Photo by Leigh Patrick on Pexels.com

only get better

Philippians 1:6-11 (JDV)

Philippians 1:6 I have confidence in this, that he who started a good achievement in you will keep perfecting it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:7 In fact, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in favor, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Philippians 1:8 You see, God is my attestor, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:9 And I pray this: that your care will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,
Philippians 1:10 so that you may evaluate the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ,
Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

only get better

Paul’s is confident that the Philippian congregations will only get better. The fact that they have stayed true to him, supporting him even after he was imprisoned — showed that they had not given up on the gospel which Paul was called to defend and confirm.

His prayer for them is that they would keep on growing in knowledge and discernment, even if he would not be available to teach them. He did not take purity and blamelessness for granted. He prayed earnestly for the Philippians to get pure and stay pure. That was the only way to be filled with the fruit of righteousness.

Lord, we make it our aim to keep true to the gospel, to keep growing in knowledge, and to get pure and stay pure. If we must change, we vow to only get better.