A story is given of a pastor from South Wales, United Kingdom who in the middle of a service, received prophetic insight about an individual who had been doing his absolute best to derail and undermine the pastor of the church in which he had been invited to preach. As the word of wisdom came to him, the Lord prompted him to do something strange, he called the pastor and that individual and asked them to stand back-to-back. In his illustration, he prophesied how this gentleman was going to become such a support to the pastor and how they will have an incredible friendship (the David and Jonathan typa thing, you know)!
Shortly after service, this fellow came up to the guest preacher who had made the illustration and told him: “ Pastor, you have no idea how mean I have been to our pastor and what things I have done in just the last couple of months to hurt and derail him.” the guest preacher responded that he actually knew and had seen exactly what the fellow had been up to and the impact it caused, but that the love of God not only covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8) but imputes righteousness by calling what is not as though it is (Romans 4:17).
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.1 Peter 4:8-9 NIV
Love is not just an attribute of God; it is His very essence. As a result, everything He does is rooted in love, driven by love, and designed to produce outcomes that reflect that love. Similarly, as His image bearers, we are called to embody and express love in all that we say and do. While we often fall short due to the influence of the fallen world around us, this is not an excuse to refrain from striving to reflect the love and character of Jesus, rising above our fleshly nature.
Let us dive into the actual definition and description of the flesh as many of us do not quite understand it. The flesh is a reference to the human powers and abilities. It refers to the part of us that may be tempted to try to live independent of God. That is essentially what the flesh is and when we do not understand that, we perceive our physical body as an enemy, which is wrong and detrimental. God doesn’t try to erase our bodies or souls but through the transformation and renewal of our minds He makes those aspects of us one singular unit that is uniquely thriving in Christ. The result of this is looking more like Him, fully man with the spirit of God in charge.
The guest pastor’s approach to delivering the word of wisdom he had received demonstrates the love of God in dealing with us not according to what our sin deserves but according to His steadfast and abounding love and mercy (Psalm 103:10). Notice that the fellow came forward and confessed without anyone even asking. That is simply because love compels. This is why men and women who have caught this revelation do not struggle to serve, to give wholeheartedly and cheerfully. Such individuals do not sacrifice begrudgingly as if the Lord is actively looking for the slightest error to punish or discipline them with pain. I can almost always tell the driving force behind one’s service by how much their love covers in speech, in deeds and in posture. Learning to tame our vessels in this way is a work that is done by the Holy Spirit from start to finish because for the carnal mind, it is simply impossible.
This kind of taming looks like resisting the urge to expose the faults of another brother or sister even if they are true. It looks like often remembering how much of your own shortcomings is known to God alone and yourself and just how much disdain others may show you if God was to show them. It is something that God cares about that even to those who are “prophetic” He reveals it to them with instruction to cover, and only if they can be trusted to follow the instruction. For the most part, prophetic ministries that are only driven by the zeal to always “expose” things with no wisdom to discern when and how to cover a multitude of sins are not God-led. Covering a multitude of sin is also not hiding destructive behavior or information that could be harmful to you or others. Evil must be purged but there are several ways to apply wisdom in how this is done, where and when.
Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. Galatians 6:1 AMPC
When it comes to the “how” of loving in such a way that covers, Paul gives us a blueprint that is without ambiguity: set him/ her right, restore and reinstate. Notice that he did not condone the mistake of the brother/sister in error? He does call for it to be reproved, but with care for the offender that once they have repented, they may also be restored and reinstated. God’s will, as stated in 1 Timothy 2:4 is that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.
There is no exception to who God desires to save and restore and, in our zeal, we may find ourselves angrier than God who alone is perfect and just enough to withhold mercy – yet He does not. Hence in his closing remark, Paul leaves us with food for thought that it is possible to fall prey to the very thing which you condemned so severely and that is a sobering reminder that we may need the same mercy required of us to extend to others before the day is out. May it be said of us that we received mercy and love so great that it is the only way we know to relate with those in need of it.
Praise the Lord!
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, and you feel that this is the perfect time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you because you died for my sins and you were raised for my glory. Today, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
