Devotion: 1 Peter 4:8-10

1 Peter 4:8-10 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Peter instructs us to love deeply because it plays an important role in the sins of our friends, or rather the covering of those sins. But what does that mean exactly? Is Peter telling us we have the power to absolve our friends of sin? Today’s reading is jam packed with nuggets of truth, so let’s dig in and see what the scriptures have in store for us.

Let’s start with the term “covers.” In this context covers is referring to a payment, or more specifically, forgiveness. Love is the method used to pay for or forgive a sin. Jesus paid the ultimate price to forgive our sins. His life covered the cost through the ultimate act of love – His death in exchange for forgiveness of our sins. He covered the cost, provided the payment required, thereby satisfying the sacrifice required for forgiveness.

While it is true we do not have the power to forgive sins as Christ did, we can still forgive our friends for any wrongdoing against us and restore fellowship. We are also given instructions by Jesus for confronting our brothers and sisters caught in sin (Matthew 18:15-17). By doing so we are helping them cover their sin as described in James 5:19-20.

Peter follows his instructions on love covering sins with ones on hospitality. Hospitality, as used here, can be translated from the Greek as “love of strangers.” So we are first instructed to love one another deeply and then to love strangers without complaining. Both the Old and New Testament tell us to provide for others or offer hospitality, so this was an expectation of the times which probably left some a bit grumbly over. If you have ever had someone show up unexpectedly when you were busy or in a bad mood then you know what is meant by hospitality without grumbling.

Instead we should draw upon the gifts we have been blessed with to minister to those we receive. For example, I have the gift of exhortation. Rather than grumbling and complaining about someone who shows up at my home, I can instead listen to them and then offer encouragement. I show my love by ministering to their needs in the best way I can – through the gifts God has given me.

Pray about what you can do to love others, both friends and strangers and let the Spirit guide you as you practice hospitality and use your God given gifts. And take joy in knowing you are doing God’s will in obedience to Him.

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