Now, we're turning again to Philippians
chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. Paul states here, we are the
true Israel of God in verse 3. We worship God in the spirit. That's our desire, to honor and
to worship God, to reverence Him. And we do rejoice in the
Lord Jesus Christ. We do glory in Him. And we as
believers, we have no confidence in the flesh. We draw no assurance
of salvation by looking inwardly. We look to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saving faith is always looking to Christ, looking unto Him.
It's coming unto Him. And then he says in verse 4 of
our text, if anyone had any reason that someone might glory in the
flesh, Old Solitarsus, he thought he had plenty of valid reasons
to trust in the flesh. And then he mentions this list
here of circumcision. Stock of Israel, tribe of Benjamin,
Hebrew of Hebrews. Touching the law, well, he was
a very strict, self-righteous Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church. Touching or concerning the very
righteousness which is in the law, Now, he said before he knew
what the law demanded, his estimation was no one could charge him with
violating the law, blameless. Oh, but verse 7, what a difference.
What things were gained to me, now I count them all lost, lost
because of Christ. The servant of God gives to us
his past religious credentials, very impressive to the flesh,
very impressive before man. But I know this, not before God. Not before God. I'll show you
good scripture. Hold your place there and find
Luke 16. Luke 16. Paul, before he met the Lord
Jesus Christ, was a very religious Pharisee. And our Lord said of
these Pharisees in Luke 16, verse 14, And the Pharisees also, who
were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. And he said unto them, You are
they which justify yourselves before men. But God knows your
heart. for that which is highly esteemed
among men." in the sight of God is an abomination in the sight
of God. You see, he looks not just on
the outward countenance, God looks on the heart. So what may
be impressive before men, all the religious credentials you
can gather up, in the sight of God they count for nothing whatsoever. Before Paul met the Redeemer,
before he knew the true Christ of God, he was proud of all his
religious accomplishments, wasn't he? He was so arrogant and so
proud, and that's what self-righteousness does. It causes you to think
high thoughts of yourself and look down your nose at everyone
else. You remember the Pharisee that
prayed in the temple, he said, God, I thank you, I'm not like
that man. I'm not like that old low-life
publican. He thought, O Saul of Tarsus,
he thought he was justified before God by his deeds. As we read in Galatians chapter
1, he said, I was very successful in my religious doings. And he
thought those things recommended him to God. He thought he gained
or merited God's favor by doing the law, what he thought he was
doing by keeping the law as best he could. Surely he even thought
his good deeds removed God's wrath and even earned him a right
standing before God. He thought he was actually justified
before God by the deeds of the law before he met the true Christ. But after he met the Redeemer,
after God unhorsed him and put him in the dust, and after God
taught him the gospel, oh, what a difference. What a difference.
Look at verse 7 again, "...but what things were gained to me,
now, now, those things I counted loss, loss, because of the Lord
Jesus Christ." What a difference. What a difference grace makes. What a difference the Gospel
makes. Turn to another Scripture here, another testimony that
Paul gives, 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy
chapter 1. Look at verse 12, 1 Timothy 1.12,
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who enabled me, for that
he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Paul certainly
wasn't seeking a church office, was he? Not at all. But God put
him in the ministry. Who was before? Now, notice his
language and his opinion of himself after he meets the Redeemer.
who was before a blasphemer. Well, Paul, I thought you said
he's blameless. That's before he met God, who was before a
blasphemer and a persecutor, one who brought injury. Injurious. But I obtained mercy. I obtained
mercy. He didn't earn mercy, did he?
Oh, no. He didn't earn mercy. He said,
although I did it ignorantly, I did it in unbelief. Verse 13,
And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant
with faith and love. with faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus. And this is a faithful saying,
and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, and I'm certainly the chief among sinners. I am the chief offender. No one
is as wicked." He felt this, and he knew this in his heart.
No one, he felt, is as wicked as I am. And yet he said, God
saved me, God had mercy on me. Everything he thought at one
time was an advantage that entitled him to glory, now he counts all
his religious past as nothing. Not plus, not a gain, but he
says now they're all loss. loss because of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now it's all grace and grace
alone. Now it's all Christ and Christ
alone. Now it's all mercy, not merit,
mercy and mercy alone. You see it. by His mercy that
we are not consumed, and it's sovereign mercy. God will have
mercy on whom He will. It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth, but it's God that would show mercy. Now, look at verse 8 in our text,
Philippians 3, verse 8, yea, doubtless, yea, doubtless. And
what he's saying here, without any doubt, beyond any speculation
or suspicion, yea, doubtless, I do, I count all things, everything,
loss. for the excellent knowledge of
knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, He is my Lord, He is my God,
He is my Savior, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things
and do count them, consider them but rubbish, rubbish, filthy
rags, worthless, chaps, stubble. I do count them but dumb that
I may win Christ, gain Christ, It is very true, he's saying.
I count all things lost compared to the overwhelming advantage,
priceless privilege of knowing, believing, and trusting this
Lord Jesus Christ. What a privilege! What a privilege
of knowing Him, having this gospel revealed unto his heart. Again,
another testimony, if you'll find II Timothy now. II Timothy. chapter 1, 2 Timothy chapter
1. And I believe this is the testimony
of every believer that God chose in that covenant of grace, that
every believer that God has called by His grace, for whom the Lord
Jesus Christ has died, for whom He saved, I believe they can
all say this with a measure of assurance and confidence as He
says here, 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 8. Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according
to the power of God." You see, it's God who saved us. It's God
who saved us. He saved us and He called us
with a holy calling, not Not this way, not according to our
works, but rather this way according to His purpose and grace. Underscore
those two words, God's purpose and His grace. He's married those
two together, purpose and grace. Everyone whom God wisely saves,
He saves on purpose. No accidents, no accidents in
salvation. He saves on purpose and He saves
by grace and grace alone. Now watch it. which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. You see, this grace
is eternal grace. It's irresistible grace. It's
electing grace. But now is made manifest by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death
and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Read on now, whereunto I am appointed
a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which
cause I suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. Again, he says he's not ashamed.
For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." This
is true of every believer. We have the same testimony of
Paul. It's God who chose us. It's God
who saved us. It's God who called us. It's
God who has quickened us. It's God who keeps us. All of
grace and grace alone. Now back to the text. Once a
sinner meets the Lord and is taught the Gospel and believes
the truth, we have no appetite, we have no desire for any preaching
that does not glorify Christ and abase the flesh. Do we? Not
at all. We cannot preach to the believer,
we cannot preach Christ too high, we cannot give him too much glory,
nor can we preach the sinner too low. I'd like to be guilty
of that, giving too much honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ,
and abasing us just as low as we can go, all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. We glory in the Lord Jesus Christ. All err, Pastor Mahan had this
statement I wrote down, all err in theology. Yeah, think with
me. All error in theology springs from making God less than He
is or making man more than He is. And that's true. I believe
that's a good statement. We can't preach Christ too high,
give Him too much honor, give Him too much glory, nor can we
abase us too low. All flesh is grass. There is
none righteous, no, not one. And that causes us to look to
Christ for all of our salvation. Now in verse 9, 10 and 11, here's
my three points. The believers threefold desire
that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ, the obedience of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by, and we can read it this
way, the righteousness which is of God by Christ. And it's received by faith, by
faith alone. Now here's our desire. Every
believer gains and receives much by being found in him. No wonder he says, oh, that I
may win him, that I may be found in him. You see, salvation is
in a person, in the Lord Jesus Christ. He that hath the Son
hath life. He that hath not the Son hath
not life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Now, oh, that
I may win Christ and be found in him. I'm not interested in
being in the right church. I'm not interested in the right ceremony. I'm not
interested in these things that people are so taken up with in
this day, in this religious day in which we live. I'm taken up
with one thing, and the believer is taken up with one thing, and
it's H-I-M. To be found in Him. I want to be found in Him. In
Him. He is life. He is salvation. Now notice this, he gives a negative
in verse 9. Not, not having my own righteousness
which is of the law. Do you ever notice in Scripture
how many times before he gives a positive aspect of salvation,
he gives a negative side. And often times, it's good to
know what salvation is not. What it's not. Now, notice this. Turn just a couple of pages back
to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8. Ephesians 2, 8. For by grace
are you saved through faith. Faith is the gift of God. And
that, it says, and that not of yourselves. There's that negative
again. Not of yourselves. Faith doesn't bloom in this old
wicked heart naturally. Unbelief and rebellion does.
Faith is a gift of God. For by grace are ye saved through
faith and that, not of yourselves, it is God's gift. And then verse
9, not of works. Not of works, lest any man would
glory in our works. And because we're so sinful and
so wicked, we would. We would glory. But God has so
fixed and designed salvation that none gets to glory but the
Lord Jesus Christ alone. So it's not, it's not, faith
is not of yourself. Salvation is not of works. Now
here's another good scripture. Turn over here to Titus. Titus
chapter 3. Titus chapter 3, now notice this
carefully. Oh, to be when Christ, to be
found in Him, not by works, not by what I do, but rather by what
Christ does. Now, notice this if you will.
