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to participating in the Lord's 
Table. Galatians chapter 6, our focus 
will be verses 14 and 15, the object of Christian boasting. But I will read beginning in 
chapter 6 at verse 1. Brethren, if a man is overtaken 
in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one 
in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and 
so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself 
to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let 
each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing 
in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear 
his own load. Let him who is taught the word 
share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever 
a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his 
flesh will of the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to 
the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Let us 
not grow weary while doing good. For in due season we shall reap 
if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, 
let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household 
of faith. See with what large letters I 
have written to you with my own hand. As many as desire to make 
a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be 
circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the 
cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised 
keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that 
they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should 
boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom 
the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision 
nor uncircumcision avails anything but a new creation. And as many 
as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them 
and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one trouble 
me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, 
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank You for this, Your Word, and we pray now again for the 
ministry of Your Spirit, that You would illumine our minds 
and our hearts and that You would feed our souls. We are Your sheep 
and we need the Word of God, and we pray that You would supply 
it to us in abundance. We ask as well that as we participate 
in the supper tonight, the Lord Christ would be real and present 
in our minds and in our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit. 
We thank you for these means that you've ordained, for your 
glory and for our well-being. And may these things cause us 
to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, 
Jesus Christ. And it's in his name that we 
pray. Amen. Well, just a bit of a reminder 
about the book of Galatians as a whole. It's one of the earliest 
letters in the New Testament, certainly the earliest letter. 
that the Apostle Paul had penned. Perhaps James was written a little 
bit earlier than Galatians, but Galatians is certainly right 
up there in the top two or three in terms of early letters. And 
basically what occasioned this was that after the first missionary 
journey, Paul visited several churches in Pisidian Antioch, 
in Iconium, Lystra, and in Derbe. And then Paul, after he had departed 
from those churches or from those regions, subsequent to his visit, 
men would come to those churches and they would undo the very 
work that Paul had established. Specifically, they would do this 
by trying to attach obedience to the Mosaic law as a condition 
for salvation. In other words, the Apostle Paul 
went and he preached the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Belief on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. He details this right here in 
this epistle in Galatians chapter 2 for just one instance. Well, 
these men that came along after him, they were called Judaizers. 
And these Judaizers said, yes, it's good that you believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ. They weren't denying this. We 
need to understand, there isn't really a strictly works righteousness 
taught in this section. It was a mingling of faith plus 
works. This is the air of Roman Catholicism. This is the air of several in 
our day. They're not teaching strictly 
works. Well, we'll just work our way into heaven. Now that's 
certainly a position out there, but typically it doesn't find 
any truck whatsoever in the Church of Christ. It is this mingling, 
it is this supplementing, it is this adding to. So the Judaizers 
came along and said, believe on the Lord Jesus, plus you need 
to obey the Mosaic Law, specifically the ceremonies of Moses, and 
very specifically, you need to be circumcised. You can't actually 
call yourself a child of God if you haven't first become Jewish, 
at least in those outward tokens, and then you can claim privilege 
and right and all that sort of thing. So Paul pens this letter. This explains why in chapter 
1 at verse 6 he comes out of the gate swinging. He doesn't 
spend time with a lengthy introduction. He doesn't spend time rehearsing 
or recounting his time with them. He gives them a brief greeting 
and then he gets right to the point in Galatians 1.6. I marvel 
that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you 
in the grace of Christ. to a different gospel, which 
is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want 
