The Fruit of Righteousness

Philip. 1:9-11

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

• Why are you to be filled with the fruit of righteousness?
• Who does righteousness come through?
• Why does your daily life matter if righteousness is from/through Jesus?
• How does knowledge relate to love and righteousness?

Harold's Musings:
Love with knowledge and discernment. Now that is something we seldom see packed together. There are a lot of books on love but not so many on discernment. There is an intriguing formula here. Growing love, knowledge, and discernment is the first step of making excellent choices. Our choices determine if we are pure and blameless and filled with the fruit of righteousness. Ultimately God is glorified and praised. Jesus is involved all the way but we still have to make the choices each day. The intriguing part is that I have considered righteousness to be a fruit, not something that has fruit. I am curious. What do you consider the fruit of righteousness through Jesus to be?

How does God's Word hit you? Multiplying

Matthew 13:23

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

Mark 4:20

20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

Luke 8:15

15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

• What is necessary for soil to be fruitful?
  
• What does the fruit from God's word look like?
  
• What is necessary for God's word to bear fruit in your life?
  
• How do the following work together: hearing, understanding, and accepting?
  
• Why is an honest heart necessary? (see previous blog entry)
  
• What would you think of a plot of land that produced one crop and then stopped?
  
• Why is perseverance in bearing fruit needed?
  
• How much of you is hard path? How much of you is shallow and rocky? How much of you is weed infested? How much of you is good soil?
  
• What can you do to improve your soil?