And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Paul's prayer is that love will keep abounding more and more, guided by knowledge and sound judgment and discernment, and not remain mere feeling apart from understanding. That growth means constant, intelligent advancement in the knowledge of Christ and in clear understanding of what God requires, gained by diligently using every means of grace and God-given powers in His service rather than staying on a low level or resting satisfied. Such discerning love gives spiritual knowledge and heavenly wisdom to recognize and approve what is excellent, so believers are sincere and without offense and blameless till the day of Christ, and are filled with the fruits of righteousness through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Reaching that higher standard is both duty and privilege, for God does not require the impossible but gives power to grow toward the full stature of Christ with greater interest in eternal things than in temporal wants, yet unless believers keep advancing they retreat and become sickly, stunted, and fruitless. In daily life this love shows in tender concern for others, in words and conduct that strengthen and encourage, in cheerfulness without lightness, faithfulness and sincerity in duty, and in humble, prayerful reproof joined with encouragement and courageous meeting of responsibilities to God's glory, so that personal reformation and the church's light are seen by all.
Love Growing in Knowledge
The prayer is that love will keep growing continually, more and more, guided by knowledge and sound judgment and discernment. Such love is not mere feeling apart from understanding, but increases in a way that enables recognition and approval of what is excellent and shapes speech and conduct. Christian love is to grow together with knowledge and discernment, bringing heavenly wisdom to approve excellent things and producing righteousness through Jesus Christ to God's glory and praise.
This growth means constant, intelligent advancement in the knowledge of Christ and in clear, intelligent understanding of what God requires, with sound discernment. It is gained by diligently improving every means of grace, by using God-given talents in His service, and by being earnest, interested learners who do not stay on a low level but rise to a high and holy atmosphere. Even those commended for sincere faith are urged to still further progress, never to be satisfied with present attainments but to perseveringly increase in love and abound in knowledge and judgment. The Christian life must take vigorous and stalwart form, attaining the high scriptural standard for children of God, never standing still but either advancing or retreating, until believers comprehend with all saints the breadth and length and depth and height and know the love of Christ and are filled with all the fullness of God.
Reaching that higher standard, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, is both duty and privilege. God does not ask for impossible growth, but believers are to pray for and receive power to grow toward the full stature of Christ, with greater interest in eternal things than in things that concern temporal wants. Yet believers fall short of that full advancement. Unless the Christian keeps growing he will go backward, and without living growth and use of opportunities and blessings that strengthen faith, experience becomes sickly and fruitless of good, spirituality becomes stunted and fruitless, while bearing much fruit in living union with Christ glorifies the Father.
The prayer is given for the saints in Christ Jesus as subjects and citizens of heaven's kingdom, whose conduct is to be worthy of the gospel. It is offered with thanksgiving to God upon every remembrance of them, always with joy for their fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, with confidence that He who began a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, and with great longing for them as those held in the heart and partakers of grace both in bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. It is given with grace and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, and it looks to approving excellent things, being sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, and being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. It is grounded in Christ's humiliation, obedience, and incarnation as the ground of hope that those who stand in Him can overcome temptation through grace, connecting His example and work with the purpose of Christian life and salvation.
Discerning Life Bearing Fruit
Discerning love gives spiritual knowledge, heavenly wisdom, and sound judgment, enabling believers to recognize, choose, and approve what is excellent and best. Love kept growing in knowledge and sound judgment makes that discernment continual, so approval of the excellent is not occasional but abiding. That discernment leads to being genuine, sincere, and without offense and blameless until and till the day of Christ. It keeps sincerity and blamelessness through knowledge and sound discernment all the way to Christ's day.
It results in being filled with the fruits of righteousness which come by and through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Bearing that righteous fruit through Jesus brings glory and praise to God, and bearing much fruit in living union with Christ glorifies the Father. Such a fruitful life is part of how personal self-examination and church reformation put away selfishness.
In practice this love shows in tender concern for others and in words and actions and speech and conduct that strengthen and encourage them. Humble, prayerful efforts to enlighten others bless their influence and strengthen their hearts. It joins reproof with encouragement and words of encouragement with correction in a humble, prayerful, Christlike spirit, with prayer for discernment and a wholesome Christlike spirit. Sincerity means being true to a brother, never doing him wrong and never suffering him to be unfaithful in the discharge of duty, doing no haphazard work but carrying the spirit of Christ in all dealings, with cheerfulness without lightness and trifling, faithfulness, and courage in meeting responsibilities, obstacles, and difficulties with a single eye to God's glory.
In this way the church shines as a clear light and progress is seen by all.
