Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order 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 comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
I really love this phrase: "...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ..."
I remember a conversation I had with a young man in my living room one day.
I asked him, "If you were to die right now, do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt what your standing before God would be and that you'd be in heaven?"
I was astounded by his answer. He said, "I hope I'd make it there. I hope I would have done enough to make it there." This was a young man who had come into my home to try to convert me to his religion. It broke my heart.
This young man was depending on obedience to the law of his church to get him a right standing with God and entrance into heaven. But this verse says it is not a righteousness of our own through obedience to the law and the commandments of a religion but a righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Praise God my eternal salvation is not dependent on my own efforts and ability to obey the law and the commandments or I'd never make it! It's an impossible task!
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