Php 3:4...If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so
Php 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Unsaved man without the Spirit of God is nothing but flesh. "Flesh" refers to self in its fallen state. If ever there was a man who could be confident about himself with regard to being accepted by God, it would be Paul. Paul has a word to anyone who claims that he has climbed the heights of religious prestige and accomplishment, Paul says: "I more so!" Everyone is only second to Paul in this regard.
If a man could be accepted by God in terms of ancestry Paul had it. Orthodoxy? He got it. Accomplishment? With zeal his hands were full of it. Morality? He had a blameless corner on it. Paul was high up there way above the rest of us.
But he did an accounting of it all, he took up his spiritual ledger, he compared his gains and losses and said: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ" (Php 3:7).
Ancestry, orthodoxy, accomplishments and morality relied upon for salvation could never save him. They are losses to the degree in which they drive him away from gaining salvation. All these things that he thought were advantages and gains for him as far as achieving salvation was concerned were nothing but a disadvantage, a "loss," compared to the salvation he can have in Christ by faith.
My friend, if the apostle Paul had to come down the heights of religious privileges and advantages in order to bow down in faith at the feet of Christ for salvation, then how much more us who are way below the ladder? We are nothing but flesh. We could not do anything to save ourselves. The best of men are only men at their best. And it's not enough. Come to Christ!!!
