Renée’s turn. I’ve been chewing on this verse.
v 9 “and be found in him (Christ), 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.”
My right-standing before God, my value as a human being, my righteousness, doesn’t come from anything in me. It doesn’t come from doing things right, from obeying, from being good or from being better than others at something. Righteousness is a gift from You, God. Pure gift. Wow! Let that sink in again.
I receive this gift and live in the reality that I don’t have to earn anything or prove anything to You. This frees me from trying to earn the approval of others or to make a name for myself. I already have Your approval, a name with You and everything You have is mine. I am Yours. You love me and I am Yours. I am in relationship with You not because of anything I do, but because of Your love, Your gift of Jesus that I have put my faith in. In You I am chosen, secure and highly favoured.
How do I still try to earn Your (God’s) love?
What’s the difference between enjoying Your love & joyfully living out a relationship with You vs. earning Your love & obeying out of duty? Which am I falling into?
How do I still get caught in trying to prove my own righteousness?
How do I expect others to prove their righteousness to me? How can I free them?
How would grasping my identity in Christ more solve other issues?
Read on, in verses 10 and 11, which express the desire to know Christ more and acknowledges the wonder and mystery in that relationship. Good gifts always come with wonder & mystery!
Do you have identity issues too?
Do you ever try to earn love? (or the opposite, take love for granted?)
How do you respond to Philippians 3?
3 comments:
Paul expresses so much of his own emotion in this chapter and his challenges are so personal. I'm relieved that faith righteousness takes the place of law righteousness,but living in this, even tho understanding it to some point,takes on a feeling like earning or failing when I don't meet the mark.I need His grace and strength in pressing/straining. Like the ingredients in making a cake--I know what the contents are to be, but I have to put them together for results.I feel Paul is saying to me--you have been given the gift for right and faith living,now persevere,put it and keep it together.There are so many challenges in this chapter!
Thanks Renee, this is a powerful reminder. I can't help but wonder if this "righteousness" is what Paul is referring to in verse 3:12 when he says "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." I have been reflecting on this image for a few days now, Christ has taken hold of d\something for me, and I am trying/pressing on to take hold of it now too. To me, righteousness,or this right standing before God makes sense: that God has purchased it for Paul/me, and now Paul (& I) are pressing on to understand all the implications this has for our life. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Would love to hear...
Thanks, Rob
Thanks Dawn and Rob,
Yes-I agree. Paul gives us this vision of who we already are before Christ, who we'll be when we meet Jesus face to face - we'll be perfectly righteousness, no junk in our life, no wounds, no stuff between us and Jesus.
After helping us see this vision he challenges us to start moving towards that vision/goal NOW. To press-on to becoming more like Jesus, more like we are seen as in Christ already, more like we will one day be in his presence.
Curious - This idea of pressing on to become more like Jesus (which is how God already sees Christians and one day we will be seen this way in his presence). We know the goal/vision.
Does this sound motivating to people?
OR does it sound like "why bother then"?
Or does it seem too hard?
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