Philippians 1:11 says, “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” This verse speaks of the “fruit of righteousness” that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. But what exactly is this “fruit of righteousness”?
To understand this phrase, we first need to look at the broader context of Philippians 1. The apostle Paul is writing to the Christians in Philippi and commending them for their partnership in the gospel (Philippians 1:5). He expresses his joy and confidence that God will continue the good work He began in them (v.6). Paul then says that he is praying for the Philippians, specifically that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and discernment (v.9). It is in the context of this prayer that Paul speaks of being “filled with the fruit of righteousness” in verse 11.
The word “fruit” here is a metaphor that conveys the results or byproducts of something else. Just as an apple tree produces apples as its “fruit,” righteousness produced through faith in Christ results in moral virtue and upright living. Some key things to understand about the “fruit of righteousness”:
- It is singular “fruit” – one multifaceted fruit, not plural fruits. It encompasses all virtues that flow from being right with God.
- It is the natural outcome of being in Christ. Just as an apple tree produces apples, the redeemed life produces righteousness.
- However, believers must cultivate spiritual fruit through obedience to God (John 15:1-8). It involves both God’s work in us and our work with God.
- The fruits are evidences that someone has spiritual life through Christ.
Looking at other passages that discuss “spiritual fruit” gives us insight into what specifically this fruit of righteousness includes. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” So the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit encompasses Christ-like moral character, attitudes, and behaviors.
The book of James also connects righteousness with ethical behavior: “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18). Obedience to God’s Word is linked with bearing fruit: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord…He is like a tree planted by water…His leaf does not wither” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Colossians 1:10 says, “Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” “Good works” means actions that fulfill God’s moral will.
So in summary, the “fruit of righteousness” refers to virtues of Christian character and conduct that flow from being in right relationship with God through faith in Christ. This would include qualities like:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
- Integrity
- Humility
- Gratitude
- Compassion
- Mercy
- Justice
- Generosity
- Forgiveness
- Purity
- Discernment
- Hope
- Courage
Righteousness is more than just being declared right before God through Christ. It is being transformed to live rightly before God and others through the Spirit’s work in our lives. The “fruit of righteousness” is the moral transformation that accompanies salvation. It is living out the righteousness of Christ.
Paul’s prayer is that the Philippians would continue to grow in manifesting this Christlike character until the day of Christ’s return, when righteousness will be brought to full fruition. Our lives should be increasingly marked by the beautiful qualities that exemplify devotion to Jesus.
The fruit of righteousness also brings glory and praise to God. As believers display more righteousness, it shows the power of God at work in them, thereby glorifying Him. It testifies to the goodness and grace of God in saving sinners and transforming lives. God is praised as the author and sustainer of righteousness in His people.
In summary, the “fruit of righteousness” refers to all the moral virtues and godly character produced in a believer’s life as a result of their relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the practical daily manifestation of living righteously. The righteous life brings glory to God, displaying His marvelous transforming power. As Philippians 1:11 indicates, this fruit is produced through dependence on Christ as believers walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit. The more we yield to the Spirit’s work, the more bountiful these fruits will be.
1. The Contrast Between Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5 provides a contrast that sheds light on what the “fruit of righteousness” entails. Verses 19-21 list the “works of the flesh” – sinful behaviors like sexual immorality and envy. Whereas verses 22-23 describe the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit – Christlike qualities like love and self-control.
This contrast shows that the fruit of righteousness stands opposed to the sinful passions of the flesh. As believers in Jesus, we are called to walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The righteous life looks radically different from one dominated by sin.
So the fruit of righteousness refers to virtuous qualities that are diametrically opposed to the works of the flesh. When our lives are surrendered to the Holy Spirit, the result is righteousness, not unrighteousness.
2. Righteousness Involves Both the Imputed and the Imparted
There are two aspects to righteousness in the Bible – the righteousness from God credited to us, and the righteousness God imparts in us. Theologians refer to these respectively as imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness.
When we place our faith in Christ, God credits Christ’s perfect righteousness to us (Romans 4:22-24). This is the imputed righteousness that makes us justified and right before God. But God also begins His work of imparting practical righteousness to us – writing His law on our hearts so we can walk in obedience (Hebrews 8:10). This imparted righteousness refers to the new life of holiness we receive in Christ.
The fruit of righteousness encompasses both of these elements – both the righteousness from God (which is the root) and the righteousness in us (the fruit). It is the practical righteousness in daily living that results from having Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.
So the fruit of righteousness flows from the new spiritual life we receive in Christ. But it also continually depends on recognizing that we are only righteous because of what Jesus did for us. We can live righteously because we are counted righteous in God’s sight.
3. Righteousness as a Whole Way of Life
The fruit of righteousness is not just a list of virtues or moral behaviors. At its core, it is learning to live each moment in line with God’s ways and character. It is pursuing a whole new way of life that is right and pleasing to God.
Romans 6:13 says, “Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.” This call to righteousness is comprehensive – our whole selves are involved.
That is why passages like Philippians 1:11 use the metaphor of spiritual “fruit.” Fruit conveys the idea of something organic that grows out of a living process. The righteous life develops as we stay connected to Christ, the true vine (John 15:4-5). Over time, we progressively bear more spiritual fruit.
So the fruit of righteousness is righteousness in all aspects of life. In thought, word, action, attitude, desire – in whatever we do, the call is to live righteously as an expression of knowing Christ.
