Through-put
fervently love one another from the heart 1 Peter 1:22 NASB
Fervently – This Greek word is ektenos. This translation is correct. It means “intently, earnestly.” But that only tells us part of the story. The root word here is teino (to stretch). Did you see the little added prefix ek at the beginning of the word? That prefix means “out.” So here the idea is to really stretch out. But the most interesting part is that the same prefix is associated with the phrase “from the heart.” It actually reads ek katharas kardias (out of a pure heart). Here our English translation leaves out the word “pure.” Now look at the entire phrase and you will see that Peter is saying what comes out of a pure heart is the out stretching of love. Peter is emphasizing the double thought of out. The previous verse tells us that the love of God is what goes into the heart and what comes out is a love that stretches out to others.
When I was examining this verse with two friends, it suddenly struck us that this is the same theme that John proclaims when he says that a man who loves God will automatically love his brother. Actually, John says it the other way around – a man who does not love his brother cannot claim to love God. Why? Because what goes in must come out. If God’s love goes into your heart, it will overflow with love toward your brother. And if you don’t have that overflow, then the living water is not present on the inside, no matter what you say.
How often have we used the excuse, “Oh, I love God, but, you know how it is, I just can’t seem to get along with those people. They just aren’t my type. You know, they just rub me the wrong way.” Peter and John both say, “What are you talking about? Don’t you know that if God’s love is inside you it will naturally flow out toward others? It’s not optional. If you love God, love will come out of you, and others will know it!”
Why should we be surprised? God’s love flowed out toward us when we were His enemies. We did everything we could to manage life without Him. We threw His intentions in the mud and stomped on His name. And still His love flowed out to us. Do you think that God in us will act any differently than He did before we came to our senses?
If God’s love is in your pure heart, you will stretch out your love for the brothers. If you aren’t stretching, maybe you’d better check the spring inside. It might not be flowing.
Oh, yes. And by the way, this has nothing to do with feelings. God’s love is action toward others, the same kind of action that God took toward us.
Topical Index: ektenos, fervently, love, 1 Peter 1:22
What’s down in the well will come up in the bucket!
“There is not a good tree that produces bad fruit, neither a bad tree that produces good fruit,” “For every tree is known by its fruits, for they do not pick figs from thorns, neither do they gather grapes from a bush.” The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
~ How can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks ~ (Luke 6.45)
What’s down in the well will come up in the bucket!
~ Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life ~ (Proverbs 4.23)
~ For I say to you that every idle (nonproductive) word that people will speak, they will give an answer for it in the Day of Judgment ~ (Matthew 12.36)
~May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer ~ (Psalm 19.14)
~ taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ ~ (2 Corinthians 10.5)
~ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things ~
(Philippians 4.8)
What’s down in the well will come up in the bucket!
This is so true Carl. I think we have been so controlled by the Christian dogma of total depravity that even those of us who have studied these verses and know in our head that this is true, have a very difficult time shaking the idea that we don’t deserve the costly salvation that YHVH wrought for us.
I’m also thinking that this Less than human teaching might be the Rabbinic counter part to total depravity and could be having the same affect.
The truth as I’ve come to see it so far is that we have a creation status. Our father Adam abrogated it, Ha Satan stole it, and Yeshua (like Abram and the battle of the kings) fought the greatest battle in history and captured us back because we belong to Him. We are His! The very fact that He claims us and fought for us makes us worthy in a sense that is diminished and obscured by the total depravity doctrine.
Think about it! Was Lot such a perfect man that he deserved to be rescued? Of course not But Abram though he was worth it because Lot was his kinsman. There’s a big difference between being worthy and being worth something. God calls us precious. He does NOT desire, and takes NO pleasure in the destruction of the wicked.
A wonderful pastor who impacted my life many years ago had this to say about it.
“We must trade what we think about ourselves for what God thinks about us.”
We strayed away from our Hebrew roots for a time. It was the driest desert I’ve ever lived in and believe me I know dry. We live in NV which most often gets the least rainfall of any other state in the union.
When we came to our senses and returned, YHVH gave me one of the few visions/dreams (of a sort) of my life on my first Shabbat back with Him. I asked Him why He bothered to retrieve me from my foolishness.
He showed me a life bite of Abraham’s father Terah. Terah loved his son Abram and lavished him with all he had and His hopes were for a prosperous future for little Abram so he did everything he could to facilitate that.
And Terah also had a daughter Sarai. She was his special and the most beautiful of all his children. His heart swelled with joy when he played with her. She was his delight and he wanted the very best for her.
So because he loved and cared for them both and knew they would be perfectly suited to fulfill his desires toward them both, he gave her to his beloved son Abram as a bride.
He then showed me that this was His heart for me. I can’t read the story of Abram and Sarai without recalling this vision. He gave me to His Son because He loves us both and has a purpose for us in being together. And this is why He’s chosen us all.
I’m so much like Sarai and Sarah. Trying to fulfill God’s purpose in my own strength. And yet His purposes are not hindered by this funny little creature. It has made me relax in my marriage as well. Ron is also a funny little creature sometimes. Do we have past baggage? Do we follow Him perfectly? Does that stop God? Does that diminish His love for us? I ask you? Do you still see yourself as totally depraved or less than human?
“We must trade what we think about ourselves for what God thinks about us.”
SELAH!