Now Philippians chapter 3. I'm going to move right along
tonight with this Bible study because I would like to cover
the entire 21 verses. And we'll try to touch the high
points. I'll try to give you what I believe God has given
to me. Now Paul begins this chapter
with a statement which is the theme and the watchword of every
believer, of every true Christian. He says, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. That's the watchword. That's
the theme of every believer. One version has it, rejoice in
our Lord. Rejoice in the greatness of His
person. He's the very God of very We
rejoice in the fitness or fullness of his incarnation. He was made
flesh, perfect man. We rejoice in the sufficiency
of his righteousness. He who knew no sin was made sin
for us that we might be made the righteousness, the perfect
righteousness of God in him. We rejoice in the power of his
blood. The blood of Christ is able to
cleanse you from all sin, John said. We rejoice in the glory
of his intercession. He ever liveth to make intercession
for us. So this is the theme. This is the watchword of every
believer. Rejoice in the Lord. And then
notice this statement here. To write the same things to you. That is to be repetitious. To preach the same thing. To
write to you the same things that I taught you when I was
with you in person. to me indeed is not grievous,
that is, it's not irksome, as one translation put it. I don't
mind repeating the message over and over again. Another author
said it was not tiresome to Paul to preach the same message over
and over again. He rejoiced in repeating it. He rejoiced so in the gospel
of Christ that he said on one occasion, I determine to know
nothing among you save Jesus Christ. and Him crucified. And
He says, for you to repeat this message of Christ over and over
again, to you it's saved. It's a precaution. It'll keep
your mind on the true foundation. It'll keep you from the error
of false teachers that He's about to warn us of. And then it'll guard us against
self-righteousness, to keep coming back to the cross. to keep coming
back to Christ, to keep coming back to the substitutionary work
of our Savior, will guard us against self-righteousness. Now
notice verse 2. He says, Beware of dogs. Who's
he talking about here? Dogs? He calls them dogs. He calls them evil workers. He
says, Beware of the concision. Now notice this. These are the
teachers who insisted on imposing the works and ceremonies of the
law. Now this second verse is a key,
it's a vital key to this whole third chapter. Paul's going to
talk more about it, then he's going to illustrate it, then
he's going to come back and warn us about it, then he's going
to come at the end of the chapter and visit with us again on this
very subject right here. Beware of those Judaizing teachers. who insist on imposing the ceremonies
and works of the law, particularly circumcision on Gentiles, as
necessary for salvation. These are the teachers who want
to go back to the ceremonial law, who say, all right, believe
on Christ, all right, believe the cross, all right, believe
in the substitutionary work of Christ, but also you must keep
the law. You must be circumcised. You
must keep the Sabbath day. You must do all of these different
things. Paul said, you beware of these dogs. Now why does he
call them dogs? He calls them dogs for three
reasons. Number one, he calls them dogs because they have returned
to the ceremonial law like the dog returns to his vomit. That's
a scriptural term. He calls them dogs because of
their greediness. They're greedy for self-glory.
They're greedy for self-gain. And he calls them dogs because
the Scripture says, without are dogs. That is, without the kingdom
of God, without the house of God. They're dogs because they
return to the ceremonies. They're dogs for their greediness,
and they're dogs because they're outside the house of God. Paul
wasn't very gentle with false teachers. He wasn't very gentle
with those who were preaching contrary to the gospel. He says,
let them be accursed, even if it be an angel from heaven. Now,
I know we're tolerant in this day, and we're very gentle with
people whom we know to be false preachers and false teachers,
but Paul wasn't gentle with them. He called them dogs. He called
them evil workers. He calls them evil workers because
they're deceitful people. They work from bad principles.
Their motives are bad. And then this concision. Now,
the word concision here is cutting of the flesh. And the concision
is the mutilation, one scripture puts it. Now listen to me just
a moment. Circumcision back in the Old Testament was commendable
because it was a fulfilling of the law. God gave circumcision
to Abraham, and to those who followed him as a token of the
covenant. It distinguished believers from
non-believers. It distinguished the Jews from
the Gentiles. It distinguished the people of
God from the people who were not of God. And it was commendable. Also, circumcision for health
purposes and for proper reasons is commendable. But in this case,
Paul calls it a mutilation of the flesh. In other words, as
a way of salvation. as a way of acceptance with God,
adding to the cross and to the work of Christ, it's nothing
in the world Paul calls it but a cutting of the flesh and a
mutilation of the flesh, and that's what he calls these people.
