Found in Him. Philippians 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:” When we stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, our relationship with Him won't be based on what we have done. We have been accepted in the Beloved when we trust in Him. God has cleansed us from our sins and given us His righteousness as a gift because of our Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice. His death, burial, and resurrection as our substitute have made it possible for His righteousness to be imputed to us.
Our union with Christ is not just a memory of when God saved us, but it is an ongoing, personal relationship with Him. Righteousness in a believer does not come from our own efforts, which would be the righteousness of the law, but it is given to us and received through faith. We are accepted before God because we are in Christ.
The beginning of this new life was wonderful because I felt like a new creation. At first, all I really knew was that God had saved me, and I had eternal life because I believed in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He had given this gift freely when I received Him, and I became aware of the Person I had trusted in, had spoken to in thanksgiving, and who knew me personally. Relief was followed by joy in knowing I was accepted by God, given a new nature, and possessed eternal life.
That created a difference between me and my friends, which I couldn’t explain at the time, but it related to identification and how each of us responded to Jesus’ name. Being found in Him made me separate from many I knew before, who only knew about Him but didn’t want Him as their Savior and weren’t grateful that He bore their sins on the cross. That act of faith in Christ caused me to walk alone on many occasions, and I began to understand the meaning of sanctification.
Life has taken me to many places over time. I know many people, but as I get older and travel less, I start to forget their names, even those I used to see often. Still, I find comfort in knowing that my righteousness is in Christ, and that God has accepted me and will not forget who I am. The faith that first brought me to Him still keeps my trust strong. I am in Christ forever; God has accepted me as His son. Being found in Christ means I belong to Him, and He is mine forever.
As the years pass, I am left with many faded memories of things that happened while I was privileged to serve God in various situations and places. Some events stand out clearly: when God seemed so near, I felt He was guiding, protecting, and comforting me, to prevent my faith from weakening. During those times, I also held confidence that Christ was involved. The “faith of Christ” provided full assurance that He would carry me through difficulties beyond my control or ability to handle. Christ is my “all in all.”