Glory and Praise

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11 ESV)

What Paul is praying for is for God to continue his gracious work of salvation in them until it is complete. He is praying for them to be sanctified in this life and then finally glorified with Christ in the next. When he expresses his wish that they would be 'filled with the fruit of righteousness' he makes sure to point out that he means, not a self-generated righteousness that comes through our own efforts, but the righteousness 'that comes through Jesus Christ'--and this 'to the glory and praise of God.'

God wants us to be sanctified. In other words, God wants us to be practically holy, or practically like him. God is working in us constantly to make us into the image of Christ. The more like Christ we are, the more we will be 'filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ'.

When Jesus tells us that we are 'the light of the world' he intends for us to understand that, as the light of the world, we are to shine the light of God's righteousness to all the world around us.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, 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 5:14-16 ESV)

Notice that the purpose of our good works being seen is so that those who see those good works will glorify our Father in heaven.

We are saved for God's glory. We are being sanctified for God's glory. God will complete this work in us at the day of Jesus Christ for his glory. This is important to God. He has called us to glorify him with our lives. How shall we do that?

I know how we cannot do that, and that is through our own efforts. We are incapable, apart from his grace, of doing anything that brings glory to his name. No matter how hard we try, we will botch it every time. Self-help, self-effort, self-righteousness, these are the bane of Christianity. They are antithetical to the gospel. The gospel says we are incapable of righteous living and that we must cast ourselves on him, depend wholly upon him. It's not just that we needed Jesus to 'save us' and now from here on out we're on our own, dependent upon our own efforts. No, we need him still, we need him every moment of every day. Not one person ever made himself righteous. Not one person ever achieved any right standing before God. Not one person ever cleaned up his own life. Not one of us ever straightened up and flew right on our own. Not one of us ever pleased God--not to get saved, not to stay saved, not to 'get right with God.' The only thing we can possibly bring to God that will please him is our need.

And, oh, how we need him.

We need to be filled with the fruit of righteousness, but not self-righteousness. Self-righteousness only glorifies self, and God is not about glorifying us. God doesn't share glory. We need to be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ because this, and only this, will be 'to the glory and praise of God.'

Today, instead of determining that you will live for God, try this. Say, 'Today I will not live at all. I am dead with Christ. Today, Christ will live in me. Today, I will 'live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.' Jesus bids us to come and die. So come and die, that he might live in you instead.

Jesus, we need you. We give ourselves to you. Live through us today.