For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

3:9   and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith–

Paul had just mentioned of his own righteousness, a righteousness that had been granted to him by the family he had been born into and by the efforts he had expended, in order to maximize in the opportunities he had been granted. 

Is that not how each of our lives are? We are in a situation, whether good or bad, that was not of our doing. We were born in a situation that we had no choice in. Out of that situation, we are granted choices. Choices to be made to determine our destiny no matter what our present condition. 

Paul made a choice to give up – no – to reject that which was granted to him and that he centered his entire life on, to receive a righteousness through a completely different channel. Not through the law, but through faith. Through the life of another Man, where Paul’s pride and ego were not the fueling motivation for life, but a life of self sacrificial love to One who died for him, and that sought the best for others.

He sought to be found in him. To have an active faith that God and man would find him in. 

As an aside, is Paul referring to this position he seeks to be in, that is where he may be found, to be the result of others looking of of God looking? Now before I am shut out of your thinking, when Paul says “may be found in Him” he does not mention who might find him “in Christ” This has always been an assumption on my part that Paul is referring to God finding him in Christ, in order to be justified before the Father. Yet I do not see where Paul identifies the one who would “find him”. Might it be that he isn’t concerned about the finder, and that in my mind, that opens up the possibility that Paul’s was not worried about who found him, but simply the truth of being found.

With all that said, (and I do get wordy at times), my intent is to state that truth is manifested to both God and men, and that Paul’s decision to be in Christ would be evident to both God and men. 

Who ever was looking, when they looked at Paul, they found him in Christ. It was obvious he was in Christ, for he was mimicking the Lord in His life and teaching, in his attitudes and efforts.

Will you be found in Him, even today?

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