I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them as dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness…but the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Phil. 3:8-9)
Paul is not here describing a doctrinal shift in his life. Neither is he describing a religious hoop through which he jumped to please God. He is describing what happened to him when he encountered Jesus Christ. He saw the TRUTH about his own righteousness – and thus, he counted it as dung. He found that Christ was the only true righteousness.
Paul said that he WON Christ and was found IN HIM — not having his own righteousness, but was found in Christ with the righteousness of God. What does he mean? He tells us elsewhere. To the Corinthians he writes, “Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us….righteousness.” (I Cor. 1:30)
Jesus Christ IS our righteousness. Thus, when Paul won Christ and was found in Him, he discovered that the Christ who was living in him was the righteousness of God in him. That was all he needed.
Through faith, God imputes to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But what this really means is that God imparts to us Christ Himself, who IS our righteousness. This is the result of winning Christ and being found in Him
~ He is our righteousness.
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