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You can turn in your Bibles again 
to Philippians 3. Philippians chapter 3. We looked 
at verses 1 to 3 this morning. We're going to look primarily 
at verses 4 to 9 this evening. We'll read the entirety though 
of the section there beginning at Philippians 3 verse 1 and 
finishing at Philippians 3 verse 11. Finally, my brethren, rejoice 
in the Lord. For me to write the same things 
to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware 
of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who 
worship God in the spirit. Rejoice in Christ Jesus and have 
no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence 
in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may 
have confidence in the flesh, I more so. circumcised the eighth 
day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew 
of the Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, 
persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in 
the law, blameless. But what things were gained to 
me, these I have counted lost for Christ. Yet indeed, I also 
count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus, my Lord. for whom I have suffered the 
loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain 
Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, 
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, 
the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know 
him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, 
being conformed to his death. if by any means I may attain 
to the resurrection from the dead. Amen. Well, let us pray 
again. God, we thank you for this time 
we have now in your Word and this act of worship, the preaching 
of it. We do pray again, Father, that 
you would help us, that you'd be with us, that we would have 
that measure of the Spirit working by and with this Word to convict 
saints, to convict sinners, and Lord God, to equip us to go out 
into this world this upcoming week to live unto your glory. 
We just pray that this engagement in the act of worship now and 
preaching would be done unto the praise of your name, Lord 
God, that it would not be a mechanical thing again, Father, but something 
counted by your people as a high privilege that we might leave 
this place singing of the riches and of the excellencies of our 
blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ. And it is in his name that we 
again pray. Amen. Well, we noted this morning from 
Philippians 1 to 3, the fact that Paul is issuing a command 
to rejoice, which is kind of an interesting phrase, a command 
to rejoice. We noted, of course, though, 
it is certainly a valid thing, a gracious thing also, a gracious 
command that Paul here, and by virtue of Paul being inspired 
of God, God's telling his people to rejoice in him. And the way 
that they were to rejoice in him was to be sure or to ensure 
that they had confidence in the right thing. They did not that 
they did not have confidence in the flesh like these false 
teachers. These heretics were seeking to 
press upon them. But rather that they rejoiced 
in Christ Jesus having no confidence confidence at all in the flesh. Proper rejoicing comes by way 
of avoiding those who seek to snatch our joy and properly laying 
hold of those things that we are to rejoice in. And Paul goes 
on now in verses 4 to 11 to insert his own autobiography as a means 
of highlighting the proper place of confidence and Christian rejoicing. the proper place or the proper 
object, the proper source and foundation of Christian rejoicing 
and Christian confidence. We see that in verses four to 
11 here. And I just want to read this 
because this section of Holy Scripture is a historical battleground 
for for the doctrine of salvation. We noted earlier that one of 
Spurgeon's Spurgeon's sermon titles was Salvation by works, 
a criminal doctrine. And that is certainly true. And this particular portion of 
Holy Scripture has been a an arena for battling over salvation 
by faith alone against those errorists and those ungodly men 
who seek to propagate a doctrine of salvation by works or salvation 
by faith plus works. And this section also deals one 
of the many death blows to works righteousness that scripture 
sets forth. This contains a death blow to 
works righteousness or that we can be saved by our works and. preacher, why would you bother 
to preach these things to people who certainly own these truths 
and rejoice in them? Well, for the reason of opening 
up the scriptures, to be sure, generally, but also again, as 
we noted this morning, it is wholesome repetition to set forth 
these things. That's what Paul is doing in 
this text. For me to write the same things 
to you is not tedious, but for you it is say. This is Spurgeon 
on self-righteousness before we get to the points of the sermons 
coming from Paul's autobiography. Self-righteousness is natural 
to our fallen humanity. Hence, it is the essence of all 
false religions. Be they what they may, they all 
agree in seeking salvation by our own deeds. He who worships 
his idols will torture his body, will fast, will perform long 
pilgrimages, and do or endure anything in order to merit salvation. The Romish Church holds up continually 
