I’m posting a series on Philippians based on some talks I gave to the York Christian Union.

Paul is really clear (Php 3:7-10) that righteousness comes only from faith in Christ. And in Php 1:11 Paul prays that the believers would be full of the fruit of this righteousness. When we place faith in Christ we are accorded new rights, new status, new identity and a new righteousness. This didn’t come through you getting up early to pray or reading through the Bible in a year or taking part in a grill a Christian event, it comes through your faith in what Christ did for you, you who were unable to fulfil the perfect requirements of God’s holiness.

Until you own the truth that you cannot be righteous by your own efforts it’s hard to fully grasp the fact the Christ is your righteousness. By faith in Christ we are placed in Christ so that when we stand before the Father it is not our sin that He sees but Christ’s righteousness. We are hidden in him.

Terry Virgo explained it this way. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob but he loved Esau. When Jacob wanted his father’s blessing and his brother’s birthright he hid himself in the son that his father loved. He hid himself in Esau to gain what rightfully was Esau’s. We are hid in the Son that God loves, we are clothed in Him so we gain what is his – not in deception this time but in grace. Christ is your righteousness.

That new status however means a changed life, because I am free I should live free, because I am a citizen of heaven by His grace I should live as if I were one, the fruit of righteousness should flow out from me. But that righteousness is not my own, those privileges were not what I was owed but what I was given. On what basis am I citizen of heaven? On the basis of what Christ has done alone. You are not your own you were bought at a price (1 Cor 6:20), so we say with Paul, “to live is Christ.”

Paul said this knowing of Christ was of ‘surpassing worth’? Is there anything else that surpasses knowing Christ to you? Is it career, boyfriend, girlfriend, having a good time, travel, experiences? How is this thing of surpassing worth evidenced in your life? Talk about it, dream about it this weekend. How can we encourage each other to live in such a way that Christ really is of surpassing worth to me?