Intro:
This month is considered to be the love month of the year since we are celebrating Valentine’s Day every February and so everybody wanted to feel that love is in the air. Though for us Christian, this feeling or emotions of love should not be felt during this time only but in every day of our lives, love should always be our motivator in everything we do. This is the reason why our theme this month is “A Loving Hope” which has a theme verse found in 1 Corinthians 16:14 which says “Do everything in love” according to Apostle Paul.
For Apostle Paul, love is the greatest of all as he compared faith, hope and love in 1 Corinthians 13:13. But for some reason and consideration, this does not mean that hope and faith is inferior when it comes to the subject of love. But the hope that we wanted to share with others must be motivated out of love for others.
Though we are not going to study again the different characteristics of love in our lives as we always do during this February, what is important to know is the Christian love we ought to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ especially during these times of crisis brought by the pandemic. Today let me share with you about the Christian way of loving others, and this is to have…
Our Hope to Love Others
1 Peter 4:8-11
What is our hope in our lives so we can love others? Apostle Peter would like to give a follow up of the definition of love mentioned by Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. Let us all read our text today in
1 Peter 4:8-11
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
ASND:
8 Higit sa lahat, magmahalan kayo nang tapat. Sapagkat kung mahal mo ang kapwa mo, mapapatawad mo siya kahit gaano pa karami ang nagawa niyang kasalanan. 9 Tanggapin ninyo sa inyong tahanan ang isa't isa nang maluwag sa puso. 10 Binigyan ng Dios ang bawat isa sa atin ng kaloob. Gamitin natin ito para sa ikabubuti ng lahat bilang mabubuting katiwala ng iba't ibang kaloob ng Dios. 11 Ang binigyan ng kaloob sa pangangaral ay dapat mangaral ng salita ng Dios. At ang binigyan ng kaloob para maglingkod ay dapat maglingkod ayon sa kakayahang ibinigay sa kanya ng Dios, upang mapapurihan ang Dios sa lahat ng ginagawa natin sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo. Makapangyarihan siya at karapat-dapat purihin magpakailanman! Amen.
How should we love others? We may not discuss here about romantic or erotic love but what’s most important of all is to have hope that we may love others just as what God wants us to do so. Our love for others should be…
1. Fervent – v8 “above all love each other deeply…” or the other term for deeply is fervently (masidhi). ASND “Higit sa lahat, magmahalan kayo nang tapat”
When was the last time we love deeply or fervently especially to others or to those we don’t know? We may easily love our loved-ones with this kind of intensity or emotions but what about others whom we don’t have any relationship with them at all? Can we still love them deeply? This verse has the context to put others first over our own interest. Apostle Paul mentioned this in Philippians 2:4 “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” ASND “Huwag lang ang sarili ninyong kapakanan ang isipin n'yo kundi ang kapakanan din ng iba.”
So, when we start to love deeply is to look at the affairs of others more than ourselves.
Another context of Apostle Peter when he mentioned this is a picture of an athlete straining to reach the goal which is to win. And in order to win, an athlete must be consistent in training with intensity. This means that to love others is consistently hoping to win them out of love. Christian love is something we have to work at just the way the athletes work on their skills with consistency. It is not a matter of emotional feelings or based on our moods though that is included, but of dedicated will. It means treating others just as the way God treats us, obeying His commandments and will to love others.
It's easy to love others especially if we can get something in return. Though we know that for a successful relationship to work, then mutual love must be shared. But that’s not the case God wants us to love others. We need a type of love that is unselfish and unconditional just like God loved us. This love is not extended because of what it might bring in return. It is a love so great that it loves the unlovable. This is the kind of love that God has for us! We don’t look for others the same intensity of love we share to them but even though others may not be loveable, we should still love them.
Matthew 5:44-48
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This is very difficult – to love our enemies, but this is the only way to show hope for others to feel that they are loved just as God loved them. Look at verse 45 that says it is also the Father who causes the blessings to be poured out both to the righteous and unrighteous. Meaning, the same fervent love must be given to the people who are lost and unrighteous! Yet the big difference between the righteous and unrighteous is the unconditional love that we can give which only God can give us. By doing that, we can get our rewards from Him!
2. Forgiving – v8 “…because love covers over a multitude of sins.” ASND “Sapagkat kung mahal mo ang kapwa mo, mapapatawad mo siya kahit gaano pa karami ang nagawa niyang kasalanan”.
Once we’ve learned the unselfish way of loving others deeply, then we should learn how to forgive them. Christian love for others is about forgiving them as well. On this verse Apostle Peter quoted Proverbs 10:12 that says “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” ASND “Ang galit ay nagpapasimula ng kaguluhan, ngunit ang pag-ibig ay nagpapatawad ng lahat ng kasalanan.” And this is also similar to what Apostle James said in James 5:20 “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” ASND “dapat ninyong malaman na ang nagpabalik sa isang makasalanan mula sa kanyang masamang pamumuhay ay nagliligtas ng kaluluwa ng taong iyon sa kamatayan, at magdudulot ng kapatawaran ng maraming kasalanan.”
So this means that when we love others deeply, we don’t love them based on their good characters only but also their bad traits as well. However, we have the responsibility to correct them from their wrongdoings and forgive them. This is to show that we truly care for them and not just to compromise the principles of God’s Word. King Solomon said in Proverbs 27:5-6 “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” ASND “Mas mabuti ang pagsaway na hayagan, kaysa sa pag-ibig na hindi ipinapaalam. Ang masakit na pagsaway ng isang kaibigan ay may katuturan, ngunit ang halik ng kaaway ay hindi maaasahan.”
We cannot separate the truth of forgiving others by correcting them rather than forgiving them and not to be correct and letting them be destroyed by their sins.
Look at what Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” ASND “ang pag-ibig ay hindi natutuwa sa kasamaan, kundi nagagalak sa katotohanan, matiyaga, laging nagtitiwala, laging may pag-asa, at tinitiis ang lahat.”
Our love for others does not condone (kinukunsinti) sin but instead we correct them. For if we truly love others, we are not happy seeing them going to the flow of the sinners that leads to their own destruction. But rather we should be able to cover their sins with correction and start to forgive them regardless of how big their sins are to us. This is included to the Lord’s Prayer instructed to His disciples in Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” ASND “Patawarin n'yo kami sa aming mga kasalanan, tulad ng pagpapatawad namin sa mga nagkasala sa amin.”
To cover our sins with love means not condoning sin but we must be ready to hide sins from others and not allowing these sins to spread that usually leads to gossip until we correct the said person we love. This will prevent conflict from both parties. A great example of this principle is when Noah became shamefully drunk in Genesis 9:18-27 and exposed his nakedness due to his drunkenness. His son Ham told the family about this incident without doing anything to his father. But his 2 other brothers out of love covered the nakedness of their father and hid this matter to others.
Just as our dear Lord Jesus died for our sins that He washed our sins so He will not only cover it by His precious blood but also to free us from sin and wickedness once and for all!
Illustration:
There was a priest in the Philippines who carried the burden of a secret sin he had committed many years before. He had repented but still had no sense of God’s forgiveness.
In his church was a woman who claimed to have visions in which she spoke with Christ and he with her. The priest however was skeptical. To test her he said, “The next time you speak with Christ, I want you to ask him what sin your priest committed while he was in bible college.” The woman agreed.
A few days later the priest asked, “Well, did Christ visit you in your dreams?”
“Yes, he did”, she replied.
“And did you ask him what sin I committed in bible college?”
“Yes”
“Well, what did he say?”
“He said, ‘I don’t remember.’”
Not only that we need to be fervent and forgiving to others but we need to be…
3. Friendly – v9 “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” ASND “Tanggapin ninyo sa inyong tahanan ang isa't isa nang maluwag sa puso.”
We should be able to share our homes with others in generous hospitality (without complaining and not being forced to do it). Who among us has already shared our homes to our brethren? May it be a place where our Life Group can be conducted or just a simple meeting with one another? This is what the Bible called hospitality.
In New Testament times, hospitality was an important thing because there were few inns and poor Christians could not afford to stay at them anyway. There were even persecuted Christians like Paul, Peter, and just like other disciples who would need places to stay where they could be assisted and encouraged.
Illustrations:
When it comes to hospitality, we Filipinos are the most hospitable among the nations of this world as we can offer the best things in our homes and offer it to our guest or visitor. We sometimes offer the best pillows, utensils, the best food that we can offer etc.
That’s why we are one of the friendliest nations according to different foreigners who visited our country whom most of them were trying to live here during their retirement. And sadly, many nations used that characteristic against us by capturing us like the Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and now the Chinese.
Hospitality in the Bible is a virtue and is commanded and commended:
• Moses included it in his law – Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 14:28-29
• Jesus enjoyed it as He opted to stay in the house of his chosen friends like Zacchaeus and Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
• The disciples experienced hospitality with other believers – Acts 28:7, Philemon 22
• Human hospitality is a reflection of God’s hospitality to us – Luke 16:14
• Christian leaders must be an example of hospitality – 1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8
• Abraham showed hospitality to 3 strangers only find out that he entertained God and 2 angels – Genesis 18; Hebrews 13:2
• We help to promote the truth when we open our homes to God’s servants – 3 John 5-8
We become the source of encouragement when we start to open up our homes to our dear brothers and sisters especially during counselling, planning and friendship where it is being developed as relationship start to open up. Our house becomes a place of refuge and rest to our tired brethren who are ready to be encouraged by us. Don’t be selfish on inviting and entertaining our brethren who are really in need.
According to our text, we should not be complaining or grumbling. How many times have we helped our brethren during their hopeless and helpless situation?
Illustration:
A man took his dog to the veterinarian and asked him to cut his tail off completely. “I don’t like to do that,” said the vet. “And why completely?” “Well,” said the dog owner, “my mother-in-law is coming to visit us, and I don’t want anything in the house to suggest that she is welcome.
Lastly, we are not only instructed to love others fervently, forgivingly, friendly but most of all, we need to be…
4. Faithful – v10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” ASND “Binigyan ng Dios ang bawat isa sa atin ng kaloob. Gamitin natin ito para sa ikabubuti ng lahat bilang mabubuti (o tapat) na katiwala ng iba't ibang kaloob ng Dios.”
Finally, we need to be faithful for the gifts that God has bestowed upon us. As believers we have all been given "spiritual gifts". When we use our gifts the Holy Spirit ministers to others through us. A spiritual gift cannot be earned, pursued or worked up. It is merely “received” through the grace of God. These gifts are described in
Romans 12:3-8
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
You see God’s love and spiritual gifts are the perfect tandem to fulfill God’s purpose and plans for us. Because if we take away one of this it will be useless. Let’s look at how Apostle Paul approach the subject of love by giving emphasis to the gifts of God in…
1 Corinthians 13:1-3:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Here we can see a comparison of spiritual gifts and God’s love towards others. We may have all the spiritual gifts that the Bible mentioned but if we don’t have love, we are just like noise and not music to God, we lose our identity, and lose everything we have from God. The only way to give emphasis to the effectivity of the spiritual gifts is to do all of it by love…love towards others! Let everything be done out of love! – 1 Corinthians 16:14 our theme verse.
And now our text says that we should use these gifts as faithful stewards in order to be effective in showing our love towards others. How can we show our faithfulness to our giftings? Verse 11 told us that “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” ASND “Ang binigyan ng kaloob sa pangangaral ay dapat mangaral ng salita ng Dios. At ang binigyan ng kaloob para maglingkod ay dapat maglingkod ayon sa kakayahang ibinigay sa kanya ng Dios, upang mapapurihan ang Dios sa lahat ng ginagawa natin sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo.”
Here we can clearly see that the spiritual gifts that Apostle Peter was mentioning is about how can we be effective as we share our love towards others…
• By being a spokesman of God’s love – we need to speak love based on the Word of God
Not everyone has the ability to be a preacher or a teacher of His Word, but we can be a spokesman/woman of His love towards others. Instead of spreading hate and fake news, why not spread His love that contains hope – a loving hope towards others.
• By being a servant of God showing God’s love – we may be outspoken in terms of loving God and others, but there are serving gifts like giving, encouraging, leading, showing mercy. We can be at the “behind the scene” if this is the gifts God gave us. There is no difference at all!
And what will be the purpose of being faithful to His giftings? It should all give glory to God Himself.
Illustration:
Once upon a time two brothers bought fish tanks. The younger brother’s setup was very simple – a fishbowl with some gravel and weed. The older brother was much more elaborate – a larger, enclosed tank with a filter, lighting and much better decoration.
The younger brother rarely cleaned his tank. The older brother was vigilant in keeping his tank clean.
The older brother couldn’t understand then why his fish died but his brother’s lived.
It turns out the cleaning chemicals the older brother was using were toxic to fish. Whenever he cleaned the tank tiny traces of the chemical remained, but these were enough to keep fish targets down.
Which all goes to show that when it comes to serving others good intentions aren’t enough. If we want to have transformative impact, we need to match good intentions with good practice.
What is our good intention? It is love. But what is our good practice? It is our spiritual gifts.
Are we faithful in showing our love towards others? Are we faithfully using our spiritual gifts in order to be effective in sharing God’s love to others?
Conclusion:
Our hope to love others requires love that is fervent, forgiving, friendly and faithful. Have we considered ourselves that we have all of them?
Illustration:
CNN television reporter Peter Arnett was once on assignment in Israel when a bomb exploded. Through a mass of wounded people strode a man carrying a little girl. She had been badly injured by the blast. The man begged Peter to take her to a hospital. As a member of the press, he was one of the few be able to get through the security cordon that police had formed. Peter agreed. He bundled the man and the girl into his car. The trip to the hospital was traumatic. Neither Peter nor the man knew if the beautiful little girl would make it. They made it to the hospital, rushed the girl in, and waited anxiously for news. After what seemed an eternity, the doctor came out with the tragic news that the little girl had died. The man collapsed in tears. Peter Arnett stumbled to comfort him as best he could. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I’ve never lost a child.”
The man turned and looked at Peter. “That girl was not my daughter. I’m an Israeli settler. She was a Palestinian. But there comes a time when each of us must realize that every child, regardless of that child’s background, is a daughter or a son. There must come a time when we realize that we are all family.”
At the peak of our success, there is nothing there but only us. But…
Happiness is not the result of circumstance. It is the result of loving others. – Lloyd Newell
We Will Stand