Titus chapter 3, and let's begin reading at verse 3. For we ourselves
also were sometimes foolish, Disobedient, deceived. Now this
is the same man who said a little while ago he was blameless. Now
he's got opened eyes now. Now he says one time, I was foolish.
The fool has said in his heart, no, no God. Disobedient, deceived. Serving divers lust and pleasure,
living in malice, envy. He said, we ourselves. Envy,
hateful, hating God. That's what he's saying here,
hating one another. But, and this is a key word in Scripture,
B-U-T, but, but God. But after the kindness and love
of God, our Savior toward man appeared. Now it just excludes,
it excludes merit. He just blew that clear out of
the water. He said it's not by merit. I was disobedient and
foolish and hateful and hating, but God. He showed mercy. Now look at verse 5, "...not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration." That's
the new birth. That's of God. "...and the renewing
of the Holy Spirit which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." You see,
it's not by works. His hope of being found in Christ
was not by something he did or that he merited God's favor.
Pure mercy, undiluted mercy alone. Mercy cannot be merited. Merited
mercy is no mercy at all. That's wages for work, but salvation
is all of God's mercy. You see, that's our desire. Now,
back to the text. Oh, to win Christ, to be found
in Him, to gain Him, to be found in Him, not by what I do. But, you see that B-U-T again
in the middle of verse 9? that which is through the faith
of Christ, the obedience of Christ, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And through the Lord Jesus Christ, His obedience, we have the righteousness
which is of God by Christ Jesus, received by God-given faith.
But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith
He loved us, Even when we were dead and in sin, He quickened
us together by His grace. Now, turn back to Galatians and
find Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2. You see,
it's a righteousness worked out by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It's upon His obedience, His
death, and His glorious resurrection. Now, notice if you will, Galatians
2, look at verse 16. Knowing, you got it, Galatians
2.16, knowing that a man, a sinner, is not justified by the works
of the law. The law was never given to save,
it was given to condemn. It was given to expose our sin,
but it did nothing to put it away. Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ. Now, He honored the law of God
for us. It's through His obedience unto the law. He said, I didn't
come to destroy the law, I came to honor it. I came to magnify
the law of God. But by the faith of Jesus Christ,
the obedience of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in the
Lord Jesus that we might be justified by the faith of Him. The faithfulness
of Him, not by the works of the law. For by the works of the
law shall no flesh be justified. Mark it down. How many? None.
None. None. Now look at verse 21. Look
at verse 20 in the same text. He said, I'm dead to the law.
that I might live unto God. I through the law am dead to
the law that I might live unto God. Verse 20, I am crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave Himself for me." And you have a reference there, or
write this reference down, Revelation 1.5. Revelation 1.5, you remember
that song of the redeemed, unto Him who loved us and washed us
from our sin in His own blood, to Him be all the honor and glory
both now and forever? Now look at verse 21. This is
a key verse. One of my favorite verses, and
this is a key verse in the book of Galatians, Galatians 2.21,
Paul says, I do not frustrate, confuse, distort the grace of
God. For if righteousness comes some
other way than the Lord Jesus Christ, His life, His death,
His glorious resurrection, if righteousness comes by the law
or some other way, then his death is in vain. And we know his death
is not in vain. Oh, he accomplished all of God's
purpose in his glorious sacrifice for our sin. He put away our
sin by the sacrifice of himself. You see what he's saying here?
Now look back at the text again. No wonder we want to be found
in him. But that righteousness we have
which is through the obedience of Christ, the righteousness,
now watch this, the last part of this, verse 9. The righteousness
which is of God. Now, what is this justifying
righteousness that He freely imputes to us? What's the origin
of it? That word there, of, looks back
to the origin. It's of God. It's of Him. Salvation is of
the Lord. And our righteousness that justifies
the ungodly before God, that righteousness and that justifying
righteousness is of Him. Now, we see this all through
the book of Romans. Turn to Romans chapter 1. Romans
chapter 1, this righteousness which is of God. And this is
key, this is key. There's so many people that are
so ignorant, they're going about, and we'll read that in just a
minute, going about to establish a righteousness rather than receiving
the Lord Jesus Christ who is our righteousness, and this is
of God. Now notice Romans chapter 1,
and notice this key phrase now, righteousness of God. Now, he's
not talking about the essential character of God as holiness,
but this righteousness of God provided in the gospel, who is
a person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Lord, our righteousness. Now, Romans 1, 16, for I'm not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is a power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth. to the Jew and also to the Gentile,
for therein is the righteousness of God revealed." From faith
to faith. The justified, see verse 17,
the justified shall live by Christ. That's what he's saying there.
