The Philippians were already lovers of God and man, but like all of us, they needed to grow in love. However, he wants their love to be real as defined in the Bible, so he adds . . .

2. Philippians 1:9 “I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment . . .”

He wants them to grow in love but love can’t be self-defined. Rather, our definition of love for God and man must be biblical. The knowledge we need to discern what is, and is not, true love, can only be found in the Bible. We have just discovered that love for God is expressed by joyful obedience to his word. (John 14:15, 1 John 5:3) Now let’s see what Christian love for our neighbor looks like.

1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (a big fat “zero!”) 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (“the goal of all biblical instruction is love” and here is what real, mature, love looks like) 4 Love is patient, (longsuffering, slow to give up or get angry) love is kind (as opposed to harsh and mean) and is not jealous; (it does not boil with envy, hatred, anger) love does not brag (does not promote self) and is not arrogant, (proud, self-exalting) 5 does not act unbecomingly; (love has manners, it does what is right in the sight of God and man) it does not seek its own, (Biblical love is always other people concerned) is not provoked, (not easily irritated, not short tempered, or touchy) does not take into account a wrong suffered, (in other words, love does not record offenses, it forgives and them) 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, (real love wants nothing to do with sin, it can’t be happy in the midst of sin) but rejoices with the truth; (love seeks out and lives according to God’s truth) 7 bears all things, (real love covers a multitude of sins, it does not gossip, rather, it hides the faults of others by silence) believes all things, (love thinks the best of others and their motives till it is proven different, love is not suspicious or cynical) hopes all things, (love always hopes for a good outcome) endures all things. (true love stands fast, refusing to stop bearing, believing, and hoping) 8 Love never fails; (Christian love perseveres in the face of all opposition. There is no “falling out” of Biblical love) Love involves feelings of every kind but feelings are not what love is made of. Love is made of obedience to God and a commitment to love our fellow man as God in Christ loved and gave himself for us.

The Philippians, and modern day Christians, must filter their idea of love through “knowledge,” or Biblical truth. Then they will be able to discern what true love for God and man really is. Love is the goal of all Christian teaching.