Paul opens the third chapter
of his epistle to the Philippians with these words, finally my
brethren rejoice in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord. Not in man, not in the flesh,
not in self, not in this world, not in your attainments, not
in anything you have done or can do, not in anything anyone
else has done or can do, but in the Lord. Finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord. For we are the circumcision which
worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in the flesh. He goes on, What things were
gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ? Yea, doubtless,
and I count all things but lost 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 done. that I may win Christ,
and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death. by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead. Paul's longing in this chapter,
that which springs forth from him, that which he longs for,
that which he stretches out for, that which he as it were is racing
to attain unto, is to be one with Christ, to
know Him, to know the power of His resurrection, to be one with
Him, to live with Him. It bursts forth in this chapter,
His great desire, His great longing. This man, this Pharisee of the
Pharisees, this one, this Israelite, this Jew, this Hebrew, this most
religious man who had everything in which he could trust in the
flesh outwardly, everything in outward religion that he could
claim and look to as something, as something in which he could
rest, as something in which he could have prides, This man renounced
it all, turned away from it all, counted it loss for Christ. He said I might also have confidence
in the flesh if any other man thinks he have whereof he might
trust in the flesh I more I was circumcised the eighth day of
the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the
Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting
the church touching the righteousness which is of the law which is
in the law blameless he stood outwardly But he'd come
to see that what things were gained to him in this world outwardly
in religion, he counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, he
says, I count all things but loss 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 done that I may
win Christ. God had changed him. God had
brought him to nothing. God had shown him that all his
religion did nothing but boost his own pride and self-glory. All that religion in which he
trusted kept him from God. We are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. He discovered it was a snare
to him, it was keeping him from God and he longed, he longed
to know God. He longed to be one with the
Father, he longed to know Jesus Christ. when Christ spake unto
him, when Christ arrested him on his journey to Damascus, when
as a Pharisee he sought to persecute the church, sought to put to
death those who followed this troubler in Israel, this man
Jesus Christ, this one who was turning his world Paul's world,
Saul's world upside down, when he sought to persecute the church,
thinking he did God's service, when in reality he was full of
hatred for God's anointed whom he sent into this world, God's
own son. Though Saul thought he did God's
service, God met him. on the journey to Damascus, Christ
met him. And when Christ spake out of
the heavenly glory unto Saul, for the first time in his life,
he came to see that his works, his religion, his righteousness
had kept him from God. But there was one in the glory
who could lead him. and bring him into heaven. Bring him unto the Father. Here was his salvation. Here
was his hope. Here was the righteousness of
God. Not in the law, but through the
faith of Christ. Here was all his hope. Finally my brethren rejoice in
the Lord, in the Lord. Paul longs to know the Lord and
he longs his hearers to know the Lord for he knows that there
is nothing, nothing in this world, nothing in religion worth having. but that true union, that true
communion, that true knowledge by faith of the Saviour, the
Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. That true experience of the power
of His resurrection, of everlasting life, of the righteousness of
God made to be His by faith. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. He has this within Him which
just wants to reach out beyond this natural realm unto the spiritual,
to break free of the bonds of this world, to turn from all
that is earthly unto that which is heavenly, to know and to commune
with God Himself and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And this
chapter bursts forth with this hope, this expectation, this
desire, this longing. It builds to a crescendo as the
chapter goes forth as he turns from the flesh, as he renounces
the flesh and sets all his being upon knowing Jesus Christ. He
ends in verse 20, our conversation is in heaven. From whence also
we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His
glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even
to subdue all things unto Himself. He's longing, He's looking unto
heaven, our conversation, our thoughts, Our being is in heaven. Yes, we're in this world. Yes,
we're on a pilgrimage here below. Yes, we live here. But our thoughts,
our minds, our desire is to know Christ in heaven, to be with
him. We're just passing through. And
one day, One day these vile bodies in which we live, these bodies
full of the flesh, full of sin, full of corruption, these bodies
which in the flesh war against the spirit, which cause us to
do those things we hate and prevent us from doing those things which
we love to do, these vile bodies, one day will be fashioned like
unto Christ's glorious body and we will be one like Him, one
with Him and with Him where He is. So brethren be followers
together of me, followers and walk and run as I do longing
