Are you trusting in skubalon?

“4 It’s true that I once relied on all that I had become. I had a reason to boast and impress people with my accomplishments—more than others—for my pedigree was impeccable. 5 I was born a true Hebrew of the heritage of Israel as the son of a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin. I was circumcised eight days after my birth and was raised in the strict tradition of Orthodox Judaism, living a separated and devout life as a Pharisee. 6 And concerning the righteousness of the Torah, no one surpassed me; I was without a peer. Furthermore, as a fiery defender of the truth, I persecuted the messianic believers with religious zeal. ”
Philippians 3:4-6 The Passion Translation (TPT)
 
Paul lists everything that he’s done to live out his religion (efforts to please God) well. Do you notice how it’s all focused on him and what he was doing? At the end of the day, dead-works religion is really just focused on self. Paul continues on in verse 8 saying,
 
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things (all my good work and effort to be right with God) but loss (worthless) 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 (yes, Paul used that word), that I may win Christ”
Philippians 3:8 King James Version (KJV) – brackets mine
 
We need to let go of our attempts to be right with God and please God and we need to come to the place of resting in Jesus’ perfect work that makes us 100% right in Him. We cannot become righteous through our performance but we (believers) have been made (past tense) righteous by Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).  All our attempts to be right are nothing but dead-works religion – there is no value in it. Paul calls it dung. In the Greek, the word “dung” is “skubalon” which literally means poop. In other words, trusting in any of performance or effort to be made right with God, no matter how good or sincere it may be, is nothing more than trusting in worthless poop. There is no power in that. It’s not about what we do but about what Jesus has done for us, and all we need to do is look to Him and place our faith in Him.