Refiner's Fire

I love the quiet that the early morning brings. It's so easy to read God's Word  .... and to be set on fire by it.

For example: 1st Peter 4.....

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

What does that mean exactly? I get the 'love each other' part. That's the first and greatest commandment.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:30-31

But 'love covers over a multitude of sins.' What does THAT mean?

Our first clue is found in 1st John ....

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8

So, God covers over a multitude of sins? Oh, yes. And His name is Jesus! He died for our sins.

But the verse from 1st John implies that it is OUR love of others that does the covering. Our 'covering love' can be summed up  in one word.

Forgiveness.

Do we love others enough to forgive them? Our love for others should overpower any wrongs people have done to us.

That's all part of God's refining process in our lives. We should pray to be refined - transformed into the image of Jesus.

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." - Matthew 6:14

Let us start out the week with a spirit of forgiveness and see if a grace-filled life doesn't follow.

Refiner's Fire - The Worship Project