Philippians 3:9-15 NIV “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” https://bible.com/bible/111/php.3.9-15.NIV
Paul concludes this section of teaching by stating that all of us who are mature in Christ should believe and live as he described himself believing and living. It was thus the immature who would think and live differently. If they were immature, they would not be the teachers or leaders we would want to follow. What is this view Paul had that he lived? The belief is that he is saved by faith, that his righteousness before God comes by faith in Jesus, Who appropriated His righteousness to Paul as a gift triggered by faith in the love of God demonstrated by the work of God in Jesus at the cross. This faith in the pardon of God for his sins, paid for by the perfect life of God in Jesus, includes being possessed by God, having been purchased by the blood of Jesus the Savior. Being purchased by God means being under God’s authority to do God’s will and live the life God prescribes for all of us in Jesus. Paul now presses on in his faith, forgetting his past deeds, whether bad or good; they are forgiven, for Christ alone and His goodness save Paul, so that he strains forward to continue doing God’s work God’s way for the glory of God in Jesus. This view and life Paul commends to us, which is the understanding that salvation by faith in the completed work of Jesus means living now earnestly and passionately in obedience for the glory of the One Who loves us and gave His life for our salvation. Salvation is the work of God for us, so that we can work for God free from worry about our salvation. Are we saved? Are we working earnestly for God’s glory on earth as it is in heaven in the same manner as Jesus, Who gave His life for our salvation to do the will of God on our behalf?
RUN TODAY’S PLAY: Salvation by faith means living for Christ.