Rooted in Righteouness -- Bear Fruit by Faith

I used to puzzle over how I was supposed to "labor to enter the rest" (Hebrews 4: 11). Wasn't I supposed to be "doing" something"?

Christ Jesus tells us exactly what we are called to "do":

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 4-5)

We depend on Him, and He bears fruit through us.

Then I also read:

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15: 10)

It is God's grace that transforms us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2: 1-10). It's God's grace which moves us, prompts in the steps that we are to take. This occurs through the Holy Spirit:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

"Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5: 22-23)

This is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the believer. We can do nothing of ourselves.

What is the key element that makes us fitted in Christ, and thus fit to bear fruit? Righteousness:

"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit." (Matthew 12: 33)

The Proverbs shed light on the "good" indicated here:

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." (Proverbs 11: 30)

and

"The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit." (Proverbs 12: 12)

The New Testament confirms this revelation:
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2: 24)

In effect, the more aware we are that we are rooted in Christ's righteousness, the more fruit we bear by the power of His Holy Spirit living in us.