2月7日；
彼得前书 4:1-11；
唱诗：诗篇 97:6；

最要紧的是彼此切实相爱。因为爱能遮掩许多的罪。（彼前 4:8）

生活中会产生许多的包袱，随着旅程的推进，我们会遇到反对我们的人，深深伤害我们的人，从我们的角度来看，还有许多严重的罪伤害我们。我们感觉被背叛，生命受到伤痛。那些伤害我们的人可能来自世界，但更多的则可能来自教会。

使徒彼得呼召我们要彼此切实相爱，表面和肤浅的爱是不够的，必须要深切。我们对邻舍的爱，必须来自心灵深处，从内心涌出，没有这样的爱，我们就起不到基督徒的作用。

一次真正的原谅已经非常困难，但是，当某人不断得罪我们的时候，我们必须如何回应呢？在马太福音18:21-22，当主说了一个“得罪你的弟兄”之后，彼得问了一个关于原谅的问题，彼得问，“主啊，我弟兄得罪我，我当饶恕他几次呢？到七次可以吗？”

彼得提出原谅七次可能是个很好的标准，但是主更进一步：“我对你说，不是到七次，乃是到七十个七次”。这意味着原谅是没有穷尽的。主不是指着陌生人、或敌人说的，而是指着弟兄说的。此后，在彼得的第一封书信中，显明了他从没有忘记主的这一教导，因此他写道“爱可以遮掩许多的罪”。

用爱遮掩罪并不意味着对罪视而不见，而是用宽容的心和张开的双臂接纳罪人。我们被呼召去原谅，而主基督是唯一的审判官。

思考问题：在我们原谅某人之前，他需要先向我们悔改和道歉吗？对悔改最有益的方法是什么？

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February 7
1Peter 4:1-11
Song: Psalm 97:6

LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS

..love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."（1Peter 4:8)

We acquire a lot of baggage in life. As we progress en route, we meet people who oppose us, hurt us deeply, and, from our point of view, grievously sin against us. We feel betrayed and are wounded for life. Those who hurt us can be from the world, but perhaps more often we find them within the church.

The apostle Peter calls us to love each other deeply. A shallow or superficial love does not suffice; it has to go deep. Our love for our neighbor must come from deep inside our hearts and well up from there. Without this love, we cannot function as Christians.

It is already difficult to truly forgive someone one time. But how must we respond when someone repeatedly sins against us? In Matthew 18:21-22，we read Peter's question regarding forgiveness, after the Lord has spoken about a "brother who sins against you." Peter asks, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me. Up to seven times?”

Peter suggests that forgiving seven times may be a good standard. But the Lord extends it: "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." This means that there is really no end to forgiving. The Lord is not talking about strangers or enemies, but about a brother. Later, in his first letter, Peter shows that he never forgot the Lord's teaching in this respect, for he writes that "love covers over a multitude of sins."

Covering sin with love, however, does not mean sweeping it under the rug. It means that we approach a sinner with an open heart and an outstretched hand. We are called to forgive, but the Lord Jesus is the only Judge.

Questions: Does someone first have to repent and apologize before we proceed to forgiving that person? What approach may be most conducive to repentance?