He says they're dogs, they're evil workers, and they're those
who go about mutilating the flesh. That's all in the world they
are. And the people he's speaking of here, and as I say, the whole
chapter revolves around this around this particular theme.
The people he's talking about are those who go back to the
law and back to the ceremonies as necessary for salvation. Now
look at verse 3. We are the true circumcision. We Christians, we believers,
we are the true circumcision. They have the name. These Judaizers
have the name. They have the form. They have
the outward sign. We have the fulfillment, Paul
said. We are actually of the circumcision. We are the true
circumcision. It's the difference between having
an Old Testament lamb and having Christ. That's the difference.
What these men have in their ceremonies of religion and in
their rituals and in these different things like circumcision, they
have the form. They have the outward sign, they
have the name, but as John Gill said, we have the thing. We have
the fulfillment. And it's the same difference
between having a lamb, an Old Testament lamb, and having Christ.
True circumcision is of the heart. It's not in the flesh. It's being
pricked by the Holy Spirit. True circumcision is a renouncing
or cutting off of our own righteousness and receiving the righteousness
of Christ as acceptance with God. True circumcision has its
source or its seat in the heart and in the spirit, not in the
flesh. So Paul says they're not even
the circumcision. They're not even Israel. All Israel is not Israel. And
they're not even Israel, he said. They're not even the people of
God. They're not even the circumcision, though they have the outward
form. We are the circumcision, and
who are we? Look at the next three statements.
We are the true circumcision who worship God in the Spirit. We draw nigh to God with the
heart, not just with the body. Christ said, you call me Lord
with your lips, but your heart's so far from me. You draw near
to me or nigh to me with your bodies and with your hearts,
and you go through all of these motions, but your hearts are
far from me. And we are the circumcision,
first, who worship God in the spirit and in the heart. Secondly,
who rejoice in Christ Jesus, in his grace, in his love, in
his mercy, in his redemption, in his blood, in his intercession,
in his coming again. We rejoice in Christ. And then,
what's this? We are the circumcision who have
no confidence in the flesh, none at all. We have no confidence
in any carnal descent. We have no confidence in any
tribe or race. We have no confidence in any
family or people. We have no confidence in any
ceremony or any law, moral or ceremonial. We have utterly and
absolutely no confidence in anything outside of Christ. We trust nothing
and no one but Jesus Christ the Lord, and we are of the circumcision,
he said. We are the true believers. We
worship God in the spirit, not in the outward form. We rejoice
in Christ Jesus in his sufficiency. And we have absolutely no confidence
in the flesh. None. Now, this is beautiful,
the next few verses. Now Paul says, I might, though
I might also, if you're going to put any, if you're going to
put any, any emphasis on this circumcision deal, on this being
a Jew, according to the flesh, and keeping the law, and obeying
the ceremony, if you're going to put any emphasis on that,
Paul said, if that contributes anything to salvation, if anybody
can have any confidence in the flesh, he said, I can. I can. Read on. If any man thinketh
he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. I more. If any man, if any man can put
any value upon his descent, upon his family ties, upon his ceremonies,
has any reason for trusting in the flesh, or boasting in the
flesh, or depending on the flesh, or having confidence in the flesh,
Paul says, I'll go one step beyond every one of them. Now look at
the next two verses. I was circumcised the eighth
day of the stock of Israel, not an
Ishmaelite, I'm not from Ishmael. I'm not an Edomite. I'm an Israelite,
Paul said. I'm of the stock and race of
Israel. Thirdly, I'm of the tribe of
Benjamin. This was the tribe that came
from the true union between Jacob and Rachel. This is not Lee's
son. This is Rachel's son, Benjamin. Benjamin was Rachel's son. This
was Jacob's bride by his first choice. And this was also the
tribe, along with Judah, the tribe of Judah, which kept the
true worship when the other ten tribes went off, when they rebelled,
when they revolted. Benjamin and Judah kept Jerusalem. And I'm, he said, of the tribe
of Benjamin. And then fourthly, he says, I'm
a Hebrew of Hebrews. My mother was a Hebrew and my
father was a Hebrew. Some of these Israelites, their
daddies were Israelites and their mothers were Gentiles. But he
said, I am a Hebrew of Hebrews. And he said, as touching the
law, I am a Pharisee. Now the strictest sect of all
the Jews were the Pharisees. They were held in the greatest
