Fervent Love (Part 1)

The Believer’s Character:  A true believer is loving.

October 26, 2019

"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

1 Peter 4:8

Part 1

“And above all things.”
Peter, it appears, agrees with Paul as to the importance of love (agape) in the believer’s life.  The Christian may give the impression of having his life altogether.  His faith, his works, his prayer life, and his giving, may all seem to be in line, but without love, having the proper place in his life, he’s empty.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Paul claimed the greatest of the spiritual virtues to be love, for, at the end of time, when we are with our Lord, it is love that lasts through eternity.

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

It is interesting to note that any of the Christian responsibilities, personal devotions, prayer, service, gifts, giving, preaching and teaching, witnessing, as crucial as all of these are, without love, these things will never be used nor have the effect that God has intended.

Peter has already spoken of love in this book.  Because of the importance of it, he points out its importance again.

“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1:22). [1]

“Have fervent charity among yourselves:”
“Fervent…charity.”  There is probably nothing worse to erode personal relationships than hypocritical, pretend love.  It looks similar to the real thing, but at its core is just a poor counterfeit.  It’s imitation love, but without the heart.  It is service to the Lord and others, only as a duty.  It’s reading our Bible with no real hunger for it.  It is worshipping our God with detachment.  It is long on promises, but short on the action!  At the end of the day, pretend love leaves all parties lonely and starving for the real thing.  Peter must have understood this, for he said that we must have “fervent charity” among us.

Why is “fervent love” so important in the believer’s life?  Come back tomorrow and we’ll see what we can learn.

 

 

 

[1] For Peter’s take on love see also 1 Peter 1:8; 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 3:10; 2 Peter 2:15.  Peter also mentions brotherly love in 1 Peter 1:22; and 2 Peter 1:7.  The Lord changed Peter from the brash disciple who acted without thinking, into a man who understands and practices these virtues of love and brotherly love, these are vital to the body life of the Church.