“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” – Philippians 3:3-6 NIV

Paul is saying here that if salvation from sin and death was based on personal righteousness and work then he, on paper, would look like someone who would be saved since he worked hard to serve God, for which, he appeared faultless according to the law. But the thing is that we, in all reality, cannot actually put our faith into the law because it cannot save us because we cannot fulfill all of it like we’d need to and Paul recognizes that. Take a look at this verse from Romans:

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” – Romans 3:22-24 NIV

Though we know that this false righteousness through the law cannot save us, the true righteousness afforded through Christ can though. We need to place our trust and hope in Christ and not in the law. That doesn’t mean we don’t try to obey the law, but we don’t try to obey it for the sake of our salvation.