Thurs., 3/29/18 Devotion (Php. 3:9)

Today's encouragement comes from Philippians 3:9, where we read these amazing words of Paul:

" . . . and [that I may] be found in Him [Christ], not having my own righteous-ness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the right-eousness which is from God by faith . . . "

This is one of the sweetest verses in the whole Bible. Here, the former zeal-ous works-oriented pharisee (Paul) celebrates his liberation in his justification in Christ. The Apostle no longer regards his old (and false) "righteousness" to be anything other than "rubbish," (v. 8).

What an irony that God would make the former champion of works-right-eousness the greatest proclaimer of free grace (received by faith alone) that the church has ever known. If we have the "righteousness of Christ," we have everything we need. God the Father views the churchman clothed in Jesus' righteousness to be as perfectly holy as His Own Dear Son.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Morality shoots short of heaven. It is only nature refined. A moral man is but old Adam dressed in fine clothes.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]