The justified live by Christ. Now, Romans chapter 3. Again,
this statement, this righteousness of God. Romans chapter 3. Again, verse 19. Romans 3, 19. But we know, now we know that
What thing soever the law saith? It saith to them that are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
may become guilty, guilty before God. That's what the law declares,
guilty, guilt, guilt. It condemns us as guilty sinners
before God's law. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, The righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Moses and Abraham had the same blessed hope we
have. Christ, our righteousness, even the righteousness, now watch
this, verse 22, even the righteousness of God which is by the faith
of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. 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 the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God set forth. He foreordained to be the satisfaction,
the propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness. for the remission of sins that
are past, His sacrifice 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, a just God and Savior,
and the justifier of Him which believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ."
Now here's another text, Romans 10. Turn over there, Romans 10.
No wonder Paul writes this in Romans 10, verse 1. Talking again
about the righteousness which is of God. Now you see what I'm
getting at here? This is so key to understanding
the gospel of God's grace. Romans 10, verse 1. Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel. He's talking
about that national people, those Jewish people. natural descendants
of Abraham, that they might be saved. Being a son of Abraham
in a natural way didn't do anything to foster or help their salvation.
For I bear them record, verse 2, Romans 10, that they have
a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They being ignorant
of God's righteousness. Now here we're talking about
the character of God. They were ignorant of God's holy character. And therefore they were going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted,
bowed to, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness."
Now, this is the righteousness of God. And that's the righteousness
we enjoy in the gospel in Christ Jesus. God made Him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Christ. Now look at verse four, for Christ
is the end of the law. He's the fulfillment. He's the
goal. He's the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. Oh, thank God. You see what he's
saying here? And this is all received by God-given
faith. Faith, now listen to me, faith
is a gift of God. Faith is not our righteousness.
Faith is not our righteousness, nor is it our redemption. Faith
looks to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our righteousness. Faith
is not the cause of our justification. Grace is the cause of our justification. It is Christ alone and grace
alone. that justifies us. But saving faith looks to the
Lord Jesus Christ who did justify us by His grace. Oh, you see
what they say? Look back at the text again.
Philippians 3, 9. Oh, to be found in Him. Oh, to
be found in Him. What a blessing. What a blessing
to be found in Christ. In Christ. Having that righteousness
freely imputed by His grace, the righteousness of God, which
is through the Lord Jesus Christ." That's my desire. That's my desire. It's a God-given desire. Naturally,
we don't desire those things. Not at all. It's a desire, the
fruit of this old fallen nature is blindness and darkness and
unbelief. That's what it is. That's me
by nature. And this desire that God gives
His people as a result of His grace, Him working in you. If
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, a new creation. All
things are passed away, and behold, all things have become new. We
see things in a new light. We've got life, eyes. Oh, and
we have a new desire. Our desire is Christ. Our desire
is Him. Now, here's the second thing
he says here in verse 10, that I won't be as long on these next
two verses. The second desire that the believer
has, he says here in verse 10, that I may know Him. That I may
know Him. We just read that, I know whom
I have believed. He did know him, but I tell you
what he's saying here, I want to know more about him. I want
to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh,
that I may know him. That I may grow in love, grow
in faith, and grow in understanding. Oh, that I may know him. Know
him. And the power, and he mentions
three things here, that I may know him, know more of him, the
power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering be
made conformable unto his death, that I may know him, know more
of him, and these three things he mentions here, the power of
his resurrection. What does His resurrection really
mean to me? What does it really mean to you?
He was delivered for our offenses and raised again because He justified
us. When did He justify us? Well,
at Calvary. He justified us. Delivered for our offenses and
raised again because He justified us. Oh, to know more of the power
of His resurrection. He said, because I live You'll
live. He said in Revelation 1.18, I
am He that liveth and was dead, behold I'm alive forevermore.
I have the keys of hell and death. He's in charge. He's the owner.
He has ownership of all things. He lives. He ever lives to make
intercession for us. When you sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ, who is our Righteousness before
God. We have an advocate. Oh, to know
more of the power, the aspect of everything that's involved
in His resurrection. If He's not raised from the dead,
Our faith is vain, our preaching is vain, and we're yet in our
sin if He be not raised up. But my friend, He is. He's raised
up and He's seated in the heavenlies with all power, with all authority. Oh, to know more. You see what
He's saying here? I know Him. But I want to know
more about His resurrection glory. I want to know more of all the
aspects involved in what His resurrection really means to
me. And then the second thing he mentions here, oh, the fellowship
of his sufferings. To know something of his suffering,
something of his agony, something of the fruit and the aspect of
that glorious atonement he made on behalf of his covenant people.
