Your Identity

“You will know them by their fruits...” Matthew 7:16

Do you know the children’s story about a little pig who loved to wallow in the mud. It was just his dirty little nature. He was a girl’s pet pig and the mess was more than she could tolerate. No matter how often she washed her little pig, he ran back and rolled in the mud.

Finally, a heart transplant was made. The doctor replaced the little pig’s heart with the heart of a lamb (an astounding veterinary feat). From that day on the little pig wanted to remain clean.

The moral to that story is clear. People like to indulge in sin. It is their nature. They are incapable of doing otherwise.

When you believed in Jesus, He gave you a new heart. Your new heart has the capacity to serve God.

“...and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:24

When you believed in Jesus, you were declared righteous before God. But the kind of righteousness Paul requested for the Philippians is not positional righteousness, but practical righteousness.

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

Paul calls on believers to live like who they are - people with a new capacity for righteousness.

The Bible says a tree is known by its fruit. What kind of fruit are you producing?

The fruit of righteousness in your life is a glory to God.