By Pharisee I am not referring so much to that society of Jewish men who made up part of the leadership in Israel in Paul’s day. He called himself a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee even after his conversion (Acts 23:6). I am speaking of the attitude that was so apparent in the Pharisees.
Prior to his conversion Paul highly regarded the letter of the law and sought to honor God by his own intense efforts. He was very confident in his own fleshly efforts to attain sufficient righteousness to find acceptance with God. Self-confidence and self-justification were attitudes that he surrendered when he came to recognize himself as condemned under the judgment of the holy law of God. He said in Philippians 3:7, But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Paul characterized all his former religious and moral efforts as confidence in the flesh (vs. 3). When he was born of the Spirit of Christ that confidence vanished and he gave up all trust in himself to gain favor with God. Jesus Christ became the ONLY confidence of his soul before a holy God. Without the righteousness of God through the faith of Christ, no sinner has the righteousness needed to reach heaven.
Confidence in the flesh is something that every true believer is concerned to avoid. Pharisaical tendencies are part of the flesh. This is why Paul warns true believers against those who glory in the flesh (Philippians 3:2; Galatians 6:11-14). The born again one knows there is nothing in himself about which to glory.
Concern about flesh includes more than moral impurity. The Pharisee is more likely to have moral confidence and an arrogant spirit of superiority. He will likely establish lists of “sins” that he feels confident he can avoid, activities he does religiously, and relationships with others based upon their faithfulness to his standard. His attitude and interaction varies depending upon how the behavior of his “brother” or “sister” measures up.
This confidence in the flesh affects his attitude and relationship to God. Living with the sense that God accepts him based upon his own performance, his peace and joy is linked almost entirely to his fleshly achievements. This no doubt has great bearing upon his expectations of others, triggering those fluctuating attitudes and actions toward them. (Note: there is, of course, biblical warrant and direction for warning, rebuking, and discipline within the church.)
The pressing point found within the Philippian letter is that all our confidence before God must be in and because of Jesus Christ. If we ever attain the blessing of the resurrection of the dead, it will have nothing to do with our fleshly efforts. The prize unto which we are pressing as Christians is obtained only in Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:14).
A Pharisee is focused on the flesh. The Spirit brings our focus upon Christ. In all my efforts to be right and do right, I don’t want to miss Him. To miss Him is to miss the glory of God and heaven.
Yes, I should be concerned about being a Pharisee. May the Spirit of Christ bring light to bear upon this matter in each of our lives lest we be guilty of confidence in the flesh.
