What is the fruit of righteousness in Philippians 1:11?

"Being filled with the fruit of righteousness" is literally, "having been filled" (the perfect participle), which seems to look forward to Christ's day, when the Apostle will rejoice to see these beloved saints like a tree having been well filled with fruit, and not an empty branch among them. And notice it is fruit: not, fruits. This fruit is like a bunch of grapes: "the results of grace are manifold, yet as to their material they are one, and each is necessary to the fulness of the rest." You will recall the Spirit speaks of "the fruit of the Spirit," in Gal. 5:22, and then enumerates nine different aspects of that fruit. In Ephesians 5:9, we read of "the fruit of the light:" (not of the Spirit) In James 3:18, we read again of "the fruit of righteousness." In 2 Cor. 9:10, it is "products of your righteousness."

And what is "the fruit of righteousness"? We must remember that a man is not only reckoned righteous by faith, as we get so clearly in Romans and Galatians, but also by works, as we get in James. Does not "the fruit of righteousness" tell us of these "works," as intimated in the verse just quoted above: — "products of your righteousness"? Perhaps an illustration might help: In a certain Sunday School there was an exceedingly naughty boy named Leslie, about ten years of age. He could do more to upset the Sunday School than any child there, and he was a terror at home and at school. One day he was converted, and there was a great change. Some six or eight weeks later, after Sunday School had been dismissed and the children scattered, an older boy came to the teacher, and said: "My name is Tom. I live across the street from Leslie. A few weeks ago he said he'd become a Christian. I've been watching him since then; and if being a Christian has changed him to what he is now, I want to be a Christian too." This "change" was "the fruit of righteousness," and also "the fruit of the righteous," as we get in Prov. 11:30: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." To Tom it was indeed "a tree of life," for without speaking a word, Leslie had won a soul to the Lord. I think that is why the words "He that winneth souls is wise" are included in that verse.

The fruits of righteousness, we read, are by Jesus Christ. He is their source; they were seen to perfection in Him when He was here. But it is the Holy Spirit's work to reproduce the character of Christ in us. The Apostle prays that the Christians at Philippi may be filled with these "fruits of righteousness" (Phil. 1:9-11); in other words that what marked Christ might now mark them.

"The fruit of righteousness" is not the judicial aspect of righteousness that occupies the opening chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, but rather the practical expression of the divine life in those who have been justified in Christ; the manifestation of the features of grace and beauty that were seen in their fulness and perfection in the life of the Lord Jesus on earth. Fruit-bearing is frequently spoken of in Scripture, and in the New Testament it is "by Jesus Christ," the result of the Father's care, and "the fruit of the Spirit." All three Persons of the Godhead are concerned with the production of fruit, the mature expression of the divine life in the saints of God.

The Apostle James refers to fruit bearing a number of times in his epistle, telling us in chapter 3 that "the wisdom from above" is "full of mercy and good fruits." Among these good fruits is the "fruit of righteousness (which) is sown in peace of them that make peace" (James 3:17-18). Our apostle would have us realise the importance of sowing in relation to the production of this precious fruit for God; and he tells us that it is sown for them that make peace. The Lord on earth said, "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matt. 5:9). God has no pleasure in those who do not love peace, for He is "the God of peace," and one of the seven things He abhors is "those that sow discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:19).

Verse 11. "The fruit of righteousness" - that is, such fruit as would have been found in the life of Christ Himself.

Verses 9-11. Paul was not content merely that the Philippians should do no wrong, but that they should have spiritual discernment as to the best thing to do, namely to glorify Christ. The fruit of righteousness is the expression of the life of Christ, not merely the natural consequences of the life but its manifestation. The day of Christ brings Christ more personally before us than the day of the Lord.

