Philippians 3

“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more …But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (v4-7).  The symbols of the Old Testament covenant had been fulfilled in Christ, yet some people still thought that to be truly holy, they needed to be circumcised (v2-3).  Paul had better Jewish credentials of law-keeping than anyone, an outward appearance of righteousness, yet it hadn’t saved him.  

Paul gave up his attempts to save himself “in order 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 comes through faith in Christ” (v8-9).