12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
When we are full of hatred we will fight one another. Without a doubt. Is this not the curse of Man? “He wounded me so I killed him.” From the jealousy of Cain onward to now, the hatred and envy of man leads to murder. We increase in knowledge, increase in power, and increase in murderous actions until all is destroyed. We bring death and we die.
Jesus is the ultimate example of our eat or be eaten world. He did no violence, neither did He lie or manipulate; He brought the Truth of a Kingdom of Life. They killed Him. He could have called down legions of angels to save Him. He could have used the power of God to destroy them. He did not. He, who is LIFE remained true to Himself as the Son of God until the very end.
Because of His love, our sins—of which are many—are covered.
This means something. Having received so great a love, so great a mercy, and so great a salvation as this, how can we continue in the things of death?
Why do we continue to hate one another? Why do we continue in strife, division, backbiting, envying, and all manner of destruction—for which we were freed at so high a cost as the blood of the Son of God?
Those who take this sacrifice for granted—those who neglect so great a salvation as this—will receive chastisement at best. Many will “loose what they seemed to have.”
Let us who seek to be conformed to the image of Christ keep these things in mind as we push forward in the things of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus promises that if we abide in Him, and He in us, then we will do the works that He does. We will bring forth fruits. We will bring forth LIVING things despite the death and destruction of this world.
However, Jesus also said that the world loves its own, but because we were chosen out of the world—because we received His grace—the world hates us. They are envious, they hate that which is good and testifies of their sin, they hate the ways of Jesus. They want to destroy Him and all who follow Him.
If we are counted worthy to suffer for His name, then we know this: We will live again because we have not made our agreement with death, but with Life!
Love covers a multitude of sin. Love brings life, not death. Love heals the curse of this world, and we need more of this. Even the commandments of Jesus says to love: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Jesus is our Lord and Savior, but is He our friend? If we do as our Lord says and show ourselves faithful to Him, we are more than servants. We are friends. We are brothers and sisters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is a powerful position to be in—one that can conquer all ways of the enemy—by the Love of He who died and rose again!
“Love the Lord your God will all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor like yourself.”
“Who is my neighbor?”
Is the political party you prefer your neighbor? Is your race or gender your neighbor? Is your favored Christian denomination your neighbor? Are those who love you and believe as you do your neighbor?
Jesus said, “If you salute your brethren what reward have you? If you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not the publicans and sinners do the same? God sends rain on the just and the unjust. Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Maybe one day this world will be so given to the curse of man—the curse of warring and death—that it is fitting to remove these basic graces of God. The scriptures say so. There will come a time to dry up the rain and turn the water to blood. For the world to be so wicked that doing this is an act of love is mind-blowing. Things are bad now, but they must get much worse.
Meanwhile, we are told to “occupy” until our Lord comes. Let us learn to occupy better by keeping true to the testimony of Jesus and the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven as bringers of Life to a world of death.
Read 1 Peter 4 for more information on how love covers many sins.
Jesus Alone 