John 15:1-17, A Prayer for Intelligent Love (4)

In the previous post I promised a picture that helps me understand Paul’s prayer.  The picture is of a lake, with a control dam at the outlet, from which comes a river that can be a real blessing to farmers (water to grow things) and towns (water to drink) downstream.  Without the dam, the outlet from the

lake might cause flooding during the spring high-water time.  With the dam, water is dispensed properly, so that users downstream can have water year-round, as needed.  The banks of the river guide the water downstream, keeping it from flooding along the way and creating havoc for those who live in the area.

Paul is not praying that there will be a reservoir of love; that is already the case because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts at the time of the new birth.  But we do need the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of love (Gal. 5:5).  Love must be guided by knowledge and discernment. Sometimes the Philippians loved Paul through financial gifts; other times by praying for him, or by sending Epaphroditus to encourage him.  This “full knowledge” and discernment (knowing the value of various options) comes from the Word of God, as we are led by the Spirit. 

As the Spirit guides through the Word, we can “approve” the things that are excellent.  The excellent things are the things that produce the fruit of righteousness.  Christ has chosen us to bear fruit (John 15:16); and as knowledge and discernment increase, we produce more and more fruit (John 15:2,5).  Since this is the will of Christ for us, this enables us to be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.  And that, definitely, glorifies God!

Therefore, the one request is, not that our love will abound (that is good too), but that it will abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.  This is God’s will.  So Paul knows God will answer this prayer.  Perhaps that is another reason why he is so confident that the work God had begun in them would be completed until the day of Christ (Phil. 1:6).  Let us pray this prayer!