The Christian leaves all behind, walking away from his trophies, his worldly achievements, his self-centered life, so that he might gain Christ (3:8). There is something compelling about that. What does he lose? Nothing in comparison to what he obtains, namely, Christ! But not only has the Christian gained Christ, but he is now “found in Him.”This is one of the greatest truths in all of Scripture, to be “in Christ.” While Ephesians chapter one expands on all the benefits to us for being “in Christ,” here Paul propounds one aspect of that pervasive topic: we now have a new kind of righteousness. He now lists six truths about this righteousness.

First, this righteousness comes only by being “in Him.” Second, it is not our own righteousness. Third, it does not come through keeping the Law, Fourth, it comes through believing in Christ. Fifth, this righteousness comes from God. Sixth, it is based on faith.

The error of Paul before coming to Christ was that he saw righteousness as connected to him, within him. It was his righteousness that came through his meticulous law-keeping. It had nothing to do with Christ, the perfect sacrifice, the one who alone kept the Law perfectly. Of course God was righteous, and Paul’s determined effort had been to develop that godly righteousness through his own merits, based on the measurement of the Law.

However, now that he had found Christ, this new righteousness completely eclipses the old kind of righteousness, which is really not righteousness at all. That is why Paul considered it rubbish (3:7-8), it was worthless in attaining to true righteousness.

Consider today how many religions of the world teach a man-centered, law-enforced righteousness. In that sense, all religions are the same, only the rituals differ—a man becomes righteous by the things he does. Biblical Christianity, in contrast, teaches that a man is proven to be unrighteous by the things he does, he cannot possibly become righteous on his own. But that which he cannot do for himself, God can and does do. He provides His own righteousness, and this is simply by His grace. Each of us is left to simply acknowledge his failure (confession), turn (repentance) and believe (faith) in the Lord Jesus Christ. As someone said, this is too good to be true. Yet it is true!