Good morning everyone,

Galatians 6:14-15-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. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

The apostle Paul is writing to the church in Galatia and how they have been persuaded by false teachings about the need to be circumcised in order to "be saved". But Paul warns them that such people are only wanting to boast in their own righteousness instead of the only true righteousness that comes from the cross of our Lord Jesus. Paul knows that people who boast in their own righteousness are only concerned about themselves and their own glory. While someone like Paul who only strives to boast in nothing but the cross of Christ, knows that we are to "die" to our own glory and live for the Lord’s glory.

As Christians there is an underlying competition between our own glory of the flesh, and the Lord’s glory found in our obedience to the Spirit (Galatians 5 v17). Where the Lord’s glory is not chosen over our own, there is no faith involved (1 Corinthians 10 v31). So if everything "works out" (according to us) the glory and boasting will not be in the cross of Christ but our own righteousness and glory, while "in passing" thanking God for working everything out (according to us)! Yet such boasting in our own ways don’t result in a heart for a "world crucified to me and I to the world" like Paul. So if my heart isn’t desiring to boast in Christ over myself, than I won’t have a heart to see people changed. Like verse 15 an established righteousness of my own (circumcision/self-righteousness, works-righteousness, etc) does nothing, because my own righteouness will always be about me, and my way cannot save anyone!

I believe it is very possible to be involved in church and do all the things expected, yet still live so that we can boast in ourselves. Only when we desire to see "new creations" do we know that we are desiring to live like Paul. It is impossible to be self-absorded and sacrificial at the same time. The real crossroad for a Christian calls into question, whose glory are we striving to live for? What will be telling as to how someone knows whose glory they’re living for is by how much we desire to see people changed. Evangelism is not about a gift for some people, it’s about coming to the place where we all see our boast is no longer in ourselves. Being crucified to the world is to "die" like Jesus to our "self-exalting flesh" continually for the world’s benefit of salvation! The kind of heart and mind set on doing that will evangelize, because our boast and desire will be for the cross and people’s salvation. Since the cross of Christ is the essence of love, to not have a desire for people to experience it, lands us in one or two places: 1) we have not experienced it 2) or have allowed the self-centeredness of sin to grow us cold in our hearts and not love like Christ loves us. For the sake of our love for God, His people, and those yet to be saved, it is a good habit to repent and renew our hearts to Christ daily.

In His Love, Ld