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More Thoughts on Costly Love

"Above all keep loving one another earnestly, for love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8

1 Peter 4:8 calls for costly love. It takes courage and a fixation on the Cross of Christ.

When costly love is in effect amazing things happen.

1. It protects the dignity of everyone.

You don't billboard people sins. You don't put them out there where everyone can see and where they get humiliated and cut down. You protect people. You do things appropriately. You don't gossip. You don't share news that isn't yours to share.

2. It restores relationships.

When costly love is in effect people get healed of deep relational wounds. And shielded from deep relational wounds. It doesn't mean you condone or celebrate sin or that you condemn people. You confess sins and do what is necessary to make things right.

3. It fosters deeper fellowship.

Do you notice it doesn't just say the person that most feels like it or a pastor or the elders or the person who has the most capacity for loving? Did you notice that it says one another? The whole body. Everyone has a responsibility. And everyone takes initiative to sacrificially show, not sentimentally share, costly love. Costly love is sacrificial not sentimental. And it builds bonds of unity. Even in places where trust has been broken in the past.

How will you know if you are engaged in costly love? You will not be able to ignore the benefits and outcomes. It will be so evident. Joy will fill your life. And so will pain. Because people living in close proximity to one another elbow each other at times. But they also hug.

What do you do when your heart is frozen in unforgiveness? You go to Jesus and ask Him to help you and then take that issue to the cross and let it go.

Why should we let things go? Because you do in a crisis. Every day is a crisis. Every day should be lived in light of the imminent return of Christ. They say there's no atheists in fox holes. I don't think there are any enemies either.

Costly love forbears, it forgives, it forgets. Is there anything you're holding onto right now? Any relational burden? Any scar? Any grudge? Any judgment? Let it go at the foot of the cross of Jesus. It all comes back to the Gospel. When we are amazed because of God's grace in saving us, we freely forgive. Because Jesus shed his blood for us, we can show His love to others.

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