Essentials For the Mind of Christ
Notes
Transcript
Philippians 1:7 (KJV 1900)
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Philippians 1:8–11 (KJV 1900)
8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Galatians 4:19 (KJV 1900)
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Ephesians 4:13 (KJV 1900)
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:15 (KJV 1900)
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
2 Peter 3:18 (KJV 1900)
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
We seem to be interested in Salvation but not Spiritual Growth
Paul was so passioned about growth that it was a focus of prayer.
Awareness to Prayer.
Awareness to Prayer.
Philippians 1:8–9 (KJV 1900)
8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Paul’s prayer for the Philippians.
Notice the sequence, Prayer kicks off Love produces Excellence and Excellence produces Righteousness.
These are foundation to Jesus Christ.
The gospel of Luke records over 12 instances where Jesus prayed. As he tells the gospel story, Luke portrays Jesus as praying his way from Galilee up to Jerusalem and the cross. He usually mentions these prayer times in passing, so it would be easy to miss this theme in his Gospel. But when we take careful notice of all the times when Jesus (and others) went to pray, the cumulative effect is impressive. Luke wanted to show that faithful intercession is essential to the life of godliness.
When was the last time we prayed for each other, not for physical things but Foundational spiritual matters.
Notice where Paul’s prayers were focused.
Abounding in Love
Abounding in Love
Philippians 1:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Why does Paul start with love?
Love is a matter of the heart. It is the driving force of every Christians actions.
It is the summation of all the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Love is the single greatest virtue in a spiritual life.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV 1900)
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I believe Paul is stressing love for one another as he mentions in
Philippians 2:2 (KJV 1900)
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Which it is also understood that love for one another is virtually impossible without a love for God. Especially since
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Paul is Praying to God to give His love. This word is Agape love. It is not a human love, an object attraction, a sentimental love, an emotional love, a feeling based love, or an emotional love.
The world says I love you because you do something to me.
The world says I love you because I feel something for you.
That is not the love of choice, that is the love of impulse.
That is not the love of the will.
This love is an unconditional love of the Father, a divine love. The love of God and the love of Christ.
It is the love of choice and the love of will that says I will love you whether you’re my friend or my enemy, I will love you whether you do good or evil, I will love you whether you can give me anything or take away everything, I will love you. It is a sacrificial love. A love of choice.
Philippians 1:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Notice, they already had this love because in mentions your love. These Philippian believers were saints according to vs. 1.
Philippians 1:1 (KJV 1900)
1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
They have already received Salvation and God’s love in their heart. Paul was not praying that they would receive this love but rather that they would abound in this love.
Paul wants them to have a greater expression of this love.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
Proof of our salvation is love. The more love the more proof of our salvation. Not more salvation but more expression of your salvation.
This is our greatest virtue.
John 13:34–35 (KJV 1900)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Philippians 1:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Paul wants their love to abound.
Abound = to overflow, wave upon wave, to cascade like a waterfall.
A love that is growing, progressing, expanding, and enlarging.
A love that is more and more.
You can never be content with where your love is. It should be getting greater and greater. Love is in the present tense indicating continual progress, enlarging the capacity for more than an ordinary measure of love.
Therefore, since it is a love of the will and a love of choice, you have to work to increase this love.
Ephesians 5:1–2 (KJV 1900)
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
How do we work at love? Sacrificially. Love sacrificially.
2 Specific Dynamics of this Love arise in Paul’s prayer.
Philippians 1:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Abound in Knowledge
Abound in Knowledge
Love is linked with truth. Your love may cascade more and more, wave upon wave, in real knowledge.
True knowledge confines and conforms love.
This love is controlled by Scripture.
How does scripture regulate our love?
You can’t say, “Well, I tried to love them but, boy, they’re so unkind to me I can’t stand them.” You’re not free to do that because Scripture says love your enemies.
Love controlled by Scripture doesn’t lead to fornication or adultery. It is not feelings out of control but rather Agape love is action under the control of the truth of God.
Peter summarizes this
1 Peter 1:22 (KJV 1900)
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
The purification of your soul allows you to have a genuine honest non-hypocritical love for others.
Philippians 1:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Abound in Judgment
Abound in Judgment
This has to do with discernment.
Judging has to do with discerning.
This word has to do with insight or perception. Under the boundaries of truth it has to do with moral perception or moral insight.
It is the application of that love being controlled by the knowledge of scripture.
Biblical love is very insightful and perceptive. It knows exactly what is right and what is wrong, what is false and what is true therefore as it is cascading more and more, wave upon wave, in knowledge it will make the right application at the right moment in life.
Paul is talking about a biblical discriminating love under the control of a spiritual mind, a spiritual reason, and wise judicious love.
William Hendrickson, gives the example, “A person who possesses love but lacks discernment may reveal a great deal of eagerness and enthusiasm. He may donate to all kinds of causes. His motives may be worthy and his intentions honorable, yet he may be doing more harm than good.”
Because he lacked discernment. I’m amazed at how many well meaning people trying to show their love for God give money to people who work against the Kingdom … because they don’t discern. They haven’t learned how to apply their knowledge. We must … we must be discerning.
People need love and connection. There is no greater and safer place for love and connection that within a church that loves through the boundaries of scripture and the discernment of those scriptures that we hold dear.
Paul is praying that as a church, which is made of individuals, need to reach out beyond our confinement and work to show love to all those who come into our path, no matter what the risk might be. This love trusts God for the reward.
It is a selfless humility meeting the needs of others no matter who they are and no matter what they might need.
Everything in our Christian life must begin on the foundation of love.
When our love is correct, we will be able to
Approving Excellence
Approving Excellence
Philippians 1:10 (KJV 1900)
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
That ye is the link to sequence. It starts with love then comes the approval of things that are excellent.
Approve = is used classically for analyzing metal to determine its properties and its purity. It was also used for testing money to be sure that it wasn’t counterfeit. Approve has to do with testing to verify or to prove or to determine something.
Approving things that are excellent does not have to do with good and bad but rather set the proper value on things. What is valuable, what is not valuable, what is more valuable, what is most valuable, what is worthwhile, what is vital, what is excellent, what is the thing that really matters.
We are discussing a discernment that assess what is best. The idea is being able to focus your time and your energy on the things that really matter. Pursuing the most noble and best things in life.
You cannot pursue what is excellent unless you can assess what is excellent.
Most of us live our lives reacting to the day. We follow impulses, emotions, moods that inform us how to react to the environment around us.
We do not control the environment and therefore do not control our response to the environment. We are just constantly reacting trying to stay happy and fulfilled.
Approving things that are excellent has to start in the mind. You cannot pursue excellence if you are a victim of your emotions and your moods.
That is what Paul means in Romans 12:2
Romans 12:2 (KJV 1900)
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The Apostle Paul finishes this letter in Phil 4:8
Philippians 4:8 (KJV 1900)
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Paul is praying that we get past reactions because of mood or emotions and get our mind right.
Christians need to learn to think.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJV 1900)
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Are you approving and proving what is excellent? or are you using all your energy to react to matters that zap your energy and cause your to miss the most important things in your life?
Philippians 1:10 (KJV 1900)
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Abiding in Principle
Abiding in Principle
To be Sincere
To be Sincere
Sincere = genuine.
The Latin word is sincera and it literally means without wax.
Now let me explain what that means. A potter who was making a jar or a bowl or a plate or dish of some kind would turn it on his wheel and then when it was completed he would take it and fire it, bake it, as you know. Frequently because of some impurity in the clay or some error in judgment in terms of the temperature or whatever, it would come up with a crack. A cracked jar or pot or bowl or dish would be useless. But because of the money invested in it the unscrupulous potters would try to cover up the crack and they would take a hard wax and they would fill the crack with wax. And then they would cover it over with whatever they were using to coat or to paint the pot or the bowl. And so when any wise person went into the marketplace to buy a piece of pottery, they would typically hold the pottery up to the sunlight and rotate it to see if it was without wax because the sunlight could shine through the crack and reveal the wax … which, of course, the first time anything heated was put in it would melt and it would be discovered as useless.
We need to be sincere, pure, without flaw, real, genuine, honest. We have many christians who try to hide the cracks, sin and flaws, in their lives.
They cover them up with the wax of churchianity, religious ceremonies, and activities and as soon as the heat hits their life they melt and reveal the crack or split.
We need the principle of sincerity, we need everything in our life to touch, our heart - love, our excellence or drive - mind with the Word of God. We need a genuineness in our life. I am a sinner saved by grace. I love because Christ loved me. I pursuit excellence because God demands Perfection. Our character needs to be able to stand inspection.
We need the world to see our sincereness. They need to see us as real, not perfect but real, genuine, not a fake or phony, striving for excellence.
That is sincerity.
Sincerity deals with Personal Principles.
Philippians 1:10 (KJV 1900)
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
To be without offence
To be without offence
Without offence deals with Relational Principles.
Without offence means blameless. The idea is not to cause others to stumble.
We are to be very cautious how we live. This can be easily seen in the ones we have influence over, our children and close friends.
Our compromising life and deviations from the Word of God show up in those closest to others but affect all that watch us. We become a pattern of those close to us.
We need a non-compromise attitude that leads to a non compromising life.
Is God really Number 1 in your life?
Are you really committed whole heartedly to God?
James 4:4 (KJV 1900)
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
How does this happen?
Accommodation - We tolerate.
Legitimation - We accept is as normal.
Assimilation - We cooperate by never saying anything about it.
Participation - We get personally involved in attitudes and actions.
Merge - We fuse our values with the worlds values.
Identification - There is no difference.
Compromise is so very subtile it takes us in before we even realize what is happening. But its influence is accepted quicker with those close to us.
We are to stay sincere without offense until the return of Christ. This will be a day of assessment or value of our works for reward. That is why we are called to faithfulness.
Love produces excellence produces principles which will always produce works.
Abundant Fruits of Righteousness
Abundant Fruits of Righteousness
Philippians 1:11 (KJV 1900)
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Being filled happened in the past with continuing results.
This is the summation of the Christian life. Paul is looking at a completed state or completed condition.
Philippians 1:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Paul is looking at the record of good works produced by God in a life of principles, a life of excellence, and a life of love.
This is the view of the believer who arrives at the day of Christ and because he has loved and because he has pursued excellence and because he has maintained principles, he has filled his life with good works and he comes that having already been filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are the fruit of love, excellence and principles.
Fruit is the product or results of a righteous life, good works.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
These good works are Produced by Jesus Christ.
He is the vine and we are the branches.
The pursuit of Christ, produces the fruit of Christ which brings glory and praise to God.
So, listen very carefully.
The love of God poured into our hearts, abounding in insightful knowledge of His Word causes us to pursue excellence with spiritual integrity and principles which generates a life of power through Christ that produces good works which reverberate to God’s glory as a redeeming transforming God worthy of eternal praise. That is the sum of it all.
Is love in our hearts?
Are you abounding in the knowledge of His Word?
Are you pursuing excellence?
Is God being praised throughout your life?
Father today I pray as Paul prayed. “I pray for everyone here at Kentucky MBC that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through your son, Jesus Christ to your glory and praise”.