The Apostle Paul masterfully explains justification by faith in Philippians 3:1-11. True righteousness is not based on human achievement but is Christ’s righteousness imparted to us by faith. We have not, and cannot, and will not ever be accepted by trusting in self-effort. Our righteousness is found in Christ alone. At the moment we place our faith in Christ, God credits to our bankrupt lives of sin, the complete, full, and final righteousness of our perfect Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, God accepts us as sons and daughters into His presence, based not on anything we have done, but solely on all that Christ has done for us.

What a relief! It should be a relief to all of us knowing God accepts us in Christ alone, as it gives peace and assurance of our right standing with Him. Apart from this truth, we would be hopeless. 

In Paul’s explanation, we see God’s “Divine Math,” for Paul says that what he did in the past counts for nothing in his standing before God. Further, he has lost all things to gain Christ. 

The divine equations are these:

 Christ + Nothing = Everything

 Everything - Christ = Nothing

We cannot add anything to the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, when we trust in Christ and nothing else, we have all that can ever be had in this universe: Christ Himself.

Nor does the possession of anything in this life count for anything without Christ. Because without Him, we end up with nothing at all.

But how do we apply this? Even though we find relief that God accepts us by faith, our natural tendency is to put our trust in ourselves rather than God. Even Christians, saved by grace through faith, often revert to self-effort to be accepted by Him. But more egregiously, we often hold others to a measuring stick to which we do not keep ourselves.

There are many applications to the doctrine of justification by faith, but one I’d like to focus on is our relationship with one another. We should be relieved that God accepts us in Christ alone, so should we be relieved that he accepts others the same way. And so, we should accept one another the same way! “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). The problem Paul was addressing in Romans was that Christians were applying legalistic standards to one another. They were creating conditions by which they would accept one another based on what they ate and drank. They were passing judgment on one another based on things that God did not require. 

The root of the problem as Paul put it was that they were “no longer walking according to love” (Romans 14:15). Love is the key to accepting one another. We are to accept one another as He accepted us, forgive as He forgave us, and love as He loved us.

In 1 Corinthian’s 13:1-3, Paul introduced another equation of “Divine Math”:

13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

  2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

  3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Speaking in tongues + Prophesying + Incredible Faith + Giving away everything you own for the needy + sacrificing your life - Love = 0

When we do all sorts of “righteous” things but do not have love for one another, it equals zero, nothing, nada. Of course, adding love to the equation makes our service to others effective, for we are then loving as we have been loved.

So how do we live out this love and acceptance toward others? 

1. Grant grace to all believers, based on the same grace you have received.

2. Don’t hold others to an unrealistic expectation.

3. Tear up that mental list of rules, regulations, and standards you impose on others. Instead, see others as clothed in righteousness, holy and beloved, just as God sees you.

Our spiritual measuring stick of others is far afield from God’s Divine Math. Lay down your flawed spiritual measuring stick. Instead, accept and love others according to the infinite measure of God’s grace.