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  IN THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS
  by K.P. Yohannan
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Summary: We must let go of our pride and guilt and hold on to the
righteousness of Jesus, obtained through faith in Christ.

Topics: "Righteousness", "Grace"
Scripture References: Philippians 3:8

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DESCRIPTION
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K.P. Yohannan emphasizes in his sermon 'In the Book of Philippians' that
believers should not mourn over their failures or lost righteousness, as
God has placed all blame on Jesus. He points out that feelings of regret
often stem from pride and a misunderstanding of true righteousness,
which is only found in Christ. Yohannan reminds us that our own
righteousness is worthless compared to the righteousness we receive
through faith in Jesus. He encourages believers to let go of their
'filthy rags' and embrace the riches of Christ's grace. Ultimately, he
highlights Paul's message in Philippians about considering everything a
loss for the sake of knowing Christ.

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CONTENT
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If you are still mourning and blaming yourself it is not because God is
blaming you; He has put the blame on Jesus. It can only be due to one of
two things. Either that you have not really repented, or, more likely,
you are mourning over your lost righteousness. Perhaps you feel that,
having been saved for so long, you should not be failing as you are. . .
. You are in effect saying, "Alas for my lost righteousness." That is
nothing but pride.

Jesus has taken our blame, the charge against us, the sting of our
failure. Then why are we so sick about our failure? Because we thought
we were better. We regret that our "report card" does not show all the
"good marks" we want others to see.

But all the best marks of our own righteousness can only amount to
"filthy rags" as the prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 64:6. They will never
be anything we want to showcase. The only righteousness worthy of
displaying is the righteousness of Jesus that we have through His
powerful and precious blood.

If what we hang on to is filthy rags, why grasp for it anymore? Why
mourn over the loss of it? Will we be like the criminal who until the
very end esteemed and held on to "his own righteousness," although
obviously it was nothing to boast in?

Paul sums it up in the book of Philippians:

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I
consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not
having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which
is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is
by faith (3:8-9).

Let us leave our rags behind and hold on to His riches.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/kp-yohannan/in-the-book-of-philippians/
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