to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from 
heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached 
to you, let him be accursed, as we have said before. So now 
I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than 
what you have received, let Him be accursed. This is the occasion 
when we seek or strive or attempt to add or mingle works plus faith 
in order to get saved. That is a denial of the Christian 
message. That is a denial and a rejection 
of the grace of God. Paul indicates this again very 
clearly in chapter 2. Notice what he says in verse 
20. He says, I have been crucified 
with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 
Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live 
in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved 
me and gave Himself for me. And then notice verse 21, I do 
not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through 
the law, then Christ died in vain." It is never legitimate, 
it is never appropriate, it is never the case whereby we can 
mingle some of our supposed good works with faith in Christ, and 
that earns us a salvation. It is by grace alone, through 
faith alone, in Christ alone. We simply cannot engage in entire, 
perpetual, and perfect obedience to the Law of God, which is absolutely 
necessary in order to garner favor from Him. So that's the 
occasion of the Epistle. These are Paul's sparring partners. They are the Judaizers. They 
are men who have come along and sought to upbraid the work of 
the Apostle by adding works to faith. So back to chapter 6, 
we see this is the closing section, and in verses 14 and 15, very 
specifically, he sort of summarizes the entirety of the letter in 
these two blessed statements. forbid that I should boast except 
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has 
been crucified to me and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus 
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but A new creation. I want to look at four things 
in these two verses. First, the contrast between Paul 
and the Judaizers. Secondly, the object of boasting 
that is in view. Thirdly, the effect of the cross. Paul spells that out. He says 
that the world had been crucified to him and he had been crucified 
to the world. And then fourthly, a theological 
summary is how I see verse 15 functioning. But note first the 
contrast. He indicates something of the 
Judaizers' motivation. What drives these men? In fact, 
if you look back at Galatians 1, when he pronounces that condemnation, 
he says there are those who want to pervert the gospel of Christ. How did they pervert the gospel 
of Christ? By adding works to faith in order 
to be justified. Notice what he says here in Galatians 
chapter 6, verse 12a. As many as desire to make a good 
showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised. There is that fleshly desire 
perhaps in numbers. There is that fleshly desire 
perhaps in spreading our particular commitment. There is that fleshly 
desire in perhaps getting people to side with us in a particular 
cause. In this instance, it's the ceremonies 
of Moses. In this instance, it's the law 
of circumcision. And they have this desire to 
make a good showing in the flesh. Again, the idea might be numbers. It might be the actual counting 
of how many people got circumcised as a result of their preaching 
and their teaching. Not uncommon to what we see today. There's a lot of boasting in 
numbers. There's a lot of decisionism that is going on out there. And 
there's a lot of pastors or ministers or evangelists seeking to take 
credit for how many decisions they've gotten. Now, if it's 
decisions in our day, I don't mean to be crass, but in the 
context, this is probably what's in view, it's foreskins. Counting, 
multiplying, and extolling how many people had been circumcised 
under their influence. It's a terrible thing. We ought 
not to let fleshly things, or making a good showing in the 
flesh, be that which drives us. We ought to be a humble people. 
We ought to give glory to God. We ought to pursue His honor, 
and His praise, and His exaltation. These Judaizers sought to strip 
a little bit of the glory away from God unto themselves, and 
Paul highlights that. He indicates that very clearly. 
As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would 
compel you to be circumcised. As well, these men chose this 
particular route to avoid persecution. Notice what it says, what he 
continues to say in verse 12. Only that they may not suffer 
persecution for the cross of Christ. You say, well how does 
that happen? Remember the context. Remember 
the historical situation. It was Israel as a people. It was Judaism as a religion. Christ came and a bulk of the 
people rejected Him. They did not believe that He 
was the Messiah. And then you had those who received 
Him and believed on Him and started to follow Him. What did those 
who reject him think of those who received him? They despised 
them. When you read the book of Acts, 
the first chief persecution that comes upon the Church of Jesus 
Christ is not via the Roman Empire. It is unbelieving Israel that 
is chasing down the apostles, that is scourging the apostles, 
that is imprisoning the apostles. They didn't receive them favorably. 
