He Makes Us Worthy:
The view from outer Grace
8-18-02
Psalm 14: 1-2, Philippians 3:8-13 +
I hope you don’t take offense if I say: There is no one here today… who is worthy to be here… in and by our own rights.
Not you!
Not me!
History tells us… over and over again… that none of us are worthy of the grace of our loving God.
President Grover Cleveland once said, “We study history NOT in order to return to it… but that we might learn from it.”
John Doan… 18th century philosopher and writer… said: “If we don’t know our history… we are doomed to repeat it.”
Back in the days of Enoch and Methuselah—about the time of Noah… at the very dawn of human history—God looked down in:
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The result: The great flood—the total destruction.
Much later… nearly 1 thousand years before the birth of Jesus… David tells us:
Psalm 14:2, "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
About 3 hundred years later… Isaiah looked about him in his day and said in:
Isaiah 56: 1, "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
The Apostle Paul… writing to the believers in Rome said in:
Romans 3: 10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
We have not changed… not since the beginning of time. We are still self-centered and self-serving.
But… in Jesus Christ… God sent his Son…according to Luke19:10… "to seek and to save that which was lost."
Instead of judgment—Grace!
Instead of destruction—Salvation!
Instead of death—Life!
2 Corinthians 5:21… Paul tells us… "For he(God the Father) hath made him(Christ Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
The result is… according to, 1 John 1:2 "And he is the propitiation(that is total satisfaction) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
I repeat all of this history… to remind us that…
· Without the Grace of God,
· Without the sacrifice of Jesus as our Christ,
· Without God’s great love for us…
We would all be down the tubes.
The point being… there is no one worthy of the Love of God.
It was God who made us worthy…
· When he put his son upon the cross at Calvary,
· When he put our sins—and their penalties—upon Jesus, himself, and
· When he took the righteousness of Christ, himself, and put it upon us…
so that he can see us—not in our sin—but in the righteousness of Christ.
In Christianity … there is NO room for
· Pride ... or
· Any feeling of self-importance.
There is but ONE celebrity in all of Christendom: Jesus Christ, himself!
In Him ... we are nothing ... just PUTTY—Putty in the hands of the master potter.
· What pride can the clay take ... without the genius and practiced hands of the potter?
· What pride can the pigment take ... without the eye and the disciplined brush of a Michael Angelo?
· What pride can we take when it is God who makes us into what he wants us to be?
If anyone had any right to be proud of his own righteousness ... Saul of Tarsus did!
· He was born ... trained ... and devoted ... to everything that makes a Jew ... a Jew!
· The Law -- the ritual -- the festivals -- were everything …before he met the risen Christ.
But,
· After meeting the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus ...
· After spending 3 years with him on the backside of the desert ...
· After years of teaching ... traveling ... and starting churches wherever he went…
Here’s what he thought of himself:
Philip. 3:4,"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh (in human prestige and abilities). If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:"
If anyone has a right to trust his own abilities for salvation, Paul says, I have more right.
The “if” is not a question… but a statement of fact.
Then he proceeds to explain:
3:5, "Circumcised the eighth day,"
· Ishmaelites were circumcised in the thirteenth year.
Remember, Ishmael was a son of Abraham too ... a son of the flesh but NOT the son of promise.
· Proselytes from Gentiles were circumcised at whatever their age when they were accepted into the faith
· Jews were circumcised on the eighth day... according to the Law of Moses.
The verse goes on to say… "of the stock of Israel,"
Paul was born a Jew!
"... of the tribe of Benjamin,
The battle cry of Israel was: “After thee, O Benjamin!”
Benjamin was the smallest of the tribes.
But it lead the nation in war!
"... an Hebrew of the Hebrews;"
Paul was of Hebrew parents who kept the language and custom of the Jew.
He was from Tarsus and knew Greek as well as Aramaic (Acts 21:40; Acts 22:2) and Hebrew, but he had not become Hellenized.
Today, we would call it: Liberalized.
"... as touching the law, a Pharisee;"
Paul, like most Pharisees … was strict in the law… but like so many he sacrificed the Spirit of the law for the letter of the law.
Judgment was everything!
Grace was nothing!
He and other pharisees, however, firm believers in the resurrection ... and final judgment.
3:6, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church;"
He was a zealot against Christianity, “persecuting the church.”