More than this, let it be remarked, he prays that they might be filled with the fruit of righteousness, not merely such and such righteous acts in detail, but the blessed product of righteousness by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God (v. 11). There is no thought of, nor room for, imposing the law here, which is rather shut out from being the proper standard for the Christian. There is another, who is both our new object and our rule, even Christ Himself, the image of God, the life and power of fruit bearing for the believer. What a rule for our practical, everyday walk!

Verse 11. 'Being filled with the fruit2 of righteousness,' etc. The true tree of righteousness is Christ, the living Vine, and fruit is borne only on those branches which abide in Him.3 The Apostle's words here deserve our close attention. Let us first observe that righteousness must not be confounded with its fruits. The believer is righteous by his faith; Christ being personally his righteousness, who is of God made both righteousness and holiness to every true confessor of His name. But a vital state or condition of the human soul will prove itself with more or less distinctness visibly. What is of God, by sovereign grace, returns to Him in obedient devotedness, as to its natural end. But this true way of the Spirit in the new man is hindered more or less effectually by the flesh, which in every believer lusts against the Spirit. Hence it is by a steadfast continuance in the faith, and keeping of the word of Christ's patience, by diligence and an unceasing exercise of heart and conscience in His sight, that fruit is borne to God by such as taste His love in His commandments.4 But it is not in themselves that fruit is found, nor by themselves that it is borne; they are powerless for good apart from Him. It is by the power of God through faith that His elect are kept. From the Lord their fruit is found, and through abiding in Him it is borne by them; and if any be full of such fruit it is because their self-emptied souls are filled out of His fulness, and have their conversation solely by His grace.5

The expression 'fruit of righteousness' occurs but seldom in the Scripture, and describes always, where it does occur, the declared effect of experimental godliness. It is the peaceful and happy result of divine chastening on a soul duly exercised thereby.6 It is sown for an after-harvest of rejoicing by such as seek the blessing of the peacemakers.7 In like manner we are here taught that it is by walking in the light and having their hearts exercised unto godliness that they who are justified by grace attest the genuineness of their confession of the name of Christ. As in the father of the faithful, so also in his spiritual seed, faith proves itself by works.8 There are for the true believer steps prepared of God, in which His children who are led of His own Spirit walk.9 Christ formed within them, and dwelling in their heart by faith, works in them after His own manner; and God is glorified in His true children through Jesus Christ by their practical conformity to Him, as they remember and obey His words.1

It is important to observe that this produces "the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ." Merely seeking to do right never produces the fruits of righteousness: only the pure love of God known and responded to in the soul can do so, and it is sufficient for a real fulness of these fruits also. Again the mere object of doing right does not have God's glory as its purpose; but "the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ" are shown to be "unto the glory and praise of God." Nothing can be truly right except as it is held in intimate relationship to God.

But let us never forget that "the fruit of righteousness" is only by "means of Jesus Christ." He is the "Tree of Life", the "True Vine", and fruit is only borne on those branches that abide in Him. (John 15). "And every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (Verse 2). And so we find in Hebrews 12:11, that chastening, though not joyous but grievous, yields "the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby."

So, those who are justified by faith, who have Christ for their righteousness, when they walk in the light, keep the flesh judged, and are exercised unto godliness: such manifest in their walk "the fruit of righteousness." And do not forget that there is not only to be "the fruit of righteousness," but the tree is to be filled with the fruit of righteousness. It is as we find in John 15: "fruit," "more fruit," and "much fruit." And so the end and object of all, when "filled with the fruit of righteousness" is to the glory of God. The true fruit of righteousness will not bring glory to us, but to God. Lord, Answer this prayer of the Apostle in each one of us, for His Son's sake. Amen.

In the prayer we have brought before us how the fruits of righteousness are produced in the saints for the day of display, the day of Christ. There is not only the sovereign working of God in the saints, but also that which God works through the exercises of His own. Love, divine knowledge and spiritual judgment produce in God's people the precious fruits of righteousness, the features of Christ, which are for the Father's pleasure and glory now, and for His praise and glory in the day when Christ "shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe … in that day" (2 Thess. 1:10).