Often known as the wedding vow or love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us all about what the true character of love is. We are told to test everything, so we go to this list to check the character of someone or something. However, today, I want to go even deeper into a more beautiful connection between this chapter and others throughout the Bible. The phrase I want you to focus on is “bears all things.” You will see why soon.

The Greek word for bears is the word stego. At first glance, the meaning means nothing and leaves one confused (as it did me). How can love cover or hide something, and it is translated into English as bear? Normally, we assume “bears all things” would mean to carry something no matter the weight. Except, that’s not what it means. Instead, it means to cover, conceal, hide. What does that even mean?

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.“

1 Peter 4:8

Peter tells us in his letter that when we have love for one another it will cover a multitude of sins. Except, the cover in this verse means to hide. Going back to our previous verse with stego, it says cover, to hide, conceal (of the errors and faults of others). Here’s where it gets good.

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20

When we love someone, we forgive them. After all, the most extravagant act of love displayed in history was the Son of Man coming to die. I ask you, when was His love displayed? Was it not at the cross? Was it not while His very blood was spilling on that crude tree? When the Lord died on the tree, He took the wrath of God upon Him. He willingly stood in the way and took your punishment. He stepped in the gap and was love in action by dying.

He was the Passover Lamb fulfilled. The blood on the doorpost in Exodus was the blood on the cross in the Gospels. Isaiah 43:25, 26 says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted.” Or Psalm 103:12 when it says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

When Christ died on the cross, shed His blood, and stood in the gap where we should be, He paid the sin debt. His blood blotted out your sin record. No longer are we seen in the eyes of Jesus as our filthy sins, but instead as someone clothed in His righteousness. Just as the younger Lost Son in Luke 15 was not known by his father as a prodigal, but as his lost son whom he welcomed and threw his best robe on.

When we accept Christ’s atonement for our record, we are covered by His blood. The blood of Christ is poured on top of us and washes us clean. The Love of God displayed is Blood covering a sin debt! So when Paul writes to the church in Corinth that love bears all things and the word he uses means to hide, conceal, or cover, he is painting the picture of Christ’s blood being perfect love.

As Christ’s followers, our goal is to live as Christ did. We are commanded to love our neighbor. We are called to take up our cross and die to our flesh daily. We are the body of Christ as a group of believers. And when we, as a body, live out Christ in our world by showing love and dying to our flesh, we are also showing the world the love of God displayed: sacrificial love that covers wrongdoing. Our goal as Christians is not to point out the wrongdoing of the world and pick and choose who needs love. Our job is to live out Christ. So often though we get that mixed up. We play God and pick and choose while we tell Christ to show himself. We are the body of Christ! If we do not show Him to this world so in need of love and compassion, then who else will?

Love covers and washes away the sins. God forgives and forgets. He doesn’t wave that sin in your face over and over to manipulate and belittle you. He is better than that. So many people put human deprivation on Christ and so many will box Him into a box they understand. However, He is infinitely more than you can ever imagine. And by the believers of today acting out Christ’s love and compassion as one, we are showing His love dying to the flesh and blotting out the sins of the world. We, as a body, are God’s love displayed.

So when it says love covers, hides, and conceals. It is true. Love does cover the past. It hides the wrongdoings of old. Why? because Love forgives. Love intercedes. Love believes and hopes. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is selfless.

When we are following Christ, we intercede for this world through the blood of the Lamb of God. Love heals.

So when Jesus says the love the Lord your God and your neighbor. He is saying, “follow Me”, so that you may show the world that Love overcomes.

And most of all, Love displayed covers the sins of the world.