esteem. When Christ condemned them, the
disciples, even the followers of the Lord Jesus, said, well,
if these men aren't saved, who can be saved? And then he said,
concerning zeal, why he said, my zeal for the ceremonial law
was so great it led me to destroy the church. I set out to destroy
the church. Touching the righteousness which
is in the law, what the law required in the eyes of men and God, he
said, That is their interpretation, now not the Holy Ghost interpretation. But as touching the law interpreted
by the scribes and Pharisees and the rulers of Israel, Paul
said, I was blameless. Blameless. Now get the picture
here. These teachers who came from
Judaism, and they had gotten into the early church, And they
were saying to the believers, they were saying, now, yes, you
believe Christ died, and you believe that He's the Son of
God, and you believe the apostles, but now you've got to be circumcised
to be saved, and you've got to keep the holy days, and you've
got to keep the ceremonial law, and you've got to go through
the different rituals. These things are important. And Paul
comes along and says, now, if you can put any stock in those
things, he said, I can, more than any of you, because He names
these things that he was, and then listen to what he says about
them. But what things, verse 7, were gained to me, that is,
these things that I've just mentioned, that I thought were necessary
to salvation, these things that I thought were necessary for
acceptance with God, these things in which I put so much confidence,
they were gained to me, they were important to me. They were
their life to me. They were religion to me. I count
them lost for Christ. No salvation in it. Paul saw
all these things as utterly worthless in themselves. Worthless. They were everything to him once,
and now they're nothing to him. Absolutely nothing. I count them
but lost. Well, listen to verse 8. He puts
it a little stronger. Yea, doubtless I count all things
but loss. Not only the things I've mentioned,
being a Hebrew of Hebrews and circumcised the eighth day of
the race of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin and a Hebrew of Hebrews
and a Pharisee and is touching the law blameless, But I count
the whole compass of learning, of honor, of reputation, of worldly
substance, of comforts, even life itself, and even my so-called
righteousness before conversion and after conversion. I count
all things but loss. Everything. I count them but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord. for whom I've suffered the loss
of all things, and I have. I've turned my back on them,
Paul says. I've lost all things. I've lost my rags of righteousness,
and I've gained his spotless robe. I've lost my ceremonial
bondage, and I've gained his precious freedom. I've lost my
false peace that I put on the front, which I put up for everybody
else, and I've gained real inner peace with God. I've lost my
death, and that's what it is. It's walking either in worldly
death or religious death, and I've gained his life. I've lost
my pretended glory, and I've gained his eternal glory. I count all things but dumb,
less than nothing, rubbish, that I may win Christ and be found
in him. I want you to notice this. statement
here in verse 8, the latter part, that I may win Christ. The word
there is that I may gain Christ, that I may gain Christ and be
found in Him. To be found in Him is to be considered
in Him, to be positioned in Him. to be seated in Him, to be accepted
in Him, for He of God is made unto us. All we need, all of
the righteousness and sanctification and redemption and wisdom that
I need is in Christ. And Paul said, I put all these
things aside, and I count all these things but done, that I
may gain Christ and be found in Him. Now watch this, not having
mine own righteousness." Now, why does he call it his own?
And this was the righteousness he had, which is of the law.
He calls it his own. That is, it was his own because
it was a righteousness which was worked out in his own strength.
It was a righteousness which was performed by his own efforts.
It was a righteousness that he claimed in obedience to a moral
law and to a ceremonial law, and of which Isaiah said, it's
filthy rags. Filthy rags. He said, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but I want to
be found in Christ and have that righteousness, that righteousness
which is through the faith of Christ. That righteousness which
is of God by faith. Paul talks about it in Romans
3. Turn back here a moment. In Romans chapter 3. This perfect
spotless righteousness is ours not by works but by faith. It
comes to us not through our own efforts but as God's gift. Listen
to Romans chapter 3 beginning with verse 20. 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. even the righteousness
or holiness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all
and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference."
