Tag: Spiritual Growth

^“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8).

In anticipation of Jesus Christ’s soon return (I Peter 4:7), God commands believers to be self-controlled and sober-minded. God also encourages believers to do something more: to love one another. This is an example of self-control and sober-mindedness.

The phrase above all (πρό; pro; πᾶς; pas) means that which is of the greatest importance for the believer in Christ. In spite of everything else that God calls the Christian to do, the most important thing to do is to love.

The word love, or its participle form “loving,” is from the Greek word ἀγάπη; agape. This is the highest expression of love. More than a mere friendship or physical, sexual attraction, this love is a self-sacrificial love of the will. It is a self-sacrifice for another which is not based upon the temporary or fleeting emotions of the moment but rather upon a solidified resolution of one’s will. It is the love God demonstrated to a fallen, sinful world by sending His Son, Jesus Christ to save sinners.

I John 4:7-11 expresses it well. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

This is the type of love we are to have for other believers. This is more than implied by the apostle when he uses the familiar biblical phrase, “one another.” While God calls Christians to display varied behaviors toward one another, the most frequent and familiar is to love one another (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; Romans 12:10; 13:8; I Thessalonians 4:9; I John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 5).

This self-sacrificial love is patient and kind. It isn’t envious. It isn’t boastful. It isn’t arrogant or rude. It does not insist on having its own way. It isn’t irritable or resentful. It isn’t happy when things go wrong for someone else, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. See I Corinthians 13.

There is a qualifier to God’s directive. God calls Christians to love one another earnestly. To love earnestly (ἐκτενής; ektenes) means to self-sacrifice with a continual eagerness. The word, in its Greek origin, refers to the tight muscles of an athlete who strains to win a race. The believer’s unselfish love and concern for others should be exercised to the point of sacrificially giving for another person’s well-being.

As the believer loves like this, their love will cover (καλύπτω; kalypto) hide or keep secret a multitude of sins. A pastor wrote that, “This kind of strenuously maintained self-sacrificial love is not blind but sees and accepts the faults of others (cf. Proverbs 10:12; 1 Corinthians 13:4–7).”

Therefore, while it is appropriate to anticipate the soon, return of Christ from heaven to earth, let us not shirk from our present responsibilities: especially God’s call for us to love one another.

How may you show self-sacrificial love today towards someone? How may you display patience, kindness, humility, and a true happiness for someone when things go well for them? This may be at home, work or even at school. This is the hallmark of a true believer in Christ.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,” (I Peter 4:1).

As Peter begins what we understand to be chapter four of his epistle, he again introduces a conclusion by the use of the word “therefore.” I Peter 4:1 also includes a cause and effect structure. The idea is that since Christ has demonstrated a particular behavior, we are in response to demonstrate a corresponding behavior. Let’s look and see what Peter has to say.

The behavior Jesus Christ demonstrated is that he suffered in the flesh. Jesus experienced suffering (πάσχω; pascho) in an active, complete and, by the cross, in a way unique to Him and only Him. His suffering on our behalf secured eternal salvation for the elect of God (Ephesians 1:3-10). Jesus knew the pain of physical persecution while also bearing the sins of many thereby receiving God’s righteous wrath (Romans 1:18).

In light of this truth, God commands believers to arm themselves. To arm (ὁπλίζω; hoplizo) means to personally prepare yourself and be ready. Ready for what? Suffering! Suffering for the Christian faith. Suffering for Jesus Christ (John 15:18-19).

Preparation for suffering for Christ begins with our thinking (ἔννοια; ennoia), which is not just knowledge but also our attitude. Suffering, as we have said several times in this series, is never easy. However, it we have the right biblical attitude, we can not only survive the suffering we face for Jesus but also we can thrive by striving to bring Him glory as we trust Him every step of the journey.

Peter then makes a statement that has solicited many interpretations. What does the apostle mean when he writes, “For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” The word cease (παύω; pauo) means to stop some activity or behavior. Is Peter teaching sinless perfection while the believer is on this earth because they suffer for Christ? I John 1:8-10 teaches otherwise. So, what does Peter mean?

Some interpret it to mean the character building effects of suffering. Or it may mean that all those in union with Christ in His suffering and death are considered not to be sinful since Christ has died for their sin and taken its penalty ( I Peter 2:24; 3:18; Romans 6:7).

However, in light of what Peter wrote in I Peter 2:24, we believe that what he means is that believers are no longer living for sin but rather increasingly living for righteousness. We have ceased to have sin be our desire to fulfill but rather we seek to be holy in all we do.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The passage speaks of the believers’ desire not to sin because of their real identification with Christ, which gives them power and motivation to not sin. The bent of believers’ lives should be toward a progressive ceasing from sin.”

How is your progress in becoming less and less sinful and more and more holy? I know, sometimes it seems to be one step forward and two steps back. Many days it may appear that you are making no progress at all. Take heart! You are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Let us pray for one another as we do.

Soli deo Gloria!