Paul's prayer is that love will keep abounding more and more, guided by knowledge and sound judgment and discernment, and not remain mere feeling apart from understanding. That growth means constant, intelligent advancement in the knowledge of Christ and in clear understanding of what God requires, gained by diligently using every means of grace and God-given powers in His service rather than staying on a low level or resting satisfied. Such discerning love gives spiritual knowledge and heavenly wisdom to recognize and approve what is excellent, so believers are sincere and without offense and blameless till the day of Christ, and are filled with the fruits of righteousness through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Reaching that higher standard is both duty and privilege, for God does not require the impossible but gives power to grow toward the full stature of Christ with greater interest in eternal things than in temporal wants, yet unless believers keep advancing they retreat and become sickly, stunted, and fruitless. In daily life this love shows in tender concern for others, in words and conduct that strengthen and encourage, in cheerfulness without lightness, faithfulness and sincerity in duty, and in humble, prayerful reproof joined with encouragement and courageous meeting of responsibilities to God's glory, so that personal reformation and the church's light are seen by all.
Love Growing in Knowledge
The prayer is that love will keep growing continually, more and more, guided by knowledge and sound judgment and discernment. Such love is not mere feeling apart from understanding, but increases in a way that enables recognition and approval of what is excellent and shapes speech and conduct. Christian love is to grow together with knowledge and discernment, bringing heavenly wisdom to approve excellent things and producing righteousness through Jesus Christ to God's glory and praise.
This growth means constant, intelligent advancement in the knowledge of Christ and in clear, intelligent understanding of what God requires, with sound discernment. It is gained by diligently improving every means of grace, by using God-given talents in His service, and by being earnest, interested learners who do not stay on a low level but rise to a high and holy atmosphere. Even those commended for sincere faith are urged to still further progress, never to be satisfied with present attainments but to perseveringly increase in love and abound in knowledge and judgment. The Christian life must take vigorous and stalwart form, attaining the high scriptural standard for children of God, never standing still but either advancing or retreating, until believers comprehend with all saints the breadth and length and depth and height and know the love of Christ and are filled with all the fullness of God.
Reaching that higher standard, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, is both duty and privilege. God does not ask for impossible growth, but believers are to pray for and receive power to grow toward the full stature of Christ, with greater interest in eternal things than in things that concern temporal wants. Yet believers fall short of that full advancement. Unless the Christian keeps growing he will go backward, and without living growth and use of opportunities and blessings that strengthen faith, experience becomes sickly and fruitless of good, spirituality becomes stunted and fruitless, while bearing much fruit in living union with Christ glorifies the Father.
The prayer is given for the saints in Christ Jesus as subjects and citizens of heaven's kingdom, whose conduct is to be worthy of the gospel. It is offered with thanksgiving to God upon every remembrance of them, always with joy for their fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, with confidence that He who began a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, and with great longing for them as those held in the heart and partakers of grace both in bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. It is given with grace and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, and it looks to approving excellent things, being sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, and being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. It is grounded in Christ's humiliation, obedience, and incarnation as the ground of hope that those who stand in Him can overcome temptation through grace, connecting His example and work with the purpose of Christian life and salvation.
Discerning Life Bearing Fruit
Discerning love gives spiritual knowledge, heavenly wisdom, and sound judgment, enabling believers to recognize, choose, and approve what is excellent and best. Love kept growing in knowledge and sound judgment makes that discernment continual, so approval of the excellent is not occasional but abiding. That discernment leads to being genuine, sincere, and without offense and blameless until and till the day of Christ. It keeps sincerity and blamelessness through knowledge and sound discernment all the way to Christ's day.
It results in being filled with the fruits of righteousness which come by and through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Bearing that righteous fruit through Jesus brings glory and praise to God, and bearing much fruit in living union with Christ glorifies the Father. Such a fruitful life is part of how personal self-examination and church reformation put away selfishness.
In practice this love shows in tender concern for others and in words and actions and speech and conduct that strengthen and encourage them. Humble, prayerful efforts to enlighten others bless their influence and strengthen their hearts. It joins reproof with encouragement and words of encouragement with correction in a humble, prayerful, Christlike spirit, with prayer for discernment and a wholesome Christlike spirit. Sincerity means being true to a brother, never doing him wrong and never suffering him to be unfaithful in the discharge of duty, doing no haphazard work but carrying the spirit of Christ in all dealings, with cheerfulness without lightness and trifling, faithfulness, and courage in meeting responsibilities, obstacles, and difficulties with a single eye to God's glory.
In this way the church shines as a clear light and progress is seen by all.