Righteousness Through Faith: Knowing Christ Deeply

 

Summary

In Philippians chapter 3, Paul begins with a seemingly ironic "finally," yet he is far from concluding his message. He urges believers to rejoice in the Lord and warns them against false teachers, whom he refers to as "dogs" and "evildoers." These false teachers, often called Judaizers, were attempting to add requirements to the gospel, such as circumcision, which Paul vehemently opposes. He emphasizes that true righteousness comes not from the law or human effort but through faith in Christ. Paul uses his own life as an example, listing his impressive credentials under the law, yet declaring them worthless compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Paul contrasts two types of righteousness: one based on human effort and the law, and the other, a righteousness from God through faith. He stresses that the latter is the true gospel, where our sins are imputed to Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us. This doctrine of imputation is central to the gospel, akin to the essential ingredient in a chocolate chip cookie. Without it, the gospel is incomplete.

Paul's message is not just about theological understanding but about a personal calling to know Christ deeply. This involves experiencing the power of His resurrection and sharing in His sufferings. The Christian life is a struggle, a "no light contest," but it is also a journey of profound transformation and hope. Paul encourages believers to rest in Christ, trusting in His righteousness rather than their own efforts, and to embrace the reality of suffering as part of their identification with Christ.

Key Takeaways:

1. Beware of False Teachings: Paul warns against those who add to the gospel, emphasizing that true righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not human effort or adherence to the law. This serves as a reminder to guard against any teaching that distorts the simplicity and purity of the gospel. [07:16]

2. The Great Contrast: Paul presents a stark contrast between self-righteousness and the righteousness that comes from God. This highlights the futility of relying on our own merits and the beauty of receiving Christ's righteousness through faith. [13:28]

3. Imputation is Essential: The doctrine of imputation is central to the gospel, where our sins are placed on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us. This exchange is the heart of justification by faith and cannot be omitted without losing the essence of the gospel. [27:00]

4. Knowing Christ Deeply: Our calling as Christians is to know Christ intimately, experiencing the power of His resurrection and sharing in His sufferings. This relationship transforms us and sustains us through life's challenges. [29:57]

5. The Reality of Struggle: The Christian life is a serious contest, filled with struggles and hindrances. Yet, it is through these difficulties that we are called to persevere, relying on Christ's strength and righteousness to carry us through. [43:31]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Introduction to Philippians 3
- [01:07] - Paul's Credentials and Confidence
- [02:26] - The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ
- [03:13] - Beware of the Dogs
- [04:35] - The Fork in the Road
- [06:24] - Paul's Concern for the Church
- [08:22] - The Judaizers' False Gospel
- [09:56] - Historical Context of False Teachings
- [12:58] - The Great Contrast in Righteousness
- [14:11] - Paul's Impeccable Credentials
- [17:38] - The Righteousness Under the Law
- [20:06] - Righteousness from God
- [23:48] - The Doctrine of Imputation
- [29:15] - Our Calling to Know Christ
- [35:29] - The Power of His Resurrection
- [39:52] - Sharing in His Sufferings
- [43:31] - The Reality of Struggle
- [45:39] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Philippians 3:1-11

Observation Questions:
1. What does Paul mean when he warns the Philippians to "look out for the dogs" and "evildoers"? How does this relate to the false teachings he is addressing? [07:16]
2. How does Paul describe his own credentials and achievements under the law, and what does he ultimately consider them to be in comparison to knowing Christ? [01:43]
3. What is the significance of the phrase "righteousness from God that depends on faith" in Paul's message to the Philippians? [20:17]
4. How does Paul describe the Christian life in terms of struggle and perseverance? What does he mean by "no light contest"? [43:31]

Interpretation Questions:
1. Why does Paul emphasize the contrast between self-righteousness and the righteousness that comes from God? How does this contrast help clarify the true gospel? [13:28]
2. What role does the doctrine of imputation play in Paul's understanding of the gospel, and why is it considered essential? [27:00]
3. How does Paul’s personal journey and transformation illustrate the message he is conveying to the Philippians? [19:15]
4. In what ways does Paul encourage believers to know Christ deeply, and how does this relate to experiencing the power of His resurrection and sharing in His sufferings? [29:57]

Application Questions:
1. Paul warns against false teachings that add to the gospel. Are there teachings or beliefs in your life that might distort the simplicity and purity of the gospel? How can you guard against them? [07:16]
2. Reflect on your own achievements and credentials. How do they compare to the "surpassing worth of knowing Christ"? What steps can you take to prioritize your relationship with Christ over worldly accomplishments? [01:43]
3. The doctrine of imputation is central to the gospel. How does understanding this doctrine affect your view of salvation and your relationship with God? [27:00]
4. Paul speaks of knowing Christ deeply and sharing in His sufferings. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to embrace this calling? [29:57]
5. The Christian life is described as a "no light contest." What are some struggles you face in your faith journey, and how can you rely on Christ's strength to persevere through them? [43:31]
6. How can you experience the power of Christ's resurrection in your life today? Are there areas where you need to see transformation and hope? [36:41]
7. Paul encourages believers to rest in Christ's righteousness. How can you shift your focus from your own efforts to trusting in Christ's finished work on the cross? [45:39]

Devotional

Day 1: Guarding the Gospel's Purity
True righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not through human effort or adherence to the law. Paul warns believers to be vigilant against false teachings that distort the simplicity and purity of the gospel. These false teachers, often referred to as Judaizers, were adding requirements to the gospel, such as circumcision, which Paul strongly opposed. He emphasizes that salvation is not about following rules or rituals but about a relationship with Christ. This serves as a reminder to guard against any teaching that adds to or takes away from the core message of the gospel. [07:16]

Galatians 1:6-7 (ESV): "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ."

