Thank you to John for this week’s MWB
Steps on the Way of Holiness
This week and the next two weeks we are continuing this series by looking at what the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, chapter 3.
Today we consider vv7-11.
If you had to choose one of the following adjectives to describe you, which would you choose?
Decent…..Kind…..Pleasant…..Nice…..Friendly…..Good…..Holy…..Righteous
I guess that not many people would choose “righteous”. A righteous person sounds like someone whose goodness is rather cold, clinical and unattractive.
So we have a problem with the word “righteous”.
Paul sheds light on this in v9, where he describes two sorts of righteousness:
(a) “A righteousness of my own that comes from the law”
That was Paul’s righteousness before his conversion, as he describes in vv4-6, a very impressive spiritual pedigree. Paul had been a shining example of Jewish uprightness.
Paul describes the other sort of righteousness as
(b) “That which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
This is the righteousness that is given to everyone who repents of their self-righteousness and trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we do that, we can echo Paul’s words in vv8 & 10:
“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him… I want to know Christ…”
Our response
When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.