… filled with the fruit of righteousness…
Summary: In this passage, Paul answers the question, “Are we righteous because of what we do or because of who we know?”
As we near the end of Paul’s prayer, it is good to step back and look at the whole thought before diving into our passage for this meditation. Paul writes:
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)
Paul is asking God that the Philippians — and by extension, all Christians — love as God loves (agápē), and that that love opens the door to knowledge and insight that causes them to rely on Jesus for righteousness before God.
In this last part of his prayer, he asks that our reliance on Jesus fills us with the “fruit of righteousness” that comes through Jesus and glorifies God.
Paul’s prayer encapsulates the Gospel in a profoundly powerful way.
Much of Paul’s writings have to do with what the “fruit of righteousness” looks like. In short, Paul’s writings describe how a Christian should act.
This can feel a bit legalistic at times. Yet, consider Paul’s position. He knows the power of the Gospel to save people from eternal hell. He also knows the power of the Gospel to change lives. In addition, because he was a Pharisee, he knew what righteousness before God looked like, especially when seen through the eyes of Jesus Christ. So what is Paul to do?
On the one hand, Paul points people to the simple message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, Paul is trying to corral believers into acting like God’s people should act. It must have felt a bit like herding cats!
The “fruit of righteousness” differs from Old Testament righteousness in one important way. In the Old Testament covenant with Moses, God starts with the Law that defines what righteousness is: Obedience to the Law is righteousness. In the New Testament covenant through the sacrificial blood of Jesus on the cross, we begin not with the Law, but with a reliance on Jesus for our righteousness. The “fruit of righteousness,” instead of evidence that we are complying with the Law, is evidence of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Application: Allow Jesus to plant righteousness in your heart!
Food for Thought: What kinds of fruit come to mind when Paul uses the phrase, “fruit of righteousness?”
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