REAL RIGHTEOUSNESS

"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." - Philippians 3:9

You don't hear many sermons about righteousness these days.  You may hear sermons about family, money or prayer, but very few about righteousness.  Righteousness is the act by which God declares us right or just before Him.  While many emphasize fitness, family or finances, the most important topic to address is the subject of righteousness.

How can God be righteous and at the same time declare a sinful man to be righteous?  The answer to that question is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, God's Son, came to earth.  Jesus was a righteous man.  He lived a righteous life.  On the cross, the righteous Son of God received the punishment that we deserved.  Because of the sacrificial death of Christ, His righteous has been imputed (or given) to those who believe. 

Prior to meeting Jesus Christ, Paul was not a righteous man.  He was a wicked, murderous man.  Yet when he met Jesus, Paul became a righteous man.  How did this happen?  Paul became righteous because the righteousness of Christ was placed to his account.  That is why Paul would write, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." 

Paul wrote, "And be found in him..."  The only way to become a righteous person is to be in Christ.  This relational position makes all the difference.  Notice that his position in Christ did not make Paul a perfect person.  Instead he wrote, "... not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law..."  Paul had no righteousness of his own.  Neither do I.  You don't either.  Instead, Paul wrote, "but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."  Through faith in Christ, the gift of righteousness was given to him.  Yet it was the righteousness of Christ that was given to him.

Now, having His righteousness, we have a new nature with new desires.  We have a desire for righteousness.  Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."  Notice that we don't seek our righteousness, but His.  Furthermore, Jesus promised, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Also, James wrote, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

These days, pagans like to ridicule some church-attending neighbors as being "self-righteous hypocrites."  Certainly there are self-righteous hypocrites who attend church.  But the fact remains that there are no righteous people apart from personal faith in Jesus.

If you examine my own life, you'd know immediately that I am not perfect.  In fact, I'll be the first to admit that, apart from Jesus, there's nothing good in me.  Do I make mistakes?  Of course I do.  Do I sin?  Yes, but I'm always driven to my knees in repentance when I do.  I have no righteousness of my own.  Any time I feel proud or self-righteous, the Lord brings me down to the ground in humility.  He reminds me that I am nothing.  The old song rings true for me:

"My hope is built on nothing less,

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

When you look at me, you may see my mistakes and failures.  However, when God looks at me, He sees the righteousness of His dear Son.  Not my righteousness, but His.  That's all that really matters.  He has declared me righteous, not because I've done anything to deserve it.  Instead, His righteousness was given to me through faith in His Son.

That is real righteousness.

THE VALUE OF KNOWING CHRIST

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." - Philippians 3:8

American Christians tend to overvalue earthly riches and vastly undervalue the blessing of knowing Christ.  It is ironic that while Americans emphasize profitability and wealth, we have been blind to the real value of eternal matters.  All the wealth of this world is temporary.  Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump are only temporarily wealthy.  The most important thing is to be eternally rich.

From a worldly perspective, the Apostle Paul went from being a great success to being the worst of failures.  All of this happened when one thing happened in his life:  he met Jesus Christ.  Those who teach a "prosperity gospel," need to look again at Paul's life.  From a worldly point of view, Paul went from power to poverty because of his faith in Christ.  Yet Paul didn't see it that way.  While others viewed him as being a failure because of his conversion, Paul felt it was the greatest turnaround of his life.  He felt that he went from loss to gain; from spiritual bankruptcy to spiritual abundance; from the shadows to the light; from death to life.  On the road to Damascus, his eyes were blinded temporarily.  There in his blindness, he began to see everything clearly.  The restoration of his eyesight did not dim his newfound spiritual vision.  He now lived with an eternal perspective.

Notice how Paul evaluated his situation:  "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."  Paul counted ALL things but loss.  He may have lost all his earthly things, but he didn't consider them to be of any value compared to "... the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."  Paul felt that knowing Christ was of incalculable value compared to the junk of this world.  Do you feel the same way? 

