After I posted my previous post on how the Cross of Christ and the truth displayed in that historic event negates all boasting in our lives, I realized that there was an exception to what I was saying. I think most of the people who read it understood that when I talked about boasting I was taking about boasting in ourselves–sinful pride. But I think that there’s one response to the truth of the Cross that is necessary to our lives as believers: boasting.
There’s no doubt in my mind that I sound like I’m speaking out of two sides of my mouth, but let me explain what I mean. The message of the Gospel nullifies all boasting in ourselves; our boasting is excluded by the law of faith (Romans 3). But there is one type of boasting that God permits, and even encourages, us to have in light of the Gospel. This is a boasting in the Cross itself. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians proclaims this truth, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (6:14). Notice the word “except,” this signifies that Paul only desires to boast in the Cross and that alone.
The question to ask is, “How do I boast in the Cross in my everyday life?” I think in order to answer this question we need to continue to look at Paul’s life. In most of his letters Paul writes to the different congregations about how he boasts about them, and how he boasts in his weaknesses, etc. Is Paul contradicting himself? No, because Paul sees the world through the lens of the Gospel. Paul sees all things in his life as “blood-bought gifts” (Piper). Paul knows that if it wasn’t for the death of Christ on the Cross then he wouldn’t have a church to write to, and if Christ hadn’t rose again on the third day he wouldn’t be convicted of his weaknesses. If the Gospel was a false message then Paul wouldn’t have had a Church to persecute before he became a Christian, and he never would’ve become a Christian after that. I say all that to say this, Paul sees all other boasting as boasting in the Cross of Christ.
Is this how we see the Cross? Do we see all things in our lives as “blood-bought gifts”? Am I even seeking to boast solely in the Cross? The Cross “pours contempt on all our pride,” but are we only taking off the old self but not putting on the new self? We must do both; take off the past pride and arrogance in ourselves and things of this world, and put on the truth of the Cross and boast in that and that alone.