They didn't say, well, that's good for you. It's just not good 
for us. And so these Judaizers are trying 
to navigate sort of this middle position. If we say faith in 
Jesus, then we have it good with the believers. If we maintain 
circumcision, that will keep the Jews off our backs. The whole 
endgame, as far as these men were concerned, is that they 
themselves would not be persecuted. There's a beautiful illustration, 
actually it's not a beautiful illustration, it's quite a grisly 
illustration of persecution in this letter that occurred to 
the Apostle Paul. Look at how he ends the particular 
letter. Verse 16, And as many as walk 
according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon 
the Israel of God. From now on let no one trouble 
me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. What 
does he mean there? Go back for just a moment to 
2 Corinthians chapter 11. This is commentary. This is interpretation. This is a passage we can lay 
side by side with the one in Galatians to see what Paul means. What does he mean? I bear in 
my body the marks or literally the brand marks of the Lord Jesus. Notice in 2nd Corinthians 11-12. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are 
they... I'm sorry, 22. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of 
Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? 
I speak as a fool. I am more in labors more abundant 
in stripes above measure. What are stripes? I think it was my children. No, 
it wasn't my children. It was somebody in our church. 
Maybe it was, it wasn't Mr. Lutain, but he talks about my 
haircuts a lot. Somebody said I should get the 
Nike swoosh or get some sort of a, you know, when I get my 
hair buzzed, you know, get some stripe or, you know, eagle's 
wings or something on the side of my melon. You know, stripes 
in our context are not what stripes were in Paul's. Stripes in Paul's 
context were from a whip. Stripes from Paul's contacts 
meant that they lifted his shirt off of him, and they took a scourge, 
and they opened up his back. So that when he says, from now 
on, let no one trouble me to the Galatians, for I bare in 
my body the marks of the Lord Jesus, he's talking about those 
wounds. He's talking about those scars. He's talking about what he had 
received from following the Lord Jesus Christ. The Judaizers didn't 
want that. You see, men who are false in 
their profession, men who are false in their religion, men 
who are seeking to boast in numbers or boast in money or gather praise, 
are not the kind of men that are going to suffer for the cause 
of Christ. It is those and those only who, by God's grace, believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is those and those only who, 
by God's grace, heed His call, come and die. It is those who, 
by God's grace, take up their cross daily and they follow Him. Notice what he goes on to say, 
"...and stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in 
deaths often." From the Jews, five times I received 40 stripes, 
minus one. Five times, on five occasions, 
he received 39 lashes with a whip. Do we ever ponder that? Do we 
ever consider that? Do we ever contemplate that reality? This is the chief apostle to 
the Gentiles, the man, at least humanly speaking, we can direct 
our conversion back to. It is because Christ saved him 
and commissioned him to go to the Gentiles, the bulk of which 
is us. We happen to be Gentiles. It 
is by God's grace, because of the missionary and apostolic 
labors of this man that we stand here redeemed by the blood of 
the Lord Jesus. Look at what he got from the 
Jews. Five times I received 40 stripes 
minus one. This is stipulated in the law. 
You cannot exceed 40 lashes. You cannot exceed 40 lashes, 
so what would they do? Do it at 39. We don't want to 
go over the number. Well, why don't we just give 
him 40? Go to 39 in case we have a miscount. We don't want to 
go over because God abominates that sort of thing. 39 strikes 
with a whip. It's a lot on five occasions. He says, three times I was beaten 
with rods. Probably a reference to the Roman 
practice. Now, I don't believe that the 
Romans cared one whit about the law of Moses. convinced whatsoever 
that they had any threshold or any number or any particular 
target that they would keep in mind with reference to beating 
this man. Once I was stoned, three times 
I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have been in the deep. 
In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, 
in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in 
perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils 
in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and toil, 
in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 
in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, besides all that, What comes upon me daily, my 
deep concern for the churches. You see, the Judaizers want no 
part of this. They want to avoid persecution. They don't want to suffer persecution. They don't want to engage in 
the sorts of things that are indicative of the true man of 
God. There's a big contrast working 
in this section. And then, with reference to Paul, 
again, contrast. The Apostle Paul himself had 
been a very religiously accomplished man. We can go back to Philippians, 
or go forward to Philippians chapter 3 for just a moment. 
Philippians chapter 3, in verse 1. For me to write the same things 
to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, 
beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. This is the 
same enemy, the same theological opponent. He's not talking about 
canines, he's not talking about your neighbor's dog, he's not 
talking about Fido next door that's going to put his teeth 
into your back. Dogs, in this context, are men 
who come and tamper with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's 
actually a bit of a play on words because the Jews looked at the 
Gentiles as dogs. Paul, writing to a Gentile church 
that had come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, now refers to these 
Judaizers. Not Jews, not Israelites, but 
as these men who would come and twist and distort the gospel. 
These are dogs, he says. Beware of evil workers, beware 
of the mutilation. You see, that's the end result. When someone gets circumcised 
in an attempt to garner favor with God, it's just mutilation. That's all it is. There is no 
redemptive value whatsoever in going through this particular 
rite. Now notice what he goes on to say, for we are the circumcision. Talking again to a Gentile church, 
but in Christ they have been circumcised by Christ, that circumcision 
made without hands, in their hearts. who worship God in the 
Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the 
flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone 
else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so." You 
see, he's speaking here in the terminology of man. He says, 
if there's anybody that has ever lived that could endear himself 
to God by his works, it'd be Paul. You think you're good, 
is what he's saying? Here's what I've tallied up. 
You think you've accomplished a lot religiously? Here's what 
I've done. He's not boasting like the Judaizers. He's boasting in a way that is 
an ad absurdum. He is showing the absurdity of 
the situation. If it could be the case that 
someone could earn their salvation, it would be the man who had this 
sort of pedigree. Look at what he says. Though 
I also might have confidence in the flesh. He says, "...I 
more so circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of 
the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the 
law of Pharisee, concerning zeal persecuting the church, concerning 
the righteousness which is in the law blameless. But what things 
were gained to me, these I have counted lost for Christ." You 
see, the Judaizers couldn't say this. The Judaizers wanted to 
make a good showing in the flesh. The Judaizers wanted to boast 
about the number of converts that they had gotten. The Judaizers 
wanted to make sure that they didn't suffer any persecution 
for the cause of Jesus Christ. You see the contrast. The Apostle 
Paul loses everything that at one time was valuable to him, 
because now he has Christ. The Judaizers want a bit of Christ, 
but they want to hold on to everything else. That's not the way it works. He says, "...what things were 
gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ, yet indeed I 
also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss 
of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ." 
You see, sometimes people come to Christ and we say, what a 
big sacrifice you've made. Oh, I was the CEO of a big company, 
and because of my commitment to the Lord Jesus, I had to give 
all that up. We say, rah, rah, rah, isn't 
that wonderful? You're such a sterling example 
of a believer. And I'm not suggesting that he's 
not a good example of a believer. But what does Paul say? I lost 
everything. But instead of saying, look at 
me, I lost everything, I counted as rubbish on this side of the 
cross. I count it as dung. I count it as that which is fit 
and worthy to be thrown to the dogs. It has no allurement. It 
has no sway over my heart anymore. This is radical conversion. This 
is coming to Christ. This is what it is to lay hold 
of Him by faith. This is what it is to be that 
sort of disciple described by Jesus at the end of Matthew 16. 
Come and die! Not come and pick and choose 
and do a little bit and go a little bit and do a little bit. No, 
it's Christ or it's nothing. This is the great lesson of our 
Bibles. He is altogether lovely. He is 
chief among 10,000. He is infinitely worthy of us 
to follow Him wherever He bids us go. The Judaizers had nothing 
of that. Paul has all of that. There is 
a stark contrast. He boasted, he gloried still, 
but it wasn't in his accomplishments, it was in the Lord Jesus Christ. That brings us to the object 
of boasting back in Galatians 6. He says, but God forbid that 
I should boast. This on the heels of verse 13. 
