#DailyDevotion Knowledge & Understanding Of Christ Making Us Sincere & Without Offense
Phi. 1:7-11 7And it is right for me to feel like this about all of you. Whether I’m in my chains or defending and confirming the good news, you’re all in my heart as those who receive God’s grace along with me. 8God knows how I long for all of you with the tenderness of Christ Jesus.
9And I pray your love will still grow more and more in knowledge and in every kind of understanding. 10Then you will approve the better things in order to be pure and without blame until the day of Christ, as Jesus Christ has 11filled your life with righteous works by which you glorify and praise God.
Paul has such a tender heart concerning the Philippians. He had worked hard among them to convert them from pagans to Christians. This was Roman soldier retirement community. A lot of the men no doubt were some pretty tough cookies who had seen and probably done a lot of horrible things. Now they know Christ. Paul is writing them as a man. He may be in chains and defending the Gospel to magistrates, governors, kings and even eventually the emperor but he still has these people in his heart and shows his courage in the face of danger. He confirms by his life the good news of Jesus Christ and his hope for the life to come.
By his words he shows them they are in his heart as those who received God’s grace along with him. Sure, they may have done horrible things for the empire, but Paul had persecuted the Church of Christ and even had a number of them imprisoned and killed. Paul knew what the grace of God was. If Christ Jesus could forgive Paul and make him an apostle for his message, there was the grace of God for all people.
Paul prays these formerly hardened men’s love for Christ, for one another, and for all would grow more and more in knowledge and every kind of understanding. As they and we continue to understand our own sins and sinfulness and we see the mercy, love, kindness, patience and forgiveness our Father has for us in Christ Jesus our love for Him grows and our knowledge and understanding of him grows. As we practice the same mercy, love, kindness, patience and forgiveness toward our fellow human beings as God has shown us in Christ Jesus, then we also grow in knowledge and understanding of those things God has for us.
They and we are called to practice what we believe in our daily lives, particularly towards our families and fellow Christians. As we do this, hear God’s will for us, the Gospel (how God loves us in Christ) and Love (what we do for others) we will begin to approve the better things in order to be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. The word pure is often translated as sincere. It describes something that has be tested, seen clearly in the light of day to be what it puts itself out to be. Blameless here here being without giving offense. As the Holy Spirit has his way with us through the forgiveness of sins, such shall we be. While these are things we do in response to the Gospel, Paul also then gives us Gospel as he says, “as Jesus Christ has filled your life with righteous works.” We see then, the righteous fruit which we bear out in our lives comes from being joined to Jesus Christ through faith in him. We do not bear this fruit or works by our own power and strength. It comes to us and through us as our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ lives out his life in us as we put our trust in him.
Heavenly Father, by the power of your word, so work in us to will and do so we may bear every righteous fruit through Christ Jesus and live sincere and blameless lives before you and our fellow man. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.