Good morning to everyone. Thank you so much for leading us again. Those are really some good hymns this morning, some appropriate to the words that we're going to be studying this morning. 

We're continuing our study working through the book of Philippians verse by verse, and we've come to chapter 3. This section of scripture is one of the clearest explanations of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of Paul's testimony. Saul of Tarsus was a religious man, a zealot for his faith in Judaism. He had all the credentials, as we will see. He was born into the right stock. He was educated by the finest rabbis, a Roman citizen filled with the zeal for his religion. 

And this was manifest in his persecution of this new sect called Christianity, or the way. He sought to stomp out these blasphemous heretics and pursued them to other cities, hauling them out of their homes, arresting them, even consenting to the stoning of believers in Jesus Christ. In Acts 8, 1, speaking of the martyrdom of Stephen, it says, now Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time, a great persecution arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.

Then verse 3 says, as for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. The wording here pictures a wild beast tearing at flesh. Saul of Tarsus was fervently, zealously persecuting the church until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. 

I just want to look at that passage in Acts 9, if you'd turn to Acts 9 with me as we start at verse 1. It says, then Saul, this is just after chapter 8, obviously, in the stoning of Stephen. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 

As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, who are you, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 

So he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do? Then the Lord said to him, arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, here I am, Lord. So the Lord said to him, arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying. And in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight. 

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from chief priests to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake. 

And Ananias went his way and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales. And he received his sight at once. And he arose and was baptized.

Well, this is Saul's testimony of salvation, his witness to us, how he became Paul, the great apostle and evangelist, pastor, and author of much of our New Testament. The text before us in Philippians 3 is his testimony, an explanation of his faith. And it makes abundantly clear that salvation has nothing to do with religion or works or lineage or anything at all to do with me and what I do. 

Paul said he counts all these things as garbage in order that he might receive the righteousness of Christ by faith. He came to see in that day that Jesus visited him that righteousness can only come from God by grace through faith. And that's the very center of the gospel of his faith, of his testimony. And it's a clear message that we must know and believe and preach to every creature as long as Jesus tarries and leaves us here in this world. 

These are wonderful words we have to study this morning, a glorious truth of salvation in Christ that we may be found in him, not having our own righteousness, which is by the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. 

Let's look at our text in Philippians 3:1. Paul says, finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who worship God and the Spirit. Rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. 

Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 

But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet I indeed also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have 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 the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."

I've given you four points on your outline this morning. First, rejoice in the Lord. Second, safe for you. Third, false religion. And fourth, his righteousness by faith. 

Well, the word translated finally here does not speak of the last thing that Paul wants to say. He's been concerned up to this point in the epistle with unity in the body and possible mild tensions that could become a problem between believers. And what he's saying here is, as for the rest of what I have to say to you, the word literally speaks of that which is left over. So it's not the final thing he has to say. He has another finally down in 4:8. 

But the other things he wanted to talk about, the context of this is the outside danger of the legalistic Jews influencing the church. We see this in the region of Galatia and how the Judaizers were negatively influencing the churches there with a false gospel. They were those who rejoiced in the flesh, in works, and rites, and rituals, and ceremony. 

In Galatians 6:12, Paul says, as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law. But they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast in anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. 

We see similar language in our text this morning. But Paul starts us with a positive admonition. He says, first of all, rejoice in the Lord. And it's present tense here, meaning that we are to keep on continually rejoicing in the Lord. This is such a practical, important exhortation and a good preventative from being influenced by legalistic thought. 

And Paul really strikes here at the heart of the Christian life of running this race. It reminds me of Hebrews 12:2, where he says, looking off and away from everything else, including ourselves, looking to, rather, fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ. This is the way to run the race of the Christian life, looking unto his person, unto his sacrifice, his love, his life, his provision, his promises, his grace, his sufficiency, as opposed to looking to an external law or to my performance, to religious rites and rituals and heritage, all those things that these legalistic Jews were finding their value in, placing their faith in for salvation. 

Rejoice in the Lord. It's Jesus who has accomplished our salvation. It's Jesus who sustains us, who lives his life in and through us as we abide in him. Turn over to John 15 with me. We see Jesus give an explanation here in John 15 of the Christian life, a metaphor. In John 15:1, he says, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it might bear more fruit. 

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Now here's his command to them. Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. 

