Love Abounding in Knowledge and Discernment

``Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say, I hope you'll keep working at it. He does not say, if you remain faithful, which he could have easily put in there. It's one of those Christianese words that we use all the time. Right? He does not say, if you remain faithful. He says this, will complete it. Paul can approach the Philippians with with such clarity, because the sanctification of a believer, that working out of their faith is not self improvement. It's not this self improvement, self help program. It's God's own project. It's his work. [00:46:39] (45 seconds)  #GodsWorkNotSelfHelp

For all of this right here, this these words to Philippians to matter, it needs to matter to us too. You see the Christian life is not a ladder we climb toward God's approval. We heard it in the song we sang for communion. It it's none of those things that we can do. It's all the things that he has done. It is a work God is completing in us. And here in this moment, it's our growth in love and discernment. However slow, however bumpy, this is the evidence that God has not stopped. [00:48:49] (40 seconds)  #GodCompletesUs

We bear, he sustains. You see, you are not the gardener. You are the branch. We talk about this all the time. The gardener grafted us in. And that's not where it ended, folks. You see, he has not lost interest in the branch. See, the world would have us believe that he is some far off God, that he's done what he's done or he's not doing anything, and that we should just keep persevering here on our own. That's not true. [00:50:05] (35 seconds)  #HeSustainsUs

Knowledge unto itself inflates. It it creates this illusion of maturity. You you've met those types. They say very smart things, but it produces a reality of arrogance. Paul prays for this to be integrated. It's this love that's been seasoned and matured, and a knowledge that has been warmed and nurtured. Not two separate virtues held in tension. This is so important to Paul that he starts his book, his letter to the Philippians with it. It's this single mature quality that he's looking for. You see neither can survive without the other. It's too healthy and ever developing wings. [00:55:56] (48 seconds)  #IntegratedMaturity

Love without knowledge circles back to errors. The same relational errors over and over again. Those relational patterns, spiritual immaturity, because it is not learned from a maturing experience. Knowledge without love gets off the ground, but doesn't go anywhere that really matters. It rises on intellect and lands on arrogance. Paul is fighting for both of these wings to be healthy and fully extended. Remember, a bird is no good with two healthy wings unless he flaps them. Neither are we if we have two healthy wings, if we are in that place of knowledge and love abounding more and more unless we use it. [01:06:34] (56 seconds)  #TwoWingsInFlight

The harder work, the work that requires that cultivated qualities that we've been talking about, is is the more purposeful navigation between what is neutral or or even good, and what is best. What is excellent or superior between what feels right and what is right, between what is acceptable and what is excellent, what is above all things, what is the rightest. This is this is where that two wings I told you to hold on to that thought. This is where those two wings of the bird become really practical. A bird with one healthy wing doesn't fly. It circles. [01:05:48] (46 seconds)  #ChooseWhatIsBest

But here Paul goes beyond those simpler versions of knowledge, and he moves to an amplified form. The form that speaks of thoroughness, depth, intimacy. It would be better stated this way, full knowledge. This is this is not a collection of bible or theological facts. It's the kind of knowing that comes through sustained encounters with Jesus, pushing us towards those encounters in love with others. It's a knowledge of who he is, which is Paul and his main framework to know Jesus, and for that to move and change you, transform you, turn the world upside down. [00:59:43] (53 seconds)  #KnowingJesusDeeply

The love we are growing is not a discipline the master. We talk a lot about spiritual disciplines here, and they are very important. So don't hear me that I'm somehow saying that that's not important because that is how we get the union that we have with Christ, those spiritual disciplines. But this is not one of those ones that we master. It's one that should continue to grow. And it's an outgrowth of remaining in him. Another word that we say all the time, remain or abiding in him. [01:12:31] (28 seconds)  #AbideInChrist