Paul lets the Philippian believers know one must gain Christ in order to obtain righteousness.
[This discussion can be read aloud in 7 1/2 min.]
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 74
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DAY 74/FRI.-SAT.
Philippians 3:7-11
Gain Christ, Obtain Righteousness
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV)
Let’s Apply It.
Anything I’ve done that I’ve considered “good,” that I’ve thought made me a “good” person, I must now consider & count as garbage: that which should be chucked into a dumpster, tossed into a trash can, placed in the burn pile, or flushed away.
As Isaiah 64:6 says,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean,
Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
| righteous: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin (merriam-webster.com); acting rightly : upright (merriam-webster.com, Kids Definition) |
I don’t have a righteousness of my own — I never did! “A righteousness of my own” is a lie. All my righteous acts are like filthy rags, dirty wipes, sour dishcloths. No one is a “good” person. If this declarative statement doesn’t sit well with you, consider the following Scriptures.
No One Is Good
“No one is good—except God alone.”
Jesus in Mark 10:18 (Luke 18:19)
There you go! Jesus Himself said “no one is good.” We could really stop here, but let’s continue loading this extremely important truth into our minds & hearts with more Scripture.
“The fool says in his heart,
‘There is no God.’
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.2The Lord looks down from heaven
Psalm 14:1-3 (53:1-13)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
“There is no one who does good, not even one.” Not even you, and certainly not me!
In Psalm 51, King David cries out to God in confession of his sins. This is the same David who is called “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22), yet not even he could be righteous on his own.
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.3For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight;
so You are right in Your verdict
and justified when You judge.
5Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6Yet You desired faithfulness even in the womb;
You taught me wisdom in that secret place…16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
Psalm 51:1-6, 16-17 (NIV)
You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
You, God, will not despise.”
David’s heart is broken over his sin. That’s what all of us need to be — brokenhearted over our sin. Yet, some of us may be thinking, “Sure, I’ve made a couple of mistakes, but they weren’t that bad. It’s not like I’ve murdered anyone! I’ve just done some little things. Everyone’s done a few little wrong things.”
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
James 2:10 (NIV)
Oops. Just one sin, no matter how tiny we think it is, makes us unrighteous. I am not a good person in and of myself.
Soooo… If “there is no one who does good, not even one,” how do I obtain righteousness, the righteousness that is required for eternal relationship with God?
How to Obtain Righteousness
David knew where to start.
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.10Create in me a pure heart, O God,
Psalm 51:7-10 (NIV)
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
I must go to God to obtain righteousness. Only He can cleanse me, wash me, & create a pure heart in me.
Q: How do I go to God? A: By faith
Habakkuk 2:4 in the Old Testament says,
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
Habakkuk 2:4 (ESV)
Paul quotes Habakkuk in the New Testament letter of Romans.
“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.'”
Romans 1:17 (NIV)
By Faith
To obtain righteousness, I must go to God by faith and put my faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, as my Savior & Lord. Why?
“God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
II Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
This is one of my favorite Bible verses! In Christ, I become the righteousness of God!!!
Back to Philippians
Read Paul’s words to the Philippians again.
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Philippians 3:7-9 (NIV)
I don’t have a righteousness of my own that comes from doing “good” or being a “good” person. Rather, through my faith in Christ, I have “the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Hallelujah!
DAY 74/FRI.-SAT. Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word.
We pray the words of King David:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge.
5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6Yet You desired faithfulness even in the womb; You taught me wisdom in that secret place…
16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:1-6,16-17).
Lord, thank You that we don’t have to try to be good on our own in order to have relationship with You. If that were the case, we would all be cut off from You forever! Praise be to Jesus, our Lord & Savior, for doing what we could not do: becoming “sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (II Corinthians 5:21).
In Jesus’ precious name we pray,
Amen.
DAY 74: Paul lets the Philippian believers know one must gain Christ in order to obtain righteousness.