<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Philippians 3;4-11<div><br></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. &nbsp;If any other&nbsp;man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:</b></div><div><b>5. &nbsp;Circumcised on the eighth day, both of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee,</b></div><div><b>6. &nbsp;as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless.&nbsp;</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Paul is saying, ‘If anyone could ever possibly stand before God and claim he deserves to be allowed into heaven based upon human righteousness…it would be him. &nbsp;But, trying to trade&nbsp;human works of righteousness as payment for entrance into heaven, is like trying to buy a new car with Monopoly Money. &nbsp;It has no value at all&nbsp;in the divine economy. &nbsp;And, Paul know it, he goes on to say,</div><div><br></div><div><b>7.But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.</b></div><div><b>8. &nbsp;Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. &nbsp;For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ</b></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith;</b></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The only currency able to purchase us a place in heaven is the perfect <i>“righteousness of God that depends on faith.” &nbsp;</i>(see also, Romans 3;21-25)<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>The righteousness of God through faith in Christ is received only by the gift of faith given us by God through Word and Spirit. &nbsp;Such perfect righteousness is given to the youngest infant as they hear the voice of God in their mother’s womb, and as they ‘receive ‘ the waters of Holy Baptism connected to the same Word and Spirit. &nbsp;However, these gifts of faith and God’s own righteousness inspire us&nbsp;to live in and through Christ.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Paul describes what being <i>“found in Christ” </i>means,&nbsp;(our own recognition of our union with Christ in baptism):</div><div><br></div><div><b>10a. &nbsp;That I may know him and the power of his resurrection,</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>This is not only intellectually gaining the knowledge of the Scriptures, but is also a <i>“partaking of the divine nature,”&nbsp;</i>meaning to embrace the Mind of Christ, which is devoted to the will of the Father only.</div><div>This kind of <i>“knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection”&nbsp;</i>is ‘experiential’, a living out of&nbsp;our &nbsp;denying of&nbsp;self and following Jesus.</div><div><br></div><div>Such knowing of Christ includes,</div><div><br></div><div><b>10b. and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, </b>(to selfish&nbsp;sin, see Romans 6;10)</div><div><br></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;that <i>if possible</i>&nbsp;I may attain the resurrection from the dead.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Why does Paul introduce a note of uncertainty into his confidence in Christ? &nbsp;He does it for two reasons;</div><div><br></div><div>First of all, the flesh continues with us into our new life in Christ and it retains&nbsp;power to rebel against the will of the Father, putting us at risk of &nbsp;impenitence ( the state of being&nbsp;unrepentant). &nbsp;Baptized Believers can still forfeit their souls salvation by stubborn refusal to turn from sin.</div><div><br></div><div>Second, Paul puts no confidence in <u>his own</u>&nbsp;confidence. &nbsp;He depends entirely upon God alone, working out his salvation in and through him. &nbsp;This is true faith, from beginning to end. &nbsp;There is no human contribution at all in any way to our salvation.</div><div><br></div><div>This is The Gift come down from heaven to us in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. &nbsp;It remains our true and lasting treasure along with all those whom God gives us in Christ. &nbsp;Apart from faith in Jesus&nbsp;and those who are also in the faith, everything we see around us, the lights, the tinsel, the wrappings&nbsp;are just&nbsp;junk.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant us grace to count the loss of every ‘thing’ for the sake of gaining Christ our only lasting joy and treasure. &nbsp;Bless us to truly rejoice in the gift of faith&nbsp;given us freely&nbsp;<span>by the Word and the Spirit. &nbsp;<i>“Glory to God in the Highest!” &nbsp;</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>Love ,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b><br></b><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Philippians 3;4-11
4.  Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.  If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:5.  Circumcised on the eighth day, both of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee,6.  as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless. 
Paul is saying, ‘If anyone could ever possibly stand before God and claim he deserves to be allowed into heaven based upon human righteousness…it would be him.  But, trying to trade human works of righteousness as payment for entrance into heaven, is like trying to buy a new car with Monopoly Money.  It has no value at all in the divine economy.  And, Paul know it, he goes on to say,
7.But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8.  Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ9.  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; The only currency able to purchase us a place in heaven is the perfect “righteousness of God that depends on faith.”  (see also, Romans 3;21-25)
The righteousness of God through faith in Christ is received only by the gift of faith given us by God through Word and Spirit.  Such perfect righteousness is given to the youngest infant as they hear the voice of God in their mother’s womb, and as they ‘receive ‘ the waters of Holy Baptism connected to the same Word and Spirit.  However, these gifts of faith and God’s own righteousness inspire us to live in and through Christ. 
 Paul describes what being “found in Christ” means, (our own recognition of our union with Christ in baptism):
10a.  That I may know him and the power of his resurrection,
This is not only intellectually gaining the knowledge of the Scriptures, but is also a “partaking of the divine nature,” meaning to embrace the Mind of Christ, which is devoted to the will of the Father only.This kind of “knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection” is ‘experiential’, a living out of our  denying of self and following Jesus.
Such knowing of Christ includes,
10b. and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (to selfish sin, see Romans 6;10)
11.  that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Why does Paul introduce a note of uncertainty into his confidence in Christ?  He does it for two reasons;
First of all, the flesh continues with us into our new life in Christ and it retains power to rebel against the will of the Father, putting us at risk of  impenitence ( the state of being unrepentant).  Baptized Believers can still forfeit their souls salvation by stubborn refusal to turn from sin.
Second, Paul puts no confidence in his own confidence.  He depends entirely upon God alone, working out his salvation in and through him.  This is true faith, from beginning to end.  There is no human contribution at all in any way to our salvation.
This is The Gift come down from heaven to us in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.  It remains our true and lasting treasure along with all those whom God gives us in Christ.  Apart from faith in Jesus and those who are also in the faith, everything we see around us, the lights, the tinsel, the wrappings are just junk.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant us grace to count the loss of every ‘thing’ for the sake of gaining Christ our only lasting joy and treasure.  Bless us to truly rejoice in the gift of faith given us freely by the Word and the Spirit.  “Glory to God in the Highest!”  
Love ,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”




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