before the eyes of its votaries the prize to be earned by self-denial, 
by penance, by prayers, or by sacraments, or by some other 
performances of man. Go where you may, the natural 
religion of fallen man is salvation by his own merits. And old divine 
has well said, every man is born a heretic upon this point. And 
he naturally gravitates towards this heresy in one form or another. Self-salvation, either by his 
personal worthiness or by his repentance or by his resolves, 
is a hope ingrained in human nature and very hard to remove. This foolishness is bound up 
in the heart of every child. And who shall get it out of him? As we read through this portion 
of Holy Scripture, Hopefully, we will get the point, as Paul 
brings it out in his autobiography, wherein, then, do we find the 
proper confidence and the proper place of being found safe in 
God's sight. We're going to notice, first 
off, from verses 4 to 9, the hypothetical argument to demonstrate 
the folly and error of the false teachers. I know that's a long 
point, but if you want to short note that, the hypothetical argument 
Paul uses this to demonstrate the folly and error of these 
false teachers whom he calls dogs, whom he calls evil workers, 
whom he calls the mutilation. Notice what Paul writes here, 
beginning at verse 4. Though I also might have confidence 
in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence 
in the flesh, I more so. Paul is, in a sense here, setting 
forth a hypothetical argument. If it is the case that God has 
set forth an economy of salvation whereby we have confidence in 
the flesh and by the deeds of the flesh can merit everlasting 
life, I am the champion of this particular religion. And he goes 
on to highlight the points of his boast, or if he had ground 
where into boast, These are the things that he could boast in. 
Notice, beginning at verse five, circumcised the eighth day of 
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the 
Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting 
the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law blameless. 
We see here Paul sets forth an autobiographical argument for 
this hypothetical approach that if there is boasting in the flesh, 
if there is confidence in the flesh, I would be the champion 
of this particular reality. And we have, if we can, put this 
onto the text, a threefold division of the various things Paul highlights 
here. First off, he notes his ethnicity. Paul notes his ethnicity. It was a fallacious argument 
in the first century, not just the first century, but we see 
the New Testament in that context. It was a fallacious argument 
that because we are the genetic, if you will, sons of Abraham, 
we find favor in the sight of God. And here we see Paul using 
that in this hypothetical argument where he brings in truths concerning 
himself. Notice circumcised the eighth 
day. It is true of Paul what these false teachers were boasting 
in. I was circumcised the eighth 
day. I had physical circumcision. So if I can if there is boasting, 
I could boast in that. He goes on to say with regards 
to this argument from ethnicity, I'm of the paraphrasing. Of the 
stock of Israel. Paul's an Israelite. Paul's of 
Abraham. Paul can boast of his lineage, 
of his genetics, of his genetic descendancy, according to Abraham. I'm of the stock of Israel, of 
the tribe of Benjamin, he says. It's a very prestigious tribe 
within the stock of Israel. So Paul is here setting forth 
his ethnicity. This would be one of those shining 
things upon the religious in Israel on their resume. I am 
circumcised the eighth day. I'm of the stock of Israel. I'm 
of the tribe of Benjamin. These are heavy things. Paul 
is setting forth his ethnicity in this mythical land of boasting 
in order to or boasting in the flesh, having confidence in the 
flesh. The second thing we note is that 
he sets forth the national prominence that his ethnicity brings. Notice 
here, he says a Hebrew of the Hebrews. You see, he wasn't just 
a Hebrew, but he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. We use this sort 
of language in our modern idiom. We think of, you know, a man's 
man. You know, he's not just a man, 
But he's got a Dodge truck with the dual wheels on the back of 
each side. He's got a gun rack. He only eats red meat. And then 
he chases it with a drink of red meat. And he listens to country 
music, whatever it is, whatever a man's man apparently is in 
the 21st century. Well, this is the sort of language 
that Paul is using. He's a Hebrew of the Hebrews. 
It's not just circumcised the eighth day and of the stock of 
Israel, but he's of the tribe of Benjamin. He's the poster 
boy for Judaism. He goes on to argue for his religious 
dedication. Notice, concerning the law, a 
Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting 
the church. Concerning the righteousness 
which is in the law, blameless. First off, he was a well-instructed 
and a well-learned man in the religion of the Jews. concerning 
the law, a Pharisee, is prominent in the religious landscape and 
context of first century Judaism. He was a disciple of that man 
we read of in Acts 5, Gamaliel, one of his pupils, one of his 
students, one of his disciples. He knew well the scriptures. 
