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 Philippians 1:11 NASB Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I think most everyone who has ever watched any amount of television has heard the advertising phrase made famous by Samuel L. Jackson in the Capital One commercials, “What’s in your wallet?”. The point he is making is that Capital One can accomplish things for you if you make them the central part of your wallet, or spending. In the eleventh verse of Philippians chapter one, the Apostle Paul informs the church there that everything he has mentioned in the first ten verses is to be accomplished by having their souls filled with the fruit of righteousness. Standing alone as a truth bomb, it seems simple enough.

But Paul is not talking about any old righteousness. He qualifies the righteousness they are to be filled with as that righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ with means the Holy Spirit. In chapters 14 and 15 of John’s gospel, he records that Jesus promised a “helper” would come to us—the Holy Spirit. And in John’s first epistle, he says that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is dwelling inside us also. “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:13 NASB).

So, remember that we are not righteous on our own. Ever. When the Bible speaks of any righteousness in a human, it is talking about the filling of the Holy Spirit within us that covers us in the righteousness of Jesus. In a letter to another church in Galatia, Paul explains that if we are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit, then we should bear the fruit of such a filling of the soul. Paul told them that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law” (Galatians 5:23 NASB).

Therefore, everything Paul has asserted in this passage about abounding love should be accomplished by giving God total control through the Holy Spirit so that they will be sincere and blameless until Jesus returns. Now, here is the truth to understand, hold close, and live by; it is Jesus’ righteousness that covers us. The things Jesus did right and continues to do right (which is everything He ever did) is credited to us as our own righteousness. That is scandalous, is it not? But this is God’s desire and Paul reminds the Philippians that when we embrace this truth and live by it, our life brings glory and praise to God.

What’s in your heart?

Is it producing the fruit of the Spirit Paul identifies in Galatians 5:23?

Have our trusted Jesus and welcomed Him to abide (live) in you so that His righteousness is credited to you?

Do your actions bring glory and praise to God?

Father of infinite grace, thank you for the righteousness of your Son, Jesus, and your plan of salvation that makes us like Him when I believe and receive in faith that He is your Son, that He died for our sins, that He conquered death and rose from the grave after 3 days, and that He is Lord of my life. Your love is ever-present and obvious when we search it out in every circumstance we experience. Grant us your peace that surpasses our understanding. In the beautiful name of Jesus, your Son, and my Savior, I ask these things. Amen.