Sermon Cloud

People are faced with the decision…faith in my obedience to the law or ONLY faith in God’s grace is needed for spiritual salvation.  There were leaders pressuring them to trust in ‘what they do’ – get circumcised, obey the law, become Jewish.

Paul lists out an amazing impressive “who’s who” kind of resume’.   However, he asks the all-important question.  Does God consider me righteous because of obeying the law or because of Christ? 

In the end, everything is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus.  Everything is garbage in comparison.

Because of this, the recovering religion addicts can experience rest thru loving intimacy with Jesus.  It’s not because we do anything at all, that God accepts us.  The irreligious among us may realize that the “something more” that everyone searches for is found in the forgiveness and relationship with Jesus.  Surrendering to the loving intimacy of Jesus is what we were created for.

The reason Paul is remembered is not because of all that he did, but because his all consuming passion to know Jesus.  Everything he did flowed out of that.