A Spiritual Profit And Loss Statement

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 STUDY NOTES PHILIPPIANS 3:4-6 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES A SPIRITUAL PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT INTRODUCTION A profit and loss statement, is important to a business, it is a record concerning their success Paul shares with us a spiritual profit and loss statement, which is important to our ministry Paul presents to us the true value of a life without Christ as the center of life Paul was known as Saul before he committed his life to serving Christ (Acts 9:1-18) Saul’s earthly credentials were quite impressive to man, and he thought he was impressing God Paul audits his own life, and he is truthful about who he thought he was before he was saved He comes to a-conclusion, one that is not easy for someone to admit, his life was worthless In verses 4-6 he states what he thought was a life of security and right standing before God The things that many people are hoping that God will accept as their entrance into Heaven Paul’s spiritual audit revealed that he was spiritually bankrupt, his life was worthless Then beginning with verse 7 he adds up the assets of living for God by faith in Christ In verses 4-6 we can see many things that people value in their life and depend on for salvation Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: “Confidence in the flesh” means to be convinced that good works will satisfy God Many believe that God will accept a good life, just be good to your family, friends, and others They say do good and it will all work out for good in the end, God just wants you to be good But salvation is not a work of man for God, it is a work of God for man, Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: “Grace” is God giving us everything for nothing, giving to us what we do not deserve “Faith” is the channel through which God’s work of grace flows “Faith” opens the door of the heart and allows the grace of God to come in “Faith” is the commitment and the agreement with God, faith says, “I agree” Faith says, God, I want it, I need it, I am nothing, I have nothing, I come with nothing Faith says, I am weak and empty, I am ready and willing, I receive, and I accept Our salvation is not because of our own works, efforts, religion, or personal righteousness That which is “not of yourselves” refers-back to the whole context of salvation The whole process of our salvation is of God and not of ourselves God’s gift of salvation is unearned and undeserved, God owes us nothing but gave us everything Grace gave us everything for nothing, nothing that we had done earned the gift of salvation Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Throughout the ages man has tried to work for salvation, but it has always been in vain Salvation is of God and not of man’s works, salvation is “all” grace and “no” works When it comes to the act of salvation, man has nothing to boast about, which Paul is stating If anybody could ever boast about their works in the flesh it would have been Paul He said, “I more,” as Saul he had more religious credentials than any other Jew No man ever had a greater desire to work for God than the man known as “SAUL” Saul could boast with the best of them when it came to human qualifications or achievements Page 1 of 5 Paul gives a personal testimony, an example that warns against trusting in good works Paul learned that he could not trust in the flesh, he could not be saved by works of the flesh If anyone could, it would have been Saul, but salvation is not of works People today are still trusting in the things like Paul mentions for a right relationship with God Php 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; You cannot be saved by practicing a religious ritual or by observing a church ordinance Paul’s parents were religious and obedient to the law of Moses, Lev 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Zacharias and Elisabeth brought John the Baptist to be circumcised the eighth day, Luk 1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, Luk 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Paul was born a Jew and received the seal of the Abrahamic covenant on the appointed day He was OF THE STOCK OF ISRAEL As a nation Israel was God’s chosen people, being born as a pure-blooded Jew was not salvation Paul was not a child of God because his parents were religious Jews You do not inherit salvation through physical birth, you must be born of the Spirit, Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; (physical birth) and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (spiritual birth) You experience the spiritual birth when you believe in Jesus and receive Him into your life You must receive Jesus to become a child of God, Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Birth within the purity of a family tree is not salvation, you must be born of God through Christ, Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Redemption is not through the blood of ancestors, it is through the blood of Jesus, 1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Paul was OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN The tribe of Benjamin could be called the “elite” of Israel, the most faithful among the 12 tribes Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, the only son born in the Promised Land From the tribe of Benjamin came the first king of Israel, King Saul Paul received his Jewish name from “King Saul,” which means, “son of the right hand” Paul did not stand in a right relationship with God because of his “family tree” Paul was not a Jewish convert, Paul was not a proselyte from the Gentiles He was A HEBREW OF THE HEBREWS The tribe of Benjamin maintained their original Hebrew language and customs Saul took pride in being a pure-blood Hebrew, no one was any more Hebrew than Saul was He was Hebrew from head to toe, he was Hebrew through and through But without Christ Saul was lost and spiritually separated from God Regardless of how religious a person must be they must receive Christ in order to be saved AS TOUCHING THE LAW, A PHARISEE The name Pharisee means “The Separated Ones,” they were the separatist of their day They separated themselves from the ways of common life, striving to keep the Law Page 2 of 5 They wore special garments to distinguish themselves from common people They considered themselves much holier than common people, Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Paul was a scholar of the law, a teacher of the law, he knew and kept the law as well as any But there is no salvation through a religious affiliation or through one’s-self righteousness If anyone could be saved by keeping the law, it would have been Paul, Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. No one spent more time studying the Law of Moses than Paul did, or worked harder to keep it He was more exceeding zealous for the traditions of his fathers than any other Jew Paul often identified himself as a Pharisee, Act 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. Act 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. No one more strictly adhered to the rules and regulations of the Law of Moses than a Pharisee Saul had joined the Pharisees rather than the Sadducees because he was a committed law keeper Scripture testifies to the commitment of the Pharisees, Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. If someone did exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees it would still be external righteousness External righteousness will never allow one to enter the kingdom of Heaven Entrance into Heaven is only through the righteousness of God through faith in Christ, Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: You might fool others by your self-righteousness, but not Jesus, Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Paul learned the truth of righteousness when he met Jesus on the Damascus Road That is why he is sharing his personal testimony in Philippians 3 Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. “Zeal” means to be filled with enthusiasm, a strong desire to accomplish something Many believe they are saved because they are sincere, thinking God will accept their sincerity No one was more sincere than Paul was, his zeal led him to persecute the followers of Christ Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Paul was not proud of his past, he did not share it to brag, he was sharing the truth of salvation His testimony is also found in, Act 22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. Act 22:5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. There is another personal testimony in, Act 26:11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Page 3 of 5 He was well known as the one who was PERSECUTING THE CHURCH His desire was to persecute all-of the disciples of Jesus, Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, He was well known for what he was doing, Act 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: Act 9:14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. Paul testified to the truth of his persecution of the church, 1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. It is amazing to find that he was an “Apostle,” an ambassador for Christ, Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (Amazing grace) How did that happen? It happened as Paul was travelling down the Damascus Road, Act 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Paul testified that he had heard the voice of Jesus and saw Him, 1Co 9:1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? He found out who he heard and who he saw, Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Paul knew that he was being confronted by a supernatural being, but who was He? Jesus identified Himself to Saul and gave him words of advice, Jesus became the Lord of his life The words, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” is not found in some modern versions But go to Paul’s testimony of his conversion and you will find them, Act 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Paul realized what he was doing when he met Jesus on the Damascus Road He asked Jesus a question that we all should ask, Act 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Saul committed his life to Jesus that day and spent the rest of his life living for Christ, Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. No one was more dedicated or devoted to the Jewish religion than Saul was In the eyes of man, he was blameless TOUCHING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS IN THE LAW, BLAMELESS Here Paul is referring to man’s righteousness, that which can never accomplish salvation Such righteousness is often referred to as self-righteousness, like that of the Pharisees Many today believe that they are in a right relationship with God because of their righteousness The righteousness unto salvation is only through Jesus Christ, 1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: CONCLUSION If righteousness could be attained through the law, through zeal, then Saul was a righteous man Saul was an excellent example of a good, upright, moral, religious man He was blameless in the sight of man, but he learned the truth when he met Jesus Paul has shared a personal resume with us, a spiritual profit and loss statement In the eyes of man, he was right ritually, circumcised on the eighth day according to the Law He was of the right religious race, he was an Israelite Page 4 of 5 He was born into a religious family, the tribe of Benjamin He was beyond the average religious person, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews He was a member of the right religious group, he was a Pharisee He stood above the most zealous religious leaders, he was a persecutor of the church Compared to the standards set by man, he was blameless But Paul is comparing the standards set by man with the standard set by God When he met Jesus, he realized that he was spiritually bankrupt He had no religious credentials or accomplishment that would allow him into God’s presence He was spiritually lost, separated from God, and Hell-bound Paul met Jesus and had a change of thought concerning the values of life, Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, Page 5 of 5