‘And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ,'
And it was because they were within the sphere of the tender mercies of Christ Jesus (compare Philippians 2:1) that he prayed that their love might abound more and more, both towards each other and towards their neighbours. But it was nevertheless to be a discerning love and a love that recognised the facts (it was to be ‘in knowledge'), for he wanted it to be a love that made them approve what was excellent, so that they might be genuine through and through. It was to be a love that would make them sincere (a love without any falsity in it) and void of offence (a love that was pure and blameless), with the Day of Christ in view. In Philippians 1:6 it was the good work of Jesus Christ within them that would make them ready for that Day, here it is the result of that good work as evidenced in their genuine and constant display of love for all. As John says, ‘we know that have passed from death to life because we love our brothers' (1 John 3:14). In other words we are to be seen as cooperating with Jesus Christ in His ‘good work' within us (Philippians 1:6), because of what He has wrought within us.