Philippians 1:9-11

Spring is here! The renewing of the seasons and let us pray for a renewing of our hearts and minds in Christ. In this message Paul gives us the parameters of a loving Christian fellowship: keeping others in our thoughts and prayers and following it up with action such as writing them a letter of encouragement and hope. To know God is to love those whom He created.

The fruit of the Spirit is love!

In the first few verses, Paul reveals his great love for the Philippians. He thinks of them often, he is concerned about them, and he regularly prays for them. These verses not only reveal Paul’s relation to the Philippians but also his view of God. The Lord does not merely start a wonderful work in us; He finishes what He starts. 

The first of two terms on which a directed love is built, knowledge suggests an intimate understanding based on a relationship with the person. Here the focus of this knowledge is God. Found only here in the NT, the Greek word means moral or ethical understanding based on both the intellect and the senses. The word implies perception or insight into social situations.

Philippians 1:9-11

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.