And Being Found in Him – Phil. 3:9
And be found in Him,
- eureqw
- ►Aor Pass Subj - ►to find something without previously searching.
It is being Afound in Him@ at the end of all things. The issue here is how is the believer to be found at death by God. We are "in Christ." We will be found one way at death "in Christ." We cannot improve our position in Christ, because it does not depend upon our righteousness or works. It does not rest on how we conduct ourselves in time; it depends solely on the work of Christ for us.
Romans 8:1-3 There is therefore now no condemnation to them, which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
I Cor. 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
not having mine own
righteousness which is of the law - ecwn emhn dikaiosunhn -
Pres Act Ptc
- At death we will never stand in our own righteousness. Our righteousness from
trying to live up to the standards of the law will be consumed in the fiery
judgment of God's perfection.
Paul's "own righteousness" is established by the complete work of Christ. He had all his human rights to be great, yet he was not right with God. Human righteousness is commendable in the eyes of men, not God.
Good works, integrity, responsibility, honesty are all good in the sight of men. They are good on a horizontal level, but not on a vertical level. They do not commend us to God.
To become a Christian involves coming to God bankrupt of any self righteousness and depending solely on Christ's righteousness. Romans 4:20-25; 5:1
Isa. 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing. And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit
Good works are dependent upon the energy of the flesh. True righteousness is dependent upon the greatness of Christ’s work on the Cross.
Paul, previous to his conversion, was a man weighted down with religion. He recorded the things, which he supposed would commend him to God.
He listed seven of them. These things he thought were assets, turned out to be liabilities. He had to reject them all.
He replaced character, religion, success with Jesus Christ. In doing so, he did not trade religions.
He traded in everything to receive a person.
In other words, the righteousness, which is of the law is summed up in the words "do." We never know when we have done enough. That uncertainty produces an anxiety, which will never be satisfied. We never know whether the quality or quantity is good enough. We work and hope but never know for sure whether we have done enough even to the point of reaching death's door.
The righteousness of Christ is summed up by words, “IT IS FINISHED”
but that which is through the faith of Christ
– alla thn dia
pistewV cristou -
"But" is a strong conjunction of contrast. In contrast to the law there is a
pure righteousness. There are two types of righteousness:
First, there is a counterfeit righteousness (man-made, synthetic, of man's labor). In God's eyes self-righteousness is a spurious righteousness. This is merely human righteousness. The other righteousness is a righteousness that is a gift from God through Christ.
These two types of righteousness are mutually exclusive. It is impossible to mix them. This is human righteousness verses the righteousness given by God as a gift.
God's righteousness rests on grace and provision.
Gal. 2:16-19 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
"Through faith" means through the instrumentality of faith. It places the emphasis upon God as the object of faith.
It is self-surrender. Faith is the collapse of every effort of human ability or capacity. We can only take comfort in God's righteousness. To believe is to view God as the producer of faith. If God does the doing then God gets the glory.
Gal. 3:21-22 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
the righteousness which is of God by faith
– thn ek qeou dikaisunhn epi th pistei -
2 Pet. 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Rom. 1:17-18 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of