Book 3 of Musings Philippians 3:9

When Paul states he wants to have the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, he is not saying he desires to sin and yet be able to rest in the hope God will save him because of his belief in Christ. What Paul means is explained by the third chapter of the Book of Philippians.

Paul spent much effort attempting to convince the Jews that God will count them righteous if they turn away from the Law and place their faith in Christ.

We Gentiles, not being burdened with the Law of Moses, interpret Paul to mean we should not pay too much attention to how we behave lest we be perceived as not being saved by faith alone.

I know I have written on this subject many, many times. But it seemed to hit me with greater clarity today.

Even though we are not concerned with any part of the Law of Moses, and even though we understand there are numerous commandments in the New Testament we are to obey, there is a further understanding of what Paul meant by being found in Christ, not having our own righteousness.

Many of us are trying to survive, and minister, and live a godly life. And this we must do. But as we grow older we find Christ is waiting for us to look to Him for absolutely all that we are and do.

I had an operation recently, and at the present time am endeavoring to get over a persistent cough. This temporary weakness is causing me to press into Christ more diligently than ever. I am far more involved with Christ now than I was last year at this time.

This is what Paul meant. He was not signifying that we no longer have to obey the laws of righteousness. God forbid! What a destructive interpretation we have placed on Paul with our "faith alone" doctrine!

Paul explained his position when he said he was forgetting the past, counting all his accomplishments as garbage, and seeking to live in the power of Christ's resurrection and His sufferings.

Paul was striving to gain Christ, to know Christ, to fully prepare himself for the resurrection that is unto life.

There are at least two areas of living that must be dealt with if we are to live in His resurrection Life. One area has to do with how we manage our daily activities. The other area is in the realm of our motives and ambitions.

Let me give you an example of each of these and show you how they work out in terms of our desire to live by the Life of Christ.

All of us have daily activities that are part of life on earth. The following examples may seem trivial to you; but believe me, if you can learn to deal successfully with these you are on the road to resurrection life.

I have lower-back pain. I have had this problem for years. Lately I have learned that some of the problem has to do with the position in which we sleep. I have tried one position and then another. It finally dawned on me that I should be asking the Lord every time I lie down whether I should lie on my stomach, or side, or back; whether or not my head should be raised.

Can you see how this sort of attitude brings me further into the Lord? Instead of trying to figure out the best position I keep coming to Christ. More of Christ is gained.

While what position we sleep in is not an issue of righteousness, it carries over into everything I think, speak, and do. I do not have to worry about guilt. The guilt was taken care of on the cross. The issue now is that of walking humbly with God in every detail of life. How much better to be looking to Christ than to be trying to figure out what position to sleep in!

We know Christ better and gain Christ more when we keep looking to Him. Don't you agree?

The second area I mentioned is that of motivation. In my younger days I was filled with many ambitions and desires. One of them was to become a better pianist.

Let us say that I set myself to practice two hours a day. I do this for years. Finally the practice session becomes a dread rather than a pleasure. But my iron resolve keeps me at the piano two hours a day. (Maybe this is why I have sore back.)

So I finally take the two-hour practice session to the Lord. The Lord may tell me to practice three hours a day; or one hour a day; or to cease practicing altogether. If I am not worshiping this ambition, I can flow in resurrection life. One day I may practice three hours. The next day one hour. The next day not at all. Instead of driving myself to practice two hours, whether or not I am sick with influenza, or whether by the end of the day I am exhausted, or if it means neglecting my family, I look to Jesus. He guides me so I am resting in Him at all times and doing the right thing.

Little by little the idols go. Little by little I enter resurrection life, not having any righteousness of my own, trusting entirely in Christ. This is the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. God is pleased with my behavior, and this is what righteousness is.

Can you see how superior to the Law of Moses this kind of salvation is?

Can you see that living in Christ in this manner has nothing to do with being "saved by grace apart from our behavior?"

In fact, the grace of God itself becomes our behavior, and always acts according to the eternal moral law of God.

We have missed Paul's point, thinking he was stressing there is nothing we are to do but take the required theological position. It is characteristic of our self-centered, self-seeking culture that we would misinterpret what Paul has written. Americans love to find ways to attain their objectives with a minimum of effort: how to stay slender and yet eat all we want. This sort of thing.

Hopefully the next generation coming up will grasp Paul's meaning, because they will be called on to live victoriously in Christ's power during the age of moral horrors that is at hand.

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. (Phil 3:9)