In the June edition of Wisconsin Christian News, we wrote about true love. But, it is not enough just to love, we must love truly. Reading through Philippians 1:4-11, we recognize that Paul saw the Philippians’ love in action. Yet, he still prays that their love would abound (exceeding a fixed measure) more and more (vs. 9). The idea is that their love would continue to grow without ever reaching a saturation point (Colossians 3:14). Once again, it is not enough just to grow in love but to love truly, which takes knowledge and discernment. While we could say the first part of the verse is emphasizing the quantity of love, the second part is referring to the quality of love.
For example, think of the Nile River flooding. We certainly have the quantity of water, which can add important nutrients into the surrounding soil, but an overflowing river is destructive when not being properly channeled, making sure the abundance of water adds quality. It is the same with love. We can be overflowing with love, but we are called to properly channel that love to make sure it is quality.
The quality of love begins by recognizing that God is love. Karl Barth, a theologian, was once asked: “What is the greatest thought you ever had?” His answer, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”* God is love, and He loved us by sen ...