Paul did not sugarcoat his worldly loss.  He continued, "... for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."  He had lost "all things."  That wouldn't be a proud statement to make a class reunion, would it?  Yet Paul concluded by stating that the things he lost he counted as dung compared to knowing Jesus.  Dung is a strong word to use in denouncing worldly prestige, power and profit, yet Paul emphatically used it.  Paul, writing from his own personal experience, said that the world and all it has to offer is nothing more than a trash heap, rubbish, and compost.  What a graphic way of putting it.  I don't know very many people who agree with Paul --- at least to this degree.  That is because most people do not know Jesus like Paul did.  Most only have a dose of American religion.  They have never been transformed by a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

While reading this, you may not be convinced that Paul was accurate in his assessment of this world.  I believe eternity will reveal how accurate he really was.  When Wall Street has long faded away, saints who have riches in glory will be enjoying themselves immensely.  

We need to view riches from an eternal perspective.  More importantly, we need to appreciate the value of knowing Jesus personally.  When money becomes ashes, Jesus will still be wonderful, glorious and loving.  He will still be the lily of the valley & the bright and morning star.  He will still be fair above all.  He will still be in control, sitting on the throne.  His grace and mercy will be admired and appreciated by those impacted by them --- and angels will stand in awe to behold it all.  Believers will be enraptured by His presence eternally.  We'll bask in His love forever.  We'll worship the One who sacrificed everything so we could enjoy heaven forever with Him. 

Paul was right --- there's nothing that compares to the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord!

LOSING IT ALL TO GAIN EVERYTHING

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." - Philippians 3:7

Sometimes we don't know how rich we are until the things that matter most are taken from us.  While most Americans struggle to pay their monthly bills, it is difficult to imagine that we are rich.  Yet compared to most of the world, most Americans are very wealthy. 

While most of us do not consider ourselves to be rich, if all our possessions were taken away overnight, we'd look back and realize that God had blessed us abundantly.  We had just taken it all for granted.

Saul of Tarsus was a man who had goals and aspirations.  He had excelled in all that really mattered to him.  He had risen to a place of prominence.  He was respected among his peers.  He was living his dream.  Then he met Jesus and everything changed.

It is not uncommon to hear certain TV evangelists tell their audience that if they follow Jesus, all their bills will be paid and they will be rich & healthy.  Of course, that is not what the Bible teaches.  When Saul of Tarsus met Jesus, he did not get rich.  In fact, he lost everything. 

When a person in a Muslim country becomes a Christian, he doesn't get rich.  Instead, his conversion may cost him his life.  In some areas of the world, Christian conversion leads to a loss of job (or business) and alienation from family and long-time friends.  There is a price to pay when you follow Jesus.

For Saul of Tarsus, he lost his position, his source of income, his prestige, his relationships --- in fact, he had nothing left, except Jesus.

When you have nothing left but Jesus, you will find that Jesus is enough.  For most us, we've not experienced this level of knowledge.  We may suffer minor forms of persecution or misunderstanding, but most of us here in America did not lose everything when we began to follow Jesus.

Saul of Tarsus would later be known as the Apostle Paul.  As Paul looked back at the price he paid for following Jesus, he mused, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."  In other words, the things that mattered so much to Paul before conversion were now considered loss.   

Paul learned a lesson that many have to learn today.  Religion is nothing but trash.  Compared to Jesus, empty religion is just junk.  Paul had been a zealous Pharisee, religious as a person could be.  His zeal was unsurpassed.  Yet when he met Jesus, he traded his religion for something ... better yet, Someone, much better.  It cost him everything.  In hindsight, Paul realized that when he lost it all, he really gained everything.

None of us know the future.  We don't know if the stock market will crash in the coming year.  We don't know if we'll have a paycheck by the end of 2018.  We don't know if our whole economy will go bankrupt in the coming months.  Certainly we hope that none of these scenarios will unfold.  However, we must soberly ask ourselves the question:  if I lost everything but Jesus, would Jesus be enough for me?  Paul knew the answer to that question when it came to his own life.  That scenario had become a reality for him.  He was a follower of Jesus and there was no turning back.  He knew Jesus was worth following.  He realized that to lose it all, and gain Jesus, had made him a winner.

It is not the amount of money in the bank that matters most.  Neither is it the number of "friends" that you have on Facebook.  In life, there are those silent moments when you have nothing and no one but Jesus.  When you face your greatest pain, you will only have Jesus to help you through it.  When you are heartbroken, only the Lord can comfort you.  When you face death, only the Lord will walk with you through that experience. 

Jesus is more valuable than all the wealth of the world.  Do you believe that?  For Paul, he lost everything when he met Jesus.  He knew had gained it all. 

