fervent love.

But inherent within it is tension. This is not an easy love. It is a stretched love, a love that is fully extended. This is the love we are called to, a love that endures all things, a love that...

“…And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” ” (1 Peter 4:7-8)

In Greek, the word “fervent” has an interesting definition. It is the root word that leads to “tense” or “tension.” It means “to stretch,” to “stretch out fully because completely taut.” It means, “maximum potential, without slack because fully extended to its necessary outcome.”

We see how this love is, therefore, a full and complete covering, stretched to tautness over a multitude of sins. But inherent within it is tension. This is not an easy love. It is a stretched love, a love that is fully extended. This is the love we are called to, a love that endures all things, a love that extends forgiveness and grace—which means something occurred to need forgiveness and grace. It is the love of long-suffering.

Not a single one of us can love like this. Only He who first loved us with sin-covering-love can supply what we need.

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