The righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith

Philippians 3:1-11

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! 

Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul is about to round off his letter when fresh and alarming news compels him to take up his pen again. He does not mind repeating former advice, as a safeguard. They must beware of those 'dogs' ) a term of abuse used by Jews about Gentiles) the Judaizers - that group of Jewish Christians who followed Paul everywhere, insisting that Gentile converts must ve circumcised and keep the law.

Why?

Rejoice in the Lord instead of rejoicing in this world. We are easy to rejoice in property or healthy or for fun.

Whatever we gains can't compare with the loss in Christ. So trust in Jesus Christ and let our righteousness is through faith in Christ. Not because of what I have done but because of who He is, not because of who I am but because He has done.

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除了外在的敵人，還有內部的挑戰，防備犬類，狂妄如狗，誇口行割禮，只有外表的割禮。保羅自己很有條件來誇口，但是他卻不因此誇口。他是血統純正，第八天受割禮，家世純正，父母也是嚴謹守律法的。保羅原來可以來誇口的，卻因為認識基督而不再值得一提，因為若是靠此都是生命成長的障礙。有這些並不是不好，但是並不用來誇口或是高人一等的原因，稱義不是靠這些，反而是因信神而來的義。這個義才能得到生命，與基督同死同復活。

教會裏只有以耶穌為至寶多少的差別，沒有身份的差別！

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How?

We are resurrection by the faith in Christ, not because of what I have done, What I am doing now because Jesus has loved me .