A Converted Jew Tells Why - 14

How committed you become a Christian course or number of such examples. Down through history, but significant is found in the Bible in the life of the apostle Paul and Paul tells us why he converted to becoming a Christian. In the section of Philippians chapter 3 course we can find other accounts with the different perspective other other angles on what happened to him and other parts of the New Testament.

This is a very important passage to help us explain who Paul was and what Paul became and why and how he became a follower of Christ was know the section opens with a denunciation of what we have come to call Judaizers. The term not found in the Bible but it has been has been selected down through the years is an appropriate term to describe those who are found throughout the pages of New Testament many times those who are Jewish in upbringing and background who have become Christians at least by their profession, though by the proclamation of the message that becomes very doubtful that they become true Christians, but they are Jewish Christians who are endeavoring to add the Mosaic works of the law into the gospel and proclaim that to others as the true gospel of Jesus Christ and of course it is an abominable gospel. It is a it is a distortion of the gospel. It is no gospel at all. It is a false message hatched in the hell which will destroy the souls of men and women if they believe it. That's why Paul denounces. It was such such fierce language in the first part of this chapter. So Paul shows us why he considers such men to be extremely dangerous.

That is, those who proclaim that you must be circumcised after the law of Moses in order to be saved and generally also add other things like the most.

Mosaic dietary laws to the requirements.

Paul understands them thoroughly because he used to be one of them. If anyone embraced the Mosaic law as the way of righteousness, it was Paul. Yet he renounced all that to become a follower of Jesus Christ and he shows us that in our passage for today explains how was it. He came to renounce their teaching and in the process he explains to us more clearly. The gospel of sovereign grace. So we are looking at verses four through nine today and we shall see number one Paul's claim number two Paul's credentials.

Number three. Paul's conclusion is claimant is stated very simply, in verse four though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh I more so this is breaking into the middle of a sentence. It is answering the Judaizers policy temporarily adopting their reasoning to demonstrate their following you are boasting in your works of the law. The Mosaic law will let me tell you I can do the same.

I can boast in the same things as much as you can in fact I can boast of these things more than most of you can make a more than any of UK. Paul's claim is a boastful claimant.

It is a it is a foolish claimant but it is a didactic claim he's taking this position. This this posture in order to show them the error of this teaching so we could simply break down verse four into two parts. If we want to number one Paul's equal claimant number two Paul's superior claim.

The first part of the verse. He says I can equal their righteousness.

The important words, there are the term of the two words.

I also I also can claim the same legal righteousness that they can though. I also might have confidence in the flesh just like these Judaizers who have confidence in the flesh, and it is important to realize that Paul switches pronouns from we to I been talking in terms of we.

We who are Christians, we who are part of the church at Philippi writing, of course, to members of that church, but not when it comes to this claim. He switches from week two I because most of these people that is writing to. Don't know anything about the legal righteousness which comes by the law of Moses their Gentiles by background, they can't really relate to what Paul is saying they haven't had an experience in the background like Paul's fact they have difficulty relating to the background of the Judaizers that come to them, but nevertheless there's something said.you have about their message. Something, something that is attractive in their appeal. In fact there's something seductive in all such similar messages to us today. There something within us that would like to do something that were capable of doing and take credit for that to be proud of that and offer that to God as our merit our our reason for claiming salvation in the place in heaven. There is this Adamic sinfulness that is proud and self-righteous that loves to grasp onto something like this.

Paul says I can equal their claims in a way that very few others can is claimant is equal to the heirs. I also could have confidence in the flesh. If that were appropriate. In fact, he goes on to say in the last part of the verse I can excel the righteousness which most of these false teachers claim.

I more so.

I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh I more so I can do it better than they care. Paul's claim to legal righteousness exceeded their now the question is why does Paul even make such a claim.

