It seems that wherever Paul went preaching the gospel of freedom, there were those who followed with the “freedom plus” plan. Paul declared that righteousness before God was made possible by faith in the works of Another . . . these others supplemented that good news with an assertion that true righteousness was found by additionally adhering to the commands of the law . . . particularly that of being circumcised. But whether male or female, the implications of this “enhanced gospel” was that the work of Christ on the cross needed to be perfected by a full-out, all-in adherence to the law of righteousness as defined and practiced by the religious elite of the day. Effort was required . . . works were necessary . . . the flesh was key to knowing full acceptance before God. And to this Paul simply said, “No Confidence!”

For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh . . .    (Philippians 3:3 ESV)

Paul said if it were about relying on our best efforts then he had reason to be confident . . . born and circumcised of the people of Israel . . . his lineage traced to the tribe of Benjamin . . . a Hebrew through and through. When it came to the law, He had attained the ranking of Pharisee . . . one of the few that graduated through the ranks as a religious scholar of noteworthy potential . . . deserving of the best teachers and tutors . . . evidencing that he had the right stuff to lead from the platform. But even beyond that, he was driven by a zeal like few others . . . so zealous, in fact, that he went after those who preached the heresy of a new way founded on the purported resurrection of the Carpenter of Nazareth. Bottom line, says Paul, “As to righteousness under the law, blameless” (3:4-6).

But at the end of the day, big deal! Through his encounter with Jesus on the road . . . and his time spent at “Paradise U” (2Cor. 12:2-4), being given a one-on-one crash course in the things of righteousness by the Lord Jesus Himself (Gal. 1:11-12) . . . Paul realized that there was no advantage in boasting in the works of the flesh . . . in fact, it could only result in bondage. Instead, Paul deemed whatever gains he had made through the efforts of his self-righteousness to be “counted as loss” . . . a write-off . . . of no eternal value. He had given the works of his flesh a vote of “No Confidence” and instead focused on “gaining Christ” . . .

and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith . . .    (Philippians 3:9 ESV)

Oh, praise God that the foundation for my salvation is not dependent on my religious fervor . . . that it’s not measured by my acts of righteousness . . . but that it solely and wholly is founded on the solid rock of the finished work of the spotless Lamb of God on my behalf.

He is my confidence . . . He is my surety . . . He is the one and only reason for God’s overflowing favor in this life and the one to come.

That I might beware of relying on self . . . of somehow resting in my works . . .

Instead, that I might worship by the Spirit of God . . . glory in the Son of God . . . and give unceasing thanks before the throne of God . . . putting no confidence in the flesh.

Amen?