Here is
what God told Jeremiah to tell his people Israel: This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the
strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they
have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on
earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
(Jeremiah 9:23-24) This warning was (and IS) necessary because people seem to
have an insatiable desire to trust in themselves and what they can accomplish!
This
desire to trust in self was certainly active in the life of Paul on the day he
met Jesus. He was “advancing beyond others his age in Judaism.” He was on a
mission to arrest and punish Christians, whom he believed were guilty of
blasphemy. When Jesus appeared to Paul he “fell to the ground” both literally
and metaphorically. On that day Paul started learning what it means to boast in
Jesus and not in himself!
In
writing to the Christians in his beloved Philippi Paul said: “We boast in
Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” Yet Paul could remember
when he placed great confidence in the flesh and he knew why! He continued: “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put
confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised
on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew
of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as
for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law,
faultless.”(Philippians 3:4-6) Paul
had an amazing pedigree! He also had some great accomplishments! He was willing
to stack his profile up against anyone who was willing to challenge him. If the
game was trusting in self, then Paul was well prepared to play.
But
Paul also knew that the game of trusting in self is a fool’s game. Jesus taught
him that and he learned the lesson well. He continues: But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the
sake of Christ. What is more, I consider
everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I
may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
(Philippians 3:7-9) Paul wanted to make his life a
success and he clearly understood that the only way to do that was to trust in
Christ! Paul’s trust was amazing…
·
I
have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
(Galatians 2:20)
·
From
now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. (Galatians
6:17)
·
Now I
rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still
lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is
the church. (Colossians 1:24)
What
do you boast in? Anything but Jesus will turn out to be an empty boast!
- Kenny Payne
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