#DailyDevotion Our Only Boast Is The Cross Of Christ
Gal 6:14-18 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. (16) And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (17) From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. (18) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
The letter of Paul to the Galatians and 1 Corinthians share a lot of themes. Verse fourteen is one of them. In 1 Corinthians Paul expresses it this way, 1Co 1:28-31 “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, (29) so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (30) And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (31) so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” and 1Co 1:23 “…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,” and 1Co 2:2 “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Let us all join Paul in boasting in nothing but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In and of ourselves we are nothing before God. On the cross our Lord Jesus Christ bought us heaven and earth. There on the cross our redemption from sin, death and the power of the devil took place. On the cross of Jesus the atonement of the world was made to God through the blood of Jesus. God’s righteous anger and wrath was assuaged and peace with God was achieved between God and man with Jesus receiving in himself the due penalty for our sin, death. The Law of God was fulfilled, came to completion for man by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Everything that was ours became his there on the cross. We must then become joined with Christ on the cross so that everything that was his becomes ours. To that purpose, the Lord baptizes us into himself through actual baptism. Rom 6:3,6 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?…6) We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
So now neither circumcision nor non-circumcision mean anything. What matters now is a new creation. Paul writes, 1Co 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” He tells us, 2Co 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” We have the guarantee of being in Christ through the waters of baptism. Our new self is Eph 4:24 “…created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” It is, Col 3:10 “…being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” The new creation focuses on what God has done for us on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to please him in all that we do, yet it always looks to the cross of Jesus to see its standing before God. Walking according to this rule makes us understand God’s mercy and peace and it is our experience. We need not divide up humanity into other parts. We know through the cross of Jesus Christ we are one. What was done for one was done for all. What is offered to one is offered to all. God’s purpose is one purpose to conform all people into the image, likeness and knowledge of his son Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, so stimulate our hearts and minds that they may ever be fixed on the cross of Jesus Christ, that it alone is our boast before you and man so that we may be new creations now and in the world to come. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.