“And this is my prayer: that your love should 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 until 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
As I prepare for my performance of Philippians later in the year here in Phnom Penh, since the revelation of grace God has blessed me with, He is revealing His word to me afresh.
Take this verse. It could easily be taken to mean it is up to us to strive towards living a pure and blameless life. But let’s look more closely. What is Paul really saying ?
Paul’s desire for us to be filled with the fruit of righteousness is not urging us to ‘be’ righteous. He knew we are already righteous, because Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30).
Let’s take the important words from this passage:
Love. Knowledge. Depth of Insight. Pure. Blameless. Fruit. Righteousness. Glory. Praise.
Paul is saying that our love abounds when we have a deep insight (or revelation) of our righteousness in Christ, and that the fruit of that insight and knowledge is that we live pure and blameless lives.
Amen!
The final phrase ‘to the glory and praise of God’ is also interesting.
We know that ‘glory’ in the bible means ‘a beauty and majesty unique to God.’
So, the fruit of the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ is that we radiate with His beauty and majesty.
Through Him.
Not we ourselves.
Through Jesus Christ.
The Righteous One.
And then, when people see how we are filled with the fruit of His righteousness, ablaze with His beauty, ‘shining like stars in the universe’ as Paul says, then God is praised and souls are saved.
Amen Again!
Have you had a deep insight or revelation of your righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ ?
Amazed by Grace 
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