to be one with Christ, longing to attain, looking up, worshipping
God the Spirit, rejoicing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence
in the flesh. Paul here looks back at his past,
his religious past and counts it all as nothing, as a hindrance
to attaining Christ. He wants to turn from it all
and to see and to know Christ alone. There is that within him
his faith which looks and longs to be with Christ. His faith
which looks for Christ, looks unto Christ, looks under his
forerunner in the faith. He is on this journey, in this
race pressing toward the mark as it were as he says in verse
14 in this race looking unto Jesus and this illustration of
a race which he brings in here is something which he speaks
of elsewhere which is spoken of elsewhere in the scriptures
in Hebrews that letter which has no author attributed to it
which of course many feel is Paul but whether it is Paul or
not it shares the same sentiment as Paul as here in Philippians
in Hebrews and chapter 11 we read of those who live by faith
and how they journeyed through this world as it were on a race
looking into heaven looking above resting and trusting in their
savior striving to attain to that which Paul strives to attain
here in Philippians. In chapter 12 of Hebrews we read,
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the
sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience
the race that is set before us. looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds, He hath not resisted unto
blood striving against sin, and he hath forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not
thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked
of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Yes, Paul is running a race.
and he's running a race in which he looks unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of faith, under his forerunner in faith. He's looking unto Christ as all
those in Hebrews chapter 11 looked unto Christ. And as they looked by faith,
And as Paul looks by faith, and as he exhorts us to look by faith,
he is pointing us to the one, the man, the just man, the example,
the pinnacle, the preeminent one who lived by faith. looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of faith it's Christ who is the author of faith it's
Christ who is the finisher of faith we have no faith by nature
except Christ give it unto us except God give it as a gift
unto us and the faith which he gives is that which the author
wrote, produced, created, set forth and delivered under his
people. Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of faith. The author, the captain it can
also be translated, the forerunner, the captain, the chief and the
object of faith. Jesus is both the author and
finisher of faith, he is also the chief of faith, he's the
captain, he's the forerunner, he's the one who went before
us by faith. And he is the object of our faith,
the one in whom we set our faith, the one unto whom we look. But he ran this race before us,
looking by faith. under His Father. And as we look
and trust in Christ so Christ looked and trusted in His Father. And as we run this race for the
joy that's set before us to be found in Christ through His death
and salvation so Christ ran the race for the joy that was set
before Him. and he endured the cross, despising
the shame, delivering his people, setting them free, justifying
and bringing in the righteousness of God for them, saving them
and as a consequence having done it all, having finished the work,
having brought in everlasting righteousness, he sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God. Oh what an author and a finisher
of faith Jesus Christ is. We look by faith, the patriarchs
look by faith. to the one who walked before
them in faith. And that is what Paul is telling
us. That's what the author to the
Hebrews is telling us. This great chapter, chapter 11
of Hebrews, which presents unto us faith and then illustrates
faith in action. through this record of all those
patriarchs and all those people who suffered and lived by faith,
merely sets the scene for that which is presented to us in chapter
12 following, for the one whom they looked unto. It rises up as it were from the
beginning of chapter 11, leading our view step by step to the
true example of the man of faith, the man Christ Jesus. Hebrews here isn't just presenting
us with Christ as the man for our faith to look on. But the
author of the Hebrews here, God the Spirit here, is presenting
us Christ. as the very one, the very example,
the very just man who lived by his faith, as the example given
to us who were likewise called in him to live by faith. For we cannot live by faith except
we are found in Christ. and we cannot walk by faith,
except Christ dwell in us. We have no faith, except God
causes us to be born again and God by His Spirit dwells within
us. We only have faith because God
has brought us unto life again by His Gospel. God has caused
us by a heavenly divine operation to be born again. and God has
come to dwell in us and it's because God dwells in us that
we have faith because Christ is the man of faith and our faith
cannot be separated from Christ himself or his life within it's
because he himself had faith that we have faith it's because
he dwells within us that we have faith He is the author and the finisher
of faith, the captain, the chief and the object. As Paul echoes in Philippians,
he counts all things but done, all things but lost that he may
win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law which is the only righteousness you can
strive to if you're not in Christ the only righteousness you can
have if you're not in Christ is that which you seek to produce
in your own strength by your own effort in the flesh taking
God's law and striving to attain unto its demands by your own
efforts. That's the only righteousness
