GROWING IN GODLY WISDOM AND JUDGMENT
1Th 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1Th 4:10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
This is the 2nd part of the earlier study entitled “Judging the affairs of this life righteously as a son;” and in the first study we looked at how the Father would have His sons to judge the things that he may face in this world in a godly manner by proving “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” in all of the circumstances of his life. However, in this study, we are going to look at how we are taught to “increase” in our wisdom and judgment by allowing ourselves to walk in “brotherly love” toward one another, and grow in the wisdom of the love of God just as we are instructed by Him to do so. And as we can see the Thessalonian saints fully understood and appreciated how to walk in “brotherly love” toward the brethren among them, whereas Paul says that he has no need to write to exhort them to do so. But Paul also wanted their love to grow outside the saints in their midst, but he wanted their love to “increase more and more” toward all the saints everywhere.
Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
The Thessalonian saints learned earlier, and were “taught of God to love one another,” and it was these beginning doctrines that teaches the saint to become a living “sacrifice” based upon the love of God that is shown toward us when He not only saved us, but He gave us all of the things that we have in heavenly places, and the privilege to live unto Him to His honor and glory. But this is not all; the love of God is designed to be the ‘engine’ that drives our judgment and decision making as sons. And it is our growth in the particular doctrines designed to effectually work for us and with us that successfully fills us with the knowledge in how to use love in how we judge things like God would, and base all of our decisions upon the way God the Father would view these things in our lives.
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Above we see the Apostle Paul’s (and God as well) heartfelt prayer for “all saints” that they will be “filled with all the fullness of God,” that’s right; ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD. And how do we attain such a remarkable gift? It begins with our being “strengthened with might” by His “Spirit;” which is His word and the doctrines that are designed to establish us so that we can be “rooted and grounded in love,” you see, it is our having Christ “dwell” in our hearts faithfully and also by our desire to want “to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;” of “all the fullness of God.” And it is by “His Spirit” and our “knowledge” of it, which will conform us “to the image of His Son,” and fills us with “all the fullness of God,” this is what it means to know “the love of Christ” as sons.
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
And just as we can see in Ephesians chapter 4:12-16; God has Paul show the saints that there is a Godly design so that they will “grow” in the “knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man;” and notice what Paul says next here in verse 13: “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Paul had earlier in chapter 3:18 told the saints about the ‘amount’ of knowledge that he prayed the saints would eventually be filled with, and here in verse 13 Paul uses the word “measure” when talking about attaining “the fullness of Christ.” And as we see in verses 15 and 16, “love” is going to be what the saints are going to be walking with as they “increase” in more and more “knowledge of the Son of God.” Moreover, the ultimate objective of the Father is to have the son “increase” in more knowledge, so that he can eventually do as Philippians chapter 1:9-11 says:
Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Php 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Php 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Rod Jones