Good Morning!  Let us begin with our weekly dose of Calvin and Hobbes:

"Open your mouth and close your eyes, and you will get a big surprise."

"Ready?  Here it… Hey!  You’re peeking!"

"What’s the matter?  Don’t you trust your own kid?!  C’mon, close your eyes!"

"Uh oh.  Hang on.  He got away."

Thankfully, God is not like Calvin; He can always be trusted!

We read in Psalms 145:13:  "The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made."

These two truths about God’s character are absolutely essential to our Faith:

-God is faithful to keep all of his promises
-God is loving

This is who God is.  Now, of course, that he is faithful to keep all his promises and that he is loving to all he has made… these truths should have a major impact on the way we choose to live!

There are many people throughout history… and many people alive today… who say they want to love Jesus, but they don’t seem to live it out.  Their ‘faith’ has no apparent connection with the way they live.

Maybe you have been asked a similar question to this:  “I said a prayer to ask Jesus into my heart years ago, but I don’t really love Him and live for Him.  Am I still going to heaven?”

My answer to such a question is this:

“Well, who is it all about in Heaven?”
Answer: It is all about Jesus in heaven.

Question:  If you don’t love Jesus, and heaven is all about Jesus, do you think you’d enjoy heaven?

The root question for us all is this: do we really love Jesus Christ?  Do we really want to know Him?

If we really do love Him above all else… if we really do want to know Him, then we are going to live like it!  We are going to have a faith that works!

And this is exactly what we are talking about his morning: having a faith that works.  What does a faith that works look like?  What can we do to have a faith that works? 

Please turn with me in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3, here we’ll see five things that we can to do have a faith that works.

The first thing we can do is this:  Flee self-confidence

We read in Philippians 1:  Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.  Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.  For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

Apparently in Philippi, there are those who are saying that in order to have a true faith, the Christians need to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses.  Paul here clearly refutes them.  And how does he do it?  What is his argument?

For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

What does it all boil down to?  Putting no confidence in the flesh.  When Paul uses the word ‘flesh’ here, he is referring to basically all that a person is outside of Christ.  In other words, real faith flees self-confidence and puts all confidence in Christ.

Jesus is the one who died on the cross on our behalf.  Jesus is the one who lived a righteous life… on our behalf.

Are we working hard at living ‘the Christian life’ so that we can feel confident before God?  Or is our confidence before God based on our trust in the work that Jesus did on our behalf?

Just as in Paul’s day, there is a world around us which encourages us to put confidence in the flesh.  This world, though, is not telling us to obey the Law of Moses.  What does it tell us to do to put confidence in the flesh?

The world tells us that we don’t need God at all. 

But if we insist on believing in God, it tells us that being a Christian means doing ‘Christian things.’
It tells us that if we just do a few things then we are ‘okay’ and can go to heaven when we die:

Go to church.
Give your money.
Read your Bible.

“Do these things and you’ll be okay,” we are led to believe.

What are these things though but our own filthy righteousness?

Which brings us to the next thing that we can do to have a real faith… a faith that works:  Admit our own righteousness to be worthless

We read in verses 4-7:  though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Paul has just finished telling us not to put confidence in the flesh.  And what does he do?  He starts to tell us how much confidence he could put in the flesh; look at his list! 

•    Circumcised on the eight day.
•    Of the people of Israel
•    Of the tribe of Benjamin (a tribe specially honored among the Israelites)
•    A Pure Hebrew (no mixed blood)
•    A Pharisee (the most Orthodox of the Jewish parties)
•    And regarding zeal?  He was so committed to Judaism that he persecuted Christians.
•    And regarding the law?  He was blameless

Nobody could have accused him of being a half-hearted Jew!

But what was the problem, then?

His problem was that he kept the external requirements of the law, but his heart was not in love with God.

Question: do you have a love relationship with Jesus?

What does Paul say about all of his ‘righteousness’?

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Paul’s righteousness was worthless. 

So too, our righteousness is worthless.

Coming to church?
Giving an offering?
Reading our Bibles?
Saying prayers?
Serving in the church?

It is all worthless if we are counting on it to find favor with God.

But wait a minute, we might say… these are the best things we could be doing!  If doing these things doesn’t make us good, what can we possibly do so that God will say we are good?

The answer is a short one:   J-E-S-U-S

There is only one way to be good: trust Jesus to be good on your behalf.

Paul had learned that all of his advantages as a Jew… all of his own ‘righteousness’ was worse than useless.  His own self-righteousness had been preventing him from seeing his only hope: the righteousness that is in Jesus Christ.  He had been trusting in human performance.  He finally came to a point where he could admit that his own ‘goodness’ was worthless.  He needed the righteousness of Christ, not his own wimpy righteousness!

So this begs the question: how do we see our own righteousness?  Do we recognize that our own goodness is worthless when it comes to finding favor with God?

So if our own righteousness is worthless, then what next?  And the answer is the fourth thing we can do to have a real faith that works:  Immerse ourselves in the knowledge of Christ

Let’s read Philippians 3:8-9:  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order 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 comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

What really matters?
If our own righteousness is worthless, then what do we do?  Shall we just consider our relationship with God a done deal and carry on with life?

“Yep, I said a prayer.  I am going to go to heaven when I die.  Now, let’s get down to what is important and live life for… MEEEEEEEeeeeeee.”