Jesus describes for us here how the Christian life works. He is the vine, we are the branches. In order to bear fruit, we must abide, we must remain in him, looking to him, rejoicing in him. Jesus is the explanation of our faith. Turn over to Ephesians 3 with me, verse 14. 

We'll see Paul give us a little more in-depth explanation of how God intends for us to live a holy life and bring glory to him. Ephesians 3:14, Paul's praying for the believers in Ephesus. He says, for this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. 

It is Jesus who lives his life in and through us. It is the Holy Spirit who imparts strength to our inner man. It is God who is able to do abundantly exceedingly more than we could ever ask or think. We are justified by grace through faith. But we are sanctified by grace through faith as well. 

Turn to Galatians 2 with me, verse 16. Paul makes this clear here as well. Galatians 2, verse 16, this is after he talks about his contention with Peter, where he had to withstand him to his face because Peter had clouded the gospel, made it unclear by his actions. In verse 16, he says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. 

He's trying to say something here, I think. Verse 17, but if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ, therefore, a minister of sin? Certainly not. Verse 18, for if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God. 

Same thing he says in Romans 7:1 to 6. Verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. 

Paul's talking about living here, how I live, righteous, holy living. And he says, if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. If you follow along into chapter 3, he says, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the context of our passage is a reference to the very Judaizers of the book of Galatians and to the doctrine that a man must adhere to the law of Moses in order to be saved and in order to live. But this is not the way to life, nor is it the way of life in the new covenant. Paul makes this clear in 2 Corinthians as well, if you turn to 2 Corinthians 3 at verse 2, really a stunning passage in 2 Corinthians 3. 

He says, you, talking about the believers in Corinth, you are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 

Look at verse 5, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit, for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. 

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, now he calls here the ministry of the spirit and the new covenant, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 

For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, the law, the old covenant, what remains is much more glorious. The terms here are stunning. Verse 3 is a clear reference to the Ten Commandments. Verse 5, Paul expresses here the same message as in our text. We are not sufficient of ourselves, but it is purely the work of Christ, the grace of God in our lives. 

Verse 6, we are not ministers of the law, the old covenant, we are ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit. What law, Paul? Verse 7, the law engraved on stones, which he calls a ministry of death. Verse 9, a ministry of condemnation. In contrast to the new covenant, spirit-filled life, which is the ministry of righteousness, imputed and practical righteousness. 

Verse 11, the old, the law, is passing away like the glory on the face of Moses. So we see that legalism, in justification or sanctification, is an ever-present concern in the writings of Paul. And his exhortation is to rejoice in the Lord, is to look to the Lord, to focus on Jesus. 

I was talking to a man the other day, and he was concerned with his children and other children in his church as well. He has an affiliation with a much more legal or maybe moralistic denomination than what we would understand. And his concern was that everyone was looking the part outwardly, moralistic in their attitude, as opposed to being fixed on Jesus, in love with Jesus, having their life and faith and hearts and minds be about Jesus. 

You know, we have such a tendency to go back to this kind of thinking personally. And sometimes, especially for those of us who are parents or even pastors and elders, it can seem somehow safe to bring law back into the picture, to think in a moralistic way as to our understanding of our relationship with God. This is not how the New Testament describes the Christ life. Our life is a response to the love and grace of God expressed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

It's the love of Christ that compels us, Paul says. It is the grace of God that causes us to have a deep heart's desire to live for the one who died for us. Our life is a life not of earning God's favor, keeping an external standard or meeting an expectation. Our life is a life of thank you. Thank you, Jesus, for all that you are and all that you have done and all that I have in you. 

This is why Paul says, keep on continually rejoicing in the Lord. And we see Paul say something interesting here in verse 1. He says, for to me, to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Sometimes when we work through the scriptures book by book, verse by verse, it seems to me that I'm saying the same things again and again. And I think this is because God is saying the same things again and again. 

And Paul expresses this truth here. He says, it's not tedious for me to keep pointing you to Jesus, to keep telling you to rejoice in the Lord, but it's safe for you. And how true this is, my brother, my sister in Christ, we must constantly be reminded, be renewing our minds to the truths of the new covenant and who we are in Christ, depending on him reckoning what he says to be true. 

Remember the words, renew your minds, reckon yourselves. These are the disciplines of the Christian life. And I'm so encouraged by Paul's words here. It's not tedious for me to write the same things to you again and again, but safe for you, safe for you and for me, my friends, to hear it again and again and again.

