Philippians 1:3-11Philippians 1:3-11

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-11Philippians 1:3-11

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me.

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me.

Philippians 1:3-11Philippians 1:3-11

8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Philippians 1:3-11Philippians 1:3-11

10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.

10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:3-11Philippians 1:3-11

Excellence Generated Excellence Generated By LoveBy Love

ἀρετἀρετnn

God Lives in ExcellenceGod Lives in Excellence

His divine power has granted to us all things His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and glory and excellenceexcellence, (2 Peter 1:3, ESV). , (2 Peter 1:3, ESV).

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the that you may proclaim the excellenciesexcellencies of of him who called you out of darkness into his him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9-10, ESV)marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9-10, ESV)

Philippians 1:9-11Philippians 1:9-11

And it is my prayer that your love may And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is you may approve what is excellentexcellent, , and so be pure and blameless for the and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,day of Christ, filled with the fruit of filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)God. (ESV)

Points of the PassagePoints of the Passage

Abounding loveAbounding love

Ability to choose the excellentAbility to choose the excellent

Pure and void of offensePure and void of offense

Filled with the fruits of righteousnessFilled with the fruits of righteousness

Abounding LoveAbounding Love

be present in abundance, exceed, be present in abundance, exceed, surpass surpass ALGNTALGNT

To be in excess, exceed in number or To be in excess, exceed in number or measure: to be or have more than measure: to be or have more than enough. enough.

TCWSNT ZohdiatesTCWSNT Zohdiates

Not Indiscriminate LoveNot Indiscriminate Love(Two Qualifying Phrases)(Two Qualifying Phrases)

In Knowledge In Knowledge

In ability to discernIn ability to discern - - God’s God’s people are discriminating people people are discriminating people as a moral action of recognizing as a moral action of recognizing distinctions and making a decision distinctions and making a decision about about behaviorbehavior, , perception, perception, insight.insight.

Ability To Choose The Ability To Choose The ExcellentExcellent

““The good thing becomes the bad The good thing becomes the bad thing when it takes the place of the thing when it takes the place of the best thing.”best thing.”

Excellence and Becoming Excellence and Becoming Christ-likeChrist-like

Transformation is often the enemy of God's Transformation is often the enemy of God's grace.grace.

The result is that too often we become addicted The result is that too often we become addicted to what often is called "cheap grace." to what often is called "cheap grace."

What does the term, "cheap grace," mean? What does the term, "cheap grace," mean?

It means "I cannot earn salvation" [true], "I It means "I cannot earn salvation" [true], "I cannot deserve salvation" [true], "I cannot cannot deserve salvation" [true], "I cannot place God in my debt" [true], so "How I live place God in my debt" [true], so "How I live and behave is unimportant" [false]. and behave is unimportant" [false].

It is the concept, "God's grace will cover It is the concept, "God's grace will cover everything, so I can just live as I please everything, so I can just live as I please because I am in God's grace."because I am in God's grace."

God wants us to use our God wants us to use our knowledge and discerning skills knowledge and discerning skills to make the right choice.to make the right choice.

You will notice there is no You will notice there is no mention of choosing the good mention of choosing the good over the bad. over the bad.

The choice is to be made The choice is to be made between the good and the best.between the good and the best.

ExcellenceExcellence

In imitating ChristIn imitating Christ

In biblical studyIn biblical study

In evangelical outreachIn evangelical outreach

In moral pursuitsIn moral pursuits

In relational pursuitsIn relational pursuits

In service to othersIn service to others

Result of Choosing the Result of Choosing the ExcellentExcellent

εἰλικρινεῖςεἰλικρινεῖς That you may be pure That you may be pure εἰλιεἰλι sun; sun; κρινεῖςκρινεῖς judge strictly judge strictly tested by sunlighttested by sunlight; ; hence hence sinceresincere (2Pet. 3:1); morally (2Pet. 3:1); morally spotless, spotless, purepure (Phil. 1:10) sincere – sine cere = without (Phil. 1:10) sincere – sine cere = without waxwax

ἀπρόσκοποςἀπρόσκοπος, , ονον strictly strictly not stumblingnot stumbling or or jarring againstjarring against anything; hence anything; hence blameless, blameless, void of offensevoid of offense (Phil. 1:10); of the conscience (Phil. 1:10); of the conscience clearclear (Acts 24:16); in relation to others (Acts 24:16); in relation to others giving giving no offense, causing no troubleno offense, causing no trouble (1Cor 10:32) (1Cor 10:32)

Filled With The Fruits of Filled With The Fruits of RighteousnessRighteousness

John 15:1-17John 15:1-17

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. nothing.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.you.

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

If you keep my commandments, you If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.abide in his love.

These things I have spoken to you, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. your joy may be full.

You are my friends if you do what I You are my friends if you do what I command you. command you.