The term "whole-hearted" in a biblical context refers to a complete and undivided commitment to God, characterized by sincerity, integrity, and devotion. This concept is deeply rooted in the Scriptures, where believers are called to love and serve God with all their heart, soul, and strength.

Biblical References:

1. Deuteronomy 6:5 · "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This commandment, known as the Shema, is central to the Jewish faith and underscores the importance of a whole-hearted devotion to God. It calls for an all-encompassing love that permeates every aspect of one's being.

2. Joshua 14:8-9 · Caleb, one of the twelve spies sent to explore the Promised Land, is described as having followed the LORD "wholeheartedly." "But my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’" Caleb's unwavering faith and dedication serve as a model of whole-heartedness.

3. 1 Kings 8:61 · In Solomon's prayer of dedication for the temple, he exhorts the people of Israel: "And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this time." This call to full commitment emphasizes the need for a sincere and undivided heart in following God's ways.

4. Psalm 119:2 · "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart." The psalmist highlights the blessings that come from seeking God with a whole heart, suggesting that such devotion leads to a deeper understanding and experience of God's truth.

5. Jeremiah 29:13 · "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." This promise from God assures believers that a whole-hearted pursuit of Him will result in a genuine encounter with His presence.

Theological Implications:

Whole-heartedness is not merely an emotional state but a deliberate choice to prioritize God above all else. It involves aligning one's desires, actions, and thoughts with God's will. This level of commitment is often contrasted with half-heartedness or divided loyalties, which Scripture warns against. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus teaches, "No one can serve two masters," highlighting the impossibility of divided allegiance.

Practical Application:

For believers, living whole-heartedly for God means consistently seeking His guidance through prayer, studying His Word, and obeying His commands. It requires a daily surrender of one's own will in favor of God's purposes. Whole-hearted devotion is reflected in a life that bears the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and demonstrates love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In summary, whole-heartedness is a vital aspect of the Christian faith, calling believers to an undivided and sincere commitment to God. It is a pursuit that promises a deeper relationship with the Creator and a life that reflects His glory.87. adiakritos -- indistinguishable, without uncertainty
... adiakritos Phonetic Spelling: (ad-ee-ak'-ree-tos) Short Definition: unambiguous
Definition: without uncertainty, unambiguous, undivided, whole-hearted. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/87.htm - 6k3605. kol -- the whole, all
... 20), whoever (45), whoever then any (1), whoever* (6), whoever...any (3), whole
(125), whole and let all (1), whole and all (3), wholehearted* (1), wholly (2 ...
/hebrew/3605.htm - 7k

3824. lebab -- inner man, mind, will, heart
... hearts like his heart (1), intelligence (1), intended (2), mind (8), purpose (1),
thought (1), timid* (1), understanding (2), wholehearted* (1), wholeheartedly ...
/hebrew/3824.htm - 6k

Prayer Takes in the Whole Man
... He must have whole-hearted men through whom to work out His purposes and
plans concerning men. God must have men in their entirety. ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/i prayer takes in the.htm

Note F. --Chap. xviii the Whole Heart
... A careful study of them will show how wholehearted love and service is what God
has always asked, because He can, in the very nature of things, ask nothing less ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/murray/the two covenants/note f chap xviii the whole.htm

Enthusiasm and Full Salvation.
... But it consists in whole-hearted, thorough, out-and-out surrender to God; and that,
with or without feeling, is the right thing, and that is the secret of our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/chapter x enthusiasm and full.htm

Consecration Complete
... amongst those who love God and desire His Kingdom to come, there can be no difference
of opinion with regard to the duty of whole-hearted consecration to the ...
/.../howard/standards of life and service/ii consecration complete.htm

Note on the Morning Watch.
... than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch.'
If our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Master was whole-hearted, if our ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/note on the morning watch.htm

The Secret of Effectual Prayer
... But if they consider whether their desire has indeed been as whole-hearted as God
would have it, as the heavenly worth of these blessings demands, they may ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter ix the secret of.htm

The School of Obedience
... the same from the beginning. Whole-hearted obedience is not the end, but
the beginning of our school life. The end is fitness for ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/vii the school of obedience.htm

Entering the Covenant: with all the Heart
... Begin by asking God very humbly to give you by the Spirit, who dwells in you, the
vision of the heavenly life of wholehearted love and obedience, as it has ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/chapter xviii entering the covenant .htm

Getting Ready to Enter Canaan
... Since conviction is a matter of knowledge, consider this: Christ's work hobbles
along because there are so few whole-hearted, wholly consecrated souls to work ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter one getting ready to.htm

Obedience: Its Place in Holy Scripture.
... harmony with His will. It is only a whole-hearted obedience, down to the
minutest details, that can satisfy God. Let nothing less ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/i obedience its place in.htm

Wholehearted (8 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Wholehearted (8 Occurrences). Genesis 6:9 These
are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and ...
/w/wholehearted.htm - 8k

Whole-hearted (6 Occurrences)
Whole-hearted. Wholehearted, Whole-hearted. Wholeheartedly . Multi-Version
Concordance ... Wholehearted, Whole-hearted. Wholeheartedly . Reference Bible.
/w/whole-hearted.htm - 8k

Shuns (5 Occurrences)
... Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Hast thou considered My servant Job, that
there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one ...
/s/shuns.htm - 8k

Wholeheartedly (15 Occurrences)

/w/wholeheartedly.htm - 10k

Whole-armour (1 Occurrence)
Whole-armour. Whole, Whole-armour. Wholehearted . Multi-Version Concordance
Whole-armour (1 Occurrence). ... Whole, Whole-armour. Wholehearted . Reference
/w/whole-armour.htm - 6k

Chief (696 Occurrences)
... It implies the Old Testament conception that God is the true "good"; for to seek
the Kingdom supremely means whole-hearted devotion to God as our heavenly ...
/c/chief.htm - 45k

Salvation (386 Occurrences)
... 32:6-15, etc.). 3. Faith: Hence, of the human conditions, whole-hearted
trust in God is the most important. (Belief in God is, of ...
/s/salvation.htm - 67k

Goodly (46 Occurrences)
... Proverbs 28:10 Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall
himself into his own pit; but the whole-hearted shall inherit good. ...
/g/goodly.htm - 25k

Holds (67 Occurrences)
... Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Hast thou considered my servant Job, that
there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one ...
/h/holds.htm - 26k

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