He was the ringleader in the persecution from the death of Stephen till his own conversion (Acts 8:1-9:9).
"... touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."
Literally, “Having become blameless.” He knew and practiced all the rules of the rabbis.
3:7, "But what things were gain" (“literally gains”[plural]...
What were his gains in Judaism:
1. Ritual ...
2. Physical birth ...
3. Family ...
4. Nationalism ...
5. Religion ...
6. Function [persecution of enemies—death to infidels—the church] ... and
7. Self-righteousness.
"... to me, those I counted loss for Christ."
“Counted” is not just an idle thought… but an expert opinion.
3:8, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss..."
King James’ English reveals very little emotion ... but as Paul spoke it, it literally drips with extreme passion and deep conviction.
And for WHAT? "... for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung"
(skubala) ... plural. Literally: piles of dung, (WHY?)
"... that I may win Christ,"
Paul was not content with but a taste of Jesus.
Paul wanted all of Jesus... and the surpassing greatness of super grace living.
He understood that knowledge of Bible doctrine leads to continual occupation with Christ – literally, wallowing in Christ.
When it comes to contrasting the worthlessness of human effort ... with the grace gifts through Jesus Christ ... Paul was not hesitant to repeat himself: So he says ...
"I count ALL THINGS..."
The advantages of birth … wealth … wisdom … achievements in the flesh as a single LOSS... why?
"That I may gain Christ..." (hina Christon kerdeso)
Paul was never satisfied with his knowledge of Christ.
He always craved more understanding and fellowship with him.
The question now as then:
Just what do we gain in Christ?
3:9, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,"
This is in the objective case … not subjective.
The righteousness of Christ in the believer is not subject to human feelings or interpretation.
It’s a fact ... established by God and his Word!
Literally, it means: On the basis of faith.
God said it! When we believe it ... we have it!
Righteousness is freely given to us ... when we believe—fully trust what God said—and what Jesus did.
3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"
This was Paul’s major passion: To get more knowledge of Christ by experience.
3:11, "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."
This is not an expression of doubt, but of humility, a modest hope... of being worthy to follow Jesus in his resurrection.
Paul knows that he is secure in Christ.
He is ecstatic!
He is wallowing in all that Christ has brought to him.
In view of this, Paul says: All that the world has to offer…
· Riches …
· Fame …
· Position …
All is as worthless as the worst of barnyard garbage… when compared to what we have by simple faith … in Jesus as our Christ.
3:12, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."
And the greatest part: There’s more to come!
Paul pointedly denies that he has maxed out.
He has not leveled off on a spiritual plateau of non-development.
He knows he was not made perfectby any single experience.
He has grown in the Spirit, but the goal is still before him – not behind him.
He has reached the high plateau of super grace faith ... but his position still is not fully realized.
He knows the best defense against Satan ... is a good offense in learning the Word of God – in coming to a full understanding of what he has in Christ.
"..."But I press on..."
Paul is not discouraged, but encouraged.
And so should we!
He keeps up the chase.
We should too.
If so be that (ei kai). ‘I follow after.’
The "IF" that Paul uses here is a real question.
"IF I follow on" ... maybe I will ... maybe I won’t.
There is a choice here ... but Paul’s choice is made:
His conversion was the beginning, not the end of the chase.
He’s pursuing
· Knowledge of ...
. prayer with, and
· Fellowship in Jesus.
Paul is aiming at continued Spiritual growth and understanding right on into eternity.
3:13, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing..."
In the Greek, this is an extremely strong statement... "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"
Paul makes it quite clear to all of us who are in Christ with him,
. That he has not attained the highest level of perfection.
· That we can’t become righteous by keeping the law.
. That we should strive to learn more... share more... pray more... fellowship more... serve more.
We are the ELECT of God.
He has chosen us in Christ ... to have eternal fellowship with him.
Now, we are expected ... encouraged ... extolled ... to grow in grace and understanding.
It is the completed work of Jesus as our Christ that has made us worthy of God’s great love… and his many blessings.
Salvation is entry level Christianity.
Sanctification is journeyman level.
Our Goal: Is glorification! That is to be exactly like Jesus our Christ—totally given to the will of our Heavenly Father.
Let us turn loose of all that holds us back.
Let our Lord lift us to new heights—into the stratosphere of super grace… closer… ever closer… to him.
Let us pray.
