AN AGENDA OF MATURITY – Philippians 1:9-11

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on October 30, 2011 under 2011 |

Preached October 30, 2011
from
Philippians 1:9-11

Theme: Paul’s prayer for the Philippians shows us what’s involved in true spiritual maturity..

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

This morning, we celebrate the fact that someone in our church family will be declaring publicly, through baptism, that they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, and that they are His forever. And the baptism of someone in our church is an event that involves the rest of us; because, as members together of the body of Christ, it’s our privilege to pray for the one being baptized, and to support them in their desire to walk with our Lord and grow in their relationship with Him.

So; to help us to do our part, I ask that we turn to Philippians ¹, and particularly to Paul’s words to his beloved brothers and sisters at the beginning of his letter to them. As we read his words together, pay careful attention to how he says that he prays for them.

In Philippians 1:3-11, Paul writes and tells them;

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:3-11).

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As I read those words, I suspect that a few things stood out. One thing would have been how much Paul loved his brothers and sisters in Christ. He thought a great deal about them, and said, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (v. 3). At the time that he wrote this letter, he was in prison for preaching the gospel; and one reason that he wrote it was to thank the Philippian believers for the support they had shown him during his imprisonment. Apparently, they had gathered their resources together and sent him a gift that was so great that it even put themselves in a position of need (see 4:18-19). He felt that, from the beginning, they shared a fellowship with him in the work of the gospel (v. 5); and that they were partakers with him in God’s grace (v. 7). He truly longed for them all, as he said, “with the affection of Jesus Christ” (v. 8).

And perhaps you also noticed that, because of the great love he had for them, he prayed much for them. I spent some time looking through all thirteen of Paul’s New Testament letters; and I found that there are eleven occasions in them in which he tells his readers what it was that he was praying about for them.1 Paul was a minister of the gospel who prayed much for the spiritual growth of those under his care; and he clearly wanted them to know what it was that he was praying. He certainly prayed much for the Philippian believers. He told them, ” I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy . . .” (vv. 3-4). He couldn’t even think of them without stopping to thank God for them and pray for them.

And there’s one more thing I hope that you noticed. In praying for these Philippian believers that he loved so much, Paul was absolutely confident that God would answer his prayer. He said that he prayed for them, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (v. 6). Paul had no doubts about the final outcome of his brothers and sisters in Christ. As someone has wisely said, “The Lord always looks at His people as they will be when they are done.”² And that’s how Paul prayed for his friends—with the confidence that God saw His redeemed people for what they will be when they stand before Him in glory, and that He is able to fully bring to pass what it was that He purposed for them to be.

And all this brings us to verse 9-11; and to the specific things that Paul said that he prayed for his Philippian brothers and sisters. At the beginning of verse 9, after all that he had said about them in the previous verses, he said, “And this I pray . . .”. In the original language, he put it in a form of the verb that means that this was his constant, continual habit of prayer for them. He literally said, “And this I keep on praying . . .”

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Now; Paul was constantly, continually, habitually praying something for his friends that was very great and worthy and honorable. He wasn’t praying for the mere incidental, material details that concerned their temporal life on earth. Instead, he was praying for nothing less than the spiritual growth of his brothers and sisters—so that God’s eternal purposes for them would be fully accomplished in them in. He was praying for their spiritual maturity.

Have you ever thought of what it means to grow into ‘spiritual maturity’? You have to be very careful how you think about such things nowadays. It used to be that when you talked about ‘spirituality’ in our culture—say forty or fifty years ago—you could take it for granted that nearly everyone would have the same general idea of what you meant by it. Spirituality was understood to have its reference point in someone outside of and far above ourselves. The more that someone turned away from an inward focus, and the closer that they drew to God—the more that they focused on Him and His will for their life—then the more ‘spiritual’ they were understood to be. But over the past several decades—in large part because of the counter-culture movement of the sixties, and because of the influences of eastern religions—a shift occurred in people’s thinking about the direction of spirituality. People began to believe that truth was to be found, not in God and in the objective revelation that He gave, but rather within themselves. And it came to be thought that the more inwardly-focused they became, the more ‘spiritual’ they were. Today, you’ll very often hear people say, “I don’t go to a church. I don’t believe in organized religion. I don’t even believe in God. But I’m very spiritual.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, it’s part of our witness to the culture in which we live to call fallen people away from that false, fruitless, ‘inwardly-focused’ approach to ‘spirituality’; and back to a God-ward focus through the message of the gospel. True ‘spirituality’ is not to be found by focusing on one’s ‘self’. Jesus—the Son of God in human flesh—established the basic direction of spiritual growth when He said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 9:34).

And so; when we think about Paul’s prayer for the spiritual maturity of those under his care, that’s the context in which we need to understand it. It’s a a prayer for growth in a God-ward focus through Jesus Christ in which believers increasingly deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. It’s a confident prayer in which Paul asked that all that God had begun in them would be brought to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

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So then; what was it that Paul continually prayed for in seeking the spiritual maturity of his fellow believers? What was it that we should be continually praying for with regard to the one who is being baptized today? And what is it that we should be pursing in our own spiritual growth?

