Philippians 1:8-11 Be Distinct, Be Pure, Be Blameless

Philippians 1:8-11

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Background

Paul’s affection towards the believers in Philippi is endearing and unparalleled given the church’s history of faithful support towards him. Naturally, Paul’s prayer for them is of deepest sincerity and goodwill, as coming from a father to his beloved son. Paul’s prayer for them is not for the coveted blessings of prosperity, health and wellbeing, but to be distinct from the world and to be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Observation

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.

Paul prays for the Philippians believers affectionately and with utmost sincerity and goodwill. He desires that their love may overflow: your love may abound more and more. Paul may have in mind that their work of the gospel may overflow to the people around them. However, this work of love must not be fueled by fleshly motivations but undergirded with knowledge and all discernment. Knowledge or epignosis (in Greek) usually denotes knowledge of the specific will of God and His timing. Therefore, the work of love in order to produce fruit must be done in the will and the timing of God and not in the whims of man. Discernment denotes divine perception or interpretation of the current circumstance. It answers the question: How does God see my current circumstance and what is its purpose? And what does He wants me to do? Without divine discernment, we will misinterpret God’s purposes and the valuable opportunities can be obscured by a smoke screen of pessimistic thinking.

Paul prays this very important prayer for his beloved: that they may understand the will of God and how they could use their resources wisely to do the work of love.

… so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul continues to pray, that with divine knowledge and discernment, they may choose to do what is different: so that you may approve what is excellent. Excellent here can be interpreted as being different and distinct from the mainstream. Paul admonishes believers to choose what is different from the trends and desires of the world and to focus on what truly matters. The world chooses money over reputation, pleasures of the flesh over the peace of God and the praises of man over the praises of God. Therefore, as believers of Christ, we choose to be different from the world so that we can be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Purity refers to the motives of the heart, whereas blamelessness refers to actions. Hence, God judges not only our actions but also our heart. Jesus says whenever a man looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. On the day of Christ, when God judges a person, He looks for the fruit of righteousness, which is purity of heart and blamelessness.

Truth

1. To have a heart that is fully dedicated to God’s work is insufficient, we need to understand God’s will for each circumstance and His timing. We need to be able to perceive circumstances as God would perceive them. In doing so, we may not suffer unnecessarily and waste God-given resources of time, talent, and wealth. Therefore, it is important that we receive specific instructions from God each day and the wisdom to perceive circumstances correctly and to understand His timing.
2. Do not follow the footsteps of successful people or the trends of the world. But we must imitate Christ and be led by God’s specific call for our lives: approve what is excellent (be distinct and take pride in how God has made you!). Many take after the model of successful people of their field and end up being mediocre for they could not become the person that God has designed them to be. We can be truly successful only if we respect how God has made us and begin to love ourselves.
3. In God’s scheme of judgment, performance is less important than the posture of the heart: be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Therefore, in all our endeavors, we must always get the motives and intents of our heart right before God. Working out of a pure motive, not for self-gain or personal glory but to do God’s work out of goodwill.

Application

1. Make it a habit to hear from God and receive specific instructions before we embark on the tasks of the day. Make it a habit to ask God for His perception and interpretation of people and of circumstances. Do not trust what you see and perceive, but depend on His divine perspective.
2. Do you love how God has made you? Or do you covet for what you do not possess? Even though your gifts may not seem glamorous, but as you continue to be faithful in what God has put in your hands, He will make you successful in your own right.
3. Continue to focus on improving your attitude in your work or your studies. Celebrate your efforts even though the results may not be up to your expectations. In the longer term, you will find creativity and success in all your endeavors.

Dear Lord, I ask that you help me be more sensitive to your voice. Endow me with wisdom to understand your will in every circumstance and to see things through your eyes. Help me discover the beauty and the giftings that you have placed within me. Increase my capabilities so that I may become more effective in the tasks that you have given. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.