4. Righteousness and the Great Commandment
What does it look like to live righteously in daily life? Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39). The fruit of righteousness can be summarized as the outworking of faith and love.
If we love the Lord, we will want to please Him and live by His commands (John 14:15). We will produce the inner virtues that reflect the heart of God – patience, joy, peace, kindness. And loving others involves actively caring for their needs and seeking their wellbeing – compassion, mercy, justice, generosity.
Paul confirms that love fulfills righteousness in Romans 13:8-10: “He who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the Law… love is the fulfillment of the Law.” The fruit of righteousness is walking in love from the heart.
5. Righteousness Prepares Us for Christ’s Return
In Philippians 1:11, Paul prays that the Philippian believers would be filled with the fruit of righteousness “to the glory and praise of God.” What specifically does this prepare them for?
The broader context is Paul’s encouragement to “stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). He calls them to live as citizens of heaven in reverent fear of the Lord as they await Christ’s return (3:20-21). The fruit of righteousness equips believers to stand confidently when Christ comes back.
At Jesus’ return, His people will be fully conformed to His image. He will present them “blameless and faultless, with no spot or blemish” (Ephesians 5:27, Jude 24). Bearing the fruit of righteousness progresses us towards Christlikeness in anticipation of His coming.
We also store up heavenly rewards as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Abounding in righteous fruit brings greater eternal riches (Matthew 6:20). So the fruit of righteousness prepares us for seeing Jesus face to face.
6. The Fruit of Righteousness Will Be Fulfilled at Christ’s Return
While we pursue practical righteousness now, it will not be perfectly fulfilled in us during this earthly life. We still struggle with indwelling sin and must fight to walk by the Spirit (Romans 7:21-25, Galatians 5:17). But one day righteousness will blossom fully.
When Jesus returns, He will fully transform us to be like Him: “When He appears we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). With sin eradicated and the fight of faith over, God’s people will shine with perfect holiness and the full fruit of righteousness.
We get a picture of this in Revelation 22. The apostle John sees the river of the water of life flowing from God’s throne when He makes all things new. On either side is the tree of life “bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month” (v.2). The tree represents God’s people bearing righteous fruit in abundance.
Although we have the firstfruits of righteousness now, we eagerly await its full harvest. The fruit of righteousness cultivated today through walking by the Spirit will come to complete fruition when Jesus returns in glory.
7. Those Who Don’t Know Christ Cannot Produce Righteous Fruit
Since the fruit of righteousness comes from being rooted in Christ, it is impossible for those without Christ to produce godly moral fruit. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
People may display “goodness” by worldly standards or live moral lives outwardly. But true spiritual fruit only develops through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Paul says unbelievers are incapable of pleasing God because “the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God” (Romans 8:7-8).
That is why Jesus warned about looking for good fruit to determine true vs. false prophets (Matthew 7:15-20). Grapes do not come from thornbushes. Only a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) can produce fruits of righteousness from the indwelling Spirit.
8. How to Cultivate the Fruit of Righteousness
Since righteousness is the work of the Holy Spirit, what can we do to cultivate this fruit in our lives? Here are some biblical keys for growing in practical righteousness:
- Recognize we are only righteous through Christ’s work. Depend on His righteousness to free us from sin’s control.
- Walk by the Spirit and align our minds to His will (Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:4-6).
- Renew our thinking by immersing our minds in Scripture (Psalm 1:1-3, Romans 12:2).
- Pursue intimate fellowship with God in prayer, worship, meditation.
- Put off sinful attitudes and actions, put on righteous virtues (Ephesians 4:22-24).
- Engage in good works as God directs, serving others in love (Titus 3:8, 14).
- Allow trials to strengthen our faith and purity (Romans 5:3-5, 1 Peter 1:6-7).
Righteousness requires diligent cultivation like a farmer tending a crop. As we use the means of grace God provides, the Holy Spirit develops the fruit of righteousness more abundantly. We must choose daily to walk by the Spirit and offer ourselves to righteousness (Romans 6:13, 19).
9. Those with the Fruit of Righteousness Experience God’s Favor
Scripture gives many promises to those pursuing practical righteousness out of devotion to Christ. God blesses and favors the righteous.
Isaiah 3:10 says, “Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.” Psalm 1:3 promises the righteous will “be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season.” Their lives are marked by stability, nourishment, and fruitful blessing.
Proverbs 11:30 also declares that “he who is righteous saves lives” and “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” The righteous bear fruit that brings eternal life to others. Their lives refresh and heal those around them.
So living out the fruit of righteousness impacts others for Christ. And God rewards and cares for those who honor Him with upright living. Our righteousness brings praise to God and spiritual blessings to many (2 Corinthians 9:10).
10. Christ-like Righteousness Should Mark the Church
Since the fruit of righteousness comes from abiding in Christ, it should be evidenced corporately in His Body, the church. Local churches are designed by God to display His righteousness and be places where righteousness grows.
In his letters, Paul continually exhorted churches to excel in virtues like faith, love, holiness, generosity, and service. He longed for them to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” and bear fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10). Healthy churches help members cultivate righteousness.
Churches should also shine as light in darkened communities, modeling the righteousness of Christ. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Churches bear witness to God’s righteousness by their godly deeds.
The more churches are filled with those displaying the fruit of the Spirit, the greater their witness for Christ. May our lives together as God’s people showcase His righteousness to all.