Human virtues are pictures, reprints, of God’s image. We who have the life of Christ in us are reprints of Christ. We can see this in Paul’s experiences. In Philippians 3:6-8 Paul said, “As to the righteousness which is in the law, become blameless. But what things were gains to me [including the righteousness of the law], these I have counted as loss on account of Christ...on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul did not speak of the excellency of Christ Jesus, but of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Formerly he knew only the law and regarded only the keeping of the law as precious, but now he knew Christ and considered his knowledge of Christ as something excellent. Paul’s insight had dramatically changed. Now he regarded the righteousness of the law as refuse. Before Paul was saved, he treasured the righteousness which he gained in the law. Consequently, he said that according to the righteousness of the law he was blameless. Now his attitude had completely changed. He said that he considered the righteousness of the law as refuse and therefore forsook it in order to gain Christ as his life and everything. He wanted Christ, instead of the righteousness of the law, to be his righteousness.
Righteousness here may also be explained as virtues. Paul did not have virtues on account of the law. Instead, he took Christ as his virtues. Therefore, in verse 9 he went on to say, “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is out of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith.” How could others see that Paul was in Christ? It was because Paul lived Christ. He did not have the righteousness (virtue) which was out of the law but that which was through faith in Christ, the righteousness (virtue) which was out of God. Paul lived Christ and magnified Christ; hence, he became a reprint of Christ.
Through faith in Christ we have been joined to Christ, and another kind of righteousness is manifested through us. This righteousness, which is out of God and based on faith, is just Christ Himself. First Corinthians 1:30 says that Christ became righteousness to us from God. This righteousness is not our morality, our behavior, or the result of our keeping the law. Instead, it is the issue of our being joined to Christ through faith and of Christ’s being one with us and living Himself out through us. When others see that Christ is lived out of us, they know that we are in Christ. Thus, we know Christ and the power of His resurrection. We personally experience that Christ in us is living, resurrected, and powerful. He is lived out of us as God’s righteousness and expressed through us as our virtues. Whoever lives Christ and expresses Christ in this way is a reprint of Christ.
In chapter four Paul went on and exhorted us to experience Christ in this way. When we experience Christ, we live out the things that are true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of, all of which possess some virtue and something worthy of praise. We can attain to this level because the resurrected Christ is in us empowering us with the power of resurrection. Therefore, Paul said, “I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me” (v. 13). Paul was able to do all things in the One who empowered him. Being able to do all things does not mean being able to earn a Ph.D. or being promoted to general manager just like some others. All things refer to the things that are true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of, all of which possess some virtue and something worthy of praise, as mentioned in verse 8. Others were not able to do these things, but Paul was able because he was empowered with the power of resurrection through the operation of the resurrected Christ in him.
Based on the foregoing speaking, we can derive a conclusion. Philippians is a book on living out Christ in human virtues, such as being true, being dignified, being righteous, being pure, being lovely, and being well spoken of. Christ is our virtues. When Christ is lived out through us, we are actually living out Christ. Because Christ is the expression of God, when Christ is lived out through us, divinity is expressed through humanity. Thus, God’s original purpose in the creation of man is attained, and what is portrayed in the law is also more than adequately fulfilled and realized.
To live out Christ in man’s virtues is to live out Christ in the virtues which God created in man. We do not disregard ethics, but we disregard ethics that are devoid of Christ. We want virtues that are filled with Christ. Here lies the superiority of biblical ethics, which are human virtues expressed through God as life in man. Biblical ethics are the virtues lived out from us by the Christ who has entered into us after He was incarnated, lived on the earth for thirty-three and a half years, passed through death and resurrection, became the life-giving Spirit, and ascended to the throne. As the Christ who died and resurrected and as the all-inclusive Spirit, He lives in us as our life to express His image through us. The expression of His image is the highest human virtue.
No other ethic in the world is higher than this kind of virtue. All virtues expressed in human conduct, religious philosophy, human ethics, laws, and rituals cannot compare with this. Today, what the overcoming and sanctified Christians live out is Christ. The perfect conduct that is expressed through them is the highest virtue.
We should be truthful, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of; we should have all kinds of virtues and receive all kinds of praises. However, these characteristics must not be devoid of content. The content is not we, but Christ. Our truthfulness is Christ; our loveliness is Christ; our dignity is Christ; our righteousness is Christ; our purity is Christ; our being well spoken of is Christ; any virtue and any praise we have are Christ, who is the image of God. Today when we live Christ, we live out the image of God in our human virtues for the glory of God. Consequently, God becomes our enjoyment and satisfaction. Hence, He is also our God of peace. The God of peace means that God is the One whom we can enjoy and the One who can satisfy us. The apostle Paul lived out this kind of life, and he also hoped that every Christian also will live this kind of life.
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