Spring 1986
The Ultimate
Joseph Nieves

In this great and final hour in the history of the Church, the Glory of Christ is to be fully manifested through His Body, the Church. However, this cannot be accomplished until the Church is brought to the place of a completely restored relationship with its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Above everything else, this means a Church overflowing with Divine Love. For, true love will lead into an understanding of and insight into the knowledge, perception and discerning of God’s purposes so needed in the Church today.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent.” Phil 1:9-10a The Greek word used here for “discernment” indicates a “perceptive understanding.” This, in turn, leads to the ability to “try the things that differ,” which is the literal rendering of verse 10a.

It is very essential in this hour to “have our senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Even the Apostle Paul was apprehensive, lest he should fail God at some point in the testing process and “become a castaway.” He was not afraid he would loose his salvation, but rather, that he would be disapproved, or rejected from the best that the Lord had for him.

His intense desire and testimony was, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” Phil 3:10-12 NKJ.

Therefore, let our love abound. This is the key to essential knowledge, which is a desire for and insight into God’s plan and purpose for our lives. “If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:8 NKJ