In the Epistle of Paul the Apostle, to the saints in Christ Jesus in Philippi, he "painted a picture" of true circumcision: "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)
To emphasize this further, he stated a number of his achievements: "If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." (Philippians 3:4-6)
After having an encounter with God and entering into a personal relationship with His Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul reckoned, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." (Philippians 3:7-12)
He continued, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13 & 14)
It is clear in the aforementioned Bible passages, that our Christian walk is one of faith working through love in Christ, and thereby we have received the righteousness of God; not from the law which was a shadow of things to come, or any human effort. For Christ has fulfilled the law for us, so now we can walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
When we hunger and thirst for the Living God, when we humble ourselves before Him, He will take us higher and deeper in the knowledge of Him. We were called with a holy, high calling; we have no righteousness of our own.
A Walk In The Garden Devotions
