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"Have fervent love for one another"

Text: 1 Peter 4:8

RAMIFICATIONS OF OUR FAITH

Our knowledge and our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ must have positive ramifications upon our life. One of the key teachings of the Lord Jesus that impressed upon His disciples was to ensure that love prevailed (John 13:34-35).

“And above all things have fervent love for one another,
for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.'”
1 Peter 4:8

1. “All things”

a) There were many things that we must learn about our faith in Christ.

b) A short list of things mentioned in 1 Peter:

i) Faith

ii) Joy

iii) Obedience

c) All of these things were to be understood and practised diligently.

2. “Above all things have fervent love for one another”

a) What would be the one thing that should stand out “above all”?

b) The love that the Lord Jesus highlighted must be given its proper place.

i) Literally translated, love is before all things.

ii) The meaning derived is, “above all things”.

c) Features of “agape-love”:

i) It gives without asking for any returns.

ii) It is sacrificial.

iii) It is God’s kind of love.

iv) It is deep and significant.

v) It must be “fervent” (earnest, sincere).

3. This was what the Lord Jesus had taught (John 13:34-35)

a) The disciples were to love one another.

b) This must be their hallmark.

c) This love would be so obvious people would know that they were the disciples of Christ by their love.

4. For “love will cover a multitude of sins”

a) It is inevitable that sin will be a part of our human life.

b) If we count all our sins, it would indeed be a multitude.

c) Peter was citing Proverbs 10:12, “Love covers all sins”.

5. The practical side of things

a) Sin must of course be confessed to the Lord.

b) The Lord would grant grace and mercy and He would forgive.

c) We are to exercise love and to forgive the transgressor.

d) We are not to be judgmental but to be forgiving.