"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, 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 3:8-9 KJV
There is always a temptation to depend upon ourselves and our own righteousness before God -- to believe that God accepts us and will raise us up on the last day and give us eternal life with Him because of who we are and what we have done. There's a tendency in us to boast and brag, at least a little bit, about all our work for God's kingdom.
We might even reason that we are certainly worthy to be saved and go to heaven. We've been faithful church members, served as church officers, taught Sunday school, belonged to religious organizations, given to missions, etc. If anyone is righteous, surely it is us, we might think.
But the Bible tells us that our salvation is entirely of God's grace and through faith in Christ Jesus. It is not the result of who we are and what we've done. We have no grounds to boast. St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-10: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
And listen to what he writes in the opening verses of Philippians 3 (v. 2-9): "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for 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, 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...."
If anyone had grounds for boasting, it was St. Paul -- a faithful and zealous Jew in every respect -- but he counted all his own righteousness under the law worthless -- as dung to be cast out -- that he might have instead the righteousness which avails before God, the perfect righteousness of Christ Jesus which becomes ours through faith alone in Him (cf. Romans 3:21ff.).
And, indeed, as it says in Isaiah 64:6, "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Even our best righteousness comes short and does not measure up. And so, with the apostle Paul, we count all our righteousness as dung and cast it out that we might have the righteousness of God which is by faith in Christ Jesus.
What is this righteousness? It is the perfect righteousness of Jesus. He fulfilled for us all that God's law demands. He was without sin in His thoughts, desires, words and deeds. And He took the guilt of our sins and failings upon Himself and suffered the just punishment for our sins and the sins of the world when He died upon the cross. And He rose again in victory, proving His sacrifice for sin was accepted of God.
This righteousness is a righteousness received by faith. It becomes ours -- it is imputed to us -- when we trust in Christ Jesus as our Savior. Through faith in Jesus, we have forgiveness for all our sins and are counted righteous in God's eyes.
And so, we trust not in our own sin-tainted works but in the perfect righteousness of Jesus. We draw our hope and comfort in the fact that He died and made full atonement for all our sins and rose again, having accomplished our redemption. And through faith in Jesus' blood shed for ours sins, we are counted righteous, holy and acceptable to God and are given everlasting life!
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness my beauty are, my glorious dress; midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head ... Jesus, be endless praise to Thee, whose boundless mercy hath for me, for me, and all Thy hands have made, an everlasting ransom paid. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, # 371, v. 1,7)
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]
Editorial on 09/14/2016