OUTLINE
If anyone could justify themselves through their privileges or achievements, it was Paul (v. 4).
I. Your religious actions cannot save you (v. 5a)
II. Your family cannot save you (v. 5b)
III. Your rule keeping cannot save you (v. 5c)
IV. Your passion cannot save you (v. 6a)
V. Your own righteousness cannot save you (v. 6b)
You can only be saved by counting all of your privileges and achievements as loss and trusting in Christ alone (v. 7).
DISCUSSION
I. What is Paul getting at in verse 4? Read verses 5-6. In what ways does Paul show that if anyone were to have “confidence in the flesh” it would be him? What do all of these things mean? Is your experience consistent with Paul or do you find yourself in a different place when looking at your life?
II. After Paul details all of the “gain” he had—reasons he has to place “confidence in the flesh”—what conclusion does he come to in verse 7? Can you, with Paul, say “I count everything as loss for the sake of Christ”? How is this the path to true joy?