgiven us of our faults and sins committed, and those forgotten, and those that have not yet been. 

Show them who needs to give forgiveness, that it is by your strength, grace, and mercy you give so that we may give freely. What you give us, we give out to others. 

Lord, cover the hurt that has been inflicted. Show where boundaries can be set. But we are free from the enemy's schemes and lies that say that if we forgive, we disregard the hurt and offense. Heal those places, Lord, with your love and tender care, mercy and grace. Set them free in the Mighty Name of Jesus. AMen