I don't want to stand before God, Paul said, clothed in my
own righteousness. I want to stand before the Father
robed in and clothed in the perfect righteousness of His Son I don't
want to be found in my own righteousness which is filthy ragged, worked
out by my own efforts and by my own hand. I want to stand
in that righteousness which I received just by believing in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Verse 10, that I may know Him. Now the next three verses. I'm going to give you a completely
different translation and a completely
different picture than I think that you've had before or perhaps
you've read before. But I want you to stay with me
now just a moment. This is a little difficult, and
let's really put everything out of our minds and look at this
now carefully. I'm going slow, and I want you
to ask the Holy Spirit of God to give me much wisdom here and
give you clear understanding of what Paul's talking about.
I don't want to just follow a system. I want to know what Paul's talking
about here. I want to know exactly what he's talking about. Let's
look at it now. Oh, that I may know him. Now Paul knew Christ. We know that he knew him. He
said, I know whom I have believed. I'm persuaded he's able to keep
that which I've committed to him against that day. He knew
Christ. But he wanted to know more of Christ. That's what he's
talking. He's talking about growing in
the knowledge of Christ. My knowledge of Christ is far
from a perfect knowledge. I want to know more of His grace,
and more of His mercy, and more of His person, and more of His
love. Don't you? I want to grow in
the knowledge of Christ my Lord. I want to know Him better. Now we know each other, we've
been together for years, but we're going to know each other
even better as the years go by. The more we're with one another,
the more we reveal ourselves to one another, the more we're
going to know each other. And the more I walk with Christ,
and the more I live in His Word, and the more I live in meditation
and prayer, and the more I come to His house and visit with His
people and sing, the more I'm going to know Him. Oh, that I
may know Him, that I may grow in a knowledge of Christ. Now
let's move on. and the power of his resurrection. The word
power here is virtue and the virtue or benefits that arise
from his glorious victory. What are these virtues? What
are these benefits? Regeneration, justification,
the curse removed, the love of God shed abroad in our hearts
for the Holy Spirit, a hatred for sin, a love for holiness,
a love for his people, patience, faith, meekness, gentleness. This is the virtue, this is the
power of the resurrected life. And you're going to notice in
these next few verses, Paul is not talking about the resurrection
from the grave. He's talking about a resurrection
from the deadness of the world and the deadness of religion
and the deadness of the flesh. He's talking about walking and
living a resurrected life on this earth. That's exactly what
he's talking about in these verses. Now, let's listen to it. Oh,
that I may know him, that I may grow in a knowledge of him, that
I may know, that I may enter into. the virtue and power and
benefits of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death. Oh, he said that I may
enter into his sufferings in spirit into his sufferings in
soul and body, not just as a basis for going to heaven, not just
as a basis for missing hell, but that I may enter into, by
soul and spirit and heart and fellowship, into his sufferings,
and into his victory, into his resurrection." That's what he
was talking about when he said, I'm crucified with Christ. Now,
I'm not dead. But in the sense in which Paul
is talking, he said he was dead and crucified with Christ. Nevertheless,
I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me in the life which
I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith and by the
fellowship and by a vital union with the living Christ who loved
me and gave himself for me. I am risen with Christ. How can
I be raised when I've never died? We've died spiritually and we've
been raised spiritually. And that's the life he's talking
about right here. Read on. In other words, this
is what he's saying. We're not talking about the resurrection
of the body, which is going to come. But we're talking about
rising with Christ to walk in newness of spirit, in newness
of life, in newness of attitude. That's what he's talking about
here. To walk with God. to verse 11, if by any means,
that is, if possible, I might attain unto this resurrection
of the dead. Here's what Paul is saying here.
