Where is Your Boast?

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" Galatians 6:14

Boast: verb

1. To speak with excessive pride or vanity, especially regarding oneself

This is a very strange passage. The Apostle Paul is essentially saying that his only boast is going to be in the work of another. The only thing that he will exult in, or glory in, or take pride in is going to be the cross of Christ.

One reason this is strange is because usually when we boast in something, it is in something that we have done well, or something that we take pride in. For example, you wouldn't normally boast in how bad you scored on a test. You might boast in how good your grades are, but it would be very strange to come home boasting about an F.

However, by Paul stating that his only boast is in the Cross, this is essentially what he is doing. Boasting in the work of Christ completely ruins any self boasting or self-promotion that we think we might deserve. Boasting 100% in the Cross means boasting 0% about ourselves. By boasting in the cross, Paul is recognizing his own self deficiency and need of grace. The cross completely crushes all attempts at self-justification.

This passage fits right in with Paul's proclamation in Philippians 3 that he counts 'all things as loss' compared to knowing Christ and being found in Him. In a world that places so much emphasis on success, achievement and approval, it is very hard for me to functionally boast only in the cross, and not in my successes, the approval of others and so on.

I pray that God would give us a continued sense of the enormity of our sin, and our desperate need of grace. Only then, will we place our pride, our exultation and our boast in the work of Christ alone. Only then will we recognize that our only hope is in the work of another. We have all alike scored F's in the Lord's eyes. However, Jesus got an A+ and is offering us the same score, if only we would trust in the work He did. Let's trust in Jesus. Let us boast in the glorious Cross of Jesus Christ.