Thursday after the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-11 (NKJV)

3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Devotion

There are many people in the world who one might refer to as upstanding or model citizens. They are busy serving their communities and are known to be civic leaders. They help with fundraisers. They are on the forefront when there is a disaster. They are thought of as people you can count on. Paul was such a model citizen, a model Jewish citizen. He notes it when he wrote: “concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Paul was everything a Jewish mom could want in a son. Yet, for all of Paul’s societal goodness, he understood that societal goodness, goodness in the eyes of the world, counts for nothing before God. Indeed, he regards all of his deeds as “rubbish”, or as the King James Version says, “and do count them but dung.”

To have true righteousness before God one must have the righteousness of the only One who is truly righteous, Jesus Christ. Try as you or I might at being righteous, there are always flaws. Before God the only thing that counts is perfection. Anything less is as St. Paul describes it.

So how does one get such perfection, such righteousness? It is ours through faith in Christ, as Paul notes, “which is from God.” In other words, what God expects from you, perfect righteousness, He gives to you through faith in Jesus and for Jesus’ sake. Thus, nothing of Paul and his life is taken into consideration by God regarding Paul’s salvation. God took Paul’s sins and placed them upon Christ as He hung on the Cross. The same goes for you who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, send the Holy Spirit to direct and guide our lives in this world. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.