The world is dead. The religious world, the political
world, the social world, the scientific world is dead. Dead while it lives. The flesh
and all that's part of it is dead. In Christ there's life. Real life. In Christ there's
real love. In Christ there's real holiness. In Christ there's real communion
with God. Not in the world. In Christ there's
real righteousness. Perfect righteousness. And Paul
said, this is what I want. I want to be like Christ. By
whatever route and by whatever means, if by any means, By whatever
means God chooses to bring me to this life, this is what I
want. I don't want to be like the dead,
I want to be like Christ. like Christ in his attitude,
in his spirit, and in his heart. If by any means I might attain
unto this spiritual resurrection, unto this moral resurrection
that lifts me out of a deadness of spirit and a deadness of attitude
and a likeness to this world, I want a taste of the fellowship
of his suffering. and the virtue and power of his
risen, resurrected, glorified life. Now what's the next line? He says, how do you know he's
talking there about this? Because he says, verse 12, not
as though I'd already attained it. I haven't, he says. This is the apostle now. This is not your pastor. This
is not your elder, your deacon, your church member. This is Paul
talking. He said, I haven't yet attained
this. I'm not already perfect. Not
yet. I'm not yet perfect. I haven't
attained this. This is my desire. This is the
beat of my heart. This is the goal of my very life. This is the goal of my faith,
to be like Christ. I want to win Christ and be found
in Him. I want to know Him. and the power
of his resurrected life and the fellowship of his sufferings.
And I want to be conformed to his image. I want to walk in
newness of life and a resurrected life. I haven't already attained
this. I'm not already perfect. But I'm pursuing it. I'm longing
to lay hold on it. Look at verse 12. I follow after,
that is, I press on. I long to apprehend or lay hold
on that for which I have been laid hold by Christ Jesus." In
other words, this is why Christ saved me, he said. This is why
the Lord purchased me. This is what the Lord intended
for me. This is what the Lord bought
for me on Calvary, that I might walk with him. The Lord didn't just go down
and pay my bill to keep me out of hell and get me out of jail.
He purchased for Himself a different people, a peculiar people, zealous
of good works, who longed to walk with Him and fellowship
with Him and live for Him. This is what He bought for me.
This is why He laid hold on me. This is why I'm apprehended of
Christ. This is why on the road to Damascus
he stopped me, that I might enjoy the virtue of his resurrection
and the fellowship of his suffering. Brethren, verse 13, I count not
myself to have apprehended to lay hold upon this which I desire
and this for which my heart beats. And this which I long for, but
this one thing I do. I'm forgetting those things which
are behind. Paul says, I'm not what I ought
to be. John Newton claimed this. I'm
not what I ought to be, I'm not what I want to be, I'm not what
I'm going to be, but I'm not what I used to be. And I'm forgetting
those things which are behind. All that I mentioned back here
in verse 5 and 6, circumcised the eighth day of the stock of
Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews, forgetting
all those things which are behind. And forgetting those things which
happened last year. Forgetting the victories and
forgetting the defeats and forgetting the works and the labors since
conversion. I forget those things which are
behind. And I reach forth. unto those
things which are before. Daily blessing and daily light.
I'm walking right now and I'm reaching forth for those things
that God has in store for me. Like a runner in a race. Here's
a man on a mile run. He's not interested in how far
he's come. He's not interested in the fact
he was leading at the quarter pole or the half pole or the
three quarter pole. He's not interested in that.
He's not interested in how fast he ran, did run, or how far he
was ahead. He's interested in how he's doing
right now. And he's interested in what's ahead. And that's what
Paul says here. I'm forgetting those things which
are behind, and I'm pressing toward the mark for the prize,
verse 14, of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We're
talking here now of that incorruptible crown of life. That incorruptible
crown of glory. that incorruptible crown of righteousness. This is the end of our faith
and the goal of our grace, and it's to be exactly like Christ.
