The Audacity of God's Love

The passage we come to this weekend, Philippians 3:1–11, is so rich in its theology that I find it difficult to stick to the main point. Almost every line in the eleven verses takes us down a path that might consume hours of our time. Because of that, I want to make sure that the main point is very clear:
Having a right standing before God is gained solely by faith in Jesus Christ and comes to us because of the grace of God..

When I stand before God, I will not tell him how many hours I was in church, how many Bible classes I took, how many hurting people I helped, how many kind words I spoke, or anything else I ever did. Even the best of my efforts are imperfect, and all are motivated by less-than-perfect motives. My hope of being able to stand before God comes only by faith alone in Christ alone.

The New Testament is so clear about this point that it warns us about anyone who says something like, "Oh, Jesus is good. You should believe in him and learn from him—but you also have to (insert any good deeds or religious practices here) if you will be right with God." The Bible warns us strongly about people who emphasize anything other than their complete dependence on Jesus. It tells us to beware of people focused on things like "the version of the Bible I read," "the hours I have spent in retreat or meditation," "the miracles I have seen or done..." As Frank Thielman wrote, "Anyone who adds requirements to the pure good news of God's grace, in the Apostle Paul's view, rejects the gospel in its entirety. Such a gospel is 'a different gospel'—which is really no gospel at all."

So, whatever else I say in the sermon this weekend, do not miss that main point. Make sure that when you stand before God, you know that you stand there only because your faith is in Jesus. As you prepare to worship, consider the words of Martin Luther:

The monk is not made right with God by his order, nor the priest by the Mass, nor the philosopher by wisdom, nor the theologian by theology, nor the Muslim by the Koran, nor the Jew by Moses. No matter how "wise" and "righteous" people may seem to be according to reason or any rules or acts, yet with all these works, merits, religious services, and good deeds they are not made right with God. Our only hope—and our eternally sufficient hope—is in Christ.

To His glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor