Phil Cox

Galatians, Chapter 6

Galatians, Chapter 6
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Galatians 6:14

Boasting

6th August 2011

Some people want to change how you think so they can boast about the effect they've had on you. Paul writes about such people in Galatians 6v12-13, and we've looked at what he said over the last few weeks. The next thing Paul writes is:

Galatians 6v14
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Of the many available definitions of boasting, I prefer the one provided by www.thefreedictionary.com: "To glorify oneself in speech; talk in a self-admiring way". Boasting is a most unattractive habit, but it can be hard to know when someone is boasting and when they're merely being honest about their lives, and we can detect boastfulness in others while missing it in ourselves. It's depressing to hear people brag about how much money they earn, or how pretty their girlfriend is, or the holiday they just had, especially if we make less money, or are single, or can't afford expensive holidays. They may have been speaking the truth, but they may have been glorifying themselves while being insensitive to the feelings and needs of others.

In my experience, many Christians, and many church leaders, boast about what we've done for God. Despite preaching a gospel of grace, in which we're made acceptable to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, many of us still feel the need to justify ourselves. It can be sad to listen to some church leaders discuss how much their churches have grown or shrunk in recent months, how many people they've lead to faith, and so on. It seems to me that many leaders boast not because they think they're wonderful, but because they fear they're useless. The motivation "To glorify oneself in speech; talk in a self-admiring way can often be a deep-seated sense that we're neither glorious nor admirable.

And, anyway, how can we boast about our looks, or our abilities, or our success, when all these come from God? As Paul says elsewhere:

1 Corinthians 4v7
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Anything about us that is glorious, we've been given by God. Our body, our character, our finances, our careers, our families, our homes, even the air we breathe, are given to us by God. And our salvation is given to us by God.

However, Paul says "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ". This is the one worthwhile boast: God loves us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins, and sends the Holy Spirit to us to transform us so we can become like Him. We can't boast about the cross as if it's something we've achieved. We can boast in the cross because Jesus has redeemed us. We will not pay the penalty for our sin because He has already paid it. We are now Children of God. We will live for ever in His presence. This boast is uniquely worthwhile because it's about the most important thing that ever happened and because it may help others to seek the salvation that God offers.

We don't boast about what we've achieved, but about what God has done for us.

Why boast about little things like money and careers, when we can talk about Jesus Christ?

And Paul writes of the cross: "through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world". We need not concern ourselves with the world's opinion of us, just as the world doesn't concern itself with us, God's people. We rejoice in the cross, which has changed our lives for all eternity. The world does not.