Daily Devotions

March 26, 2021

Today, let’s think about Philippians 1:11, which says, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
The unique phrase “ fruits of righteousness,” has many supporting teachings, the most famous of which is where the Lord Jesus compares Himself to a “vine” and we who are His adopted sons and daughters to “branches” in John 15:1-6.
The apostle Paul reminded the Philippian believers that the fruits ultimately result from Jesus Christ, just as Jesus illustrated. We “cannot bear fruit” by ourselves according to John 15:4. Not only does our very life come from God, but the ability to produce godly fruit can only come through and by God.
In Isaiah 64:6, Isaiah noted that all of our self-produced righteous deeds are like “filthy rags.” The fruit for which we are “ordained,” according to John 15:16, has its source in the thrice-holy Godhead and its manifestation by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (see Galatians 5:22-23).
Those Holy Spirit character traits are the innate property of the vine that becomes instilled in the branches, or us. This enables us to bring forth the fruit that represents the “DNA” of the vine in which we are abiding. Being connected to the vine makes it possible for us to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God,” according to Colossians 1:10.
The “husbandman,” who is God the Father is superintending the vineyard according to John 15:1. When branches wither and do not produce fruit, they are taken away (see Matthew 13:18-23). The branches that do produce fruit are purged. The Greek word is “Kathairo,” and means, “cleaned up.” As Peter noted in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.”
We are told in Matthew 19:26, “With God all things are possible.” And in John 25:5 we are told that “Without Him, we can do nothing.”
So today, and every day, make it your aim to bear fruit to the glory of God, knowing that all things are possible through Christ Jesus!