He knew well the history. of the Old Covenant people, and 
he was well instructed according to the traditions of the rabbis. 
Concerning zeal persecuting the church, he had on his resume 
this zealous endeavor to stamp out this sect of the Nazarenes. 
According to Judaic religion, according to the Jews, he was 
a champion of getting rid of this sect, which was being such 
a bother to the Jews after at the time of Christ and following 
his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension concerning the 
righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Insofar as there 
is an external expectation with regards to the fulfillment of 
the law that was set forth before the Jews, Paul was a champion 
and he was blameless in that particular realm. Of course, 
we know that Paul was not blameless with regards to that inner reality 
that the law demands. Inner reality, heart religion. 
Paul was not blameless. But insofar as a cosmetic adherence 
to the law, the text says that Paul was blameless, or Paul is 
setting forth this in his argument. And you see, isn't this always 
the stuff that people outside of Christ boast in? Or even those 
who have a perverted idea of what Christianity is. Very often, 
Jim's mentioned this before, Pastor Butler has mentioned this 
before, You go out and you talk to people who have grown up perhaps 
within a Christian environment. They have Christian families. 
And, you know, from the time of their birth and growing up, 
they've been in a Christian context. But you'll often hear them boast 
wrongly and in the wrong things concerning Christianity. Oh, 
yeah, I went to Sunday school. My father or my mother, their 
faith will avail for me. I'm not making this stuff up. 
That's an argument out there. Maybe it's a husband with regards 
to their wife, a child with regards to their parent. Oh, my mother 
is very faithful and very devout Christian. Her faith will save 
me. Her faith is enough for me. It's really strong as if that 
is wherein saving efficacy lies, the power of the Christians faith. 
But the point is, is that our boast or the boast of those outside 
of Jesus, even some within those who are close to Christianity, 
is a boast with regards to their lineage, with regards to what 
they have done, or with regards to their religious observance. 
And Paul is saying, if there is this mythical land where confidence 
in the flesh avails with God, or rather, deeds done in the 
flesh avail with God, I will be in that eschaton. I will be in that realm wherein 
we are rewarded for our fleshly duties before the sight of God. And he's saying this to reject 
or to or to to combat the boasts and the claims of these who are 
dogs, who are evil workers, who are the mutilation, who are boasting 
in their deeds done in the flesh. Paul says, no, if it is possible, 
I am the one I am the champion. I more so. He goes on, though, 
to the point in our second point, the point of the autobiography. 
Paul argues based upon the hypothesis that one can be justified in 
the sight of God according to deeds done in the flesh. But 
then he goes on to bring the point of the autobiography and 
to dispel that notion. Verse seven. But what things 
were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But 
what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for 
Christ. You see, prior to Paul's conversion, 
he did boast in all of these things. These were the things 
that he had in his framed resume hanging in his office. He boasted 
in these. He polished the brass of these 
particular boasts and took great pride in them. But you see, on 
the other side of amazing grace, on the other side of free and 
sovereign and victorious grace, The Christian says, dumb. The Christian says, rubbish. The Christian says, the only 
thing in the treasury of my faith is Jesus Christ. The only gem 
in the treasury of my profession is my Lord and my God and my 
Christ. But what things were gained to 
me, these I have counted loss for Christ. And Paul is is getting 
to the amplification of the point of this whole exercise in warning 
them against these evil workers. And that is that our only rejoicing 
is in Jesus. Our only confidence is in Jesus 
Christ. Listen not to the evil worker, 
to the dog, to these of the mutilation, the false circumcision, but rather 
rest solely and alone upon the Christ of your profession. It's 
important to note that you see, while the irreligious boast in 
ethnicity, can tend to, while they can boast in religious observance 
and precision and meticulous ritual, while they can boast 
in being, in Paul's case, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, at the cross, 
the ground is level. You might have heard that statement. 
that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. The cross 
of Calvary is a great leveler. There is neither bond nor free. 
There is neither Jew nor Gentile. There is neither rich nor poor. 