To know something of that suffering, something of his sacrifice and
participation of the blessings of the blood atonement of the
Lord Jesus Christ. To know more. of all the aspects,
the glorious aspect, how he put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself, how he appeared once in the end of the age to put
away sin by our great high priest who didn't bring the typical
animal sacrifice, did he? He brought His own blood. He suffered the wrath of God
taking our sin unto Himself, our sin being reckoned to Him.
God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. And by the wrath of
God, finding complete satisfaction with His suffering, with His
death, He put away all our sin. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses
us from all sin. Oh, to know more of the cleansing
power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. How it justifies,
how it reconciles us unto God by His suffering. You see what
he's saying here? To know more of that resurrection. to know
more of that glorious blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here
in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and
He sent His Son to be the satisfaction for my sin. Oh, that's my hope. And then thirdly, he mentions
to know more, to know more of His resurrection power, to know
more of the glory of His suffering, to know more of His atonement,
and then thirdly, being made conformable unto His death. And
I think here it is talking about submission. No one could turn
him away from doing the Father's will. He was obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross, and God works that in us to know
more of that, to be willing to stand for the gospel and to contend
for the gospel at all costs. I think that's what he's saying
here. Oh, to know more, to know more about standing and contending
for the gospel as did our Lord Jesus Christ. I think about them
old martyrs. who went to the stake, burned
to death because they would not back down. All they had to do
was recant. to deny the gospel, and they'd
walk home a free man. But they refused to do so, and
they went to their death, burning to death for the gospel. I tell
you, that's submitting, isn't it? Submitting and not being,
not caring what this world says and what this world does, but
taking a stand for the gospel like the Lord Jesus said, my
face is set like a flint, it cannot be moved, it cannot be
turned. Oh, to know more. I want to know more about that
kind of commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you? That's
what he says here. That's the believer's desire.
That's the second thing he says then in closing, verse 11. If
by any means, if by any means, I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Oh, by any means, and by all
means. What are the means that we might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead? All the means that
God has ordained in the gospel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
By all the means God has ordained to a glorious resurrection. God
has predestinated the end, but never forget, He's also predestinated
the means to reach that end. And it's through the gospel.
The means that He has given to us that we might have a glorious,
resurrected body just like the Lord Jesus is the gospel itself. The means He has ordained, Christ
crucified. He said, He's the just suffering
for the unjust that He might bring us unto God. through His
death. These are the means that God
has ordained. How about His glorious resurrection as we just talked
about? These are the means that He has ordained. You see, it's
not by means or illegitimate means, but by the means that
God has ordained for us. if by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead." Christ crucified, Christ
risen, Christ exalted, exalted to the right hand of God, seated
at God's right hand, Christ enthroned, and the Lord Jesus Christ coming
again, coming again. Now, I want you to find I John
3. This is our desire, oh, to be
like Him. to be in Him, to know more of
Him, and to be like Him. Notice if you will, 1 John 3.
1 John 3, verse 1. 1 John 3, verse 1. Behold what
manner of love, You talk about love. Here it
is. What manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons of God? Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now, right now are we
sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be. But we know this. We know that
when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see
Him as He is. Now, turn back to Philippians
chapter 3, and let's read verse 20 and verse 21. You see, we
have already experienced a spiritual resurrection, being raised from
the dead spiritually, but by His grace we're also going to
experience a bodily resurrection. He bought us body, soul, and
spirit. He's going to give us a new body.
We're predestinated to be conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Who
doesn't want to be just like Him? That's what predestination
is all about. Being conformed to Christ. Being made just like
the Lord Jesus. Look what it says here in Philippians
3.20. For our conversation, our conduct, our citizenship, rather,
is in heaven. From whence also we look for
the Savior, 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." I tell you one
day, my friend, I'll be through with this body of flesh, this
old vile, wretched body of flesh, and I'll worship Him like I want
to. I'll love Him without sin and
worship Him without sin in that glorious a body resurrected,
made just like the Lord Jesus Christ, and will sing around
the throne of glory, worthy as a lamb that was slain, to receive
all honor, blessing, glory, and power, both now and forever. David said of that day, as for
me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, and I shall be
satisfied when I awake with his likeness. Won't that be a glorious
day? I tell you, that's what predestination
is all about. God's predestinated to make a
heavenly people just like the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God
for His predestinating grace. If by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead. Oh, that's the power of
God, is it not? That's the power of God. Well,
I pray the Lord will bless that to your heart Maybe He'll inflame
your heart with assurance and confidence in Christ as He did
with me these many years. And as you seek Him, and I pray
the Lord will give you grace to look at these verses again
and find comfort and assurance in the Lord Jesus Christ.