And we see next in our texts that Paul wants to keep them safe from false religion and legalism and its influence in the church. In verse 2, he says, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 

Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. And then he lists these credentials, his history, his heritage, all the things, his greatness in Judaism. And he says, I gave all that up, I cast it away as dung in order to gain Christ. And not to have my own righteousness, which I gained through works by the law, but to have God's very righteousness imputed to me by faith.

The Judaizers taught that they were the real circumcision, the true people of God. And their doctrine was that, yes, one should believe Jesus, but he must also be circumcised and follow the law of Moses in order to be saved. This dispute was going on throughout the churches and Gentile regions where Paul had been evangelizing and establishing fellowships as these legalistic Jews dogged his steps everywhere he went and tried to confuse the brethren. 

And this all came to a head at the meeting in Acts 15, the council at Jerusalem. Turn over to Acts 15 and we'll read that passage beginning in verse 1. Acts 15:1 says, and certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 

So being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying, it is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 

Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there'd been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them, men and brethren, you know that a good while ago, God chose among us that by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 

Now, therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved in the same manner as they. Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

Well, it was decided clearly and forcefully that a man is saved, that he's justified not by works of the law, not by religious rite or ritual, but by grace through faith in Jesus alone. This is the same clear statement we see in our text at verse 8, where Paul says he counts all things as rubbish, seeking to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ. 

Paul said, I'm a Hebrew of the Hebrews. I have all the credentials excelling among my peers in Judaism, but all that mattered to me in religion, I cast away in order that I might receive the righteousness of God through faith. Not my own righteousness, but the righteousness imputed to me by faith. These are abundantly clear statements on justification, on how it is that a man is saved. 

So let me ask you this question. Why was Paul so concerned about the doctrine of the Judaizers when he's writing to believers, those who were clearly already justified by faith? Why warn them about this false gospel if they're already saved? 

The concern, just as in Galatia, was the confusing effect of this false doctrine on the church's understanding of sanctification. In other words, the legalistic teachers were promoting a grace plus works life. I want to be clear here. It's the same issue that we see in mainline denominations today in Christianity. You see, in the church that I grew up in, there was no clear division between justification and sanctification. What we lived under was really a progressive justification by works. What does that mean? Well, we were constantly, continually working our way to righteousness, hoping that we would be good enough to be saved. 

So justification was never finished, because we could never know that we were saved. In fact, to say that you knew you were justified was to commit the sin of presumption and necessarily damned you to hell. The false teaching of the legalistic Jews was having this effect on the churches, not only confusing the doctrine of justification, how a man is saved, but also confusing the saved by bringing unclear implications to the doctrine of sanctification. 

And this is Paul's primary concern in Galatians and in our text this morning. Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit? That's justification. Are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Being made complete or perfect is referring to sanctification. So what we see in Christianity is that a lack of a clear distinction between the Old Covenant and the New, between law and grace, between legalistic ceremonial life and the Christ-in-you life by faith, leads to confusion in the church. 

And that's why Paul calls those who would bring the law to the full scope of the doctrine of salvation, those who would put some modicum of confidence in the flesh in their performance, in their law-keeping and participation in rites and rituals, Paul calls them dogs and evil workers. Hear the mutilation referring to circumcision. The key difference is found in this. Legalistic teachers place confidence in the flesh, in the external, in the keeping of law. They find assurance in their performance. 

But Paul says even those who are circumcised don't keep the law. The one who puts his full faith and confidence in Christ places no confidence in the flesh and therefore does not look to the law but to Jesus as his life. In 1 Corinthians 1:21, it says, for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 

For Jews request a sign, Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. To the Jews a stumbling block, to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. 

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. And here's his conclusion, in order that no flesh should glory in his presence. He who glories, Paul says, let him glory in the Lord. 

Glory in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord, put your confidence, your assurance, not in yourself, your religion, your ritual, your law-keeping, but in Christ alone. Depend on His grace and mercy and focus on Him, trust in Him, believe Him. Paul says that the law brings only wrath. It can't produce holiness. That's not God's way of producing holiness. 

We trust in His righteousness imputed to us by faith for justification, and my brothers and sisters in Christ, we trust in His righteous life lived out through me, the power of the Holy Spirit working in me as I abide in Him by faith. This is a discipline. This is an agonizing. This is the battle of the Christian life to keep our mind and heart focused on Jesus, walking in the Spirit, letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly, that we might live outwardly in consistency with who we are inwardly by His grace and power. 