There is not man nor woman, but all are one in Christ Jesus. You see, there's no caste system 
or class system or levels of hierarchy within Christendom. there is the people of Christ. That's what we have. We have those saved by grace 
through faith in Christ Jesus alone. But what things were gained 
to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Paul goes on to amplify 
this reality, to amplify this truth, adding more thrust to 
it. You see, it's not the case that 
Paul is saying See, I had these things that were gained to me, 
but I've now counted them lost because of Christ. See, it's 
not just that. And I'm getting to my point because, 
you know, that might seem to be enough for you. But you see, 
Calvin in his commentaries makes an important observation. He 
likens the Christian casting off all those things and having 
only Jesus with a mariner, a merchant mariner on a ship. And he says, 
you see, the merchant mariner on a ship, if it's sinking by 
the weight of his gold and by the weight of his treasure, will 
cast that gold and those jewels off the side of the boat so that 
he'll live, so that he won't sink. But you see, that merchant 
mariner hasn't said, I count those treasures as rubbish for 
the gain of my life. No. When he comes to land, he'll 
still seek after gold. He'll still seek after jewels. 
He still likes riches and he still likes treasure. But you 
see, that's not what Paul is saying here, because he goes 
on to say, Yet indeed, I also count all things lost for the 
excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. Note for 
whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them 
as rubbish that I may gain Christ. You see, the proper comparison, 
and this was Calvin's point, was that the proper comparison 
would be a merchant who's now convinced that his life is more 
precious than treasure. I don't need the treasures. I 
don't need the gold. I have my life. That's what the 
Christian says. I don't boast or my boast is 
nothing in my accomplishments. I have no boast in my ethnicity 
and what I've done in the precision of my meticulous religious observance. My boast is solely and alone. 
My confidence is solely and alone. My rejoicing is solely and alone 
in Jesus Christ, the only gem in my treasury. And is this our 
disposition? Is this what we look like? And 
is this our ethic? That, yeah, we believe in Christ 
Jesus, but when the heat comes, when the pressure comes, you 
know, when someone's standing with a gun at your head, who's 
the gem in your treasury or what is the gem in your treasury? 
Never been brought to that position. You read the accounts of the 
martyrs in the early church and you find that At the hour of 
trial, at the hour of extreme pressure, Christ's people own 
only one gem, and that is Christ Jesus the Lord. I think it was 
the martyr Polycarp, if you read Foxe's Book of Martyrs, he's 
being brought to the point of his execution for faith in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. And as it is the case very often 
throughout the history of the church, the persecutors and those 
putting to death Christians will offer sort of one last reprieve. You renounce this Christ. You 
renounce this Jesus of your profession. You embrace the multiplicity 
of deities in the case of the Greco-Roman world. You renounce 
this idea that there is only one King, Jesus will let you 
live. You see, Polycarp would have 
nothing of that. When offered his life, when offered 
not to be not to be wrongly executed for his belief in the Savior, 
he said, bring me the tearing apart of lions, bring me the 
ripping apart of bulls, set me on fire, he would say, only that 
I may gain Christ Jesus. You see, the Christian is ready. 
We are to be ready. And sure, right now, it might 
seem a frightening thing. But in the hour of trial, the 
measure of the spirit comes. And I like to think we'd all 
be Stevens. We'd all be Stevens, dying in peace, dying, professing 
our Christ. But you see, the point is, is 
that the Christian is to be ready each and every hour of his professing 
life. to count Jesus Christ as the 
only gem in our treasury and to set aside, to cast aside all 
things that would interfere with that relationship. And not like 
that merchant mariner who casts all things aside simply to survive, 
but counts it a joy to cast all things aside, counting them as 
rubbish, that he may gain Christ. This is the language, heard this 
before, Paul is using here, the language of finance. You see, in our ledger, as regular 
folk in this lower world who have to earn a living and buy 
stuff and that sort of thing, our ledger, we have assets and 
liabilities. You see, Paul, before his conversion, 
saw it a great liability, this Christ, this offense of the cross. 
His assets were what he lays out here, circumcised the eighth 
day, etc. Those are the things that he 
had as his assets. He polished the brass of that 
doorknob and he counted as liabilities those things of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. You see, to a good Jew, to a 
good Pharisee, to a good persecutor of the church, and to a good 
self-righteous individual at this particular time, this cross 
was a scandal, it was an offense, it was something to be mocked. 
