Philippians 3:9
“and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”
This is a basic christian truth. It’s about the gift of God, the righteousness that’s imparted to us by faith, that Jesus made possible by His death and resurrection. This took time to sink in. There is very little in life that teaches us this. Usually we learn that we have to work for what we’ve got. Our career and all we own is by what we’ve done. So, to have our standing in Christ and our relation with Him is all of His doing. We have to believe and receive.
Let this be said of us, that we will be “found in Him”. If there is a spot check, will we be found in Him? As we grow in Christ, we are to grow more dependent on Him and less on ourselves. Jesus teaches the people of our state without Him in Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. We don’t have what it takes, so we lean evermore on Him.
We lean on Him for righteous, but for much more. Daily guidance is one. The Our Father speaks of guidance. We are to pray for it and expect it. We aren’t bothering Him, it’s what He wants.
We are to trust in and rest in His love and acceptance. My spirit rests at hearing this. I have gone from being afraid of Him to trusting Him. He’s gracious and loving. He guides us that way. Romans 8 says we are not to have a spirit of fear. That was my reality. But He gave us a spirit of adoption. We are chosen of Him. Wanted. Thank You, God.
Circling back to God’s righteousness that He gives us. The Old Testament speaks much about sin and the sacrifices that cover it and how blood must be shed for it. All of that teaches the gravity of it all. Then Jesus comes on the scene and becomes that sacrifice. That Lamb. All of the Old Testament points to this. We are to celebrate this. Communion was established as a time to reflect on it.
Thank You, Lord for dying for us and giving us Your righteousness. Thank You as well as the relationship that’s been forged. The healing relationship. You have restored what Adam and Eve lost. Help us to appreciate that and walk in that new relationship. Let us be found in You.