i WILL BE A DIAMOND SOMEDAY

 

One of the greatest songs by Johnny Cash has these words:

 I'm just a chunk of coal, But I'm gonna be a diamond someday

I'm gonna glow and grow, til I'm so blue pure perfect

I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face

I'm gonna kneel and pray everyday

Lest I should become vain along the way

I'm just a chunk of coal, now Lord

But I'm gonna be a diamond someday

Philippians is Paul’s letter to a church that he loved dearly.  Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that “love may abound still more and more in knowledge and discernment that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God” (Phil. 1:.9-11). He concludes with the desired end result, which is that they be “filled with the fruits of righteousness...praise and glory of God”.

Paul desired that the people the Philippians not only bore fruit but that they were filled with fruit. Fruit bearing is not an option for Christians, the root of the righteous yields fruit (Prov. 12:12). God insists on fruit; Jesus cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit (Mark 11:12-25). He warned “the axe is already at the root of the trees and every tree that does not produce fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt. 3:8-10).

 In Isaiah 5:1 Isaiah sings a song of his beloved’s vineyard that was situated on a very fertile hill. The owner fenced it, prepared the land well and planted the best vines. He set up a guard tower to watch over it. He did everything he could in anticipation of a fruitful harvest. Unfortunately, In spite of everything the owner had done, the vineyard produced worthless grapes.

The owner says, "Men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard! What more could I have done to my vineyard? Because the vineyard has proved to be utterly fruitless, I'll take away its protective hedges so that it will be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let people trample it to the ground.  I will command the rain clouds not to rain on it." Only one vineyard owner has the power to charge rain clouds not to rain-God Himself.

Jesus said “I am the vine my father is the gardener, he cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, while every branch that bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful… if a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit…this is to my father’s glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples…I appointed you to go bear fruit…fruit that will last (John 15). God expects fruit from each one of us.

What is the “fruit” God wants to see from our lives? Holiness is a spiritual fruit (Rom. 6:22). God wants to see a godly character described as the “Fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23). Paul compares winning lost souls to Christ to bearing fruit (Rom. 1:13).  The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God is the fruit of our lips (Hebrews 13:15).  We should devote ourselves to good deeds to meet pressing needs so as not to live unproductive lives (Titus 3:14)

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that their everyday lives would be filled with the fruits of righteousness.  He desired the church to be filled with the fruit of righteousness. This would have a great effect to them as individuals because “the fruit of righteousness is peace, its effect is quietness and confidence forever (Isa. 32:17).  The fruit would also reveal their faith in Christ, influencing those around them because the fruit of righteousness is a tree of life, it attracts and wins souls (Prov.11:30).

Paul says that the believer’s fruitfulness is not something achieved by the effort of the will, it comes through Jesus Christ.  Bearing fruit results from abiding in Christ (John 15:4-5). They must maintain a daily, committed fellowship with the Lord to bear fruit. This great truth remains relevant for us today. Our only hope of bearing fruits of righteousness is to abide in source of righteousness.  

In 2Peter 1: 5-9 Peter gives a list of things that a believer should do and it they do them they will never be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. Peter starts by calling for a diligent effort on the part of a believer. Christian growth is not automatic, some people think that time alone results in growth and maturity, but it’s not the case. Growth does take time but it occurs as believers diligently apply biblical truth to daily living.

Faith is the first on Peter’s list because it is the foundation of bearing fruit. The Bible defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). Without faith it’s impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). The Christian life is one of faith from the beginning to the end. By faith we are saved, by faith we know that there is place called heaven where we shall live someday.  

By faith we endure trials that are part of the Christian life and diligently serve God believing that we shall be rewarded someday.  Trust puts faith into practice; Christians live a fruitful life because they trust that God is who the Bible says he is. They also trust that God will do what the Bible says he will do.  Jeremiah 17:7-8 says “blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the streams...It never fails to bear fruit.

To faith we are to add virtue or moral excellence. Christians seek the character of God as their standard. The original word also stands for boldness, firmness, determination, vigor and courage. Christian life is not easy; it takes more than just faith to succeed. Noah manifested virtue (boldness and firmness) when he stood up against the evil world of his day as a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5).

To virtue we are to add knowledge. One of the Israelites’ biggest problems was that they didn’t really know God; through Isaiah God said “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand” (Isa. 1:3).  Paul encouraged the Colossians to attain to all riches of the knowledge of the mystery of God in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2).  

 Paul told the Corinthians “in him you have been enriched in every way in all your speaking and in all your knowledge”( 1 Cor. 1:5) . God ...through us spread everywhere the fragrances of his knowledge for we are to God an aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are a smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life (2 Cor. 2:14-16). We are living epistles known and read by all men (2 Cor. 3:2-3), those who don’t read the Bible should see it demonstrated in our words and deeds everyday wherever we are.

 To knowledge we are to add self control. Living a godly life requires us to master the flesh which has a strong attraction. Self control means literally to take a grip of one-self. God warned Cain that “if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you but you must rule over it (Gen. 4:7). The prompting of the flesh must be brought under control. The tongue if not controlled can set the whole course of one’s life on the fire of Hell (James 3:6, 8).

 To self control we are to add perseverance. This is the frame of mind and character which persists in doing what is right even though doing so may produce suffering. In a culture where evil is rewarded and doing right is punished, the temptation to slow down or to quit bearing fruit of righteousness is very high. Only those with perseverance will be filled with fruit. Christ suffered leaving us an example to follow (1 Peter 2:21-23). We are told to fixing our eyes on him so that we do not grow weary and lose heart (Heb 12:1-3).

To perseverance we are to add godliness, the altitude of reverence which seeks to please God in all things. Godliness brings the presence of God into all the experiences of life. To godliness we are to add brotherly kindness and to this we add love. Love is the climax of a fruit filled life “since you have in obedience to the truth purified your soul for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).

Paul’s constant prayer for the Colossians was “God to fill you with the knowledge of his will … in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience joyfully giving thanks to the father” (Col. 1:6-12).  When’s the last time you prayed for someone to be fruitful?