That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Philippians 1:10
APPROVE THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT
We know that all sins are alike to God. They all carry the penalty of death. To lust after a woman is just as bad as committing adultery with her. But, all sins are not alike to me. For example, I’d much rather someone hate me than to kill me. We see things as ‘bad’ and ‘very bad’. On the other side, we see things as ‘good’, ‘better’ and ‘best’. Here is where we need a heavy dose of Spiritual insight, for it is easy to mistake what the world accepts as ‘best’ instead of what God accepts as ‘best’.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, prays for us to put our stamp of approval on things that are excellent. This is a challenge for our personal lives. It is also a challenge for our families. But foremost, this book of Philippians is written to a local church. So, in our local church, He is encouraging us to consider a wide range of options, and as a group to understand what is deemed ‘excellent’ by the Holy Spirit, and for us to put our corporate approval on that.
A local church has many things to consider. For example. What kind of music are we going to have? There is a variety of hymnals. There is sheet music, and today there are digital songs that can be projected on a screen. There are the old hymns of the faith, Southern Gospel, Praise and Worship songs, Contemporary Music, ‘Christian’ Rock. There are instruments including piano and organ, guitars, orchestras, drums. Every local church is faced with a decision as to what kind of musical program they are going to approve. In the local church, there are going to be people who enjoy each kind of music. Some would enjoy having one kind of music in the church, while others would be offended by that kind, and would prefer their kind of music. The decision to choose the kind of music for a church can lead to a lot of bickering and power struggles. Feelings can get hurt, and people can even leave the church. That is why verse 9 is before verse 10. Before we begin considering what is excellent, we are to be sure that we are seeing one another as our Savior sees us, and that we are loving them as He does.
