Philippians 1:9-11–Praying that Love Would Abound With More

Philippians 1:9-11–"And it is my prayer that your love would abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

There is so much to this verse, a level of theological depth that is simply remarkable.  Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is exhorting the believers in Philippi that love, while being central to the Christian experience, is not the end point but the starting point which all Christianity is based upon.  It is as if love is meant to be supplemented with knowledge and discernment in order that love would become pure and blameless, and so bear the fruit of Christ.  And this is all for the glory and praise to God.

Thus we should not assume that love is enough on its own, for if love is not bringing glory to the One who is love, then we are not truly loving as God has intended.  Let us then pray as Paul prayed, that we our love would abound more and more tot he glory and praise of God!

John 3:21–To Be Seen Doing What Is True

John 3:21–"But whoever does what is true comes into the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out by God."

There is something to this verse, that not only would we do what is true but also that we would do it in the open so that our works may be weighed for worth.  It is not that we do what is true for the purpose of being seen.  Rather, it is that we would do the will of God for the purpose of glorifying God and to prove His goodness and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit working through us.  This is what John is talking about.  He is exhorting us to live out the truth in such a way that brings glory to God by the way we live.  Let us then strive to live life in this way so as to praise God fully.

1 Corinthians 2:14–The Natural Man

1 Corinthians 2:14–"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to Him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

This is one of those verses that strikes at my heart.  In my life, I often get into conversations about faith and God.  It is at these times, when engaging in dialogue about the Divine, that this verse is brought to bear upon life in a very real way.  During these times of conversation, there is no amount of defense or rationality that will or even can convince someone the truth.

If, however, we remember the truth of this verse, we can avoid the consternation we might feel when the unspiritual man is struggling to understand.  In truth, as this verse conveys, the natural man will be unable to understand the things of God, because, quite frankly, he does not have eyes to see or ears to hear.

Our evangelistic tactic, then, is not necessarily to convince the unbeliever about God as much as it is to pray for them that God would transform their hearts so that they would be able to understand the things of God.  Let us then remember that this is the way it is and we need to respond in faith appropriately.

Seek Ye First

Seeking God first is the very essence of the Christian life.  Even more appropriate, though, would be to say that seeking God first is the purpose and necessity of every human being that has ever lived.  It is our call while it is also our function.  And not only that, but it is the very joy of man to delight in God and to seek our everything from His name.

While there is much more to say on this important topic suffice to say that God is our Creator, to know Him is our task, and to seek after Him is our utter purpose in life.  Additionally, seeking Him first is that which gives us the most joy in all life.  Let us then strive to make this the priority that compels and drives every action and thought in our life.  And by God grace and His Spirit's indwelling power, we could do it!

Hebrews 10:31–It is a Fearful Thing

Hebrews 10:31–"The Lord will judge His people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

The fear of the Lord forms the basis for knowledge and wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:1). And often this fear is rendered as reverence.  And while this is true, we should not forget or neglect the terror element to the fear of the Lord.  In a real sense, wisdom is based as much on reverence for the Lord as it is our intense fright at His power and justice.  Recognizing who God is with all His Presence, His Power, His Wisdom, His Creativity, and His Justice is, among many things, a terrifying thought. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that many would rather neglect His presence altogether, for to accept His presence is to face the Holy One in light of our own unholiness.  This is the fear of the Lord and this is why it truly is a fearful thing to fall into His holy hands.

A Note About Honesty

Let me start with this: for the past few weeks I have had more than a couple very real conversations with people who are very important to me.  During these discussions, the necessity for honesty has come to the forefront of my life and I wanted to take a paragraph or two to discuss the whole concept of honesty and its importance in our relationships.

Honesty requires, at the very least, vulnerability and trust.  To be vulnerable means that we would be willing to let down our guards for the purpose of exposing our weaknesses to others.  But within that vulnerability, we share it with trust.  While vulnerability can in itself be a frightening proposition, it is the need for trust that makes honesty so challenging.  Yet it is these very things, trust and vulnerability, that make honesty so valuable to relationships and it is why we must strive for it in our lives.  In reality, honesty is the foundation of love.

Let us then strive for honesty as we strive in devotion to the Lord!

A Statement About Devotion

Devotion, the fine word we use to describe and define our most sincere relationships, in particular our relationship with God Almighty.  It is, then, necessary that we would define devotion so that we could know either when we possess it or, maybe more so, when we lack it.  Thus the purpose of this blog will be a brief look into the concept and the significance of devotion.

In the most basic sense, devotion is the process and knowledge of being devoted.  That is, being devoted to someone or something in a relationship that goes beyond simple acquaintance beyond the level of commitment but it is that commitment meeting a desperate and abandoned desire.  Devotion, in this sense, is not merely a deeper degree but, rather, a different perspective in regards to those we hold dear.  It is about commitment, to be sure.  But it is also about passion and depth, focused outward at an external being.  In the case of Christianity, this means, quite plainly, God Himself through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Space does not permit for more but I hope this is a helpful start to get you thinking about devotion and its vital importance in our lives.