One is eat what is he say anything like this when he knows that it's contrary to a proper understanding of the gospel when we find him doing this, a number of times a number of epistles was obviously important. It's a necessary reputation to those who are false teachers and it's a necessary element of of information and background understanding to the people is writing to. So that they'll understand what these false teachers are saying and why it must be rejected. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if lurking in Paul's mind and perhaps even if he's even heard words like the spoken that say something like, well, the reason Paul rejects our message is because he can.

He can't do it. He can't get embrace this kind of righteousness.

He's not up to it. He's not, he doesn't qualify work or setting a standard that Paul Meet and so because he can't needed. He denigrates it, and he proposed it and he tells you to pay no attention to it was an old no I can equal your claims to Mosaic self-righteousness.

I can excel your claims to Mosaic self righteous. He answers the charges that he opposes this teaching because he can't measure up because he can measure up. He doesn't measure up. Paul is saying, in effect, if you follow the reasoning of these Judaizers which I'm warning you not to do. But if you follow the reasoning of the Judaizers and start comparing self-righteousness based upon the law of Moses. I I think of all, that's Paul's claim now is it a valid claim that brings us to the second part which is Paul's credentials in verses five and six, which turned out to be very impressive credentials in the realm of Jewish works righteousness verse five circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, barkeeper of the Hebrew concerning the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the church concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless seven items that Paul listing of the first three have to do with what he inherited by birth and the second three have to do with what he achieved by personal effort, Paul's credentials. First of all by birth and therefore a number circumcision stock of Israel tribe of Benjamin Hebrew of the Hebrew Paul tells us first of all, that he was circumcised the eighth day literally. This makes it even more clear what he say he says literally. It is an eight day and ate there Paul says I when it comes to circumcision I and eighth day or why is that important well because all of these people that were coming under the sway of Judaizers and we don't know how many of them had done that in Philippi, maybe none so far but some had to cross the Roman world. All of those who came under the sway of the Judaizers and submitted to circumcision didn't make it on the eighth day too late for that. It was possible to be circumcised as a proselyte to to to come under the laws circumcision to to qualify as a circumcised person on some other day than the eighth day but real Jews who have had this from the beginning and their background and lineage were circumcised on the eighth day. That's the day that God prescribed to Abraham to circumcised his son Isaac know when he circumcised Ishmael Schmidt was 13 years old became a good bit later but the eighth day turned out to be the appropriate day enshrined in the law of Moses. All the Jews were treated were instructed to circumcised their sons.

On the eighth day after birth. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, and eighth day here would have a pretty high claim to Jewish righteousness. He did it on the very best day possible circumcised the eighth day is not a proselyte like many of the Judaizers are where have come into Judaism from a different background number two is is credentialed by birth of the stock of Israel that tells us that he is a Jew, descended from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Jacob of course had his name changed to Israel. That's where the name Israel comes from that applies to the whole nation but there were other sons of Abraham, who were sons of Abraham. Some of them were even circumcised some of them or their descendents even follow the practice of circumcision such as the Ishmaelites who continue to circumcised their sons. However, like there father Ishmael. They circumcised their sons when they turn 13, rather than on the eighth day because they were following the tradition rather than divine instructions, but Paul says I am of the stock not only of Abraham and Isaac.

But of Jacob of Israel. In other words, he is demonstrating his pedigree that it goes through the right line line of promise that God had given and then he says, number three of these four credentials came to him by birth, I am of the tribe of Benjamin. This tells us a lot of things. Number one.

It tells us that Paul knew he is try not all Jews did some of the records have been lost over the years and in the dispersions and so forth. But there were others who did we find several references to tribal identity in the New Testament, the idea that all of the Jews, except maybe Judah and Benjamin had lost her identity that the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Idea is not not quite as strong, not quite as valid as is sometimes thought. Though there is an element of of the truth and information there of its important historically to understand what has gone on with them, but certainly fall didn't fit in that category. He knew exactly what tribe he was from.

