Philippians 3:4-12
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:
5
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;
6
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless.
7 But
what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 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,
9 ¶
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:
10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If
by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I
follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of
Christ Jesus.
What is necessary for a person to be welcomed into
Heaven? According to the Scriptures, all who enter there must be perfect! Yes,
a perfect life is the only acceptable condition for the inhabitants of that
perfect place. Now, there are two ways to attain such a remarkable status: The
first being the most obvious and impossible, you could live your whole life and
do absolutely nothing wrong; the second is we can be “made righteous.” This
idea or process is described with a few different terms in the book of Romans:
reckoned, imputed, made. Each of these deliver the same result: we are given
the spotless record of Christ in place of the sinful one that we have created
for ourselves. God’s plan is to, in fact, pardon every person who has broken
His law; however, this is only possible when a person repents of their trust in
anything but Christ and believes that He alone will save them from the eternal
torments that justice demands.
Paul approaches this issue,
by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in this passage. He exposes the false religion that had
consumed his life before he was gloriously saved on the road to Damascus, and
how that he was far more informed and dedicated than the average person. Still,
even with the dedicated life of the great Saul of Tarsus and the rich pedigree
and tutors he was privileged to have, his righteousness fell short of
perfection; thereby, placing him in the very same predicament in which you and
I find ourselves. Religion, good intentions, following rules, and even keeping
the golden rule will never be enough to earn a place in Heaven.
The Apostle Paul was
apprehended by Christ! The Lord Jesus still functions the very same way today.
He is calling lost souls to Himself each day. Is He calling you? How will you
prove your perfection? When you stand before God and give an account, what will
be your plea? Will you foolishly attempt to convince the God of eternity that
you deserve Heaven based on your own perfect record, or will you wisely accept
the redemption found only in Christ’s purchased pardon of grace?
If you would like more
information concerning certainty about eternity:
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