Credit That To My Account

Walking the Path to True Righteousness: Discovering Our Worth in Christ

Have you ever hiked a beautiful trail, admiring the scenery along the way, only to be completely awestruck when you reach the final destination? That’s how I view our journey through Philippians 3:1-11. As we explore this passage, we’ll encounter some beautiful truths, but ultimately, we’ll arrive at something truly majestic – the righteousness of Christ credited to our account.

The Journey Begins: Rejoicing in the Lord

As we start our walk, the Apostle Paul gives us our first command: “Rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 3:1). It’s interesting that Paul, writing from prison, tells the Philippians to find joy not in their circumstances, but in the Lord Himself. This reminds us that true joy isn’t dependent on our situation, but on our relationship with God.

A Word of Warning: Beware of False Teachers

As we continue down the path, Paul issues a stern warning: “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision” (Philippians 3:2). Just as we might encounter dangers on a hiking trail, we need to be alert to spiritual dangers in our faith journey. 

Paul is specifically warning against those who teach that salvation comes through Jesus plus something else – like circumcision or following certain laws. But as we’ll see, Jesus alone is enough for our salvation.

A Detour: Paul’s Impressive Resume

At this point in our journey, Paul takes us on a bit of a detour. He lists his impressive credentials:

• Circumcised on the eighth day
• Of the people of Israel
• Of the tribe of Benjamin
• A Hebrew of Hebrews
• A Pharisee
• Zealous persecutor of the church
• Blameless under the law

It’s quite a list, isn’t it? If anyone had reason to boast in their religious pedigree and accomplishments, it was Paul. But here’s where our path takes a surprising turn.

The Grand Reveal: Christ Above All

As we round the bend, we come face to face with the breathtaking truth Paul wants us to see. He says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). All those impressive credentials? Paul considers them worthless compared to knowing Jesus.

In fact, Paul uses some pretty strong language here. He says he counts all his former accomplishments as “rubbish” or “dung” compared to gaining Christ. It’s a vivid image that drives home the point: nothing in this world – no accomplishment, no heritage, no good deed – can compare to the worth of knowing Jesus.

The Majestic Waterfall: The Righteousness of Christ

And now we’ve arrived at the magnificent finale of our journey – the truth that Paul has been leading us towards all along. He writes:

“and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9).

This is the heart of the gospel. We can’t earn our way to heaven through our own righteousness. Instead, when we put our faith in Christ, His perfect righteousness is credited to our account. It’s as if God looks at us and sees the perfection of Jesus instead of our flaws and failures.

The Path Forward: Knowing Christ More

But our journey doesn’t end here. Paul concludes by expressing his ongoing desire to know Christ more deeply, to experience the power of His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings (Philippians 3:10–11). This is a lifelong journey of growing in our relationship with Jesus.

Putting It Into Practice

As we conclude our walk through this passage, let’s consider how we can apply these truths to our lives:

1. Examine your source of joy. Are you finding your joy in the Lord, or in your circumstances?
2. Be alert to false teaching. Remember, it’s Jesus plus nothing for our salvation.
3. Evaluate what you’re placing your confidence in. Is it your own accomplishments, your heritage, or Christ alone?
4. Cultivate a growing desire to know Christ more deeply. Like Paul, can you say that knowing Jesus is worth more than everything else in your life?
5. Rest in the righteousness of Christ. Remember, it’s His perfection, not our own efforts, that makes us right with God.

As we continue on our faith journey, may we, like Paul, count everything as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.