Philippians 3:8-9

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

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,

 

I love this section of Philippians.  You can really see the genius of Paul, along with the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit.

 

You have to remember that Paul (previously known as Saul of Tarsus) was a very successful and outwardly righteous Jew before he became a follower of Jesus Christ.  He had his very own righteousness according to the Law:

 

Philippians 3:6

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

 

Here is a man who had been inculcated in the law from birth, and had kept this moral law PERFECTLY.  But in verse 9 he says he wants nothing to do with that righteousness!  The righteousness from following the law was an OVERT righteousness, not an inner righteousness.  We know it’s the inner righteousness that God wants:

 

1 Samuel 16:7

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

 

Psalms 51:6

6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

 

Following the law, or strict morality, is simply a façade, and there is no virtue in it!  Paul followed this system of morality, and murdered Christians!  This verse (Phil 3:9) makes the comparison between what Paul had been keeping (the law as an unbeliever resulting in SELF-righteousness) and the righteousness given to Paul by God at the point of salvation.

 

The only righteousness that matters is the righteousness from the source of God.  At the moment you have faith in Jesus Christ, God gives you His very own righteousness, which is infinitely greater than any system of morality that we could follow.  What does the Bible say about our righteousness?

 

  1. Human good or human righteousness is relative, and totally unacceptable to God.  There is always someone better than you, and someone worse than you.  The only righteousness acceptable to God is absolute perfect righteousness, which He gives us!

Isaiah 64:6a

6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean,

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;

…

 

  1. Human righteousness is totally unacceptable for salvation; only divine righteousness measures up to what God demands.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

  1. Therefore, human righteousness is also totally unacceptable as a part of the life of the believer!

Colossians 2:6

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

 

It’s very easy as a Christian to focus on following the law, or the outward actions we do, and feel like we’re pretty good people.  But that outward righteousness is absolutely worthless!  The Christian way of life is not a life of “measuring up to the law”, but of recognizing and living in that perfect righteousness provided by God.  Understand that God has given us His perfect righteousness, based on our faith in Jesus Christ.