I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
MY WORDS
I thank my God whenever I remember you, always offering a prayer of joy in my every prayer for every one of you, considering your sympathetic cooperation and contribution and partnership in advancing the gospel from the first day you heard it until now. For I am convinced and sure that He who began a good work in you will continue doing that good work until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
It is totally appropriate for me to have this confidence and feel this way about you all, because you have me in your heart and I have you in my heart as partakers and sharers with me, of grace [God's unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), This is true when I am in prison and when I am out proclaiming and defending the good news (Gospel).
God has seen how I long for and pursue you all with love, in the tender mercy of Christ!
And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in insight gain by deep, penetrating knowledge, going down to the foundation and experiential knowledge that leads to the ability to discriminate morally (between good and bad) so that you may learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and they you may be free from spot or blemish to such a degree as to bear examination in the full splendor of the sun (love that Zodhiates definition!) and not stumbling (or causing others to stumble) until the day Jesus returns. May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christs (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God so that His glory will be manifested and recognized.
I WILL
Pray this for one of the guys in our ministry that I can tell is really struggling. Lord, manifest Your glory through him today.
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