Increasing in love

Phil. 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. KJV

Peter said in 2 Peter 1:3, "his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him."

Love grows the same way, through the knowledge of…. Our love can be increased with the correct knowledge and it can be reduced with the wrong knowledge. Do you recall experiencing more love for someone as you learned of the special things that person did for you? What about a loss of love when you learned that someone you love had done things to hurt you? Relationships have been torn apart; many of us have gone through separation or divorce due to this very reason. It is a fact that our knowledge influences our emotions. The more we know of God and His ways, the more our love for God and others will grow or increase (because God is love and He is good all the time).

In Phil.1:9, the knowledge which Paul refers to is spiritual understanding of God's love. Judgment is the ability to use or apply that knowledge correctly. So Paul is saying that as we gain spiritual understanding of God's love and learn to apply it correctly in our relationships, then the manifestation of God's love in our lives will increase intensely.

The NIV translates Phil. 1:10 "you may be able to discern what is best." As we increase our understanding and application of God's love, we will have better discernment about right and wrong.

We receive the love of God through faith at salvation. Romans 5:5 tells us that the love of God is shade in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Our experience of God's love in our lives is increased through knowledge and judgment. This leads to better discernment of right and wrong and produces sincerity and honesty in us. We can then walk without offense and as these things work in us, the fruits of righteousness follow, unto the glory and praise of God.