Where Does Religion and Christianity Seperate?

I am going to go through part of a chapter in the bible and explain how true Christianity is different from all other religions. When I say true Christianity I am not speaking of what the mass of Christians believe. What the mass of Christians believe is just as wrong as Buddhism.
Here in this chapter we will see the truth.

Philippians 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:

Paul is saying that if anyone has confidence in the way he has lived his life to get right with God, he does more. That is quite a brag. Paul is openly bragging and saying that if you think that you have lived better and more righteous then him, your wrong. Look what he goes on to say.

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;

He was circumcised on the right day. That is good. God commanded that every one of the blood line of Abraham be circumcised on the eighth day as a token of his being a part of the covenant that God made with Israel. Moving on he was of the tribe of Benjamin. That's good. He was not just an ordinary Hebrew. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. When Paul walked through the city, people recognized him as someone special. He says concerning the law he was of the upper class, a Pharisee. We usually liken Pharisee with a hypocrite but the Pharisee's observed all the laws. The were seriously hard core and zealous after the commandments of God.



Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul says, "Lets talk about zeal, I was the one that persecuted that heretical group that was trying to bring down the Law. I was the one doing something about it. And concerning that righteousness that you get by obeying the law, I was blameless." That is quite a brag. Paul just said that if you want to talk about all those laws that God gave Moses, no man could ever find Paul at fault. The law said not to steal. Paul never did. The law said not to covet or commit adultery. Paul never did. The law said to keep the Sabbath. Paul always kept the Sabbath holy. Wow! That is pretty good. You say if you were that good, then you would for sure please God and get into heaven. If no one on earth could ever accuse you of wrong doing, then God would owe you eternal life, right? Lets see what he says next.

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Here is what we finally come to. This is where true Christianity and religion seperate. All those good things that Paul knew he ought to do, all those good deeds that Paul did in obedience to the law, he counted for loss. He discarded it. All those things he did to please God in his religion, Paul counted as loss. He traded it for Christ.

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,

Paul puts all his good deeds in a pile. All the times he obeyed the law and just heaps it on a pile. All the ordinances and rules and self effort. Then he steps back, looks at it and calls the whole pile dung. Manure. The real stuff, not just compost. Paul says that he suffered the loss of ALL things (all his righteousness) and counts them as dung so that He may win Christ.

Php 3:9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Paul having counted all his religion dung, hopes that he will be found in Jesus not having his own righteousness, which comes by means of obeying the law, but that righteousness that comes through the faith of Christ, that righteousness which is God's by faith.
So we see two different righteousness here. Ours and God's. Our righteousness is how we lived. Our good deeds. God's righteousness is how He lived while he was on this earth. God's righteousness is God's right doing. Our righteousness is our right doing. God's righteousness is how Jesus Christ lived while he was here on earth. It seems that we don't want to be found on judgment day with our own righteousness. We need this righteousness that comes is God's. How do we get this righteousness? By believing that what Jesus did while he was here on earth is enough to get us into heaven. It's that easy. Simply believing that the blood He shed is sufficient to pay for and remove our sin.

So if you were to ask Paul if he were going to heaven, Paul would say, "I have never done anything to get me there. Nothing I have ever done is good enough to put me in right standing with God. I deserve the fires of hell and apart from God's righteousness I have no hope." I know that all my hope is in the righteousness of Christ, and not my own.