Can the Jew endure a crucified Messiah? Of course he can. Why? He has to cast aside all of his 
glorious multitudinous washings. All of those glorious articles 
of Old Covenant religion is the only thing to be left, Spurgeon 
said, in proper religion is a bleeding Messiah. Yes, first century Jew, 
that is all that is to be left. in religion. Why? Because those 
washings, those rituals, those ceremonies were never salvific 
and they only always and ever pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now they did highlight the holiness 
of God to be sure, but their primary trajectory was this coming 
one who would be the fulfillment and the completion of all of 
those old covenant realities. And so Paul is and did cast all 
of those things aside. And the other side of his conversion, 
those things that were assets he cast out of his ledger as 
loss. And the only asset remaining 
is that gem in the treasury, Jesus Christ, Lord, Redeemer, 
Savior and King. And notice that we have, thirdly, 
The true or where in the true confidence lies as Paul amplifies 
and brings home and brings to bear the centrality of this message, 
he highlights the glorious truth of justification. In other words, 
where in does our confidence lie? It's not in the flesh. Where 
in does it lie? If these false teachers are wrong 
and they are, where are we to have proper confidence? Well, 
we see, excuse me, we see Paul here bringing this out, verse 
nine, and be found in him not having my own righteousness, 
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, 
the righteousness which is from God by faith. You see, God in 
his merciful condescension has not left things unclear in his 
word. You may struggle with some things 
in Ezekiel or Revelation. You can ask us any questions 
that you may have. But with respect to those matters 
that demand perspicuity or clarity or clearness, God has been perspicuous 
and clear. Salvation is solely and alone 
by Jesus Christ. Justification is not having a 
righteousness of my own. Justification does not come from 
inside of me. It cannot be stirred up in me. That righteousness which justifies 
is not mine. It is Christ's. It comes from 
God, the text says. You see, Calvin was bang on here. You cannot have both of these 
realities. Justification by ourselves and 
justification by God. These two things cannot coexist. 
Righteousness cannot be partially from us and partially from God 
and righteousness or righteousness can only come from God. It can't 
come from man and righteousness cannot be partially from the 
law and partially according to faith. You see, time and again, 
the Apostle Paul sets works and faith as far as means of salvation 
at odds with one another. We are not justified by the deeds 
of the law, but justified by faith. The clarity of the Bible 
is excellent at Galatians 2.16, if you'll turn there with me. 
Another portion of Holy Scripture that is, that was a battleground, 
the controversies at the time of the Protestant Reformation. 
What is justification? How are we? to be declared righteous 
before a holy God. Verse 16, knowing that a man 
is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus 
Christ. Even we have believed in Christ 
Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by 
the works of the law. For by the works of the law, 
no flesh shall be justified. Paul repeats himself here. And it's not just because, you 
know, he doesn't have anything to say, but to repeat himself. 
It's because of what Spurgeon highlighted. Self-righteousness 
is natural in man. Who will force this out of him? 
Even in the one saved by grace, that self-righteousness can stir 
up and it needs to be cast away by the thrice holy God. But the 
clarity here is striking and the repetition of it to enforce 
the point is is clear, knowing that a man is not justified by 
the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Even we 
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by 
faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the 
works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. Do you see the 
repetition? Do you see the point? Paul's 
not being unnecessarily repetitious, but again, wholesome repetition, 
because Paul knows the heart of man. Paul knows the heart 
of man. Paul knows the heart of the unregenerate 
man. And Paul knows the the inclinations 
of the heart. If gospel truths are not repeated, 
the inclination of the heart, if the Bible and the perfect 
work of Christ is not brought to bear repeatedly upon the saved 
hearer. And so, again, this truth of 
justification, though, is clear from the pages of Holy Scripture. A man is not justified in the 
sight of God by deeds done in holiness of heart, by deeds wrought 
by the flesh, but rather he is justified solely and alone by 
the perfect work of Jesus Christ. And again, back to Philippians 
3, we see the language here at verse 9, and be found in him. It wouldn't be wrong to conclude 
that what Paul is talking about there is union with Jesus Christ 
be found in him. That certainly is a perfectly 
acceptable translation. But what Calvin brings out in 
his commentaries is probably more to the point because he's 
contrasting here riches according to human boasting and riches 
according to Christ. What the force of the language 
is, is that everything of value is found in Jesus Christ. Were 
we to be stripped naked and stripped bare and brought to Christ, we'd 
have nothing lacking. Why? Because everything that 
we need is in Him. Everything that we need is in 
Jesus Christ. Everything required. Everything 
necessary. All things of value are in Jesus 
Christ. Not having my own righteousness. You see, Paul couldn't be clearer. 
