Legitimate Boasting

UV 2918/10000 Legitimate Boasting
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 v 14

Boasting in the Lord is the only legitimate form of boasting. Glory is reserved only for the Lord. We cannot have any confidence in men, in our own flesh or mind or abilities or resources. Our confidence and trust is in the cross on which Jesus died to save us from sin and judgement, from eternal death. By that same cross, we have crucified our sinful lusts and pride, our egos, our vain desires. We are now called to live not for ourselves but for the One who gave Himself for us, to proclaim as the glorious Saviour and Lord of all life. As the Psalmist says, our only reason to boast is in the Lord and the Lord alone, not our attainments, gifts, assets, connections, qualities. We attribute all of our success, victories, achievements and breakthroughs only to the Lord and give Him all the glory. As we boast in Him, He will prove to us that He is the Best and that He reserves the best for us who trust in Him. The more we boast, the more we declare newer and newer dimensions of our faith and love for Him, He will manifest and give us evidence of His grace, love and mercy in practical, real and true ways.

As we increase in maturity, we need to increase in humility and patience and self control. We should empty ourselves of thoughts about ourselves and fill with the word and thoughts about what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us. This will keep us getting puffed up or proud. We need to continually crucify the old nature in us with its faults, burdens, desires and frailties. Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone, the keystone and the capstone of our lives. We live and move and exist in Him. Our thoughts and words need to be anointed by Him. We realize that we are God’s greatest treasures by grace though we are the worst of sinners. We go about our lives daily discovering that the greatest treasures of the Lord lie within us and amongst us in terms of the fruit of the Spirit –love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control.

As the grace of God in us expands, we should humble ourselves more and more. We should be like a child who trusts Jesus in all He says to us. We should be like a child who has been quieted by her mother with no great ideas about ourselves and with no projects and projections about ourselves that are too big for us to digest. We derive our justification, our sanctification, our satisfaction from the cross of Jesus Christ. We boast all day that we know Him personally as our best friend, personal Saviour, Lord, King, Helper, Companion, Counsellor. We boast all our lives that we understand Him. It is a boast that boosts us. It is a boast as we cannot know Him fully or understand His love and wisdom fully.

Prateep V Philip