In this I glory

Introduction

One of the terms of Colleen Cudney’s probation for her 2012 DUI conviction is that she is not supposed to drink at all, and must take random Breathalyzer tests. She boasted on her Facebook page that she passed a test even though she’d consumed alcohol the day before.

What she didn’t think about before posting her boast was that Facebook is a public forum. A local police officer saw the post, and she was arrested for violating the terms of her probation.

Cudney displayed her lack of wisdom in two ways: one is the obvious choice to post her probation violation in a public forum; the other is the choice to continue to drink when she obviously has a problem.

What are you proud of? Whatever it is, you find some way of bringing it into the conversation. It may be someone famous you know, or something you can do.

It may be something you have, like a new car or an antique.

It may be your child or grandchild.

The apostle Paul had one thing that he was proud of...

It was not his heritage, nor his citizenship, although he could have been proud of those.

It was not all the good he had done in the church, nor his educational attainments.

Paul could have been proud of all that he had suffered for Christ, but he counted it all as nothing.

Paul was proud of the “Cross of Christ.” “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The message of the cross is not a popular message, but it is a Holy message.

Galatians 6:11–18 (KJV 1900)

11Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

12As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

13For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

14But 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.

15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

17From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

18Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Now people come from all stages of life. We come from all stages of life.

You have the people who are still in school or recently graduated and wonder where they go from here. What is Gods purpose in life.

Then you have those who have a career and job and they are trying to make ends meat and/or they are single, divoriced or married and they may or may not have kids.

They have these lofty goals and plans they want to achieve in life.

Then you have those who kids are all grown up and are retired or at least are looking toward retirement.

Most of these people have one thing in common. One thing that God has knitted into the very fabric of our soul.

We all want to make a difference. We all want to make our life count and have purpose and meaning.

I remember a pastor sharing about two of his members Ruby and Laura who were both in their 80’s were both killed instantly in a car accident when their brakes failed them.

Ruby was single all her life but had a life motto of to “Make Jesus known”.

She cared for the outcasts, the poor and the sick. Laura was a widow and a nurse. They both were true servants for the Lord.

While friends and family took their retirement party to the bahamas or to florida sipping on some lemon iced tea while lounging on a pool deck Ruby and Laura in their 80’s were still reaching out to the poor and sick.

“Then there is Bob and Penny . . .who took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51.

“Now they live in Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.”

Now which one of those would you call a real tragedy? Id say the ones that wasted the end of their life.

The one’s who get to the third quarter or the last chapter and then called it quits before it ends. Thats the real tragedy.

Paul’s Autograph v11.

11Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

the warning not to glory in the flesh v12-13

12As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

13For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

It was not popular to be Christian then and it’s not popular to be Christian now.

They wanted to appear Holy on the outside

They were not faithful in their own lives of obeying the law

They wanted to please the crowd instead of pleasing the Christ(Escape persecution)

The command to only boast in Christ v14.-

14But 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.

This is shocking because it’s telling us to boast in the cross

Its like to Only boast in the electric chair. Only exult in the gas chamber.

Only rejoice in the lethal injection.

“May it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

No manner of execution that has ever been devised was more cruel and agonizing than to be nailed to a cross.

It was horrible. You would not have been able to watch it — not without screaming and pulling at your hair and tearing your clothes.

Let this be the one passion of your life.

1. Some Glory in Riches(Luke 12:19-21)

Luke 12:19–21 ESV

19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

2. Some Glory in Wisdom (Proverbs 27:1)

1 Corinthians 1:18–19 (KJV 1900)

18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

3. Some Glory in Power

4. Paul’s Glory—The Cross of Christ

What does he mean by this? Really? No other boast? No other exultation? No other joy except the cross of Jesus — the death of Jesus?

But Doesn’t Paul Boast In Other Things?

What about the places where Paul himself uses the same word for “boast” or “exult” for other things? For example:

-We boast in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2) -We also boast in our tribulations, knowing that they produce patience and approvedness and hope. (Romans 5:3) -Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:9) -Who is our hope or joy or crown of my boasting? Is it not even you?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

So, if Paul can boast and exult in all these things, what does Paul mean — that he would not “boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”?

Glorifying Christ in all we do

He means that, for the Christian, all other boasting should also be a boasting in the cross.

All boasting in anything else should be boasting in the cross.

If you boast in the hope of glory you, should be boasting in the cross of Christ.

If you boast in tribulation because tribulation works hope, you should be boasting in the cross of Christ.

If you boast in your weaknesses, or in the people of God, you should be boasting in the cross of Christ.

We go From self centered to cross centered

We are a new creation v15.-16

15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

17From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

I. The Cross Tells the Depth of Human Sin

the real depth of the cross of Christ is seen as it reveals the depth of human sin.

We view 50,000 alcohol-related deaths each year. We read of murders and muggings. But then we realize that all of this is just scratching the surface of the depths of human sin.

Christ died for sin (1 Corinthians 15:3). Our sins have separated us from God. we are guilty. Multiply just our sins by the population of the world, and we begin to see the depths of human sin.

II. The Cross also Tells the Height of God’s Love

Sin is the second biggest thing in the world. The only thing that is bigger is the love of God.

A child is taken to the hospital and doctors say an operation is in order. The parents never ask the cost of the emergency surgery.

Love doesn’t count the cost.When we realize how much God paid for our sins by giving us His Son, we realize that there is something terribly wrong with humanity, and that is sin.

The cross shows the height of God’s love.

Also...

III. The Cross Tells of God Reaching Out

Paul could have been saved by many things—education, position, etc.

if these things could have saved. But they couldn’t.

If I am to be saved, it must be by making a full surrender to the Christ of the cross. I must walk His way and follow His way of crucifixion and death.

We are crucified with Christ to the world.

APPLICATION

So as we end our study here in Galatians, Paul puts a dramatic exclamation point to end it.

This small epistle that focuses on God’s grace and our freedom in Christ urges us to boast and glorify in Christ alone.

That everything good that engulfs our lives are to be credited to Christ.

He is what we should be boasting in. He is the one to be glorified and exalted!

What if we made Jesus central in our lives and recognized everything we have or do is because of Him? When it’s all said and done, will our life be considered a trainwreck, a tragedy, or a triumph?