Not having my own righteousness. You see, Paul Paul drives the 
nail in the coffin of works righteousness everywhere in his letters. Everywhere 
in his letters. You think of Galatians 6.14. Galatians 6.14. If anyone thinks 
that they might have confidence in the flesh, they need to turn 
to Galatians 6.14 to read of the madness and the folly and 
the ungodliness of that. But God forbid, that I should 
boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Right? Where's our boast? Where's 
our boast? We said this morning that as 
Christians, we read that story, that narrative where Jesus brings 
that hypothetical example of a Pharisee and a tax collector 
going out to the temple to pray. Right? And we know that, oh yes, 
as Christians, we deride that Pharisee. We derive that Pharisee 
saying, oh, you know, thank you, Lord, that I'm not like this 
man. Thank you, Lord, that I tithe. Thank you, Lord, that I fast. 
Thank you, Lord, that I'm a good Jew and I'm not a wretch of a 
tax collector like this man. But you see, we need to protect 
the propensity in our remaining corruption hearts to be baptized 
Pharisees in our Christian walk. We don't look at others and then 
pray to our God, thank you that I'm not like him. Thank you that 
I'm not like her. I do such and such and this and 
that. And that's great. And I polish 
that and I put that on my wall. And I have confidence in that. 
See, that's not going to avail on that final and great day. 
What avails on that final and great day is the perfect work 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's why Paul could say, God 
forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. That's why he could write elsewhere, boasting is excluded 
then. Boasting is excluded then. Talk 
about clarity. Well, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You see, because it's I that 
have to exercise faith. It's got to be something that 
I do. You're dead in your trespasses 
and in your sins, the Bible says. Dead in your trespasses and in 
your sins. What's the difference then? What 
came along? Can dead men respond? Can dead men answer? Can dead men decide? Can dead 
men choose? No. The grace of God, which is 
super abundantly sufficient for salvation, came. God made us 
alive in Christ Jesus. By grace, you have been saved. 
Not having my own righteousness. Where then does our righteousness 
come from? Where then does our righteousness 
come from? Hold this truth. Brethren tightly. Because it's 
not just it's not just this this this fanciful you know language 
and this fanciful you know thinking that that theologians like to 
argue over and press their intellectual weight over the imputation of 
the righteousness of Jesus Christ. People died over this doctrine. 
You see, not having our own righteousness, how then can we be declared righteous 
before the sight of God? He made Him who knew no sin to 
be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God 
in Him. Right? The righteousness that 
avails with God is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. His perfect 
obedience. That's the righteousness that 
we need, because God is not an unjust judge. He doesn't acquit 
the wicked. God cannot acquit the wicked 
and he does not justify or sorry, and he cannot condemn the just. 
You see, at the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have perfect 
reconciliation of God's holiness and justice. You see, because 
in Christ, God punished. In Christ, God poured out His 
wrath. Or at the cross, God poured out 
His wrath upon the Lord Jesus Christ. How is that an act of 
justice for one who is blameless and holy and undefiled? Is our 
God guilty of being an unjust judge? No. Why? The doctrine 
of imputation. Our sins are imputed to the Lord 
Jesus Christ. And the Lord God bruises him 
for our iniquities. As the text Galatians 3.13 says, 
he became a curse for us in our stead. The same with that righteousness 
that avails with God. We're all sinners. We have all 
sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. How then 
can we have a righteousness that avails with him since he demands 
perfection, since he demands holiness, since the perfections 
of his character cannot allow himself to glance upon wickedness? Jesus Christ's righteousness, 
his perfect obedience to the law of God is imputed to us, 
and we are thereby justified. Credited to our account, Christ's 
righteousness. Reckoned to our account, Christ's 
righteousness. If you don't believe me, you'll 
believe Paul. I know you believe me. Hopefully 
you do. But you'll believe Paul in Romans chapter 5. Because 
it's quite clear here. Quite clear here. That in Adam, 
we die. In Christ, we live. By one man's 
obedience. Disobedience, rather. we're found 
guilty. By one man's obedience, we're 
not. Verse 19 of Romans 5, for as 
by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by 
one man's obedience many will be made righteous. You see their 
glorious representation in Jesus Christ. We're saved in the sight 
of God, not by our own righteousness, but that which is from God through 
faith." You see, the source of salvation, the efficacy in salvation, 
the power, everything in salvation is of the triune God. That's 
why the Scriptures can say and cite those rendering doxology 
and praise to Him saying, all honor and all praise and all 
majesty are unto the God, unto our God, and to the Lamb who 
sits on the throne. Calvin rightly remarks that even 
if there was just the slimmest portion of salvation afforded 
and credited to man, man would have a place to boast. Right? 
