Credentials

          This week in our study over Paul's letter to the church at Philippi we got to take a look at the Apostle's extensive religious credentials: "circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless."  His point was simple, if our standing before God is based on our merits, then he had plenty of reasons to feel pretty confident.  However, the message here, and throughout the entirety of scripture is clear...our greatest human accolades and religious accomplishments are rendered worthless before a perfect and holy God.

          When confronted with this truth, there are several possible reactions.  The first is denial.  We reject this truth because we have bought in to the empty promises of self-righteousness.  We rightly accept that it is our actions (our sins and transgressions) that condemn us, but we wrongly insist on believing that the inverse is also true, and our pious actions can somehow redeem us.  The problem in thinking this way is that it emphasizes man and marginalizes God.  Scripture is clear, man is broken, fallen, and unable to render himself otherwise.  To believe that even the best of our efforts at obedience would measure up to the immense glory and holiness of God is utter insanity, and yet, so clouded is our vision and so perverted are our thoughts by sin, that we believe we can somehow and in some way tip the scales in our favor and place God in our debt.  This is the fruitless hope of religion built upon anything other than the power and hope of the Gospel.

          The next possible response is apathy.  In this case, one might say, "I can't do enough to earn my way to God, so I'm just not going to try at all."  This also is a rejection of the truth of scripture.  The overwhelming testimony of the Bible is that our actions matter.  We aren't saved BY good works, but we are most assuredly saved FOR them.  Everything you do, and don't do, matters.  It matters to God and it matters to your fellow man.  True indeed, we can't exert enough willpower to justify ourselves to God, but our striving against our sin struggles and our pursuit of holiness magnifies his glory in a special way.  Furthermore, our spiritual disciplines benefit us (and others) immensely.  To view the relationship between human effort and grace from the perspective of legalism or licentiousness, are both equally rejections of the cross of Christ.

          The final possible response is thankfulness.  This is the proper response, and the one Paul was prayerfully encouraging the Philippians to have to his message.  To properly understand the Gospel is to understand that Jesus did for you and for me, what we could never do for ourselves, regardless of how hard we might try.  No matter how many good deeds we pile up on the scales of justice, just one sin outweighs them all.  And yet, by his blood, Jesus paid the debt of sin.  It is the greatest gift that has ever been given, and when we see it that way, how can we have any other response but overwhelming gratitude?

In Grace,
Chris Morris

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Part 9 - Our Rags, His Robe

Questions discussed in this sermon:
1. What are the "same things" that Paul is writing about and why was this a safeguard for the Philippians?
2. As a believer, why is it important for us to have confidence in Christ rather than our heritage or our achievements?
3. Knowing the truths presented in this passage, how should our views change?