Developing Godly Integrity

For as God is my witness, how I long after you all in deep feelings of the compassion of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love will more and more abound in full knowledge, as in all perception, into the approving of things superb, that you might be honest and having no cause to stumble in the day of Christ,....” Phil. 1:8-10 

Paul continues sharing his heart with the church in Philippi. He wants them to know his love for them, and his expectation for the good things of God. (His prayers throughout the New Testament are a study in and of themselves. Just a hint that they are worth our time to discover).  It is his prayer and expectation ... (when we pray, for that dialogue with God to have any fruit, it must be done in faith and in a firm expectation that He hears and answers. Otherwise, it is an exercise in useless worry). 


As he prays, he expects they will continue to abound in love (both amount of love and quality of their loving) and that they will in that love develop a full knowledge (not just an intellectual knowledge, but a life experience full-knowledge) able to discern or perceive what is excellent as well as being full of integrity so they do not offend others nor be offended by them. 


The development of love in us through the Holy Spirit results in a knowledge that surpasses any intellectual understand in and of itself, and brings to us an ability to walk in discernment and integrity. When those things are lacking, it is clear evidence that time in the Word and interaction in the heart of the Lord (prayer, meditating, study) are sadly lacking. The fruit of our lives in Jesus is not just whatever ministry we might accomplish, but whether or not our inward nature is being transformed consistently by love which works through honesty and integrity. There is no shortcut in these matters. It is either in process or not. 


The beautiful thing about grace is we can always begin, always - as long as we have breath - turn from the ways of normal mankind and embrace the grace and forgiveness of our wonderful God, then begin this development in Him. He is truly awesome!


(The translation of this portion of scripture is my own).