you can have and when God looks at that righteousness however
zealous you may be in producing it, as Saul was, as Paul was,
Hebrew of the Hebrews touching the law a Pharisee concerning
zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in
the law blameless he had a righteous out conduct outwardly according
to the law but in God's eyes that righteousness was filthy
rags and Paul knew it He knew it was
done, he knew it was lost, he knew it kept him from God, but
he longed to win Christ and be found in Him, not having his
own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. He
knew there was a righteousness which came another way. and it
was to be found in Christ and Christ alone. He knew he could
not produce it, only Christ. He knew he could only receive
it through faith in Christ. But he also knew that that righteousness
was wrought and made to be his by the faith of Christ himself. That which is through the faith
of Christ the righteousness which is of faith. Now how did Christ
bring in this righteousness which Paul knew he needed for him? How did Christ by faith bring
in the righteousness of God which was made to be Paul's? How did
he? How did he? Through his death. Looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider
him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds. The example of the faith
which the author and finisher of faith showed forth, that act
of his faith, that manifestation of his faith, that pinnacle of
a life of faith, is that for the joy that was set before Christ
he endured the cross and despised the shame He endured the contradiction
of sinners against himself. He suffered the wrath of God
in the place of Paul. He suffered the wrath of God
in the place of sinners. Did he suffer the wrath of God
for you in your place? Did he when those sinners who
despised and hated him cried out away with this man crucify
him crucify him did Christ when he was led away and nailed to
a cross and lifted up in the midday sun did Christ take your
sins and bear them in his own body on the tree. Was Christ
made sin that you in him should be made the righteousness of
God? Did Christ take the cup of God's wrath and drink it to
the dregs for you? For the joy which was set before
him. What joy? the joy of delivering
that people whom He loved from all eternity, from their sins,
from wrath, from judgment and making them in Him to be the
righteousness of God, that joy of taking His bride, His people
who were full of sin and washing her clean and making her to be
without spot or blemish, that joy of taking that bride and
leading her to the right hand of God, to His throne and saying
unto His Father, this is the one, these are the people I love,
the one for whom I suffered, the one for whom I laid down
my life, that joy of being one forevermore with his people,
with an eternal inheritance which he's brought in for them, that
joy, that joy which caused him to suffer the cross, to suffer
the contradiction of sinners, to suffer the wrath of God because
he looked through it all by faith under his father and he trusted
in his father and he trusted as he went down into the abyss,
as he went down into the depths of the grave, as he went down
plunged under God's wrath and judgment, he trusted throughout
that God would do all that he promised, that in doing so he
would deliver his people from their sins, that in doing so
their sins would be blotted out, that in doing so he would take
them through the grave and would, with them, come out the other
side, rising again from the dead. living with them forevermore,
having them as his bride. He believed, he trusted, he knew
his father would not leave him in the grave. He knew he would
not, though at the time of the cross, though he felt the wrath
of God, though he felt forsaken, though he felt disgusted, though
he felt hated as he stood in a sinner's place, though he felt
the hand of his God and Father go out against him, he knew,
he believed, he trusted that the covenant would be fulfilled,
that his people would be saved and that the righteousness of
God would be brought in for them. This is where his gaze of faith
was set and this is what he endured by faith and it's for the joy
that was set before him that he endured it. To save his people
from their sins, to manifest the righteousness of God. to
manifest the righteousness of God. Paul wanted to be found
in Christ, not having his own righteousness which is of the
law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith. And it's this of which Paul speaks
in Romans. That great exposition of the
gospel, that great declaration of the saving grace of God, that
great presentation, of the need for righteousness and of the
bringing in of the righteousness of God at the cross through Jesus
Christ through his death. In Romans and chapter 3 Paul
having proved all men to be sinners, Jews and Gentiles alike, that
there is none good, no not one, there is none righteous, no not
one, there is none that understandeth, there's none that seeketh after
God. Having shown that the law had
stopped every mouth, that all the world may become guilty before
God. having shown therefore that by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his
sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. He goes on with these
triumphant words from verse 21 to say that being so nevertheless
but now but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. The righteousness of God without
the law apart from the law brought in on another principle by another
means. The righteousness of God without
the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets even
the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance
of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he
might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Christ has manifested the righteousness of God through his death through
