And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. (Philippians 1:9 [NIV])
“Love,” some say, “I understand all about it.” Others may disagree and say it confounds them. Love, without understanding its basis, is just another word whose meaning may change with the times. Paul had a particular and perfect standard in mind when he wrote his letter to the church at Philippi.
The starting conjunction in verse nine requires us to understand what Paul said earlier in the letter. In verse three, he said he thanked God for the Philippian believers and prayed with joy because of their partnership with him in the gospel. Verse six tells us the basis for Paul’s prayer. It says, “Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Paul understood God would complete the work He began in them upon Jesus’ return. Because of his close relationship with God, he understood what God begins in a person He completes. God is the basis for love.
With verse nine, Paul stated what God would perfect and how and why He would complete it. His prayer spoke about the Philippians’ love, knowledge, and depth of insight. Upon looking at these words further, we understand the word “love” comes from the Greek word agape. Agape is love defined by God because it comes from God. Agape love is part of God’s character. Nothing changes it. God’s love is pure, true (Psalm 86:15), faithful (Psalm 107:8-9), and unending (1 Chronicles 16:34) like Himself. John stated in 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 the love of God is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, rejoices with truth, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, and never fails. When Paul wrote in Philippians 1:9, “This is my prayer; that your love may abound more and more,” he meant may the love of God, that overflows abundantly to you from Him, grow in you and overflow more and more from you. The love of God in a believer occurs because that person prefers to love Him above his or herself. This Christian chooses to love God, which means growing to know Him more by listening to Him, studying His word, praying to Him, and obeying Him. Paul prayed the Philippian believers preferred to love God more than any other earthly thing, including themselves, their families, their aspirations, and their stuff. This love, Paul prayed for them, would abound. It would exceed and overflow in abundance from God’s overflowing love.
This love would abound more and more because of their knowledge and depth of insight. The knowledge Paul wrote about is what they would gain firsthand from a relationship with God because of their preferred love for Him. Paul said this knowledge would come from walking daily in close communion with God. It comes from a growing experiential knowledge about God and from God. God’s love would abound from each believer because of His love for them and his or her love for God. God is the source of agape love and the giver and growth of it. The growth of agape love would cause a growth of knowledge about God, divine knowledge. This knowledge includes who God is, was, and always will be, what He has done, and the relationship each person can have with Him through Jesus. The depth of knowledge Paul wrote about was divine knowledge about God.
The depth of insight about which Paul wrote is God’s ethical laws. Knowing God’s ethical laws and obeying them is a growth process that leads to purity and blamelessness, sanctification. When a person’s love grows for God and other people, sanctification of the person (growth as a Christian) occurs. Sanctification is the growth of holiness. Holiness comes from righteousness as given by God upon a person’s profession of faith, upon forgiveness each day as a person repents and confesses his or her sins to Him, and as that person strives to live by His ethical laws. God gives the ethical laws and the power to live by them, like He gives His love. God can give ethical laws because He absolutely is righteous and holy. Morality emanates from Him. God enables each believer to love Him more and more and to live with a growing depth of insight into His moral laws. The Christian must seek Him and ask for His strength to stand strong in his or her faith. This standing firm for God grows and shows the person’s love for God and other people. It refines the character of the believer. God gives insight from His moral laws to Christians about what is best. In that action, He refines the person by removing the dross of secularity from him or her. This discerning and purifying is sanctification growth. This process continues until the day of Christ’s return to earth to claim His followers.
Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians and prayed their love would abound more and more from the source of love, God, and overflow abundantly from them to God and others because of their growing relationship with Him and their understanding of His moral laws. God gives the love that grows and the knowledge of Him and His ethical laws. He enables Christians to have His love and to live morally. God gives the power to live as His child in a sinful world. He is the source for love and morality. Paul wrote a Christian’s abounding love, knowledge of Him, and depth of insight bring glory to and praise of God.
How far have you walked on the road with Jesus in your discipleship? Did you trust in Jesus and confess your sins, but not return to Him? Did you believe and confess, then get trapped trying to get the best things the world offers? Did you profess faith in Jesus and follow Him with the rest of your life? A Christian’s journey is a marathon. Your commitment to God is forever. Have you been faithful to Him? God’s love is always faithful, true, pure, and righteous. He asks you to keep walking with Him day by day and year by year. Stand firm. Run resolute. Let your love abound more and more in the knowledge of and depth of insight in God.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! (Philippians 4:1 [NIV])