Whether you have millions in the bank or you're so poor that you don't have a dime in your pocket, you are rich if Jesus dwells in your heart.  This world & all its riches will soon pass away, but Jesus will still be Lord. 

To lose the temporary riches of this world in order to possess the eternal wealth of knowing Christ is not really a loss at all.  It is gain of incalculable proportions. 

GROW UP!

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." - 1 Corinthians 13:11

When a new year arrives, many people make resolutions.  Most of these resolutions revolve around health and exercise.  While these resolutions are made with good intentions, they are usually not followed up with much diligence or discipline.

There is an issue that really should stir us at the beginning of a new year.  Are we better people now than we were one year ago?  If you are a Christian, perhaps you should ask yourself, am I living closer to the Lord than I did this time last year? 

The fact is that all of us are growing older, but few are actually getting more mature.  Maturity is a reflection of personal and spiritual growth.  Pastor James MacDonald once said, "You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime."

My job is not to measure your maturity level, but to carefully examine my own.  I suggest you examine your own growth.

I used to think that spiritual maturity was based upon how well I understood the Scriptures.  I do believe that a good understanding of the Bible is important; it is also possible to understand Bible doctrine and still be immature.

Maturity is manifest in your behavior.  Spiritual maturity isn't based upon how much of the Bible you've read, but how well you apply what you've read.  For instance, how you treat others, especially enemies, can be a good gauge of maturity.  Your response to trouble, trials, or temptations also shows a degree of your maturity.  The bottom line is that your maturity level is not marked by the opinions of others, or even your own opinion, but by the degree that the fruit of the Spirit is displayed through your life.  Your goal is not be the best person at church, work or the community.  The goal is to be more like Jesus.  Considering that standard, how well are you doing?  I must confess, I am not doing as well as I should.  I have a long ways to go.  2018 would be a wonderful time to make great strides in this area.

Have you ever met an adult and thought to yourself, he (or she) needs to grow up!  I have.  Looking at my own spiritual progress, perhaps I need to tell myself to grow up!

If you are like me, you are not satisfied with your spiritual maturity either.  If that is the case, let me challenge both of us to focus on three things in the year to come.

1.  FIGHT YOUR FLESH

First, we need to fight our flesh.  The flesh refers to the sin nature that resides within.  There is a constant battle that needs to be fought.  The flesh will stands in the way of our spiritual progress.  Looking back at 2017, I must confess that there were times I responded to adversity in the flesh rather than in the Spirit.  The worst foe I have is the man I see in the mirror each day.  It is a daily battle to fight my flesh.  Pride can be so strong.  It is easy to be selfish.  The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to fight the flesh.  Romans chapter 7 captures his fight.  He admitted that often he did things he didn't want to and, at other times, didn't do the things he should.  It was a constant battle.  For Paul, it was often a losing battle.  I can identify with that.  Yet Paul finally understood that you don't fight the flesh on your own.  You must fight the flesh in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The flesh is stronger than my willpower, but the flesh is not stronger than the Spirit.  I cannot grow in my faith while living in the flesh.

2.  FACE YOUR FEARS

Secondly, we need to face our fears.  The Bible says that God has not given us the spirit of fear.  I must confess that there have been times I've lived more by fear than by faith.  Courage is not the absence of fear, but doing what is right in spite of fear.  In hindsight, I must ask myself, what more could I have gotten done in the past if I hadn't allowed fear to hold me back?  That is a question you should ask as well.  Christians often allow fear to keep them from doing the will of God.  Fear hinders believers from sharing their faith openly and frequently.  Fear often keeps Christians from practicing radical obedience to God.  Fear is a foe that arises any time spiritual opportunities come our way.  Here's the problem with fear.  Fear is actually unbelief.  We fear the future because we can't trust God to keep His promises.  That leads us to the third thing we need to do this year.

3.  FEED YOUR FAITH

The more you feed your faith, the more your fears will starve.  Feed your faith by reading, studying, memorizing and obeying God's Word.  Feed your faith by hearing God's Word proclaimed at church each week.  Feed your faith by spending time with those who have strong faith.  Feed your faith by reading powerful spiritual books and listening to Christ-centered music.  Take God at His Word & see what He will do. 

If God blesses me to see the end of 2018, I don't want to look back with regret, what about you?  Fight your flesh.  Face your fears.  Feed your faith. 

I think all of us have some growing up to do!