And Paul said, that's that prize that I'm pressing toward, that
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now look
at verse 15. Let us therefore, and that's
the people I'm talking to here tonight, Let us therefore as
many as be perfect. And you've got to watch this
word perfect in the scripture. Here it means mature. Let us
who are spiritually mature. Because Paul just got through
saying that he wasn't perfect. He said back here in verse 12,
I'm not already perfect. And he's down here, the translators
just mistranslated here. Let us therefore as many as be
mature. be thus minded, and hold to these
convictions." What convictions? Here they are. To count all things
but dumb except Christ. To be willing to suffer the loss
of all things for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. To
desire to be found in Him and seated in Him and accepted in
Him. To disclaim all personal righteousness
in order to be clothed with His righteousness. To disclaim all
perfection, but to aim for it. To desire above all things to
be like Christ in our attitude, and in our thoughts, and in our
affections, and in our faith, and in our humility, and in all
of these fruits of God's Spirit. And to press forward towards
that incorruptible crown, Paul said, let every one of us who
are mature, and that's who's here tonight out of the 13th
Street Baptist Church, those who are mature, he said, let
every one of us be of the same mind in this thing. Now look
at the next line, and if anything, if in anything you're otherwise
minded, if you have any other attitude about it, Paul says,
God will reveal it to you. God will reveal it to you. God
will reveal even this to you. He'll reveal it to you here by
His grace or He'll reveal it to you in the judgment. God will
show you what's important. God will show you who is vital
and who is necessary. He'll reveal this to you. Verse
16, Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us
walk by the same rule. Now this is what that means.
Let's walk in the life that we have. the light we've already
received. Let's walk in it. Don't be foolish
enough to reach back. Don't be foolish enough to sit
down. Don't be foolish enough to go back to beggarly elements.
Order your life by the knowledge of Christ which you already have. And brethren, verse 17, be followers
together with me. with me." Now, Paul never desired
that any man should follow him as the head of a party. He said,
follow me as I follow Christ. But Paul condemned people who
followed men. He said, some say, I am of Cephas,
and I am of Apollos, and I am of Paul. He said, who are they?
But only ministers by which you heard the gospel. But he did
want these people to have the same goals with him. Be followers
together with me of Christ. He follows us together with me. Believers should encourage one
another. They should be an example to
one another, especially in these things that we're talking about
now. In verse 18, he goes back to these evil workers, these
dogs, as I told you he would. For many walk, of whom I've told
you often, and I now tell you even weeping, that they're the
enemies of the cross. They despise the cross. They
sought ways to shun the cross by requiring circumcision in
the law. Look back at Galatians chapter
6. Here they are in Galatians chapter 6 verse 12. Paul said,
As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain
you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ. That's their enemy, it's the
cross of Christ, and they're enemies of the cross of Christ.
And verse 19 says, these men, their end is destruction, their
God is their belly, their glory, the thing in which they glory
is their shame, and they mind earthly things, earthly ceremonies
and fleshly things. But verse 20, our conversation
Our citizenship and our interest is in heaven. In Christ we are
sons of God. We are seated in him. We are
heirs of eternal glory. And we patiently await. We look
for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. We await his return.
All we are and have is in him. And he shall complete that work
which he has already finished in the purpose and mind of God.
by changing our vile bodies into the likeness of His glorious
body. And He'll do it according to
the working whereby He is able to subject all things unto Himself. Our Father, bless the Word tonight.
We're thankful for this chapter. We believe in our hearts that
this is our hope. We renounce all things. We renounce our own works and
labors and righteousness, yea, even our repentance and our faith. We renounce all these things
as loss and less than nothing that we may win Christ and be
found in Him, that we may gain Christ and not have our own righteousness
but his, that we may be covered by the blood, that we may be
seated in Christ our substitute, that we may find in Christ all
that we need—wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
Our Father, let us dismiss from our mind any foundation any hope, any refuge, anything,
any experience, or feeling, or ordinance, or doctrine, yea,
even this blessed book which we treasure, and this blessed
fellowship in this church, and the sweet experiences which we
have had in thy mercy and in thy grace, in Christ we live. In Christ we live, and in Christ
alone. In Christ we're accepted. In
Christ we're cleansed. He is our life and our refuge,
our strength and our hope. And without Him we can do nothing.
We are less than nothing. And without Christ we're withered
branches fit for the burning. The very repentance and righteousness
and faith which is in us and upon us and recorded in glory
under our names is because of Christ our Lord, not because
of anything we are or have or have done or ever shall do. Our
Father, look not upon us, but upon our Savior, and find in
him all the righteousness that we require and that thy law and
holiness demands. Shut men up to Christ and Christ
alone. impress upon every one of us
that while salvation is by faith, and this righteousness comes
by faith, that it's not faith that saves, it's Christ that
saves. For it's in his blessed name
we pray, and for his sake. Amen.