Philippians 3:8-10
“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 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; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
Earlier in Chapter 3 of Philippians, the Apostle Paul went through his list of qualifications for being a confident, religious man, zealous for God and the Law. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day, a Pharisee according to the Law, and a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Philippians 3:4-6). Paul had full confidence in his flesh, according to the Law. Yet, after Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he considered his own righteousness nothing in comparison to knowing God.
It is not our own righteousness which allows our fellowship with God nor our culture or background. There are no qualifications which could ever get us into heaven apart from the Blood of the Lamb. Jesus came down as a sinless human man to pay the penalty for sin once and for all. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are saved.
As believers, we are able to have a relationship with God because of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. It is only through Christ’s righteousness that we are considered righteous before God.
There is nothing which compares to the richness of knowing Christ Jesus. Everything in this life is temporary but our relationship with God is eternal. Let the cry of our hearts be like Paul’s simple statement: that we might know Him.
– Pastor Jack
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