and this praying so that your agape love abounds more and more in knowing and all understanding to the extent you discern what is essential so that existing pure and not stumbling on the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.*
It glorifies the Father that we bear fruit, the fruit of righteousness that comes through growing up in knowledge of the Son. So Paul prays that we have discernment into what is essential for this purpose. The purpose that God planned in Jesus from the beginning, that we exist holy and in His presence in love. According to this purpose God is working out all things for our good, to those chosen, to be conformed to the image of his son. The child knows the Father whose Spirit testifies that he belongs and is loved, but here we are talking about a deeper love, one that comes from bearing fruit of righteousness through growth. That growth which is purposed in the Church that we grow in knowledge of Jesus into mature adulthood, thus becoming sons and daughters. So what is essential? a love that abounds in knowing Jesus which brings about purity, filled with fruit of righteousness, to reflect his holy character.
who has blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ even as choosing us in him before the creation of the world to exist holy and in his presence in love...*
What is essential in the Church should be that which God purposed in the Church. And we see many things within the church today that are being made essential that are not essential. God did not purpose the essentials of the church to be tithing or giving or serving but that we exist holy and in his presence in love. This is the revealing of the manifold wisdom of God being made known through the Church, that purposed in the Church is about growth, into adulthood through knowledge of the Son, which accomplishes conformation to the image of His son, so to be holy, growing up truth in love. To those who are his children, whom he loves, God disciplines to share in his holiness.
endure your trials as divine discipline, God is treating you as a son. For what son like as the Father is not disciplined?... Now, he disciplines for our good, to the extent we partake of his holy character.*
Do not forget this encouragement as sons and daughters, God disciplines those he loves. To be without discipline is to be illegitimate, so those like as the Father have been disciplined. So during the trial which is not pleasant but painful, endure remembering God loves you and is treating you as a son so to share in His holy character. To the praise of His glory! This sharing in his character is also called maturity or perfection or completion or fulfillment as James writes, which comes from the work of endurance within the trial. What is essential is that we comprehend this process of growth that produces holiness and comprehend the love of God, that we are enlightened to a deeper love of God through discipline, "existing pure and not stumbling on the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God."*
in this agape love is fulfilled among us so that we have confidence in the day of judgement because just as he exists also exist we in this world.*
We are to walk in this world existing like Jesus. The Christian life is not about doing but about becoming. It is not living to commandments or even principles of what would Jesus do, but about becoming like Him. This is what the Father is working out for our good, to those called, to be conformed to the image of His Son. Agape love is the bond that leads to this fulfillment. In his presence in love we are becoming like His holy character. Is it selfishness to focus on personal growth? is it selfish to want to be like Jesus? No, to become like Jesus is to walk like Jesus did in this world, to be a living stone in a spiritual temple, to be a vessel prepared. What good is a stone in this temple if it not living? and how can a broken vessel overflow with "living" water? The workman prepared to do good works is the one complete, whole, lacking in nothing, filled with his love and the fruit of righteousness. Existing like him, holy, is what God purposed in Christ. By his wounds we are made whole. From being trained in the discipline of God we experience a deeper love.
all discipline at the time seems not to be pleasant but painful, now, finally yielding peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained through it.*
What is essential? "so that existing pure and not stumbling on the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness..."* What is essential but to love God with all our heart, but also He is holy so how do we exist in his presence in love without being holy? This God purposed in Christ, to consecrate a holy people to exist like Him and to be loved and know his love. Paul prays that we comprehend his love without bounds, so how can I tell the world of His love when I do not myself comprehend his love? Our agape love abounds as we grow in knowledge of the Son, thus we have understanding and we can discern what is essential, to exist holy in his presence in love. God disciplines those he loves, those called according to his purpose, so that we share in his holy character existing in His presence blameless, filled with fruit of righteousness, and abounding more and more in his love. And this is true grace, it brings about this purpose.
now, whom keeps his words, truly in that person the love of God fulfilled, in knowing because existing in him.*
Obedience is a fruit of maturity, of being filled with the fruit of righteousness. Therefore the joy of an abundant Christian life is through growth, being established, rooted, then growing strong in the Lord. Without maturity we will not be filled to the fullness of God in Christ. Jesus speaks of our joy being filled, which comes through bearing fruit, of abiding in his words and of love that yields fruit of obedience in keeping his words.* In other words God's love is fulfilled in us when we mature so to keep, do, practice his words. We see this is that purposed in Christ, that we share in his holiness, filled with love and fruit of righteousness, sharing in his holy character. This is experiential knowledge in my own life, having determined what is essential, of existing pure, filled with the fruit of righteousness, and that God disciplines the ones he loves to bear such fruit.