For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire 
to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 
They don't keep the law. Why, you say? Because it's impossible 
to keep the law. Does everybody get that? Do you 
understand that God made man upright, but we've sought out 
many devices, and that we do not keep the law the way that 
we're supposed to? In the language of our confession 
of faith, law-keeping must be personal, entire, exact, and 
perpetual obedience. Not just our confession, but 
the Bible teaches, if you want to approach God, in your own 
strength, in your own flesh, and by your own accomplishment, 
then your keeping of the law must be personal, entire, exact, 
and perpetual obedience. Look at Galatians 5 verse 3 for 
just a moment. I testify again to every man 
who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole 
law. You see, it's not just faith 
and circumcision. When you say yes to circumcision, 
when you take on that obligation of law-keeping as the means of 
accomplishment, then it is the entirety of the law. This is 
why Paul can say in verse 13, For not even those who are circumcised 
keep the law, They may have received the outward sign, they may have 
received the outward token, they may have that national badge 
of identification with the nation of Israel, but they don't keep 
the law. There's nothing in them about that. And yet, all the 
while, they're boasting. All the while, they glory in 
the flesh. All the while, they are seeking to take credit for 
themselves. This is the context of verse 
14. But God forbid that I should 
boast. Paul says, I'm not going to do 
that. It's a great lesson here on humility. You need to not 
boast. Now Paul boasts here in Christ. 
He also does boast of churches. He boasts of churches. He says 
the churches of Macedonia gave liberally. They gave beyond their 
means. He is not against praising in 
a righteous way the people of God. Again, context. Sometimes people say, well, no 
boasting and no praising others. Well, what do you men do with 
Proverbs 31? Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them 
all. If you brothers can't tell your 
wives that because you don't want to puff them up, get over 
it. They might need a little bit 
of a bone in the arm, a shot in the arm once in a while. Paul 
boasted about the churches that were doing what they were supposed 
to be doing. That's not the context here so 
we'll focus on what he does say. God forbid that I should boast 
except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world 
has been crucified to me and I to the world. Gill says, he gloried in Christ 
as crucified and in his cross, not in the wood of the cross. 
We studied a little bit this morning, we looked at a little 
bit some of the problems associated with Roman Catholicism. Certainly 
the papacy is one of the chief problems, but there is a commitment 
to relics and a commitment to pieces of objects and and a collection 
of these sorts of holy objects that somehow convey blessing 
or help or whatever to the people. It's not the relic. It's not 
the piece of the cross as Gil says. But in the effects of his 
crucifixion In the peace, pardon, righteousness, life, salvation, 
and eternal joy which come through the death of the cross, he gloried 
in Christ as his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. That's what we should boast in. I think that Gil has in the backdrop 
of his mind 1 Corinthians 1, you may turn there, just so you 
can see this God-sanctioned boasting. Do not be a man or woman who 
praises himself, especially in front of others. Be a man or 
a woman who praises God, who boasts of Christ and his accomplishment. Notice in 1 Corinthians 1.26, 
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise, according 
to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But 
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame 
the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world 
to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things 
of the world and the things which are despised. God has chosen, 
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things 
that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. You see, God designed the gospel 
in such a way that self-congratulations are not an option. God designed 
the gospel in such a way that self-applause is not an option. God designed the gospel in such 
a way that we are devoid of any credit or any contribution or 
any part in the salvation that we enjoy. This is his point. It is designed this way that 
no flesh should glory in his presence." Now notice what he 
goes on to say in verse 30, "...but of him you are in Christ Jesus." 
