Confidence in the Flesh

Observe the seven items. Four are inherited: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. Three are earned: a Pharisee by conviction, a persecutor by zeal, faultless by legalistic righteousness. Paul covers both what he was born with and what he achieved. The list is complete on purpose.

Interpret what he means by confidence in the flesh. He is not talking about sensuality. Flesh, in this context, is everything human that a person could lean on to feel secure before God: ancestry, tradition, effort, moral record. Paul says he had more of it than his opponents, and that it was worth nothing. He does not say the things were bad. Being from Benjamin is not a sin. He says they were the wrong place to put his weight.

Apply it by drawing up your own list. Most Christians have a quiet version of it. A family that has always gone to church. Years of service. Sound doctrine. A reputation for reliability. None of these is wrong. All of them can become a place to stand instead of Christ.

What is on your list, inherited and earned? When you picture standing before God, what do you instinctively reach for first? What would it take to consider it loss, not because it was worthless but because he is worth more?