He is of the tribe of Benjamin. Unlike many of these Judaizers who could not tell you what tribe they're from. Most of them probably couldn't. And unlike any of the proselytes who adopted their teaching and and were circumcised, in order to meet their requirements. Their demand for four circumcision not proselyte could claim a tribe of Israel that he had come from deposit I can. I'm of the tribe of Benjamin, Benjamin, as you know, was the second favorite son of Rachel, the first being Joseph Jacob had 12 sons from four different wives to wives and two concubines. A concubine is is is a wife of the lower level and all that explanation.

Nobody had 12 sons from four different wives.

But as we know his favorite wife was Rachel. He only had one son for sheet she only had one son he only had one son, forget about talking about am I talking about a Jacob or my talking about racial but Jacob only had one son from Rachel for many many years.

Namely, Joseph, and that down toward the end of her life and even toward the, the latter years of his life. Another son was born Benjamin that that Jacob named son of my right hand and that was a very special son. The son of Rachel and pulses, I'm of that line, I'm of that tribe. I'm not only an Israelite.

The can identify my tribe but the tribe that I belong to is one of the favored tribes. It is the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin, by the way was the tribe of the first king of Israel, whose name was Saul and who do you suppose that Paul's parents named him after what was what was the name they gave him Saul change later to Paul, as we know, but his parents gave him the name Saul, why do you suppose they did that because of the connection to King Saul of the tribe of Benjamin. This was very important to them.

His family was very proud of this in the tribe of Benjamin remained loyal to David's line with the other 10 tribes rebelled against outline and therefore what Paul is saying is if these Judaizers are pointing to their Jewish lineage is a matter of pride. I think I can beat them. I think I can beat that. Let's let's lay down these these facts side-by-side and see you has the strongest claim to Jewish lineage in your heritage, your and your birth line and finally he says, I'm a Hebrew of the Hebrews for that phrase many times we understand that had mean something like a real Hebrew strong Hebrew, but what specifically is that getting at, and that appears to be a reference to Saul Paul being a Hebrew son of Hebrew parents, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Some who are of the nation of Israel would have come from a family that may be only one parent, father or mother was actually born a Jew, the other one having been brought in by way of marriage and by way of proselytization.

But Paul could say I am the Hebrew son of Hebrew parents, which also indicates that he was a natural Hebrew speaker from his home from a lineage of Hebrew speakers know Paul was a brilliant man.

He spoke a number of languages but he was born into a Hebrew home. Not all the Jews could claim that many of them in that day were born into homes. The spoke Greek, Hebrew language was slipping away from some of them they were trying to hold onto it, but it wasn't the first language of many of them, but was up all I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews matched at if you can. So Paul is demonstrating that he is as Jewish as it's possible to because he's from a very select group of Jews when you start looking at all the Jewish credentials. It would be hard to find anybody who could match them all the wonder. He says I more so. I also can claim the same kind of pedigree they Judaizers can in fact I can beat it more so I can liken demonstrate a greater pedigree than they can. And here's the evidence here's the credentials and so Paul gives us credentials from his birth which he of course was not responsible for his parents are responsible for all of these things. I guess you could say as a manner of speaking, but we all are born into families and we all have a lineage and parentage in sometimes that becomes a matter particular pride. How many times I parked out the people and sick. I can trace my lineage back to the Mayflower will bully for you.

That's pretty important to some people is that ledger father didn't fall off and drown. But I'm glad you could trace your lineage back to the mayfly but that's kind of important America to some people, at least, particularly if you live in New England that's it seems to have more seems to be more emphasis on that there is Paul saying okay, let's look at Jewish pedigree.

Let's see who has the best one.

I think I will and can anybody match this. I went from what my parents gave me. I was born into this, but that's not all I can tell you some other credentials that are by my own personal treatment. Things I chose things I did in the last three of those.

The last one for the first one. The last part of verse five, and two in verse six and he says number one. I am a Pharisee, or was number two.

I am what I will call a mover and a shaker and I'll explain that in the moment number three. I am on the next meticulous law keeper.

At least that's what I was in my former life, a Pharisee Pharisee Hebrew of the Hebrews verse four concerning the law Pharisee Pharisee, the terms Pharisee means the separated one.