the shedding of his blood apart from the law by his faith not
having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that
of the faith of Christ the righteousness of God That's what Christ did
at the cross, when he suffered under God's wrath, when God poured
out his judgment, when God judged his people's sins according to
his very own righteousness, that righteousness was manifested. Christ brought it forth. and
as his people were in him and as they were one with him and
judged according to that righteousness, that righteousness judged and
destroyed all their sins in him and made them in him to be that
righteousness, having blotted out every sin, having blotted
out every variation with that standard of righteousness, having
blotted out every spot and blemish, There was nothing left in them
in Christ but righteousness, the righteousness of God and
it was brought forth at the cross, exclusively at the cross. Yes
Christ, as the perfect man, as the Son of God, lived the life
in which he showed forth the righteousness of God. yes measured
by the law there could no fault be found in him but for his people
the righteousness of god had to be made theirs in him and
that came to pass at the cross when they were united with him
when they in adam were united with him, and their flesh was
judged in him according to this righteousness. Then the righteousness
of God was manifested, made to be theirs in him, and it was
made to be through his act of dying in their place through
the act of faith. Now the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested. Even the righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ, he brought it to light at the
cross in the gospel. This righteousness, the very
righteousness of God which transcends any righteousness ever seen performed
by man and transcends even the demands of the law which as it
were revealed a righteousness which God demanded of man in
this world but were just little lights little openings of a window
for the full unhindered unhidden the full revealed and manifested
righteousness of God as it is in himself. That righteousness
transcended even what the law demanded. Which is why that righteousness
was witnessed by the law and the prophets. The law gave us
an inkling of how glorious Christ and God is. Christ who is the
express image of God, it gave us a revelation of it, some sight
of it, some understanding. But when Christ came, the very
light of God stood in the presence of man. And when Christ died,
that light, that righteousness was made to be men's, was made
to be his people's, was made to be theirs, as he manifested
it under God's judgment. the law witness, the prophets
witness, the prophets spake of the coming of Christ, they spake
of the Messiah, they spake of the death of this one, they spake
of this priest, of this prophet, of this sacrifice, of this saviour,
of this deliverer, they spake of the redeemer, they spake of
the one who'd pay the ransom, they spake of Christ and they
spake of his death and they spake of his faith. through which the
righteousness of God was manifested. That's what Christ brought to
light, that which was once hid but which is now revealed, that
which was made to be Paul's, the righteousness which is of
Christ by faith, the righteousness which is through the faith. Jesus
Christ I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it's the
power of God under salvation for therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith as it's written the just
shall live by faith and the just Christ live by faith and all
his people who are made to be just and righteous in him live
by faith and which is why the righteousness of God is revealed
from his faith at the cross unto their faith when they're brought
to see and to believe in it. The righteousness of God from
faith to faith seen and manifested by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Oh consider this man the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Lord
Jesus Christ, He whom Paul longed to know and longed to know the
fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection,
this wonderful man whom he calls us to look unto, the author and
finisher of faith, this man of faith, consider this man, consider
his life, Consider his life of faith, his walk in this world,
his walk with his father, his perfect unerring trust of God
in all he said and did. Every day of his life when he
lived upon this world was a life of faith. All his speech, poured
forth the faith of God, all his speech showed forth a man, a
just man who lived by faith, one who could walk and look outside
of this world, one whose view was to view and to look under
heavenly things. Christ looked beyond the outward,
he looked beyond the physical, he looked beyond the angry, hateful,
contradictory faces of sinners and he looked up by faith under
his God. He was a man of faith. Consider
briefly seven aspects of Christ's life of faith. Firstly, He lived
by faith when he entered this world. He lived by faith when
he entered this world. As he came from heaven's glory
and humbled himself to enter this world, his entrance into
this world was an act of faith. As he was born a man he was born
as one. who intrinsically in his being. had to have faith that he should
trust in his father as he entered, as he left as it were the safety
of heaven's glory and came into this dark, evil and hateful world
of wickedness where he knew he would be hated and despised and
rejected of all men including his own, including the Jews,
rejected by his own and he knew that ultimately he'd be put to
death he had to enter, he had to live, he had to walk with
perfect trust in his father, perfect trust in the covenant,
perfect faith in his God. This is what Paul illustrates
in the second chapter of Philippians, before the chapter we've read.
