Daily Edition: Growing In The Knowledge of Jesus

Is Your Love Flowing Today?

⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
-Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT)


I think these verses from Philippians 1 are probably what most Pastor's would pray for their congregation. Paul was a mentor, or a father figure, to this church at Phillipi, and he wanted them to grow into the people that Jesus wants them to be. This is my prayer for the people who come in contact with ScriptureLinks, make this your prayer to the people you come in contact with each day as well. For the next 2 days, we'll break down these verses and see what each phrase of this prayer means for us. Le't break down verse 9.

Verse 9 says, "I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding." Paul is praying that their love will overflow. Their love for God, Jesus, others, that is what Paul was praying for. Galatians 5:22-23 gives us the fruit of the Spirit, the things, or qualities, that should be evident, and growing in our lives. The first one is love. Is love growing in your life? Or, does hatred still hold a prominent place in your life? Look at these verses from First John 3:16-19, "¹⁶ We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. ¹⁹ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God." Jesus gave us the benchmark of love. How? Because He gave up His life for you and I. So, we must give up our lives for someone else. How can I do that. Verse 17 gives us an example. Then, in verse 18, John issues a challenge. "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." Let us not just say that we love others, let us show it by our actions. Paul prays in Philippians 1:9 "I pray that your love will overflow more and more." The more you love others that more your love will grow. The second half of Philippians 1:9 says, "and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding." Paul's prayer is twofold. That their love will overflow and that they will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. You can't grow in knowledge and understanding if you don't have love. If you don't love, then you will not grow in the knowledge and understanding of God. Why? Preachers preach the Word out of their love for God and for others. Teachers teach because they love children and want them to grow up into good people. First Responders put their lives on the line because they want to help others. Christians love others because Jesus loves us.


When our love overflows, then we are in a place to truly hear from God, so that we can grow in knowledge and understanding of Him. Is your love flowing today? Think About It.

Have You Exercised Your Faith, Lately?

⁹For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 
-Colossians 1:9-10 (KJV)


Paul's letter to the church at Colosse is quickly becoming one of my favorite books of the Bible. The book is rich and challenging. In the passages I'm writing about today, we see why it is so important that you and I be filled with the knowledge of the will of God. Let's break it down.

Paul starts off saying, "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you," What Paul is referring to as "this cause" is the faith of the Colossians that he heard about from Epaphras. Ephaphras told Paul about the faith that this church has in God. Paul rejoiced, and told the church that he now prays for them. Paul even goes to reveal to them exactly what he is praying for. "that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" Paul was praying that they be filled with the knowledge of His will, with the knowledge of the will of God for their lives. He prayed that they would be filled with the wisdom of His will, and that they would have spiritual understanding, so that they knew and understood what God's will is for their lives. Friends, each of us needs to have that understanding of the will of God for our lives. Paul prayed that they would gain this. Verse 10 tells us the results of understanding His will for our lives, and doing His will.

"that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing," How can we walk worthy of the Lord if we are walking outside His will? It can't be done. We please the Lord when we walk in His will. Walking worthy of the Lord is a result of being filled with the knowledge of His will. "being fruitful in every good work, " We should strive to be fruitful in what we do for Christ. We need to cultivate the good fruit we read about in Galatians 5 into our lives. Bearing fruit is a result of being filled with the knowledge of His will. "increasing in the knowledge of God," As we start doing His will in our lives, as we start walking worthy of the Lord, as we start being fruitful in our works, we will begin increasing in our knowledge of God. Our faith will grow when it gets exercised. As we begin doing His will, our faith grows because we see the hand of God moving in our lives. Increasing in our knowledge of God is a result of our being filled with the knowledge of His will.

Friends, having a knowledge of the will of God is not enough. You're not going to walk worthy and pleasing of the Lord if you only have knowledge of His will. You're not going to be fruitful, or increase in knowledge of God if you only have knowledge of His will. You receive these things when you put His will into action. Your faith grows when it gets exercised. Have you exercised your faith lately?