... so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, also praying that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to know the love of Christ giving better knowledge so that filled to all the fullness of God.*
who has blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ even as choosing us in him before the creation of the world to exist holy and in his presence in love...*
What is essential in the Church should be that which God purposed in the Church. And we see many things within the church today that are being made essential that are not essential. God did not purpose the essentials of the church to be tithing or giving or serving but that we exist holy and in his presence in love. This is the revealing of the manifold wisdom of God being made known through the Church, that purposed in the Church is about growth, into adulthood through knowledge of the Son, which accomplishes conformation to the image of His son, so to be holy, growing up truth in love. To those who are his children, whom he loves, God disciplines to share in his holiness.
endure your trials as divine discipline, God is treating you as a son. For what son like as the Father is not disciplined?... Now, he disciplines for our good, to the extent we partake of his holy character.*
Do not forget this encouragement as sons and daughters, God disciplines those he loves. To be without discipline is to be illegitimate, so those like as the Father have been disciplined. So during the trial which is not pleasant but painful, endure remembering God loves you and is treating you as a son so to share in His holy character. To the praise of His glory! This sharing in his character is also called maturity or perfection or completion or fulfillment as James writes, which comes from the work of endurance within the trial. What is essential is that we comprehend this process of growth that produces holiness and comprehend the love of God, that we are enlightened to a deeper love of God through discipline, "existing pure and not stumbling on the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God."*
in this agape love is fulfilled among us so that we have confidence in the day of judgement because just as he exists also exist we in this world.*
We are to walk in this world existing like Jesus. The Christian life is not about doing but about becoming. It is not living to commandments or even principles of what would Jesus do, but about becoming like Him. This is what the Father is working out for our good, to those called, to be conformed to the image of His Son. Agape love is the bond that leads to this fulfillment. In his presence in love we are becoming like His holy character. Is it selfishness to focus on personal growth? is it selfish to want to be like Jesus? No, to become like Jesus is to walk like Jesus did in this world, to be a living stone in a spiritual temple, to be a vessel prepared. What good is a stone in this temple if it not living? and how can a broken vessel overflow with "living" water? The workman prepared to do good works is the one complete, whole, lacking in nothing, filled with his love and the fruit of righteousness. Existing like him, holy, is what God purposed in Christ. By his wounds we are made whole. From being trained in the discipline of God we experience a deeper love.
all discipline at the time seems not to be pleasant but painful, now, finally yielding peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained through it.*
What is essential? "so that existing pure and not stumbling on the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness..."* What is essential but to love God with all our heart, but also He is holy so how do we exist in his presence in love without being holy? This God purposed in Christ, to consecrate a holy people to exist like Him and to be loved and know his love. Paul prays that we comprehend his love without bounds, so how can I tell the world of His love when I do not myself comprehend his love? Our agape love abounds as we grow in knowledge of the Son, thus we have understanding and we can discern what is essential, to exist holy in his presence in love. God disciplines those he loves, those called according to his purpose, so that we share in his holy character existing in His presence blameless, filled with fruit of righteousness, and abounding more and more in his love. And this is true grace, it brings about this purpose.
now, whom keeps his words, truly in that person the love of God fulfilled, in knowing because existing in him.*
Obedience is a fruit of maturity, of being filled with the fruit of righteousness. Therefore the joy of an abundant Christian life is through growth, being established, rooted, then growing strong in the Lord. Without maturity we will not be filled to the fullness of God in Christ. Jesus speaks of our joy being filled, which comes through bearing fruit, of abiding in his words and of love that yields fruit of obedience in keeping his words.* In other words God's love is fulfilled in us when we mature so to keep, do, practice his words. We see this is that purposed in Christ, that we share in his holiness, filled with love and fruit of righteousness, sharing in his holy character. This is experiential knowledge in my own life, having determined what is essential, of existing pure, filled with the fruit of righteousness, and that God disciplines the ones he loves to bear such fruit.
... so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, also praying that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to know the love of Christ giving better knowledge so that filled to all the fullness of God.*
It is a growth process unto fullness, being filled with love and fruit of righteousness. Truth in love we grow up in knowledge of Him, so that he dwells in our hearts through faith, and that we have power to grasp how deep the love of Christ is. This includes training in the discipline of God so that we are filled with the fruit of righteousness, sharing in his holy character. This I have recently experienced, and know that God is glorified that I bear fruit. This is the big picture, of what God purposed in Christ, of God's love. Remember this encouragement, endure your trials as divine discipline, God is treating you as a beloved son. We pray that we may discern what is essential, existing pure, filled with the fruit of righteousness, that we are rooted and established in love, and have power to comprehend his deep love.
Deep In Love With You
Deep In Love With You