No Confidence in the Flesh, Philippians 3:3-4, 7-9

"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh-- though I myself have reasons for such confidence... But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

     When we come to Christ and start to serve Him, we will quickly find out that He didn't choose us because of our talents and abilities, but that everything we were aside from Christ is meaningless. "The Lord doesn't call the equipped, but equips the called," they say. Well, Paul the apostle, known as Saul of Tarsis prior to his conversion, was a man of great talent and religious zeal. He was blameless when it came to the law, following all its rules and regulations. (This isn't to say Paul was sinless, but that when he sinned he made all the necessary atoning sacrifices.) But what would make Paul, formerly a Pharisee and perhaps maybe even part of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling counsel), declare that all his talents and accomplishments before he met Jesus are nothing but loss and rubbish?

     Saul's conversion took place on the road to Damascus, where he was headed with letters to arrest any who he found that followed Christ. He was on his way to persecute the church, when suddenly a bright light stopped him in his tracks; it was Jesus Himself, calling out to Saul.
     What was Saul's reaction to his revelation of Christ Jesus, whom he was persecuting with hateful zeal? As Jesus called from the heavens, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?", Saul fell down and asked, "who are you, Lord?" (Acts 9:1-9) He was instantly changed, converted from the ravenous wolf, breathing murderous threats against the church, to a disciple of Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus then gave Saul instructions, and Saul obeyed.

     Throughout the life of Paul we see that Jesus, time after time after time, led him to preach to the Gentiles (the non-Jews). Since Paul was such a highly educated Jew, you would naturally assume that the Lord would have called him and said, "because you have been so diligent in keeping the law and so zealous for the Jewish faith, I am going to send you to your brother Israelites so that you may reveal to them who their Messiah is." But Jesus didn't do that. If He did, Paul could have easily taken credit and gloried in his accomplishments, forgetting that it is God and God alone who converts people. Instead, we see that every time Paul tried to minister to the Jews there was some sort of riotous tumult!
     This isn't to say that God won't use our natural talents; He is the one who gave us such talents to begin with. God has equipped us with the talents and gifts necessary to fulfill His plans for us. But He will also make sure that we don't get puffed up with pride, taking the credit as if we were the ones who changed someone's destiny from death to life. It is Christ alone who saves, we just deliver the message.

     The whole point in Paul's statement in Philippians 3, speaking of not having confidence in his flesh, is to show that no matter what abilities, talents, or gifts we possess, none of them have any importance in God's eyes; God can use anyone and anything to call someone and reveal His glory. If all our accomplishments are as rubbish, all our righteousness as filthy rags in His sight, what do we have to glory in? What is there to take pride in? Nothing! The only pride, the only joy we should have is in the accomplishments and works of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

     Like Paul, we should count everything as loss in comparison to knowing the glory of Christ Jesus! What is there in your life that even comes close to the greatness of knowing Him? What is there on this earth that can compare to the joy of knowing we're free from guilt, free from shame, and headed for life everlasting with Him in heaven?
     When we realize this is so, when we focus our eyes and our minds on Jesus and not on our circumstances or our feelings, we are free and full of joy!