Oh, no, no, no, no. We're really holy. You see, I 
have a little bit of a little bit of a place to boast because, 
hey, I chose, I decided, I did, I exercised, I assented. But, 
you know, I just choose not to boast or I don't boast because 
I'm godly. You see, because I'm holy, you 
see, because I'm a Christian, I don't boast. God turned me 
into a non boaster. No, you see, there are no grounds 
where in the Christian can boast, say, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Right? Save in the Lord Jesus 
Christ. God forbid that I should boast, 
save in the cross, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has 
been crucified unto me and I to the world. Our righteousness 
comes from God by faith. This, this is the point or this, 
this casts away and kills any notion of self-righteousness 
in man. It completely destroys the arguments 
of these who were saying, yes, Christ, but also the circumcision 
of the flesh. Yes, yes, yes, Christ, but also 
adherence to Mosaic law to be saved. No. No, the righteousness 
that avails, the obedience that avails, the work, the deed, the 
virtue, the everything that avails is in Christ Jesus, our blessed 
Redeemer. And note, though, that Paul doesn't 
do violence to or Paul doesn't destroy the reality that there 
is holy living. That there is a change in the 
individual. Verse 10, that I may know him 
and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings 
being conformed to his death. By virtue of the fact that I 
have been saved solely and alone by the perfect work and power 
of the triune God, by virtue of that reality, I can know Christ 
Jesus. I can know the power of his resurrection. What does that mean? that I may 
know him and the power of his resurrection. Well, certainly 
we know the propositions, the truths, the historical realities 
of the fact that Jesus in power and victory rose from the dead 
the third day. But what it means is that by 
virtue of Christ's resurrection and our union with him, we have 
resurrection life in us. And we know the power of that 
by the fact that we can conduct ourselves in a manner worthy 
of the gospel of Christ. We're no longer slaves to sin, 
but slaves to Christ and righteousness. We have put sin to death and 
we are living unto righteousness. Again, Paul brings this out clear 
in the book of Romans, Romans 6. Romans chapter 6. We're going to close shortly, 
but just to see this, that the reality and the glory of salvation 
by Jesus Christ solely and alone. We are then able and empowered 
to live lives, conducting ourselves in a worthy in a manner worthy 
of the gospel of Jesus. Romans six at verse one. What 
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that 
grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who 
died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as 
many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into 
his death? Therefore, we were buried with 
him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised 
from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should 
walk in newness of life. You see, by that same resurrection 
power, we have life in us. that we might live in newness 
of life unto the glory of our great God. Well, brethren, just 
in closing, just a few points and we'll pray and have a brief 
time of prayer, a brief time of reflection and meditation 
with the playing of the piano. But first off, we need to rejoice 
in the right things. You see, when Paul writes identifying 
Christians as the circumcision, And then qualifying that by saying 
they are those who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ 
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, he really means 
it. We're not to have confidence 
in our flesh to avail before God, but also we ought not to 
rest our confidence, brethren, on one another. In other words, 
our Christian happiness certainly doesn't depend upon our own performance. And it ought not to depend on 
others. People, including yourself, are 
going to disappoint you. Right? People are going to disappoint 
you. The best of Christians will disappoint you. Why remain in 
sin? Remain in corruption. So put 
your confidence, brethren, not in yourself, not in your pew-going 
neighbor, but in Jesus, the triune God. in salvation by him. Because you're never going to 
find disappointment in Jesus. That I promise you. That I promise 
you. Never going to find disappointment 
in the King of Kings and in the Lord of Lords. And that's the 
thrust of Holy Scripture in exhortation and in admonition is to that 
end. Who do we look unto? Do we look 
on to Bob and Diane for our Christian comfort? Oh, they're still strong 
in the faith. They're still solid saints. My happiness avails for 
another day. It continues. No. Looking unto 
Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy 