The Pharisees separated themselves from well from from my and anything that was that was Gentile.

The Pharisees developed about 200 years before Christ. During that in inter-testament will. And many of the Jews were were imbibing Gentile influences and relationships during that period in southern Europe. This this group of Jews sometimes it's called a sect SEC team. I sometimes hesitate to use that term because we almost always identified that with a call to something that is is damaging and erroneous, but the term sect itself just simply means a group we could we could call this a denomination.

If we wanted to Christianity there Baptists and Presbyterians and Methodists and so forth. In the Jewish society. They were Pharisees and Sadducees and Herodian seas were different groups, different sects, SEC two years. But the strictest one was the Pharisees, their name Pharisee meant separated once they were separated from things Gentile. They were separated from contamination. They were even separated for many in Jewish society who didn't follow quite the same level of separation they did, they were separated ones and very proud of their separation. We know some people in Christianity today who go down that line.

They are proud of their separation, they are more separated than anybody else, and sometimes just as erroneously separated as the Pharisee is a proper separation of biblical separation and then there's a carnal separation, the Pharisees and evolved into carnal separation, but that was a strictest sect known for their exacting adherence to the law and many extras that were added to the law which they were proud that they were willing to do that were not only willing to keep this law with all of its meticulous demands were even willing to go above that. That's how how committed we are. That's how how high our standard of righteousness. We are Pharisee now usually in our mind. The term Pharisee is bad term Christ denounced the Pharisees didn't call them hypocrites whited sepulchers full of dead men's bones, and so forth.

But in Paul's day the Pharisees among the Jews were highly respected, they were not denigrated they were not shown that was the bad name. That was not a bad day in Jewish society, far from a just the opposite. The Pharisees were the most influential.

The most highly respected group in Jewish society because all Jewish society had this legal mindset. So even those who couldn't rise to the level of law keeping too much to become a Pharisee.

Nevertheless, respected those who did Sadducees were the compromise Sadducees intermingled with the Gentiles and particularly with the Roman government. That's how they rose to their positions of of the governmental influence they have more influence with Rome and Rome protected them and gave them influence in Jewish society from the top down, but as far as the common people were concerned the Sadducees didn't have that much respect among the common Jews. But the Pharisees did posit I was a Pharisee number two.

What Paul did. My personal treatment. Paul chose to become a Pharisee and that required a lot of work on his part number to my personal treatment. Paul became what I called a mover and a shaker.

He says concerning zeal, persecuting the church and what I take that to mean something like this. A lot of Jews a lot of Pharisees spoke against the Christian faith. But most of them for most of them it was just so much talk but with Paul it was action. If this is wrong. As we all agree that much.

But if you think about, I will. I can that he didn't is zeal for the Mosaic law is zeal for works righteousness is zeal for the Jewish understanding of righteousness in his day, which was entirely wrong was unmatched by anyone. He not only followed and defended Jewish concepts of righteousness, but he persecuted through the jail, and even put to death. Those who dared to preach salvation is through Jesus Christ and faith in him alone and not in works righteousness persecuted the church as an aside, I just simply point out what it says a Paul persecuted the church. Here's a reference or a rare reference in the New Testament to the church universal. That's an argument among some people, all kinds of different arguments, but there are even some Baptist ashamed to say it there some Baptist who will not admit that any of the references to church in the New Testament have to do with the church universal. They all have to do the church local wrong and here's a pretty obvious example of it proposed persecuting the church which particular local church was he persecuted his perjury, persecuting the church in Jerusalem is persecuting the church in Damascus. He was persecuting the church at other locations he was persecuting Christians in a lot of different local churches. He was persecuting the church wherever he found good. That's the church universal love sent move on to number one is a Pharisee number two. He's a mover and a shaker number three. He was a meticulous law keeper concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless your kidding right. Paul claims to have a perfect record of law keeping in accord with with the understanding of the Jews of his day, even the highest and strictest group of the Jews. The Pharisees of his day. He had a record that was meticulous in his law keeping not to hear such a claims sound surprising to us because we know better. We stuff that nobody keeps the law perfectly but a lot of people mad. They thought they did. Paul was one of he was convinced that he had kept the law of God perfectly in its strictest form. What this also means about Paul is that he was not a hypocrite.

