Good morning. The apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church is, more than any of his other letters, a love letter to Christian brothers and sisters with whom he felt especially close.
Paul begins his love letter to the Philippian Christians with a brief prayer that is powerful and poignant. The prayer is contained in verses 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Let’s consider today what Paul says is central and required for Christians, that the balance of his prayer may become true that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight…
We don’t often think of love abounding in knowledge and depth of insight. Typically, I think we consider love to be that powerful matter of the heart which motivates, invigorates, pleases, and inspires us.
It is an interesting truth that our love is nourished by our growth of godly knowledge and by inspired understanding (insight).
When love is nourished in this way, Paul indicates that there are immediate and positive results. He says that the result of this well-fed love is that we will become more capable of discerning what is best. In discerning what is best we become increasingly pure and blameless. As we enjoy growth in what is pure and blameless, we become increasingly filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.
All of this is to the glory and praise of God.
It is a process, but it begins when we accept his premise: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight…
May your love today be sweet, and powerful, and purposeful. May your love today be well educated and focused on the intentions of God. Approach your study of His Word today with the certainty that as your godly knowledge increases your godly love abounds as well.
Vern