Approve Excellent Things

Philippians 1: 7-11

(7) For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 

They are partakers of grace with him in that, in a sense, they had become partners with him in his imprisonment and legal obligations. Even when it might have been dangerous to identify with Paul openly, they had treated his misfortunes as their own and had come to his assistance with their gifts. 

The defense and confirmation of the Gospel would be the negative and positive aspects of Paul's ministry, defending it from attacks and proclaiming its message with proofs. 

And God's grace in both the imprisonment and the Gospel was seen in the Philippians in sharing Paul's ministry and confinement.

(8) For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 

Jesus loves us passionately, and He also likes us! And Paul likes and loves these believers at Philippi with the same love and affection that the Lord Jesus loves him with. God gives us His love to love others with, and Paul does this.

(9) And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,

He wants their love to continue to grow into true agape love based on recognized principles from the word of God to understand Divine revelation, enabling them to have moral perception to practically apply genuine love in the myriad circumstances of life. 

(10) so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the Day of Christ; 

In Christian conduct and the exercise of love, discerning what things are excellent would include factors such as one's influence on others and self, and ask not, "is it harmful?" but, "is it helpful?" 

The goal in view is the Day of Christ, in which every believer will stand before his Lord and give an account of his deeds (II Corinthians 5: 10). This sobering and joyous prospect should have a purifying effect on our life. 

(11) having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 

This fruit of righteousness is not mere human uprightness, but the spiritual fruit produced in us by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23). Consequently all the praise and glory will go to God since He did all the work.

O my Father, You are great! You are good! You have planned out our lives so that our choices will bring about Your righteousness in the midst of the evil in the world. Your plans are so clever in Your wisdom that everything in our lives will all work together for our benefit and Your glory. 

Father, help us all to grow in our love for one another, and be able to approve the things that are excellent to do them, instead of the mere common things. Show us how Your power in us in Your Holy Spirit gives us supernatural power to accomplish what we couldn't do in our flesh. Use us, Father, to show the world Your majesty and sovereignty over all. 

Send us out to every living person, to share with them Your love in the Good News of Christ having already provided all they need, so that they will be able to make an informed decision to choose You. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!