A Call To The Remnant

It is said that love covers a multitude of sins. It is said in 1 Peter 4:8. It is not just any kind of love that covers a multitude of sins, it is a fervent love. No where should we see this more than between a husband and wife. A love that overlooks the imperfection of the other and focuses on the good. And not just focuses on the good but fervently focuses on the good. A love that would defend and sheild the other come what may and always think the best of the other. The opposite of this, and therefore the opposite of love is a desire to expose the other. A fervent desire to focus on the bad that we see. This is self love. Self love has a fervency all of its own and it is always driven by self. If you love yourself above all things then you cannot love Jesus and you certainly cannot love your spouse. True love, as personified on the cross is sacrificial. It is willing to die for the object of its love.

It is said that love keeps no record of wrongs. It is said in 1 Cor 13:5. It is worth pondering on that for a moment. It keeps no record of wrongs. It is patient and is kind. It is not envious and it is not boastful nor is it proud. It is not rude nor self seeking and it is not easily angered. It does not delight when the other falls but rejoices in their goodness. It is always protective, it always trusts and hopes and it endures. Now the Word of God says that we can have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries and be right and even have a faith that could move mountains, yet without this kind of love, it would mean nothing. You could give all that you have to the poor and even give your body to be burned. All of it would gain you nothing if you do not have a fervent love. Above all things, love prevails.

The question then is this. How do you love? How do you love your husband? How do you love your wife? How do you compare to the Word of God when it comes to love? If we cannot love the people that are closest to us in the fashion described above then what have we gained from our walk with Jesus? If we go back to 1 Peter 4 and look at verse one. For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin. The word flesh when it used to speak of Jesus signifies the Lord’s human nature. The second use of the word flesh in this verse is a reference to man’s fallen nature. When we arm ourselves with the resolve of our Lord Jesus Christ as personified by His enduring and overcoming on the cross, then we can cause our own flesh to suffer, suffer defeat. When you take up your cross daily, then the flesh suffers and is put to flight and sin is put to flight. Will you suffer in the flesh to love your husband in the manner prescribed? Will you husband suffer likewise to love your wife? Love is the greatest battle of them all and it is so because it is love that conquers the fires of hell. Lets enter the battle today, follow the instructions above. We shall give an account for it to the Lord Himself.