Friday, November 2, 2012

Sewing Righteousness

"Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18).

Both righteousness and peace come through living out the Word in personal trials and temptations (chapter one). In chapter two righteousness and peace are directly associated with our interactions with the body of Christ and again, the living out God's Word. And in chapter three he points out the direct connection between our tongues and our hearts for making or breaking peace.

In the sentence we are considering, James says righteousness is a fruit. That means it is a result of healthy growth. The lack of nutrients and water kill a tree and its fruit. So our self focus kills any fruit of righteousness. If our hearts are not at peace our actions will not produce either peace or righteousness.