9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Spiritual complacency has no place in the life of a growing and maturing Christian. We never arrive at the place where we can say, “Ah, now I have made it, I am spiritual and don’t need to grow anymore.” The Philippians were doing well; so Paul stirs them on to do better.
In particular, love needs to continually “abound.” If love is the greatest of all virtues (1 Cor 13:13), it can easily become the greatest to stagnate. But love is not mere sentiment or a feeling. It needs to grow in a knowledgeable and discerning way. An immature believer may see love in stark terms, like throwing oneself in harm’s way to save another. A maturing believer sees the daily nuances of love, for example, in patiently listening to the deep hurts of others, or giving up the need to say, “I” and learning to say, “you” more often, or even allowing others to receive the glory instead of oneself. Love increasingly may be seen in the willingness to warn another of harmful behavior, to use one’s gift for the sake of others or to take a risk in living as a model of righteousness.
It is this growing, maturing love that puts to the test (i.e. “proves”) what God considers excellent. Is living a Christ-like life really as great as it is made out to be? Paul here is saying that the way to find out is by living a growing life of love. That life brings its own confirmation. This is echoed in Romans 12:2, where Paul challenges us to live the committed life as a way to “… prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The maturing believer continues growing until Christ returns (that’s what the phrase “the day of Christ” refers to). In the end, and only then, can it be said that they will be “sincere and blameless” (vs. 10). They will have lived a life that has proven God true. It will have been more excellent to live the life of grace than any other way of living. Only in that way, can the believer’s life be described as righteous. Not just a “little” righteous, but “filled.” Not just acknowledging the truth of the doctrine of righteousness, but living a life that manifests the “fruit of righteousness,” that is, deeds of right living under the grace of God.
Oh Lord, help me never stray from Your grace. I want my life to be a living demonstration that Your way is the most excellent way to live.
Deep and thoughtful stuff! Amen!