Day 25 : The works of our righteousness

Paul continues in Phil. 1: 9-11 : "... that ye may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness which is by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God."

The day of Christ is the day when Jesus will return, and we will be judged according to what we have done in our bodies. There are two judgments: the judgment of Christ, only for Christians, which is a distribution of the remuneration (and not a condemnation, since in Christ there is no condemnation) and the Great White Throne before which All others will be judged, those who have not accepted Christ.

It is through this love of God that we can be pure and irreproachable for the day of Christ. This love is apparently the most important, see the only measure of God !

Filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ can be translated also by righteous laborers, that fruit which Jesus Christ will have produced in you. (Sower) Paul emphasizes that this righteousness "is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." This fruit is produced by Jesus Christ in us, and will also be to His glory.

For Phil. 1:11, the Greek word is 'dikaiosune', the righteousness imputed by Christ, not 'dikaioma', 'active' justice, the fruit of Christ's righteousness, our 'just works'. All the fruit of the love and knowledge of God in us is a fruit of the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us. Normally, this love of Christ will always produce righteous acts in us, as Peter says in 2 Peter 1: 8 (NBS) : "For if these qualities (and he had finished with love) are within you and They will not leave you without activity and fruit for the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Here in Philippians, Paul meant that all this is a fruit from what Jesus did for us. Only later will he speak of the fact that we must "work for our salvation" (Phil 2:12).

Let us read this wonderful prayer to finish : "And what I ask in my prayers is that your love grows more and more in knowledge and in full intelligence for the discernment of the best things, so that you are pure and irreproachable for The day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

It is only through this love of God, which comes by the true intimate knowledge of Himself, that we can discern which things are really important in the eyes of God. And it is only by doing so that we may be found pure and irreproachable for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Tomorrow we will study yet another prayer of the apostle Paul.

"Lord, thank you for your righteousness ! Help me to produce the works of righteousness, for your glory and for your praise ! In the name of Jesus, amen !"

René de Groot