LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Fruits of Righteousness
“Being filled with fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11).
God looks for reality. He is not satisfied with mere words of high profession. He says to us, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” He, blessed be His name, did not love us in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth; and he looks for a response from us - a response clear, full, and distinct; a response coming out in a life of good works, a life yielding mellow clusters of the “fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus, to the glory and praise of God.”
Do you not consider it to be our bounden duty to apply our hearts to this weighty subject? Ought we not diligently to seek to promote love and good works? And how can this be most effectually accomplished? Surely by walking in love ourselves, and faithfully treading the path of good works in our own private life.
For ourselves, we confess we are thoroughly sick of hollow profession. High truth on the lips and low practice in daily life, is one of the crying evils of this our day. We talk of grace; but fail in common righteousness - fail in the plainest moral duties in our daily private life. We boast of our position and our standing; but we are deplorably lax as to our condition and state.
May the Lord, in His infinite goodness, stir up all our hearts to more thorough earnestness, in the pursuit of good works, so that we may more fully adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things! (C.H. Mackintosh).