Start Your Year, Start Your Day



January 18, 2010
Philippians 3:4-9

4(b) If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;

6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

8 What is more, 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

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Philippians 3:4-9 (NLT)


The biggest conflict Paul had to deal with in his ministry had to do with the question, “What causes people to have a right standing with God?” 

He was constantly bombarded by traditional religionists who insisted that it the answer was found in doing good deeds. If a person could pile up enough of them to sufficiently impress God, he would go to Heaven. If not, too bad. (Not much has changed in two thousand years, has it?)

Paul, on the other hand presented the pure gospel, that it was faith in Jesus’ finished work for us on the cross. Grace alone. (Ephesians 2:8,9) You would think that would be simple enough, but the religious crowd kept infiltrating the early churches and getting the people confused.

I love Paul’s response in this text. He makes the point that if anybody had reason to brag about his own religious status and accomplishments, it would be him. His record as a religionist before his salvation was impeccable. Paul then adds up all of his personal accomplishments, compares them to what Jesus did, and then assessed his own works as “rubbish.” Garbage!

Don’t get the feeling that Paul is just gratuitously ripping religious people. He’s just saying that when it comes to the answering the question of what it takes for people to be right with God, religion comes up woefully short, and therefore is worthless to hang on to. Only Jesus and what he did for us on the cross is adequate to pay the price for our sins.
 

A Thankful Thought


I'm grateful for being able to start every morning with my children. I'm grateful that God has provided my husband and I with healthy..mostly happy:), kids.

A (Very Concise) NewSpring Staff Member


 



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