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, 
and has sat down at the right hand of God. We look unto Jesus 
to find our object of rejoicing and the gem of our confidence. Let good works flow from the 
proper fount. You see, good works are not good 
works rightly defined if they flow from this position that 
you're seeking to gain favor from God. If they're flowing 
from this position of this mythical economy of salvation where God 
accepts people as righteous in his sight based upon their doings 
and their not doings. Those are not good works as biblically 
or confessionally defined. Good works are such that flow 
from one who has already been declared righteous in the sight 
of God by virtue of Christ's perfect work. You see, and good 
works are not unto the end of gaining divine salvific favor, 
but they're unto the end of glorifying God. They're unto the end of 
not bringing reproach upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do 
good works in order that we might ornament and beautify the gospel 
of our blessed Redeemer. And good works are so that the 
unbeliever might not blaspheme the Word of God. You see, might 
it never be the case that we are the cause of a stumbling 
block or the reproach, the cause of Gentiles, the unbelievers, 
to bring reproach upon the gospel or upon the Word of God? Might 
it never be? What might the offense be, the 
offense of the cross, that stumbling block, that scandal, that rock 
of offense. And brethren, be zealous for 
truth. Third and last point before we pray, be zealous for truth. 
You see, we can never stress enough the importance of doctrine, 
of theology. It's not the stuff of dusty, 
cold dogmatism. Oh, what big word are they going 
to say now? What big word are they going 
to say now? What four-syllable word is that preacher going to 
proclaim from the pulpit next? The Bible has propitiation in 
it. Blessed word. The Bible has lots 
of big words in it. Actually, the original Greek 
has bigger words than our English. We're simple. But always lay 
hold of truth. Paul, in this text, says, beware 
of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware 
of the mutilation. Why? Truth is vital. Anybody 
who comes into this place to propagate any other doctrine, 
save for the doctrine that puts the triune God first, last, midst 
and throughout in the salvation of sinners, a God that stays 
without a helper, dogs. evil worker. You take your heresies, 
you get out of here. You don't touch our precious 
flock. You don't touch our precious flock. Be vigorous for the truth, 
brethren, and welcome, welcome wholesome repetition of that 
truth. Whenever we come up here, if I preach Philippians 3 in 
another year, don't do that. Why? Because we need it. We need 
the repetition of a Christ of perfect salvation. We need the 
repetition of being warned about those wolves out there who seek 
to enter into sheep's clothing and steal flock away from good 
and proper and Christian truth. We need wholesome repetition 
of the glories of God in Christ Jesus, the riches and the excellencies 
of the person of Christ, the work of Christ. Lay hold of truth. and find it as precious because 
the Christ of truth is the only gem in our treasury. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 
for Jesus Christ. We thank you for what Paul is 
declaring in Philippians 3, the glory of salvation in him and 
that only true confidence and true rejoicing can be found in 
Jesus. We pray that you'd help us to 
glory in this truth, that we would be resting solely and alone 
upon the perfect work of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
for salvation, finding our joy, finding our every joy and full 
value in the Lord Jesus Christ as that perfect redeemer for 
guilty sinners. We pray that you'd help us, Lord, 
in this upcoming week to engage properly with regards to Christian 
conduct, that knowing that we've been saved by such a glorious 
God that we would seek in this lower world to conduct ourselves 
in a manner worthy of that salvation. And we thank you, Lord God, that 
what you begin, you finish. We thank you that we can have 
light confidence as the Apostle Paul, that he who has begun a 
good work in us will complete it unto the day of Christ. We 
would ask, Lord God, that you'd help us now to to ponder the 
things of your word that we've heard today, to ponder the things 
that we've read and that we've sang, and to rejoice in them. Insofar, it is rejoicing in Christ 
Jesus. We just ask, Lord God, that you 
go with us now, each and every one, that you stir up joy in 
each and every one of your people's hearts. And then, Lord God, that 
sinners here tonight, by the Spirit and by your word, might 
bend in need to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And it 
is in Christ's name that we pray. Amen.