TEXT: Philippians 3:1-11

"He who aims at nothing--quipped Spurgeon--"will be sure to hit his mark". Aimlessness in a person or society is a sure sign of moral decay. To live without purpose will make for an unhappy life, an unproductive life; and worst of all--a life dishonoring to God. For God has "goals". And He made us in His "likeness and image". Therefore, to live without aspirations is to become a beast.

Most people don't have goals. If you asked ten people at random, "What is your goal in life?" I wonder if any could give a crisp answer? And those who do have ambition, often pursue unworthy objects: money, pleasure, ease, and so on.

But the Christian must not drift aimlessly. For, unlike others, who have to cast about to find what they want in life, the Christian has been told by an authority, both true and loving. God has told us what our goals are in life. And He has done so in various ways; by command, by warning, by entreaty, by promise. But here, He does it in the best possible way; by example. The life of Paul serves as a model by which other Christians are to shape their lives. And of this we can be sure, because the Apostle says so. In v.15, he writes, "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind". What mind? His mind, or way of thinking, as the context makes obvious. And, two verses later, v.17, he makes a similar point: "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern".

Now, to what "example" in his own life is he referring? Oddly enough, it is not "how he lives". Paul was "in labors, more abundant; and in stripes above measure". But he does not commend his activities as worthy of our imitation (at least not here). What he's getting at is "how he thinks"--or better yet--"what he's aiming for".

In other words, what he wants us to do is to make his goals our own.

This is either a act of colossal egotism or the humble advice of a man who knows best. Which is it? It must be the latter, and here's why: Paul's example is never primary, but always derivative. In other words, its power lies, not in Paul himself, but in the One he is trying to imitate. And who is that? Let the man answer for himself: "Be followers of me, even as I am of Christ".

Hence, the aspirations of Paul must be your's too. But what are they? The ninth and tenth verses tell us. Their exposition make up the present sermon, and (D.V.) the one to follow this afternoon.

Let us look then, at v.9, and from it discover Paul's first goal: "...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 through faith".

One word stands out, i.e., "righteousness". It shows up twice and is implied once more in a single verse. From this we must assume that Paul's first goal in life was to become a "righteous" man.

This word, "righteousness" is often used interchangeably with "goodness, uprightness, holiness, morality, devotion" and so on. And, if meant informally, that is fine. But here, the word carries a definite and technical meaning. In this sense, "righteous" means "blameless before the Law of God".

What audacity! He wanted to stand at the Heavenly Bar and hear the verdict: "not guilty". And not from a human judge, liable to oversight; but from the Great Searcher of Hearts.

This was his first goal: to stand righteous before God.

For many years, he pursued that goal in one way, i.e., good works. First, those of his devout parents, who "circumcised him the eighth day" and taught him to revere the Law of God. As a boy, he made his own decision by joining the "Pharisees"--the strictest sect in Judaism. But even this was not enough for the young enthusiast. To his piety, he would add a fiery zeal. "If Moses is true--he reasoned--then Jesus must be a false prophet". And what does the Law say about such men and their followers? "Let them die the death". Thus, "I thought to do many things contrary to His name". And so "persecuted the church...beyond measure, and wasted it".

And so, Paul is following after God with the wisdom of a sage and the energy of a fanatic. Tradition, knowledge, sincerity, connections, and fervor combine in this young man to make him the ideal pursuer of righteousness.

But what is the result of his quest? Abject failure. And this is not the opinion of a critic, but his own assessment: "But what things were gain to me, these I counted loss...and but dung".

Good works are of no value in obtaining the righteousness that God demands. But worse than this, they are of negative value: "dung"--foul and repulsive to God--a gift of human waste, hoping to gain the favor of heaven!

But Paul was not forever left in his ignorance and conceit. In time, he learned just how a man became righteous: "from faith in Christ, the righteousness of God through faith". From this, we draw the following doctrines:

Only one sort of righteousness is acceptable to God. And that is a perfect righteousness; an entire obedience to His law in every jot and tittle.

Only One Man has achieved this righteousness: Jesus Christ. And, He has done so by: (1) placing Himself under the Law of God in the incarnation; (2) by keeping the Law in its every jot and tittle; (3) by suffering the vengeance of law-breaking on behalf of others.

Only one way to obtain this righteousness: by faith in Christ. For, by believing in Christ, you are: (1) forfeiting every claim of producing your own righteousness, and (2) trusting that His righteousness is sufficient in the sight of God to procure your salvation.

And this latter hope sounds presumptuous, but is not. For God has promised this blessing in the Gospel and now freely offers it to everyone who believes.

Your first goal in life, therefore, ought to be this: to stand blameless before the Law of God. And you dare not rest till this knowledge is your own.

Many Christians never come to this assurance at all. Or waver in it over the years, thus making themselves and everyone else miserable. But there is a reason for it: they confuse righteousness with holiness. They look at their own lives and find many sins. From which they deduce, "I cannot be righteous because I'm such an awful sinner". But listen up: righteousness does not mean moral uprightness! It means "legal innocence".

And this justifying work is not done in you, but for you. It takes place, not in your heart, but in heaven. It does not mean "becoming good"; but being declared just. A courtroom verdict does not make a man "not guilty"--does it? No; it just declares his innocence.

Therefore, this "righteousness" is not contingent on repentance or prayer or Bible-reading or witnessing or growing in grace. It can only be received by faith. For, in wanting to be righteous, you're not asking God--"Make me like Christ"--but something much different--"Unite me to Christ". If the former were true, then one could never obtain a righteousness here on earth; for the best man is not "like Christ", is he? Nor could he live holily, for justification must precede sanctification: "How much more shall the blood of Christ...purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God?"

And so, you must get your priorities straight. Your first goal in life has to be "the righteousness of God through faith in Christ".