And I was proud of it!

I was proud of what I did not do. I adhered so faithfully to the man-made religious regulations of “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” (Colossians 2:21) that I thought it virtuous to say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!” (Isaiah 65:5a).

I was proud of what I did indeed do. I could have proudly boasted, “Lord, Lord, I have prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name!” (from Matthew 7:22).

But I was lost, without Christ, building my house on sinking sand, and madly pressing on to the Lake of Fire!

I fit the description of those of whom Paul the apostle writes, “I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:2-4).

I suppose every such sinner Christ saves can identify with the confession of Paul the apostle in Philippians 3:4-11: “I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so .... But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”