Reflection: Are there teachings or beliefs in your life that might be adding unnecessary burdens to your faith? How can you refocus on the simplicity of the gospel today?


Day 2: The Beauty of Divine Righteousness
Paul presents a stark contrast between self-righteousness and the righteousness that comes from God. He highlights the futility of relying on our own merits and the beauty of receiving Christ's righteousness through faith. This righteousness is not something we can earn; it is a gift from God, imputed to us through faith in Jesus. Paul uses his own life as an example, showing that despite his impressive credentials under the law, they are worthless compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. This understanding calls us to let go of our self-reliance and embrace the righteousness that comes from God. [13:28]

Isaiah 64:6 (ESV): "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you relying on your own efforts rather than trusting in God's righteousness? How can you shift your focus to rely more on His grace today?


Day 3: The Heart of the Gospel: Imputation
The doctrine of imputation is central to the gospel, where our sins are placed on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us. This exchange is the heart of justification by faith and cannot be omitted without losing the essence of the gospel. Paul emphasizes that this imputation is like the essential ingredient in a chocolate chip cookie; without it, the gospel is incomplete. Understanding this doctrine helps us grasp the depth of God's love and the completeness of our salvation in Christ. [27:00]

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV): "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Reflection: How does the understanding of imputation change your view of your relationship with God? What steps can you take to live more fully in the reality of this truth today?


Day 4: Experiencing Christ's Resurrection Power
Our calling as Christians is to know Christ intimately, experiencing the power of His resurrection and sharing in His sufferings. This relationship with Christ transforms us and sustains us through life's challenges. Paul encourages believers to pursue a deep, personal knowledge of Christ, which involves both the joy of resurrection power and the fellowship of suffering. This journey of knowing Christ deeply is not just about theological understanding but about a personal, transformative relationship with Him. [29:57]

Ephesians 1:18-20 (ESV): "Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places."

Reflection: How can you seek to know Christ more deeply in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to experience His resurrection power today?


Day 5: Persevering Through Life's Struggles
The Christian life is a serious contest, filled with struggles and hindrances. Yet, it is through these difficulties that we are called to persevere, relying on Christ's strength and righteousness to carry us through. Paul acknowledges the reality of struggle in the Christian journey but also points to the hope and transformation that come from enduring these challenges with Christ. Embracing the reality of suffering as part of our identification with Christ helps us to grow in faith and character. [43:31]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: What current struggles are you facing that you need to bring to Christ? How can you rely on His strength to persevere through these challenges today?

Quotes


"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh." [00:29:49]

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 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 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." [01:43:56]

"This is the context, this context of false teaching. And we need to come to grip, the context of this passage, and we need to come to grips with this context because if it happened to Paul, it can happen to us. It happened to Luther. One of the final sermons that Luther preaches at Wittenberg and while we have the hundredth anniversary tomorrow to remember what we had a few days back, the 501st anniversary." [09:50:02]

"And the teaching is beautiful here, and we can just simply call it 'the great contrast' is what's going on in these verses. There's a great contrast, not just a comparison, but a contrast. And what is being contrasted is very simply a righteousness of my own, or a righteousness that is from God. It is the great contrast of the true gospel versus all versions of a false gospel." [13:16:03]

"Now, this is beautiful. There's two prepositions here that Paul uses when he talks about righteousness. Sometimes he uses the expression 'the righteousness of God,' the righteousness of God. This is 'the righteousness from God.' Let's look at both. So, the righteousness of God. This, you remember, this is what Luther hated. That's a step back." [21:30:20]

"This is the gospel. We need to talk about this. We used to talk about this, it's the active and passive obedience of Christ. We don't talk about that much anymore. It's not simply that Christ died on the cross for my sins; it's also that He kept the law. It's both the passive obedience of Jesus, undoing what Adam did, paying the sacrifice, paying the penalty." [24:37:47]

"And what is this imputation, but a double imputation? My sin, my filthy rags, my unrighteousness is put on Him, and this cup of God's wrath is poured out on His Son. And then what does Jesus do? He takes us, and He clothes us with His righteous robe, and His righteousness is imputed to us. He gets our sin and takes our penalty, and we get His righteousness." [27:12:37]

"Our calling is to know Christ. We are now brought into a relationship with our elder brother, the God Man. And our calling as Christians is to know Christ. Look at what Paul says here, he says three things he wants us to know. He says we are to know Him, we are to know Him and the power of His resurrection and to share in His sufferings." [29:34:59]

"And then Paul says, 'Not only know Him, but the power of His resurrection.' This is the hope that we have. See, life is mortification, isn't it? That is to say, life is dying. The body is dying. I used to be able to read things, I mean read everything. I could read the fine print on a medicine bottle. I can't read anything anymore." [35:42:53]

"And it is a thing of beauty to share in His sufferings. We want to rush past Good Friday, don't we? And we should, we must. We must get to Easter Sunday. But sometimes, we need to realize Good Friday and pause because sometimes that's what life is, the suffering and the conflict. And we have One who is not untouched." [39:52:51]

"This life is no light contest, but we will obtain the resurrection from the dead. Sin and death are conquered. What does Luther say? 'Our striving would be losing,' put no confidence in the flesh. This is no light contest we live. Put no confidence in the flesh, because your striving is losing but, but for the right Man on our side, you can have the righteousness under the law." [44:43:00]

"May we simply rest in Christ and trust in Him and cling to Him, and may we know Him and the power of His resurrection, and give us the grace to share in His sufferings. We pray things in our precious Savior's name. Amen." [45:55:81]

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Transcript
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