It wasn't lying, stealing, drunkenness, coveting, taking the Lords name in vain, or any other such sins of the flesh that Paul had to repent of to be saved, he had to repent of his self righteous thinking! We cannot repent "of sins" to be saved because it's the same as being justified by the law, and God said that can't happen. Scripture teaches we are justified by faith alone (Romans 3:19-28).
If your confidence is in the flesh, thinking you repent "of your sins" of the flesh in order to justify yourself before God, you're either a deceived Christian, or still lost and have not "repented" towards faith in Christ. Paul thought himself to be righteous because he was following the law. This is exactly what the repent "of sins" gospel teaches, and exactly opposite of the testimony Paul gave of himself in coming to Christ. He didn't need to be more righteous, but needed to deny that he had any righteousness!
In the passage below, the apostle Paul recognizes it is his self righteousness that separates Him from God. He had to "change his mind" (repent) of the things he thought were gain to Him in the eyes of God. His trust needed to be in Christ rather than his own obedience to the law. He counted all gain as loss in order to "win Christ".
This recognition also allows us to "know Him". I believe in verse 10 Paul is teaching this continued understanding of receiving God's righteousness by faith is what allows him to experience Christ in his mortal life, "being made conformable unto His death". This repentance, or "change of mind", is what we need to continue in as we allow ourselves to be "transformed" by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2). We will always have sin in our flesh, and we will always need to remember we are justified by faith alone, in Christ alone, in order to allow Christ to live through us. Can we do that and at the same time teach people they need to repent "of sin" to be justified?
Please read and study the scripture, it's where God shows His truth rather than man's. I believe if you keep in mind "repent" in the Greek text means "a change of mind or thought" you will see in order to be justified before God, we have to change how we think about where we place our faith, not about a change of behavior, because God says it isn't possible for us to change for justification. Also see Romans 10:1-4.
Philippians 3:2-10
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If your confidence is in the flesh, thinking you repent "of your sins" of the flesh in order to justify yourself before God, you're either a deceived Christian, or still lost and have not "repented" towards faith in Christ. Paul thought himself to be righteous because he was following the law. This is exactly what the repent "of sins" gospel teaches, and exactly opposite of the testimony Paul gave of himself in coming to Christ. He didn't need to be more righteous, but needed to deny that he had any righteousness!
In the passage below, the apostle Paul recognizes it is his self righteousness that separates Him from God. He had to "change his mind" (repent) of the things he thought were gain to Him in the eyes of God. His trust needed to be in Christ rather than his own obedience to the law. He counted all gain as loss in order to "win Christ".
This recognition also allows us to "know Him". I believe in verse 10 Paul is teaching this continued understanding of receiving God's righteousness by faith is what allows him to experience Christ in his mortal life, "being made conformable unto His death". This repentance, or "change of mind", is what we need to continue in as we allow ourselves to be "transformed" by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2). We will always have sin in our flesh, and we will always need to remember we are justified by faith alone, in Christ alone, in order to allow Christ to live through us. Can we do that and at the same time teach people they need to repent "of sin" to be justified?
Please read and study the scripture, it's where God shows His truth rather than man's. I believe if you keep in mind "repent" in the Greek text means "a change of mind or thought" you will see in order to be justified before God, we have to change how we think about where we place our faith, not about a change of behavior, because God says it isn't possible for us to change for justification. Also see Romans 10:1-4.
Philippians 3:2-10
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