let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who
being in the form of God fought it not robbery to be equal with
God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of
a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being found
in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father. But this one, the Son of God,
was born a man took upon him the form of a servant made in
the likeness of men and as such he humbled himself and in doing
so he entered this world by faith, with faith, as a child who grew
up by faith. For secondly we read as this
babe born in Bethlehem grew we read of his life, we read in
Luke chapter 2 of how he was taken by his parents to the temple
and how they left to go home again and they realized he wasn't
with them and after much search and eventually they found him
in the temple and were amazed Because it came to pass, after
three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst
of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions.
And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
And when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto
him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father
and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is
it that ye sought me? Wished ye not that I must be
about my father's business? And they understood not the saying
which he spake unto them. And he went down with them and
came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept
all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom
and stature and in favor with God and man. But they found him
in the temple about his father's business. about God's business
for this child that grew was a child of faith who looked beyond
this world who looked beyond his own natural family to his
father in glory Now most children would look and speak of their
mother and father as their earthly mother and father but this child
knew he had a heavenly father, this child knew his God and he
looked and trusted in his God by faith and even as a child
we see his faith bursting forth as he grows older and reaches
30 years of age when his ministry his public ministry as he goes
forth to preach the gospel in those years that lead up under
his death begins. We see how he's taken out and
tempted in the wilderness and satan tries to tempt him and
bring him to nothing in the wilderness and oh what an example of faith
we see as he's tempted. Satan comes unto him tries to
bribe him and deceive him. If thou will worship me the devil
says all shall be thine and Jesus answered and said unto him get
thee behind me satan for it is written thou shalt worship the
lord thy god and him only shalt thou serve. And Jesus rebukes satan and shows
his unwavering trust in his father. and despite the most taxing of
temptation. For these temptations, which
are early illustrated in the ways in which they're described,
are the greatest temptations that any man can be put under.
Satan promises Christ everything. He promises him an easy way out,
as it were, when Christ knew all along that he came and was
here to go to a place of execution to deliver his people from their
sins and he would not, he would not be dissuaded, be tempted
away from the purpose for which he came. His face was set like
a flint towards Jerusalem and his faith shone forth. Fourthly, we see his faith when
he was baptised. Matthew and chapter 3 he comes
unto John and is baptized of him. and speaks of the baptism
which Christ will have to endure Christ was baptized as a figure
of that baptism which he would undergo in death that baptism
of fire that he would undergo in death for his people and he
shows forth in willingly being baptized of John and by a figure
preaching the gospel unto all who have ears to hear and eyes
to see he shows forth his faith as he looks down through time
to that hour and that day in which he would be nailed to the
cross. Fifthly we see his faith when he goes forth preaching
the gospel, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Mark chapter
1, Matthew chapter 5 when he speaks and declares the gospel
and the righteousness in the gospel in Matthew 5 to 7 in that
great discourse known as the Sermon on the Mount. Oh the faith
that shines forth in his words. If you can but see it. O his
faith! Sixthly, we see his faith when
men reject him, when men try to stone him, when men try to
trap him in his word, when men show forth their hatred of him,
when disciples turn their back and left him, how often he was
hated and despised, how often he was rejected, how easily you
and I would crumble and falter if we walked in his shoes at
that time and yet he stood and he stood every day because he
looked and rested in his God. Men could do what they liked
under him but he knew he had a God in heaven who would sustain
him, who loved him, with whom he was one. and whose will and
purpose he had come to perform. Do you live to do the will of
God in heaven, the will of the Father? This is the will of the
Father that ye believe on his Son, that ye believe on him and
him whom he has sent. Well Christ believed on the Father
and we're called to believe on the Father and the one whom he
has sent in his name Jesus Christ. Oh the faith that Christ had
in his Father that he could stand and stand alone though all men
rejected him and in the end all men did reject him. We read as
he suffers and travails in Gethsemane, as he sees the hour of his death
approaching. We read of the travail of his
soul. He knows not just that he'll
die, not just that he must suffer for his people, but he knows
that the hand of God himself will go out against him. He knows
that his own father, whom he loves, will be turned against
him. He knows that he will be rejected,
he knows that he will feel to be forsaken by his father as
his father crucifies him and judges him and pours out his
wrath upon him for the sins of his people whom he bears. He says Abba father, Abba father,
the father I love, my dear father, Abba father, all things are possible
unto thee, take away this cup from me please. Nevertheless
not what I will but what thou wilt. everything in his fleshly
being, everything would cry out to be delivered from this under
which he must undergo, but nevertheless he can say by faith, and it's
only by faith, it's only faith that can endure this, it's only
faith that can say this, nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou
wilt. And so finally we see, seventhly,
his faith, when he was crucified, when he was led away, especially
in those accounts in Luke 22. And John in Luke 22, we read,
as he's led towards the cross, as he's tried before Pilate and
the people, and they try to despise him and find fault in him. They said, O art thou then the
Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say
that I am. And they said, What need we any
further witness? For we ourselves have heard of
his own mouth. We've seen him. We've seen him. We've heard him claim. But prior
in verse 69 he said, Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the
right hand of the power of God. You can do what you like to me.
You can accuse me of blasphemy for saying that I am the son
of God, but I am. And I will sit on the right hand
of the power of God, even though you put me to death. Even though. Oh, His certainty, His faith. Pilate therefore said unto him
in John 18, 37, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest
that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto
the truth. Every one that is of the truth,
heareth my voice. And when he was crucified and
suffered all, and the hours of darkness were complete and all
the sins of all his people had been washed away. Jesus therefore
having received the vinegar said it is finished. and he bowed
his head and gave up the ghost. That cry of faith, it finished
because he knew it was, he knew he'd done it all, he knew he'd
saved his people from their sins, he knew he'd delivered them,
and he knew as he went down into the grave that they were going
with him to rise again with him, to ever dwell with him in heavenly
glory. He knew he'd brought in the righteousness
of God for them. He knew they were His, He knew
that all was done, He knew that salvation was victorious. He knew that His faith had manifested
for them the righteousness of God. His faith never wavered. throughout his life, that perfect
sevenfold faith in every aspect, it never wavered and it brought
in that righteousness which Paul knew was his. It brought in through
his death and his resurrection that life, that everlasting life
which Paul longed for and knew was his in Christ. that which
caused Paul to cry out our conversation is heaven from whence also we
look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ because he's there
he died he rose he's in glory and one day from there he's going
to change our vile body that it may be fashioned like under
his glorious body. according to the working whereby
he is able to subdue all things unto himself he saved me Paul
cries out he saved me I'm one with him one with him forevermore
always to be with him never to be separated because I don't
have mine own righteousness which is of the law but I have in him
the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ,
have you? Has God given you the faith to
look unto the one who lived by faith and brought in the righteousness
of God by faith? For sinners, rebels like you,
has he given you faith? Are you in Christ? Are you rejoicing
in the Lord? Having no confidence in the flesh,
but worshipping God in the spirit. Do you rejoice in Jesus? Are you looking unto Jesus, the
offer and finisher of faith? Do you rejoice, rejoice in the
faith of Jesus Christ? Amen.