And Paul expresses this in verses 10 and 11 of Philippians 3, the text we'll look at next time. Look at verse 9 again, he says, 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 by faith. And we say, okay, well there's justification, yes, but look at how he ties the righteousness of Christ through faith to sanctification in verse 10. He says that, in order that, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

What is the goal? What's the passion of my life having been born again, having been made a new creation in Christ and all that is true of my relationship with Him, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, the very power that works in me to make me like Jesus, that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. This is such an interesting phrase, this isn't referring to glorification. The literal here is out from among the dead, that I might live out from among the dead, the lost, the pagans around me. 

There's so many scriptures that come to mind, but building on the truth of who we are in Christ and the salvation we have in Him, the new abundant life, Paul writes this in Ephesians 4 at verse 17. He says, This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

That's who we were, that's the man in Adam. Verse 20, But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him, have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. That is the truth that is in Jesus, in Christ, that you have put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. You're being renewed in the spirit of your mind, and you have put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. 

This is the new life out from among the dead. Listen to Weiss' comments on verse 11 of Philippians 3, he says, Paul has in mind the spiritual resurrection of the believing sinner spoken of in Ephesians 2:4-8, a resurrection out from a state in which he is dead and trespasses and sins to one in which he is alive with the divine life of God motivating his being. Paul desires the full operation of this life to surge through his Christian experience in such a manner that the fragrance of the life of his Lord may permeate his life. This is the goal to which he is striving and the goal to which he has not yet attained. 

Sanctification is a work of God by His grace as we walk by faith, whereby the power of Christ in us, we are outwardly conformed in our behavior, in our life, to the inward reality of who we are because of God's salvation work in us. This is accomplished by grace through faith, by Christ living His life in and through you as you abide in Him by faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit in you imparting strength to your inner man, by God who works in you for His good will and purpose, and this happens as we work out our salvation. 

That is to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, to walk in the Spirit, to renew our minds to the Word, and to reckon it to be so. God says you are dead to sin and alive to God, that your relationship to that sin that dwells in you has changed at the point of conversion so that you can no longer live like you did in Adam. That's something God has done. And then in verse 11 of chapter 6 of Romans, He says, reckon it to be so, logizomai, count up the facts. What is true? It doesn't matter how you feel. It doesn't matter what your experience has been. What does God say? I'm dead to sin. I no longer live in it. Jesus help me, right? 

That's different than putting the Ten Commandments on your refrigerator and seeing how you did at the end of the day. We need to look off and away from every external carnal thing in this world and fix our eyes on Christ and Christ alone. Having begun in the Spirit, we are now being made perfect by the Spirit. 

I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. How does righteous, holy living come, Paul? I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. We want to live a holy life more than anything. We want to glorify God. 

Now how has God prescribed, on what basis has He prescribed that for us? The basis of regeneration, His life in us, His power in us. How are we to do that? We are to do that by looking to Him, seeking to know Him, agonizing to know Him through His Word, believing His Word, and depending on His life and power in us to produce this fruit out through us. 

I can't go out there right now by my cow barn on my farm and go to those two little apple trees and take some apples from Super One and tie them on those limbs. That's not how apples come. They come in the spring when the ground thaws and the water starts to flow and the sap is sucked up into the tree and all those nutrients come and it pushes out the buds and the leaves and those buds become flowers and then they grow into an apple and they grow and they form as the sustenance comes up through the vine into the branches and produces that fruit. 

That's the way the Christian life is, in a relationship with Jesus. That's what we're striving for with the Apostle Paul and his words here. Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for Your Word, we're so thankful for this clear message that righteousness comes by faith, that You offer us a free gift, that Jesus died in our place for our sins and propitiation is won, He has made a full satisfactory payment and You've shown that You were satisfied with that payment by raising Him from the dead and You have told us that no one can be justified by the law, but now the righteousness of God, apart from the laws revealed, being witnessed by His law and His prophets, how by faith, the righteousness of God by faith. 

Thank You for that gift and Thank You that You produce righteousness through us, the righteous life of Christ in us as we abide in Him, as we seek to know Him, as we are immersed in Your Word and believe Your truth and we thank You for what You do in our lives, for the great privilege we have to live for You and to serve You and to be a witness in this world. 

In Jesus' name we pray.