Christ denounced the Pharisees who were hypocrites who said one thing and did another who laid demands upon other people that they themselves would not follow. But Paul wasn't of that sort.

He was a sincere Pharisee who lived according to everything he believed and taught, and therefore he could claim to have kept the law perfectly according to the understanding of his day. He kept it perfectly according to those those standards, but of course he didn't keep it perfectly according to God's standards and what his statement here does is give us insight into the Jewish way of thinking in that day. Paul clearly thought he was achieving salvation, achieving acceptable righteousness by the keeping of the law and he worked really hard to do that so that he could in fact achieve the righteousness that God required the righteousness that he thought erroneously that he thought God required, it's obvious that that was Paul's thinking it's obvious that that was the Pharisees thinking it's obvious that that was the thinking of most of the Jews of his day.

So I break him with another aside all all I would need would be a text like this to tell me that the so-called new perspective on Paul became down the pipe 20 or 30 years ago is wrong. It's it was very popular for a while.

NT Wright and others who propounded this and work highly respected a while a new a new angle under thought on Paul and he was saying that I say say some mistaken notion to think that the Jews in the first century were trying to achieve salvation by law keeping.

That's not what it was all about was all about boundary markers and so forth and so on and so on is surprising how many people said hey yeah that sounds good. Let's embrace that no no no no no no no you can you can know this round because it's contrary to the Bible there some things that we hear that we really don't know how to analyze because we don't have any clear statements of Scripture concerning but this one we do. We know what they thought we know that they were trying to earn righteousness through the law wasn't boundary markers.

It wasn't societal issues that what was the cultural issues. Those things may have been the errors aside matter. But it was right here in the heart of the matter was they were trying to gain righteousness by keeping the law and nearly all of Jewish society was trying to do the it's clear, but in doing so, they fail to understand what God gave the law for divine intent in giving the law divine insight into giving the law. There a lot of things were put wrong with what they were thinking. One was their failure to consider the inward requirements of the law. They were just looking at outward things that other people could see but very little examination of their heart. That's why Jesus sermon on the Mount is such a powerful explanation, you heard it has been said, you shall not commit adultery outwardly.

Well, good for maybe I've never done that. Give me a mark of righteousness. Have you ever had any lustful thoughts because if a man looks upon a woman for the purpose of lusting after her. He's committed adultery already in his heart there goes your claim to keeping that law, you can go right down through the elements of the law and realizes more to them than just what's on the outside.

The real issue is the issue of the heart is in it and God didn't give them to us because he had any idea that anybody could keep them.

They know we couldn't though they are there for us to endeavor to keep quiet because God told us to. That's all it takes, but why did he tell us to, so that we would realize that we couldn't do it, and cast ourselves upon the righteousness of Christ realizing that we can earn salvation by our own righteousness. It's impossible.

Similar in many ways to the rich young ruler remember him. Luke tells us that no certain ruler asked Jesus a good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said to him what you call me good, there's no one good, but one that is God.

You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder.

Do not steal, do not bear false witness.

Honor your father and your mother, and he said incredibly all these things I have kept from my youth is like Paul was before the Damascus road. He thought he kept the law of God perfectly in his estimate, he had all these things I have kept for my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him you still like one thing sell all that you have and distribute to the poor you will have treasure in heaven and come and follow me there quite a few things that I think Christ was getting at their one of them was to show him that he hadn't quite met God standard in regard to the law of covetousness he might claim that he had stolen and he had lied. How could he possibly claim he had lied. But DeLisi had borne false witness in court, you can always kind to soften the the boundaries of these things to make them more achievable and so forth.

