Paul had the best religious résumé of his generation. Circumcised on the eighth day. A Pharisee. Blameless by the standard of the law. Then he threw it all away.

Why would a man discard credentials like that? Because he found something the credentials could never buy.

There are two kinds of righteousness. One you produce. One you receive. The first comes from the law. You work at it, you measure yourself, you polish your record. The second comes from God as a gift, and faith is the hand that takes it. Self-made righteousness is pride in action. It says, "I do not need God. I can make myself righteous." Received righteousness says the opposite: without Him, I have nothing.

Paul chose the gift. Paul says it himself:

"...and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection." Philippians 3:9-10 (NKJV)

The order is fixed. Righteousness by faith comes first. Then comes the knowledge of Christ. Then comes the power of His resurrection. The phrase translated "that I may know Him" is (tou gnōnai auton) τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτόν — "to know him." It states a purpose. Paul receives the gift of righteousness so that he may know Christ and experience resurrection power.

Paul was already saved when he wrote this. Resurrection power had already raised his spirit from death when he believed. But Paul wanted more than a past event. He wanted to know Christ intimately and to see that same power at work in his present life, even in his body.

And the doorway to that power was not more effort. It was a deeper grasp of the gift.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

So receive it and study it. Say it out loud: "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." The more conscious you become of this gift, the more you will know Him. And the more you know Him, the more His resurrection power will touch your life.

You cannot climb into resurrection power. You can only be given the righteousness that opens the door.

Resurrection power is not a reward for the qualified; it flows to the person who receives what Christ already earned.