And be found in Him...the Wayfarer 6/10/14

And be found in Him
6/10/14

“Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

(Philippians 3:8 &9)

Not having my own righteousness! Few recognize that any righteousness that may exist resides not in themselves and their views, but only in Christ Jesus.

Many still cling to the law, and only the law, forgetting that Christ fulfilled that law, and all its requirements for them, and all others willing to believe in Him as well.

Paul was most zealous in pursuing the law, and persecuted even to death those who chose the teachings of Christ, who fulfilled that law, and provided the only true righteousness available.

This is not to say that the law is to be ignored, but to say that that law is inadequate in and of itself, and if the law is taught without having taught the teachings of Christ, without the commandment given by him both taught and followed, then the reliance remains solely on the law in all its inadequacy that required the sacrifice of Christ, thus denying the need of that sacrifice, and His fulfillment of the law, which alone provides for the salvation of souls.

Emphasis should be placed on the law, obedience to the law needs emphasis as well, but, as Paul found out, that emphasis, is not enough and true emphasis, needs be placed on Christ Jesus, the reason for His having been sent to begin with, and what has been given us through the precious gift of His having been sent to us.

Just as Paul stated that he counted all things but loss without the knowledge of Christ, so too should we comprehend that it is only through that knowledge, that perfection may be attained, and that any righteousness before attaining that perfection belongs only to Him.

Only through Him, and what He taught, is that perfection and righteousness attainable, and, that, only after having put off the corruption of this body through death, and resurrection through Him; not through any law previously given, because the law was inadequate in and of itself to provide for that resurrection.

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision, which worship god, in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

(Philippians 3:1-3)

From time to time, even this old preacher, who continually rejoices in what has been given us, has placed more emphasis on the wrath to be expected than on that joy.

When I have done so, it has not been done with intent to cause forgetfulness of the cause of that joy, nor to proliferate only the law, but, as a reminder of the fact that that joy is, and will be, unobtainable without first having accepted the sacrifice made by our savior for us, and that those still in denial of Him cannot begin to experience that joy without first having heard what He preached and adhering to it.

I intend no concision, and refuse to accept that concision when it is given by any other. Both warning and promise must be preached, emphasis is needed on both, but, without emphasis on the promise, the gospel is not preached, only the law which was inadequate.

The law demanded circumcision, and any righteousness attributable to man came through the law alone.

Man was, and is, incapable of that righteousness, and must find it in Christ instead of himself.

Paul continues this missive with the following:

“Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more;

Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

(Philippians 3:4-8)

Paul, in all the points of the law, was blameless in the eyes of men. He met all the requirements of the law, adhered to that law and was zealous in his pursuit of that law, to the point of persecuting, even to death, those who recognized Christ alone as the fulfillment of that law, and the means by which a new covenant had been given man for forgiveness of his own inability to fulfill it by himself, to gain any righteousness through that law alone.

Paul recognized that inadequacy, stating that all that he had been was inadequate when persecuting others for his perceived violation of that law, in having taken the teachings and sacrifice of Jesus to fulfill the law instead of relying on themselves and their own abilities, to meet the requirements of that law.

Without the knowledge of Christ Jesus, total acceptance of what He taught and gave, and in particular, His sacrifice and intercession, we will still always fall short of the requirements of the law, negating any righteousness attributable to this corrupt flesh that is only incorrupt through the resurrection promised by Him.

All the teachings of the law, without that knowledge, without the constant repentance required for redemption, without the adherence to the commandment left us by Christ, without worshiping in the spirit as was given through that commandment and the commission left us, is, still less than dung left to dry in the sun, and fruitless.

Righteousness proclaimed by men, is, still as filthy rags in the sight of God, and unacceptable to the attainment of true righteousness and perfection attributable and obtainable only to and through Him.

Paul continues to refresh memories of this fact as he continues his statement:

“ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comfortable unto his death;

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those which are before.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 3:9-14)

Paul recognized that even he had not yet met that mark but only pressed toward it through living and teaching those things taught by Christ.

He recognized that none may attain that mark while still living within a corrupt body, no matter how much of the law had been followed, no matter how much righteousness was proclaimed, but continued only to seek the arrival of that eventual perfection promised through the resurrection promised only through faith and belief in Christ Jesus.

He goes on to tell us that we need to be like minded, particularly those who would claim perfection and remember that if we forget our own imperfection God does not and will not hesitate to remind us of it.

“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, god shall reveal even this unto you.

Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, and let us mind the same thing.

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

(Philippians 3:15-17)

Paul reminds us to watch for those following his example, of what is to be taught, and preached, and lived, as it is only that same, which was taught, and preached, and lived by Christ Jesus.

We need to hold tightly to what little progress has been made, and continue to strive for yet more of that progress as we must make that progress through the teachings of Christ Jesus.

We are to unify in that pursuit of what is sought, and pursue  it through faith and effort, to rise above the confines of the law and its inadequacy, admitting, and expounding, and seeking, the righteousness available only through Christ Jesus.

“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is their destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:

 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

(Philippians 3:18-21)

Paul concludes this chapter with the reminder that there are those seeking only earthly fame and fortune, and self-enrichment whose goals are only of this world and in enmity of what we are expected to pursue.

 The reminder that our conversation is in heaven is reminder that the rewards for the effort required are to be found there, not here.

That is where Christ is to be found, and from whence He will return for His own.

It is only through Him that this vile body may be made glorious, fashioned after His own, not through us or any of mankind’s teachings or efforts for rewards while here.

The fourth chapter concludes this short book, letter, epistle, missive, if you will, that gave guidance to the church addressed by Paul, that holds still in good stead, with those of us today, as it reminds us that the teachings to be followed are those of Christ, not man.

The commandment to be followed is that of Christ Jesus, Son of the living and Almighty God, not that of man:

“A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

(John 13:34 & 35)

I close, in the full knowledge that my words this day, will be twisted, used to denigrate and deny that which is given, by those who seek to teach dogma instead of doctrine of Christ.

Complete context and content will be ignored, and words will be parsed to bastardize the message given, but, the words that cannot be twisted, cannot be denied, cannot be used in justification of the teachings of men, and the dogma of men, come, not from me, but from my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

 Each of those words left us by Him were left in that same love with the same hope this old preacher has that at least some will heed the promise and the warning left through them.

At risk of being more than somewhat repetitious, I close, the same simple sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, wherein is my only joy, my only hope, my only advocacy for both myself and others, in the knowledge that my journey is not yet complete, that that journey requires that I continue to strive toward that mark in realization that it has not yet been met, and will not be met, until this body is cast off for the perfection given only by Christ.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I remain that same soldier, still banging the gong, still sounding the trumpet of alarm at the gates as time draws ever shorter for the possibility of that alarm being heard and heeded reminding you yet again of the message left us by Christ Jesus, His words again, not my own.

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.

(Mark 1:14 & 15)

And despite the repetitiveness:

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

(Revelation 12:12 & 13)

Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer