Page 19 - March 2025 - Truth & Tidings

exalted at God’s right hand, “far above all where He who knew no sin was made to
principality, and power, and might, and be sin for us, “that we might be made the
dominion” (Eph 1:21). righteousness of God in him” (2Co 5:21).

Righteousness By Faith of Paul has warned of those deceitful “evil
workers” (Php 3:2) who were perpetuat-
Christ ing law-keeping and circumcision. In the
Paul now fully understood that self- parenthesis section of verses 18-19, he calls
righteousness availed nothing: “not hav- them not just “enemies of Christ” but,
ing mine own righteousness, which is of more specifically, “enemies of the cross
[ek, out from] the law” (as to source). He of Christ” (v18). His cross ended all that
has just elaborated all his self-righteous- they were seeking to perpetuate in terms
ness as a law-keeper in verses 5-6. “But of law-keeping and works. Their wicked,
we are all as an unclean thing, and all our false teaching was honouring man in the
righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa flesh; it was a denial of what Christ had
64:6). Paul understood that all those things accomplished at the cross when He ended
he had thought he excelled in as a man in man after the flesh before God. They were
the flesh were, in relation to the works of therefore robbing God of the glory of the
the Law and law-keeping, just filthy gar- all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. Any today
ments of unrighteousness that gave him who similarly give place to man’s work-
no righteous acceptance or standing in the ing in the flesh for salvation are likewise
brightness of the presence of a holy God. deceitful workers, “enemies of the cross
But he now had a fully righteous ac- of Christ” (v18), to whom the clear warn-
ceptance before God by faith in Christ: ing of the apostle still applies, “Beware
“but that [righteousness] which is through …” (v2).
[dia, by means of] the faith of Christ,” i.e.,
to have the person of Christ as the unique To “be found in him” (v9) is primarily a
object of my faith. This is “the righteous- doctrinal positional truth, a consequence
ness which is of [ek, out from] God by [epi, of the work of the sovereign and gracious
on the basis of] faith.” The righteousness God in each individual believer. From the
which is out from God as to source and moment of my salvation, I am securely po-
origin has become my standing before sitioned in Christ, and every believer looks
Him, by means of my faith in Christ, and to Christ as their perfect righteousness.
resting upon that basis I have a righteous But there should always be the practical
acceptance before a holy God: “even the expression of positional truth, and so there
righteousness of God which is by faith should be the evidence that we are found
of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all in Christ. There ought to be that reality in
them that believe” (Rom 3:22). This is the our lives, demonstrating by our manner
blessing of justification: “Therefore being of living that Christ is everything to us,
justified by faith, we have peace with God and that we are resting confidently upon
through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1). the righteousness that we have from God
Honouring the Cross of Christ on the basis of our faith in His Son. The
following verses (10-14) elaborate further
This wonderful blessing of righteous- on the expression of this positional truth
ness in Christ is only because of Calvary, of being found in Christ.

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