The apostle Paul
gives us an excellent summary of the salvation God
provides in Philippians 3:9. Here is the very heart
of the Good News in Jesus Christ.
That I may “be found in him,
not because I have my own righteousness derived from
the law, but because I have the righteousness that
comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a
righteousness from God that is in fact based on
Christ’s faithfulness” (NET).
In this summary the apostle
tells us there are two kinds of righteousness. There
is man’s self-righteousness, and there is the
righteousness God provides in Jesus Christ.
The righteousness of God speaks
of His character. The greatest example of the
righteousness of God is seen in Jesus Christ. God’s
personality is vibrant and alive in Christ. Jesus
said, “And the one who sent me is with me. He has
not left me alone, because I always do those things
that please him” (John 8:29 NET).
No man or woman on the face of
the earth can attain God’s standard of
righteousness. Human righteousness, no matter how
good can never take a person to heaven. We are
sinners and all our righteousness is tainted by the
results of our sinfulness. Nothing that we do can
ever atone for our sins.
The apostle Paul demonstrates
in the first three chapters of Romans that when a
person will not accept the free imputed
righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, he will
attempt a self-righteousness in that place. He will
attempt to make a god like himself. The result is a
corrupt and distorted representation of himself
because he is depraved. But the fact is always the
same: no matter how high you set your standards you
still fall short of God’s standard. “For all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans
3:23 NET). “There is no one who understands, there
is no one who seeks God. All have turned away,
together they have become worthless; there is no one
who shows kindness, not even one” (vv. 11-12 NET).
The temptation of the religious
person is to look at his own perceived goodness.
However, the Bible says, the Lord said to Samuel,
“Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height,
for I have rejected him. God does not view things
the way men do. People look on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam.
16:7 NET). God knows what is going on deep within
our personal being. What does He see? What does he
listen to?
The most important thing is
that God hears us acknowledge to Him and to
ourselves that we are sinners, and that Jesus Christ
died on the cross in our place. Romans 10:9-10
reads, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes and thus has righteousness and with the
mouth one confesses and thus has salvation” (NET).
Paul was a religious Jewish
person who counted every spiritual asset that he
ever thought that he had gained as loss in order
that he may gain Christ. The only thing that
mattered for Paul was to be found clothed in Christ
and His righteousness, “the righteousness which
comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil. 3:9).
It is a righteousness based on the finished saving
work of Jesus Christ, and it is received from him by
faith.
What does God see when he looks
at you? Does he see his own righteousness? Does he
see the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to you
by faith? Does he see that righteousness of Christ
imparted by the Holy Spirit working its way out into
your attitudes and behaviors?
God will not accept your
self-righteousness. He will only accept perfect
righteousness, unearned and unmerited. If you are
attempting to gain a right relationship with God by
your own virtue, listen to God say again, “There is
no one righteous, not even one.”
The only righteousness God will
accept is the righteousness from God by faith. There
is only one standard—God’s. You must come to God
through faith in Jesus Christ. God’s righteousness
becomes yours personally through faith in Christ.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
Bible word studies for sermon preparation, messages, devotions and personal Bible studies with abiding principles and practical applications.
Reports on what God is doing through Bible believing evangelical Christians in Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, India and Ecuador. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
Study the master theme of the Bible with these prophecies and types in the Old Testament of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Free Sermons and Bible studies indexed by Scripture reference and doctrinal studies .