But how about thou shalt not covet. That's the matter the heart is. Thou shall not steal is what you do because you coveted you take something that you coveted after you coveted long enough that causes you to steal. But before you ever do that you coveted something in your heart.

In other words, you send by not being content with God. What God gave you and you hold onto these things in their more important to you than anything else and you're not willing to let them go. And that's with the rich young ruler had exposed things Christ telling him that the way to heaven is to sell everything you have and give to the poor is at work.

Salvation of Christ was telling him that you have to let go of all earthly things that you hold more important that you hold more deer than Christ himself. That's what he's telling me he would do it by the coaches heart and materialistic perspective.

It's interesting that Paul said something so he says in another passage. In effect, I thought I was keeping the law pretty well until that one about covetousness capes came along and I thought about that for a while and I realize I am to.

I have not had a heart free of covetousness slew make that one showed me that I had kept the law and if there's one part of the law that I haven't Perfectly Paul was wise enough to know that that meant couldn't earn salvation by works righteousness, and so he was backed into a corner wasn't if he had capital perfectly. But you see, covetousness is not something that somebody else can point to. You can look at me and said you good coverage was heartless I display it in somewhere like like Christ forced with the rich young ruler, you can see that so I can be pretty proud cheated on my income taxes I have installed.

In this way or that way. I've kept the law of God. I I've kept it righteous right knee on the back to give me a brownie point to give me a chair at the banquet table in heaven. And that's not going to do it. Paul is saying that if anyone had credentials sufficient for salvation. He did, but he came to realize that those would not earn salvation. Those did not give him the required righteousness similar in many ways to Martin Luther. You remember him, don't you he was. He said something like, if ever could achieve righteousness by his monkish notice. I it was more earnest, more more zealous in good works than any of the other. He realized he had not secured his peace with God. Paul came to realize the same thing.

You can have a lot of things, but if you don't have Christ, you are going to hell. But I gotta move quickly now to number three. Paul's conclusion versus 789.

But what things were gain. Formerly were gain to me, those I have counted loss for Christ. Yes, indeed. I also count. I continue to count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I've 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 a law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith which Paul telling us always telling us that human righteousness cannot save. That's the truth stated negatively in verses seven and eight here's what cannot save you, and then he tells us in verse nine that only Christ righteousness can save you. That's the positive statement of what does say human righteousness does not save Christ righteousness in Christ righteousness alone does say human righteousness cannot say Paul's credentials could not save him. What he formerly considered a credit to his account before God in heaven he came to understand was actually a loss not only didn't give them credit with God in heaven, but it actually was subtracted from the righteousness that was required. It's a loss interesting term.

The terms only used here in the next 27 words used in that voyage of Paul when he was shipwrecked on his way to Rome and the other was it was a big cargo vessel and had a big load of wheat that week was very valuable was going to be sold for much money but yet he was a great asset until the storm came. Now if they didn't toss it overboard. They were over the parish and so that which seemed like an asset suddenly became a deficit and became a loss.

If you don't get rid of this. You're doomed. That's the way Paul is using it here, my righteousness, it seemed like an asset. I came to realize was a loss if I don't get rid of this. I'm doing upon the Christ.

He was enlightened as to true righteousness and everything that he had thought about his former righteousness was upended. It was gone.

It was destroyed not only the things in Paul's life, but any and all suppose it credits on any list. That's why he says in verse eight, eight thing all things verse seven the things what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. That's the list of seven we just went over yes indeed. I also count all things loss.

Go ahead and add to the list and what you think ought to be on the list. Whatever you add whatever you put on that list of what will righteousness I want to tell you it's all loss. It's all a deficit.

It'll take you to the bottom. If you don't get rid of it.

If you don't jettison overboard. Paul counted of rubbish which means garbage you done in this speaks of. And we have to consider this time is going to squeeze me here, but this speaks of the requirement of of relinquishing things in order to have Christ this get into the but this is renunciation that was required in order to gain Christ. Christ cannot simply be added to what is already present. We talk about what it means to believe in Christ, what it means to to be saved by Christ.