In Paul’s prayer-list from this morning’s passage, we can see five things. And as we look at them carefully, we find that they build remarkably one upon another. First, notice that Paul prayed for . . .

1. LOVE WITH DISCERNMENT (v. 9b).

Look at verse 9. Paul said, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment . . .”

One of the first things that Paul prayed for with respect to the spiritual maturity of his fellow believers is love. He wanted his fellow believers to be a people who truly loved one another. That’s certainly in keeping with what the Lord Jesus wants for us too; isn’t it? It’s the very thing that He said was the identifying mark of a Christian. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

And do you notice that these Philippian believers already were a people who were characterized by love? Paul didn’t have to pray that they would start becoming loving toward one another. Instead, he affirmed that they already did love one another; and prayed that they would “abound” in that love “still more and more”. And if you ask me; that’s a great start to a prayer for spiritual maturity—that the people under your care would keep on doing what they’re already doing; and only do more of it.

But did you also notice how he qualified that love? He wasn’t praying that they would simply have an emotion—that they would simply have sentimental and warm feelings toward one another. He prayed that their love would have a solid, objective foundation in absolute truth. He prayed that their love would abound more and more “in knowledge and all discernment”.

Everyone would agree that true growth in ‘spiritual maturity’ involves a growth in love. But God’s desire for our spiritual growth is not in a love that is a mere emotional experience. People who have a strictly inward-focused concept of ‘spirituality’ embrace a kind of love that isn’t founded on absolute truth—a love that doesn’t discern truth from falsehood. But the kind of love God wants us to grow in is the kind that is deeply rooted in the eternal truths of His revealed word. It’s a kind of love that is expressed in “knowledge”—that is, in a sense of what God says is true; and in “all discernment”—that is, in a perception of things as God says they really are.

I think a great passage to help us understand this is 1 John 5:2-3. There, the apostle John told us that the kind of love God looks for from us is one that “knows” and “discerns” things in accordance with God’s objective, propositional word. He wrote,

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3).

That’s God’s definition of love—loving God first, and keeping His commandments toward one another. So then; here’s one of the first ways we’re to grow in spiritual maturity. We’re to become characterized—increasingly—by a love that discerns. We’re to grow and abound in a love for one another—and in a love for those outside the body of Christ— “in knowledge and all discernment”. We’re to abound in a spiritually sound, mature kind of love that knows God’s revealed word, that sees things as they truly are, and that seeks the very best for others in accordance with God’s will.

Let’s pursue that kind of love together! And let’s be praying for its growth in one another.

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Now; a very important, subsequent step in spiritual maturity is built upon that first one. As the Philippian Christians grew in a love that was characterized increasingly by a knowledge and discernment that was deeply rooted in God’s sure word, Paul prayed that they would then apply that discerning love in every-day practical living through . . .

2. SOUND JUDGMENT (v. 10a).

He wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment”; and this, he said, was “that you may approve the things that are excellent . . .”

When Paul spoke of “approving” things, he used a word in the original language that meant to “test” or “try” a thing in order to prove its true nature. Obviously, a spirituality that looks strictly inward cannot do that. It’s only by a focus upon God and His revealed word that we can accurately test anything, examine it according to its true nature, and thus “approve the things that are excellent”. And that’s what Paul wanted for his fellow believers. He said in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

To have sound judgment in life—to be able to test things accurately and “approve the things that are excellent”; to choose the things in life that are “true”, “noble”, “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, “of good report”, “virtuous” and “praiseworthy”—is a quality of genuine spiritual maturity. The false spirituality of this world doesn’t teach us this. It looks inward to its own fallible ‘internal moral compass’ and says that something is “good” or “right” or “excellent” simply if its something that pleases you or makes you feel good. But that self-centered standard of “approval” is, in reality, a sign of spiritual immaturity; and many people have made horrible wreckage of their lives by paying attention to it. They end up embracing as “good” that which God’s word declares to be evil and harmful and destructive to the soul.

God wants us to grow out of that kind of behavior. The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews (some say that it was Paul himself) wrote to his fellow believers about their sad condition of immaturity and said;

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14).

How important it is, dear brothers and sisters, that we acquire the skill in life of discerning the difference between what God says is good and evil; and that we become well exercised in the ability of approving that which God says is “excellent”! It’s a sign of spiritual maturity; and we need to follow Paul’s example and pray for one another’s growth in it.

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As we grow in our ability to discern good from evil, and to approve that which is excellent, we come to another step in spiritual growth that Paul prayed for; and that is . . .

3. GENUINE HOLINESS (v. 10b).

He told his friends that he prayed for them, “that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ”.

Take a closer look at the two things he longed to see in his brothers and sisters. First, it was that they may be “sincere”. That English word comes from two Latin words put together: sine and cera; which, when put together, means “without wax”.³ In ancient times, the making of pottery was big business. Cheep, inexpensive, heavy-duty pots and jars for everyday use were sold; but so were fine, delicate, fragile pieces of expensive pottery. Sometimes, one of those pieces of fine pottery would have a crack in it that an unscrupulous merchant would try to hide by filling in with wax. But a wise purchaser could easily see whether or not it was a truly good piece of pottery by taking it outside and holding it up to the sunlight. In the light of the sun, the wax-covered cracks would show up as dark lines on the surface of the pot. But if there were no cracks, it was said to be sine cera—without wax. And God wants us to be “sincere” Christians—not pretending in men’s sight to be something we’re not.

Paul also prayed that they would be “without offense”—that is, to be blameless and without stumbling. And I take this to be the other side of the same coin. We’re to be “sincere”; and that what it is that we’re to “sincerely” be is a man or woman “without offense”. When we’re held up to the light of God’s standards in His revealed word, we’re to prove to be—both in the sight of God, and in the sight of others—real followers of Jesus who live just as our Lord commands.

And look at how long it was that Paul’s friends were to keep on being “sincere and without offense”. It was all the way “till the day of Christ”. “The day of Christ” is Paul’s way of speaking of the day of Jesus’ return; at which point, the good work that God began in us will be completed, and we will be made to stand before Him in the glory of His own Son Jesus.

What a great day to look forward to! But what a motive it also becomes for us to walk in genuine holiness now! The words of the apostle John help us understand Paul’s goal in this prayer:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (1 John 3:2-3).

It’s a mark of spiritual maturity to strive to be “sincere” and “without offense” in our daily walk before God—and to do so because of a joyful anticipation of the great day of our glorification in Christ.

That’s what Paul prayed for his friends to experience; and it’s what we need to pray for each other.

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And then, note how it’s only after Paul expresses his prayer for the genuine holiness of his friends in Christ that he then goes on to say that he prays they’ll be characterized by . . .

4. GOOD WORKS (v. 11a).

He tells them that he prays “that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ . . .”

Works of righteousness are always a part of true spiritual maturity. In fact, Paul prayed that his friends would be ‘filled’ with them. As he wrote in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” A vital part of what God saved us for is good works. But do you notice that they aren’t good works that are to be done through our own creativity and in our own power? They are to be works that He prepares for us and that we simply “walk in”.

You see; if our sense of spirituality is focused inwardly, we will be moved to outwardly express that sense of ‘inward-spirituality’ through what we call “good works”. But those works would not be of God. They would only be works that we choose to do on the basis of what we believed—from within our own selves—ought to be considered “good”. And as such, they would only be works that we did in our own power and through our own resources. But those are not the “good works” God wishes from us. They would not bring Him any glory.

Instead, as our passage tells us, Paul prayed that his friends would be characterized by a genuine God-ward spiritual maturity that shows itself in our being filled with the fruits of righteousness “which are by Jesus Christ”. It is He—and not ourselves—that is to be the true Author of those good works; and it is by His power—and not our own—that they are to be done. This is exactly as our Lord Himself said it should be. In John 15:4-8, He said,

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples (John 15:4-8).

That’s true spiritual maturity, dear brothers and sisters in Christ!—not just that we do “good deeds” of our own making; but that we become the instruments through which Jesus Christ does them through us!

We need to pray for one another that we would be “filled” with such good works; and hear our Lord say to us—on that great day—”Well done!”

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And did you notice how the Lord Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit . . .”? This leads us to one final thing that Paul prayed for his believing friends; that their growth in spiritual maturity would lead to . . .

5. GOD’S GLORY (v. 11b).

At the end of his great prayer list for the spiritual growth of his friends, Paul said that he asked for all of it “to the glory and praise of God”.

True spiritual maturity isn’t to our own glory and praise. That’s what people who direct their sense of ‘spirituality’ inward hope will happen—that others will look at them, see how “spiritual” they are, and give them glory and praise. And if our ‘spirituality’ brings attention to ourselves, then it isn’t a truly God-ward spirituality.

I can’t think of anyone more “spiritually mature” than the apostle Paul; can you? He was truly a spiritual man. And yet, he took none of the glory for himself. Instead, I believe he summed up the emphasis of his whole amazing life with these words:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

Now that’s real spiritual maturity! It was what Paul sought in his own life. It was what he prayed earnestly for his dear brothers and sisters in Philippi. It’s what we should pray continually for the one today who is being baptized. And by God’s grace, it’s what we should continually pray for one another.

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¹These references to prayer are found in Romans 1:10; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 2 Corinthians 13:7; Ephesians 1:18-23; 3:1, 14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-12; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 1:3 and Philemon 4-6.

²Cited in H.A. Ironside, Notes on The Epistle to The Philippians (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1967), p. 19.

³James Montgomery Boice, Philippians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), p. 55.