Chuck Larsen

When Paul prayed for the believers at Philippi, he told them, “…it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more…” (Philippians 1:9). As Christians, we need to grow not only in faith and hope but also in our love. Paul not only prayed for this for the Philippians but also for the Ephesians. He wrote to them (Ephesians 4:15-16), “…we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” God’s love, (LOVE), is the soil into which we must sink our roots to draw up the nourishment we need to grow. It was so important that the Holy Spirit insisted on Paul repeating the idea a third time in his prayer for the Thessalonians. He writes to them (1 Thessalonians 3:12), “May the Lord make your love grow. May it be like a rising flood. May your love for one another increase. May it also increase for everyone else.” John, the Apostle of Love, teaches us that we learn to love only when we receive God’s love. That love was expressed for us on the cross of Calvary.

There are actually four words for love in the Greek language of Paul’s day. Paul chose the word “agape” to emphasize the self-sacrificial love of Christ. It is a selfless action to benefit someone else. The model for this love is Christ, who gave himself for the sins of the world. We are to love our spouses that way. We are to love our children that way. We are also to love each other that way. Each of those relationships requires a different kind of sacrifice, each with a depth appropriate for itself. When the lawyer answered Jesus’ question about the greatest commandment, he said to love God and love your neighbor. This brought a discussion about what constituted a neighbor. Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan who sacrificed of himself to help the injured man.

There are two phrases in Philippians 1:9 worth looking at. First, Paul wants our love to “abound.” The Greek word means to “be present in abundance.” It’s like having a million dollars in your checking account. There’s more than enough to meet your day-to-day expenses, and you can live liberally with others. The word is present progressive and should be translated as “keep on abounding.” We must continue to make deposits in our “love” account so that we can continue to dispense it as needed in every situation. Notice also the phrase “more and more.” Growing up involves learning to love each other liberally more and more with each passing year. Paul had already commended the Philippians for their love for each other. Even though they had it, there was always room for more! And more! John explained this was the true mark of a Christian. In John 13:35, he wrote, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.”

Growing in our faith, hope, and love will also result in an ever-increasing life of joy. When Paul wrote the Philippians his central theme of that small book was all about the joy involved with those who know and walk with the Lord. In that small letter he was struggling with his emotions and being in prison, he wasn’t sure he was going to live through the experience or not. He argued that he could live a contented life with whatever circumstance that God allowed in His life. He often longed to go home to be with the Lord, but because others needed him, he was certain God would deliver him from the current imprisonment. He writes in chapter 1:4-5, “But it is more important for you that I stay alive. I’m sure of that. So, I know I will remain with you. And I will continue with all of you to help you grow and be joyful in what you have been taught.

Joy is the result of living healthy and wholesome lives in an open and honest relationship with our creator. Paul didn’t make up this idea, because it’s mentioned several times in the Old Testament. Real joy, a contented, satisfying life, is not found in wealth, fame, or the pleasures of our world. Rather, real joy is found in a close walk with the Lord. Isaiah said, (Isaiah 29:19) “The lowly will find ever more joy in Yahweh and the poorest of people will delight in the Holy One of Israel.” All the wealth in the world and all the security in the world cannot compare to a close walk and an intimate connection with the God that made us. The Psalmist sings (Psalm 4:7), “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

When Christ was born, the angels declared, “Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people.” (See Luke 2:10-11). No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, the man or woman who receives Jesus will find joy, great joy! The absolute highest joy in life comes from being rightly connected with God. Jesus’ very purpose for coming was to make the connection for us and plug us back into the only true source of real joy. The closing of the book of Jude contains one of the most frequently recited blessings in the Bible. It’s all about joy! It says, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…, Verse 25 identifies that one as Jesus. The closer our walk with Jesus, the greater our joy! John explains why his writing his first letter in 1 John 1:4. He says, “And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” 1 John 1:4 Back in my younger days (1965-69), I was a wild young thing, not to mention stupid. I simply pursued all the pleasures of this world. I was into the Steppenwolf scene. I was born to be wild! Yet, during those years, Edwin Hawkin’s Singers had a hit song that made it to number one in many places around the world. Whenever it played, it caught my attention. I would always stop and think about it. At the time I didn’t understand how a song like that made up the list in popular music alongside songs like, “Magic Carpet Ride.” I remember a group named “The Crazy Word of Arthur Brown.” They did a song entitled, “Hellfire.” Its opening line was “I am the god of hellfire, and I bring you fire!” During those crazy wild days, “Oh, Happy Day” always caught my attention.  I puzzled how that song was so popular. I wondered how such a song could make it to the number one spot on the chart.  The Edwin Hawkin’s song was “Oh Happy Day.” It repeated that often but explained it by describing it as the day “That Jesus took my sins away.” It was a decade before I learned that personally in 1978.