May 2, 2004

WHERE THEN IS BOASTING?

Romans 3:27

   If God is "just and the Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus, Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. For we reckon that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:26-28). The human heart loves to boast! Have we not often heard, "God does His part, we do our part"? But God planned salvation so as to exclude all boasting except in the Lord. "Christ crucified" was "the foolishness of God," yet it was wiser than man's wisdom. The "offense" [Gk. skandal] of the cross was the centerpiece of the gospel such that "no flesh should boast in His presence, for of Him are you in Christ Jesus, Who is made unto us wisdom of God, both righteousness and sanctification, even redemption, so that according as it is written, He that boasts, let him boast in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:29-31).

   To the Corinthians Paul wrote, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain, therefore let no man boast in men," and again, "Who made you to differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Why therefore do you boast as though you did not receive it?" (1 Cor. 3:20-21; 4:7)

   To the Galatians he added, "They desire to have you circumcised so they may boast in your flesh, but God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:13-14).

   To the Ephesians, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is the gift of God, and we are "justified freely (by a free gift) by His grace. All that we have, we have received as gifts. The whole plan and provision of salvation is a gift.

   "For we are those...who... boast in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh... If any other man thinks he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more" (Phil 3:3). Paul tallied all his reasons for fleshly boasting and then added them up to loss...and counted them but dung, "that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him" (Phil 3:8-9).

Ivan L. Burgener