It's not of you that you are in Christ Jesus. It's not of 
your wisdom that you are in Christ Jesus. It's not because of your 
works that you are in Christ Jesus. You've been sovereignly 
deposited into Christ Jesus by the work of God Most High. Talk 
about a text that teaches sovereign grace. Why are we in Christ? Why are we celebrating the supper 
tonight? Why do we gather together on 
the Sabbath day to praise our God? Because of Him who put us 
in Christ. It's not because of us who accomplished 
a particular work or a good deed or a series of good deeds that 
commended ourselves to God, but of Him you are in Christ Jesus 
who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification 
and redemption that as it is written he who glories let him 
glory in the Lord. You see, God calls us to boast. God calls us to glory. He just 
calls us to glory and boast in Him and in His beloved Son and 
not in ourselves. Turn back to the prophet Ezekiel 
for just a moment. This is a recurring theme, a 
recurring thought throughout scripture, that when God saves 
sinners, the glory, the praise, the honor, and the exaltation 
do not belong to the sinner that's saved. It belongs to the God 
who saved the sinner. Notice in Ezekiel 36 at verse 
22, say to the House of Israel, thus 
says the Lord God, I do not do this for your sake, O House of 
Israel, remember 36 is the promise of the New Covenant, but for 
my holy name's sake. which you have profaned among 
the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify my great 
name which has been profaned among the nations which you have 
profaned in their midst, and the nations shall know that I 
am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am hallowed in you before 
their eyes." Consistent with what Paul says, In contrast to 
the Judaizers who want to boast in the flesh, Paul says, God 
forbid, may it never be the case that I should boast except in 
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. On a real personal and practical 
level, Besides praising your wife for doing a good thing, 
and that's not boasting in your own flesh, we ought to really 
consider what Paul says. God forbid that I should boast. Yes, I am the best at such and 
such. Wait a minute, maybe I ought 
not to boast in that. Let another man's lips praise 
you, and not your own, Solomon says. Don't be that guy either. Oh, aren't I excellent at this? 
Aren't I wonderful at this? If you really are, everybody 
sees it. You don't need to congratulate 
yourself. This is a great means, a great 
text. I'm pulling it way out of the 
context, but certainly there's an application here. Let us not 
glory in ourselves. God forbid it, Paul says. God 
forbid it that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. This refers to the atonement. 
The cross is theological shorthand for all that God and Christ has 
accomplished on the part of his people. Right in the book of 
Galatians we see several references to the atonement. Notice in chapter 
1 at verse 3. Grace to you and peace from God 
the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for 
our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age 
according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory 
forever and ever. Amen. You see, God forbid that 
I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the atoning work. It is 
the sacrificial work. It is the death at Calvary. It 
is substitutionary curse bearing. It is Him taking our place. and 
bearing the wrath and punishment and curse of God. It is Him going 
into the grave on our behalf. It is Him rising again for our 
justification. That's what we ought to boast 
in. That's what we ought to glory in. That's what we ought to rejoice 
in. Somebody says, what kind of a 
day are you having? Well, everything's pretty pathetic. 
but I'm glorying in my Lord." You see, this is the perspective 
we need to adopt. We saw on Wednesday night something 
of Naomi. She certainly understood the 
sovereignty of God. She certainly understood that 
the bitter providences that she was made to taste were from the 
Lord. But several times along the way 
there were benefits and blessings and boons. God gave her a roof. And instead of praising God for 
Ruth and glorying in the Lord, all she could say was, don't 
call me pleasant, but rather call me bitter. Again, her theology 
was straight in terms of God's sovereignty and the various issues 
that plagued her, but there is a weakness, at least on her behalf, 
in extolling the goodness of God, that he restores bread to 
the house of bread, that he gave her a Ruth to stand by her and 
to be her friend and companion. This woman needed to boast in 
the glory of our God. In Galatians chapter 2 and verse 
16, again, Paul rehearsing the cross. These are means, these 
are things, these are issues or items that we ought to consider 
so that we likewise will boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus. 
