Tomorrow our Greek class will be exegeting Phil. 3:1-11. Please pray for me -- for clarity, strength, and God's blessing as we study this vital passage of Scripture. We need this message because the church is always in danger of drifting away from the sole sufficiency of Jesus in every generation. Here Paul combats the whole idea behind "religion." Religion is all about what we do for God. The gospel is all about what God has done for us. In other words, the gospel is all about grace. The gospel says, "I'm accepted by God because of what Christ has done." Religion says exactly the opposite. The 3 words of religion are, "Get to work." The 3 words of grace are, "It is finished." No one can ever be good enough for God. We can only rely on a righteousness which is through faith in Christ that comes from God as a free gift on the basis of faith alone. The gospel says, "I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, and I am so loved that he was glad to die for me." Here's how I want my class to remember this truth:
- Not FAITH + WORKS ("through faith alone")
- Not GRACE + MERIT ("by grace alone")
- Not SCRIPTURE + TRADITION ("according to Scripture alone")
- Not GOD'S GLORY + MINE ("to the glory of God alone")
In short:
JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING!