The Heavenly Calling

Notes

1. The fact that Paul counted all his own righteousness as dung that he might win Christ, is evidence that there was nothing in it that would in the least help him in the way of salvation. As he wrote to the Romans, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile; no one has anything that will commend him to the favor of God. And if he had to count all his natural advantages as nothing in order to win Christ, then those advantages could be of no help to him after gaining Christ.

2. The righteousness which is by faith of Jesus Christ is that perfect righteousness which the law requires, but which it cannot give to any man. This righteousness God gives freely to those who have true faith in the blood of Christ. See Rom. 3:21-25. When it is imputed, it not only cancels the sins of the past, so that they are no longer counted against the sinner, but it changes the man, making him righteous, so that, out of the good treasure of his heart, he may bring forth that which is good.

3. There is nothing that so much exalts the law of God as the plan of salvation through faith in Christ. The fact that righteousness must be received as the free gift of God, shows that the righteousness of the law is perfect; that it is far above human grasp. There can be no true morality without faith in Christ. Any scheme of religion which proposes to gain righteousness by men's own works, without faith in Christ, must necessarily tend to immorality, by setting up a low standard. Thus: The man who says that he can work out his own righteousness, thereby proclaims that his standard of morality is no higher than his own acts. But this is not all. There is no one who will not acknowledge to having sinned. Now, in order that a perfect moral character be presented, it is necessary that the man make up the deficiencies of the past. He must now do more than he is required to do, in order to make up for past failures. Thus he advertises that his conception of morality is so low that his acts surpass it. So no matter how loudly he may talk about morality and progress, he is all the time unconsciously getting lower and lower.

4. Only those know Christ who believe and obey him. Knowledge of God is in the Bible made synonymous with obedience to him. It is said of the sons of Eli that they "were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord." 1 Sam. 2:12. They knew of the Lord; they were priests, from whom the people were to receive knowledge of God; yet their wicked deeds showed that they did not know God. But Abraham, who had perfect faith in God, is called the friend of God.

5. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." The thing to be attained is in the preceding verse said to be the resurrection of the dead. The idea that seems to be conveyed is that as probation ceases only at the coming of Christ and the resurrection, unless in the case of a person who dies before that time, no living person can count himself safe. The Christian life is a continual struggle that will end only with life in this world. No matter how exalted a man's position nor how great his attainments in holiness, he is never in this life beyond the necessity of patient continuance in well-doing. There is always before him the possibility of still higher attainments.