I Peter 4:7-8

It becomes intensified. You love God the Father first, and honor Him. And above everything else, love the brethren fervently—above all things. This phrase “above all things” means to stretch out. Stretch and strain yourself to love.

We do not always have personalities that match. We do not always have backgrounds that match. That does not matter. You are to stretch out, and to be continually intense, and more intensely and earnestly, increasing and growing long in life. This is what that means. “Above all things, fervently love the brethren.”

Agape love is capable of being commanded, because it is not primarily an emotion, but a decision of the will leading to right action. It is a decision of your mind to love, to behave yourself in a loving fashion.

Does this mean that if we love one another fervently, that a multitude or our sins will be covered? In part, it does—“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive others.” How about, if I do not forgive others, will my debts be forgiven? No, they will not. You are going to stand before Jesus Christ, and He is going to say, “I know you.”

The sense of what Peter is saying in I Peter 4:8 is that when one loves, as God does, he or she overlooks the faults in another. We forgive offenses that are against us. By loving one another, we do not stir up or broadcast sin. We are going to forgive the faults of others because of the great forgiveness that Jesus Christ extended to us.

I Peter 4:7-8

And above all things have fervent love for the brethren, for one another. James said to pray fervently, and here it says to love fervently. I think that is not a mistake, because there is a kind of love that God wants us to have within the church, in His Family, because it does cover a multitude of sins. The love that God gives us will be forgiving. He allows us our shortcomings. He allows us to make our mistakes. It does not hold a grudge. And instead of holding things against someone, we have the opportunity even to forgive our brothers ourselves. Praying for our brethren helps us to push past our own selfishness and actively bear one another's burdens and participate in the spiritual unity of the body of Christ.