Reflections
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. (Phil. 3:3-7)
Christianity is CHRIST IN US – or us in Christ – and what that means is that we are joined to the Lord in spirit. (I Cor. 6:17) Thus, if Christ is righteousness, when He becomes one with us, He IS our righteousness.
Note this vital distinction: Jesus doesn’t make US righteous. Rather, Christ in us IS our righteousness. (I Cor 1:30)
Jesus Christ is the only righteousness we have. Our faith doesn’t MAKE us righteous, nor does it make Christ righteous. Christ is already the living righteousness. Rather, faith is our seeing that this is the Truth — and faith is our embracing of Him as our only righteousness. But notice: This also requires that we renounce ourselves as righteous. We must see that self-righteousness is sin?. It is unbelief. It keeps us outside of the Truth and keeps us in darkness.
If you read this passage in Philippians 3, you cannot escape the fact that everything Paul experienced in Christ had — at its foundation — this one necessity – that of seeing that Jesus Christ is our ONLY righteousness. This alone MAKES US TO BE RIGHT for God. It alone makes us to BE TRUE. Then we can be found in Him — experience His fullness.
Faith in Christ as our righteousness is supposed to be a life-long, continual Truth. It is the basis for fellowship with God. We are made right in Christ so that we can live with an eternally righteous God forever.
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