Hello folks. It is another new week, another opportunity to experience the rich depths of God’s grace. I hope we are set for the week after a restful weekend.
We are drawing near to the end of Paul’s epistle to the Galatians and we are now at the concluding section of this letter. After very good explanation throughout the letter to address different issues causing confusion or controversies in the Galatian church (as we have been considering in the different episodes of Vignettes of Grace), Paul then gave a final summation. This week we will consider verse 14:
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” Galatians 6:14 King James Version
“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” Galatians 6:14 New International Version
Paul actually had so many things he could have boasted in. In Philippians 3:4-6, he reeled out a number of them. He had been born with a significant number of special advantages; properly circumcised, born into a choice tribe in Israel with dual Jewish and Roman citizenship. He had been a well-schooled Pharisee taught by one of the greatest teachers of their time (Gamaliel) and had then become an avid adherent of the law of Moses. But Paul considered all of those and concluded there was no greater ground of confidence, no higher pedestal of glory than the cross of Jesus Christ.
Albert Barnes identified the object of this verse as a call to simple dependence on the cross. Permit me to quote some words from his commentary: “Others glory in their conformity to the laws of Moses; others in their zeal, or their talents, or their learning, or their orthodoxy; others in their wealth, or their accomplishments; others in their family alliances, and their birth; but the supreme boast and glorying of a Christian is in the cross of Christ.”
Do you rejoice in the cross? Does your heart make its boast in that emblem of our purchase, pardon, redemption, victory and safety? Indeed it is a mighty cross. We owe so much to God because of what happened on Calvary. The events at Golgotha were extremely crucial in the unfolding drama of God’s intervention in mankind’s history. Without the cross of Christ Jesus, there would have been nothing for us to boast in. We would have all remained in the same pitiful hopeless and Godless state. The cross of Jesus Christ was the highpoint of the grace of God in full display!
Nothing else is good enough to match up with this. Not our parentage or natural heritage no matter how noble. Not our natural talents no matter how grand. Not our wealth or riches no matter how large. Not our accomplishments no matter how superlative. To boast in any of these is to short-change ourselves; all these (natural heritage, natural talents, wealth, riches and personal accomplishments) cannot confer lasting eternal benefits and even here on earth, their value diminishes over time.
A great Saviour driven by the greatest love paid the greatest price to accomplish the greatest freedom! Who will not glory in such a Saviour? Who will not boast in such a thing? Not me. I ask this week that you join me and let us like Paul make our boasting in nothing else but the cross of Jesus Christ.
Don’t merely wear the cross as a pendant on a necklace or use it only as a piece of art hung up in your house. Draw confidence in life from what the cross of Jesus Christ represents to you-God’s love displayed, God’s grace in operation, God’s eternal plan brought to fulfilment, full payment for our sins, eternal redemption for our souls, newness of life as liberated sons of the Most High God. Let that be your ground and foundation for life.
My song for the week is “Just For Me” by Donnie McClurkin.
Have a good day folks and a great week as well.
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