No, of course not!  Paul says: Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

This is what life is all about.  Paul didn’t give up all of his righteousness for nothing!  Paul didn’t give up the comfortable life of being an important Jew for nothing!  He gave it all up for something that was worth so much more than anything he had ever attained!  He gave everything up to know Jesus.

the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Do you agree?  Is knowing Jesus worth far more than anything and everything else?

Paul gave his old life up for something that is so much more valuable.

Notice in verse 8 Paul says: For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

What does Paul mean: in order that I may gain Christ

On the Damascus Road Paul had met Jesus, and his life had been changed forever.  But notice that Paul is here talking about a present experience.  He continues to give up everything else that he might have Christ.  Everything else is garbage compared to knowing Jesus. 

At the point we give our lives to Jesus, accepting him as our Savior and Lord…at that point we have not arrived.  We have really only begun a new journey, a journey of true LIFE, a life that is consumed with a new passion: a passion for an ever-increasing experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Question: are we immersing ourselves in the knowledge of Jesus?  Are we convinced that in knowing Jesus we find the greatest treasure?

Are we giving up everything else to know him?

Why do we read our Bibles?
Why do we come to church?
Why do we spend time in prayer?
Why do we center our family lives on spiritual things?
Why do we discuss spiritual things with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Why do we share our faith?
Why do we give financially to grow the Kingdom of God?

Because these things will earn us favor with God?  No, of course not!
We do these things because we want to know Jesus.  We do these things because we count everything else garbage compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus.

Let us continue to immerse ourselves in knowing Jesus.  Whatever it takes.  However uncomfortable it may be, it is worth it.  Knowing Jesus is what life is all about, and it is worth it!

And this is exactly what Paul is saying in verses 10-16.  The next thing we can do to have a real faith that works is this: Treasure the Prize!

Let’s read verses 10-16: that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Treasure the prize.

What is the prize?  It is knowing Jesus.  It is the ever-growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

If we treasure something above all else, it means we’ll give up anything and everything else to have that treasure.

What is the next step for you to grow in your relationship with Jesus?  What do you need to give up?

A few things to highlight from these verses:

First: don’t be surprised at suffering.  Knowing Jesus involves suffering, becoming like him in his death.  We live in a world that is hostile to the truth of the Gospel.  The more intimate we are with Jesus, the more we will suffer, both inwardly and outwardly.  Are we hungering for intimacy with Jesus enough that we welcome suffering?

Second: Notice in verse 12 that Paul affirms that he has not ‘arrived!’  Let us take on the same attitude!  We are not perfect.  There is more to experiencing Jesus than what we have already experienced.

So what does Paul teach us to do because we have not arrived?

Verse 13: forget what is behind.  Forget the past.  Leave behind our failures.  Forget our successes.  What matters now?  Only that there is more LIFE that Jesus is holding out to us.  Don’t let the past hinder you from knowing Jesus today.

straining forward to what lies ahead

I love this word “straining,” don’t you?  The idea here is giving it all you’ve got.  What can we do this week to ‘give all we’ve got’ to knowing Jesus?

And the third thing I’d like to highlight from these verses:

Verse 16:  Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

God does not hold us accountable to what we don’t know.  But he does hold us accountable to what we do know.  Paul is essentially saying, “Live up to the truth of the Gospel that you already know.”

A great question to ask ourselves: “to my knowledge, am I obeying Jesus in all areas of my life?”  If we aren’t, why do we seek new knowledge?  We aren’t being faithful with the knowledge we already have!

So what does it all boil down to?  Treasure the prize.  Treasure knowing Jesus so much that you are:

1)    Willing to suffer
2)    Straining forward: giving all you’ve got to know Him
3)    Being faithful to obey what you already know

And now for the last thing we can do to have a real faith that works: Hurry heavenward

In verses 17-21 we read: Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

How do we hurry heavenward?  Verse 20 is a great summary: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Where do we belong?  Where is our home?

If we are believers, our true home is the heavenly city.  And if we are believers, we have the assurance that our Savior is returning for us.

We are strangers and aliens here on earth.  This is not where we belong.

Keeping these truths in mind will help us greatly in avoiding the pitfalls of earthly pleasures.

Paul writes in verses18-19: For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

The cross of Christ is not something just to hang around our necks.  It was the tool of death for Jesus, and it is a tool of death for us as well.

In Galatians 2:20 Paul writes: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is what true faith looks like.  Our old lives are gone, and we want to keep them buried.  And the new life we live by faith, living all for Christ.

Hurry heavenward.  Let us be a people who set our minds on heavenly things.

What does it mean to live a life of faith?  Philippians 3 gives us these five things that we can do to have a faith that works:

Flee self-confidence.
Admit our own righteousness to be worthless
Immerse ourselves in the knowledge of Christ
Treasure the prize
Hurry heavenward

Let us do these things.  Let us give our all.  Let us live lives of faith.

But if you can’t remember these things.  Just remember that having a true faith that works really boils down to only one thing:

Love Jesus! 

Let’s pray.

Lord, you love us.  You want us to know you because you are the only one who truly satisfies us and gives us life.  We want to know you more.  We want to press on!  Help us to live out these truths of Philippians chapter 3.  Help us to grow in having a faith that works.  And we pray these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.