What it means to to be saved because you are believing in Jesus Christ is not just a simple matter of saying okay now I believe in Christ but I I add him to everything else in my life. Paul makes it clear here that sometimes affect always just different things in different lives that there is a renunciation that accompanies our addition, we have to get rid of some things to be able to receive Christ. Otherwise we can't have. So to answer the question what must we give up in order to have Christ, the answer is in one way, nothing in another way everything. Both of those answers are correct. Properly understood what must we give up in order to have Christ. Nothing. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. You Retrieve it by anything else but what must we give up in order to have Christ everything because salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and if you are holding onto anything else.

In addition to that, then you don't have Christ you don't have salvation on the Christ righteousness can save human merit must be renounced not having a righteousness of my own from the law. Paul says in verse nine we don't obtain Christ by effort, we obtain Christ by renouncing all our efforts alien righteousness must be embraced. That's a term that Martin Luther came up with what you mean alien righteousness. One of those green things comes out of a spaceship alien means foreign to you.

What's a whole issue here, my righteousness by law keeping my pedigree.

My birth my circumcision. All of these things that I have done the come from me and all of those will take you to the bottom of the ocean of condemnation. Gotta get rid of those in their place. You embrace Christ and him alone. That's an alien righteousness the righteousness you need doesn't come from within you the righteousness you need is outside of you and it must be imparted to you.

It must be given to you by God himself.

It is the perfect righteousness of Christ and if you don't have that you don't have enough human righteousness to get to him. So I will quickly make a few statements before close human works are unable to save anyone nearly every religion teaches work salvation including most forms of misunderstood forms of Christianity. Most of the people in this world view salvation.

If there concerned about salvation of all having to believe renounced the whole idea of God in heaven. Most of the people in the world who have any sense of eternity. Believe in a work salvation of one kind or another that the question isn't do you believe it works. The question is, whose list of works to believe it. We believe in this list. We believe this list. We believe this is the way we believe that is the way renounced it all. Christ is the only way I am the way the truth and the life no man comes in the father but by me. So what credentials are you trusting in you come from a Christian family that avails you. Nothing counted as loss did you grow up in a good church that avails you.

Nothing counted as loss.

Are you faithful in your giving. This was back so many years. I think I can tell it nobody you know who I'm talking about because goes back more than 40 years with somebody who is attending our church very faithfully and in a sermon.

I said something like this. Your tithing is going to get you to have if you're not born again by the spirit of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ then you're wasting your money by typing this far is going to have is concerned and this man got so mad at me because he was a tighter, they left the church not elicited that kind of malarkey.

Obviously, revealing that he was trusting in his tithing to get him to him. He was proud of. I hated to lose a tighter, but I wanted someone to understand the truth I had for him to leave. You need to hang around and understand the truth of you trusting your giving to get you to heaven. Going to hell. That's all you trusting you, trusting your beauty or good looks, your personality, your education, your acts of kindness and faithfulness in helping others is good as those things may be on the human level, they will take you all to hell. If you don't renounced them as your way of righteousness, and cling to Christ alone, because sin earns wages and is paid wages are paid according to our sins. Righteousness is given to the undeserving. You can't have it until you understand that you are undeserving of it. You can have it unless you acknowledge that you can't have that unless you're willing to let go, important in your self-righteousness, because as long as you are holding on to that you are not able to receive Christ. You gonna let that go, therefore, that the title of my sermon today is a converted Jew tells why we have learned. Why was Paul renounced all of this stuff that he was proud only gloried in Christ.

Let's pray father how important it is to understand this truth. We have no way of knowing who may be clinging to a works righteousness and needs to renounced that. Oh God, by the work of your spirit. Help them to see that help them to do that help them to renounce all of that help them to to to push their pride to the ground and to humble themselves before your mighty hand and accept Jesus Christ and him alone with nothing else in their hand to bring, but simply to your acrostic claim. We pray