Daily Bread 3/20/2023

by

Daily Bread – March 20, 2023 (The Second Day – Genesis 1:6-8) Philippians 3:9 – And being found in Him not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, righteousness by the faith from God.  The miracle of salvation brought Christ Jesus into our life and brought us into His life! Now, we are found in Christ Jesus – if we have been born of God. This cannot be thought of in any way as something hoped for in the future, but it is an active reality in the life of those who are born again. Those who have the Son, Christ Jesus, have life (1 John 5:11). Be assured of this one thing: you want to prove (heuretho) that Christ is in you. And if Christ is in you, then you will live and dwell in Him (2 Corinthians 13:5; John 15:1-6)! This is not a “law” – this is life! We may be certain the law of the Spirit of life teaches us to dwell and abide in Christ (Romans 8:2; 1 John 2:24-26). Certainly, one might translate this verse. “That I might be found in Him,” but it would be in the context of an existing reality and not a possibility. “To gain Christ is immediately interpreted as being found in him, which is further interpreted as not having a righteousness of my own.” Fee, G. D. (1999). Philippians (Vol. 11, p. 145). Westmont, IL: IVP Academic. “Translation: Yea, in order that I might through observation of others be discovered by them to be in Christ, not having as my righteousness that righteousness which is of the law, but that righteousness which is through faith in Christ, that righteousness which is from God on the basis of faith.” Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 5, p. 93). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. One is either found in Adam, or they are found in Christ Jesus (Romans 5:12-21). We were found in Adam when we were born into this natural life having descended from his life (Romans 5:12-21). We can only be found in Christ having been born again and created anew through the new birth (John 3:3-6; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 4:24). When we stand before the Living God to give an account for our souls, we only want to be found in Christ Jesus. Paul was not casual about this, but emphasizes how he gladly suffered the loss of all things – treating everything else in life as worthless that he might win Christ! What a prayer meeting we would have in Church if everyone were faced with the reality of their accountability to God and the eternal consequence of disobedience to Christ! What truth in the inward parts there would be if the eyes of each person were opened to see the demands of God and the eternal judgment against all ungodliness (Ephesians 1:17-23, 5:6; 1 John 3:7-8)! Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen