Knowledge and Discernment

 February 9, 2021

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” —Philippians 1:9-11 NKJV

Love must abound more and more in knowledge and discernment. Love without knowledge can be soft and weak.  Love without discernment can be dangerous. Knowledge tells us what love should do; discernment tells us how,when, and how much we should do it. No matter how loving I feel, it isn’t love to give someone a handout when they need a hand up. It’s not love to feed the body while letting the soul and spirit starve. Paul says love’s knowledge and discernment need to keep growing in us. If it doesn’t I won’t be able to approve things excellent. Instead, I may be giving my stamp of approval on things unworthy of it. And approving things unworthy of love will never lead to the glory and praise of God. 

So where does this love come from initially? Romans 5:5 tells us: “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” When a person comes to Christ in repentance and faith, God immediately gives that person the gift of the Holy Spirit who then pours the love of the Father into him or her. It’s not necessarily something one feels. Feelings are very poor indicators of love. The Bible simply affirms that this love is poured into us through the Holy Spirit that was given to us when we believed. Once we have that love, it is our responsibility to grow in knowledge and discernment so this love can be displayed in helpful and appropriate ways. 

Lord, keep me learning and teach me to be discerning so you will be honored and glorified in all I say and do.