“I pray that your love will
overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and
understanding.” – Philippians 1:9
They said that love is blind
and it happens often in the romantic world. Christianity also talks about love. 1 John
4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”. We
are encouraged to love our enemies and forgive people who wrong us (Matt 5:44,
Matt 18:22). Often we encounter people who profess Christianity but leave us wondering
whether they really are, because we hardly can feel their love.
Nevertheless, Apostle Paul
reminds us not only to love others but to keep on growing in knowledge and
understanding “to understand what really matters…” (Phil 1:10). The same
passage of 1 John 4 which talks about love also talks about testing each spirit
whether someone comes from God or not. We are even told not to welcome any people
who are called Christians but actually are deceivers who bring destructive
doctrine denying the relationship of Father and Son – possessing an antichrist
spirit (2 John: 7-11).
Another crucial thing is, to improve
our knowledge and understanding by reading the Bible and any literature in the
truth. Philosophy, Theology, History of errors in church, cases and
testimonies, anything under the light of Holy Spirit. Hebrews 5:14 tells us
about solid food for mature Christians “who have their powers of discernment
trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil”.
Our power of discernment or
ability to really understand cases must be trained. It is unwise to think that
we have understood everything without deepening our discernment. Why? Because good
and evil are real and we cannot be totally naïve about people or teachings and
such on behalf of love. Even our Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, was very strict
confronting the Pharisees and all religious people who claimed to love God but
refusing him. He called them sons of the devil (John 8:44).
Apostle Paul was a scholar and
a faithful servant. He liked to study and it complemented his sincere heart
towards God and people. That’s why his teaching and explanations were deep and
complex - often hard to understand. Apostle Peter mentioned his appreciation on
Paul’s teachings when he warned people about scoffers who would come and distract
God’s people from godly life (2 Pet 3:16).
So in Christianity, love is not
blind in connection with the truth. Instead we are told to love in the truth. Love
without truth is dangerous. While truth without love is useless. All who know
the truth do love, while those who are not from God love for their own benefit.
May God help us to overflow with love while keep growing in knowledge and
understanding. Amen.
Reflection on Philippians
1:1-11 by Desire Litaay
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