Fervent Love

Love has to be united with the power of the Holy Spirit to be “fervent;” only then can it bear all things and cover a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8.

Love can be subjected to hard trials in the church, but all of them can be overcome. This is possible if one is born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Peter loved Jesus; he was prepared to die with Him though all the others should forsake Him. However, his love did not endure. It is not very difficult to forgive a brother from the heart and bless him the first time he asks for forgiveness; but only a fervent love can forgive seventy times seven times, if it should happen over and over again. Matthew 18:22.

In Romans 15:30 Paul exhorts us through the love of the Spirit to strive together with him. Someone can imagine that he is spiritual and striving, without having this fervent love. Yet it is our striving in love that untangles all the knots. The extent to which we have become spiritual is determined by how much we forgive and forbear in love. Babes in Christ also have love, but its limitations are soon revealed.

The Hebrews are called holy brethren who have a High Priest and a heavenly calling. Hebrews 3:1. Yet in verse 12 they are exhorted not to have an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. It can appear as if everything is all right in the church—as if every­thing is spiritual and done in love. Yet some can still depart from the living God and be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Verse 13.

If we do not keep ourselves in this fervent love, then we too are in danger of falling away even though we are in the midst of the church—because we have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. This is an awful thing. In Acts 5:1-11, we see the result of Ananias’ and Sapphira’s deceitful deed. Peter failed when he fell and denied Jesus, but his fall was covered by fervent love. However, there was no salvation for Ananias and Sapphira.

The deceitfulness of sin has an opportunity to grow when the re­lationships with each other in the church are not pure. Love must reign if the church is to be kept pure and spiritual. No bitter root must be allowed to spring up and cause trouble, with the result that many are defiled. Hebrews 12:15. We must follow the exhortation in 1 Timothy 5:20, “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.” Evil deeds and stubbornness, which are not confessed and repented of, are not covered by love. In such cases love is as hard as death. Song of Solomon 8:6; 1 Corinthians 5:2.

Fervent love is like the precious oil, running down on the beard of Aaron. Psalm 133:2. It smoothes out and dissolves everything that is forced and stiff, creating good, sincere fellowship. Let us do as it is written in 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another.”