Philippians 3:1–11 (NKJV)
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
As yesterday’s devotion spoke of the understanding of two natures within a Christian, so Paul is inspired in this text to reveal that difference between confidence in the flesh versus confidence in Christ. The flesh presumes itself to either be righteous or have the ability to earn a righteousness by way of the Law. Paul, in his flesh, could have boasted of how merits and goodness before the eyes of the world. But, instead, because of that new nature given by God, he counts it all as nothing before God. Indeed, he regards all of his deeds as “rubbish”.
Try as you might at being righteous, yet there will always be flaws. Before God the only thing that counts is perfection. To have true righteousness (perfection) before God one must have the righteousness of the only One who is truly righteous, Jesus Christ. So how does one get such perfection, such righteousness? It is yours through faith in Christ, as Paul notes, “which is from God.” In other words, what God expects from you, perfect righteousness, He gives to you through faith in Jesus and for Jesus’ sake. Thus, nothing of Paul and his life is taken into consideration by God regarding Paul’s salvation. God took Paul’s sins and placed them upon Christ as He hung on the Cross. The same goes for you who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. What a joyful, relieving, rescuing Gospel!
Let us pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