He delivers us from this present evil age. Galatians 1.4. Notice 
in Galatians 2.16, knowing that a man is not justified by the 
works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have 
believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith 
in Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of 
the law no flesh shall be justified. Is that a good thing to glory 
in the Lord concerning? Absolutely. Why are you accepted 
with God? Because Jesus paid it all. Jesus went to the cross on my 
behalf. God forbid that I should boast 
in my accomplishments, but God forbid that I don't boast in 
my Savior's accomplishments. That's Paul's point. and Galatians 
6.14. It summarizes the entire difference 
or contrast between the Judaizers and between the Apostle. Notice 
in 3.13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
having become a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is 
everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham 
might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might 
receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, if we 
contemplate Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
having become a curse for us, perhaps we'll glorify and boast 
in Jesus, rather than complain and grumble and whine and moan 
all the time. The Apostle is clear in Philippians 
2.16, do all things without grumbling and disputing. How many times 
is grumbling and disputing the stuff that pours forth from our 
mouths? Again, Solomon says in the Proverbs, 
the heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth 
of the wicked pours forth evil. Brethren, perhaps we need to 
study, reflect upon the glory of the cross so that when our 
mouths open, glory comes to Him. instead of a rehearsal of just 
how bad everything is in our hearts and in our lives. Again, 
I'm not minimizing the place where brothers communicate to 
brothers, pray for me, I'm struggling, I'm down, whatever. But as a 
general rule, if we dispute, grumble, and complain and whine, 
More than we boast in our Lord Jesus Christ, there's some problems 
in our souls. Galatians 4, 4 and 5, But when 
the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, 
born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were 
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 
You see, when he says, God forbid that I should boast except in 
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is speaking of the atonement 
and he is speaking of the efficacy of it. It's not just out there, 
it is not just activated by anyone who has an interest, it is effectual 
by God's grace and it is applied to those whom the Father has 
chosen. The effect of the cross, thirdly, 
Paul says, by whom the world has been crucified to me. by 
whom the world has been crucified to me. I no longer look at the 
world the way that I once did." This is true of the believer, 
isn't it? We no longer look at the world as we once did. We 
may struggle, there may be temptations, there may be a step backward 
from time to time, but there is a difference, a stark difference, 
between the way we once looked at this world and the way that 
we presently look at this world in Christ Jesus. It's interesting, 
within the epistle we see the pleasures of the world condemned. 
chapter 5, verses 19 to 21, the works of the flesh, adultery, 
fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, 
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, 
heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like, of which 
I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, 
that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom 
of God. You see, the believer looks at things differently now, 
doesn't he? The believer ought to be able to say, through whom 
the world has been crucified to me. It no longer holds out 
that allurement. It no longer invites me to participate. I mean, it does, but by God's 
grace, I'm able to resist it. I'm no longer a lack of self-control 
loving man that just follows his lusts and his flesh wherever 
they bid him. You know, this goes in another 
direction as well. It's easy to see worldliness 
in chapter 5 verses 19 to 21, isn't it? It's easy to see that. 
I mean, we read that and say, that's the world, isn't it? But 
isn't self-righteousness worldly? Isn't an attempt to garner favor 
with God by our works worldly? It's a little more difficult 
to spot that because it comes under the guise of a piety. Well, 
I read the Bible, or I pray, or I go to church, or I attend 
a Bible study. I do all these things. Worldliness 
is as worldly when it shows up in a suit and a tie holding a 
New King James Bible and a confession of faith. If it's opposed to 
Christ, if it's an attempt to work our way unto God, that's 
worldly. That's in opposition to Christ's 
Kingdom. In fact, Calvin explains it this 
way. What is the meaning of the world? It is unquestionably contrasted 
with the new creature. Whatever is opposed to the spiritual 
kingdom of Christ is the world. Is works righteousness opposed 
to the spiritual kingdom of Christ? Yes, it is. If you've listened 
to anything over the last 35 minutes, I hope you gather that 
and you would agree with that. An attempt to work our way into 
favor with God that He has not sanctioned, that He has not provided, 
that He has not decreed, that He has not put in place. Calvin 
goes on to say, because it belongs to the old man. Or in a word, 
the world is the object and the aim of the old man. You see, it's not just those 
works of the flesh in 5.19-21. It's also the religious work 
of the flesh that seeks to gain a favor with God based on works. Now may I just encourage the 
young people and the children that this might be something, 
and I'm not saying certainly, but this might be something that 
you need to pay close heed to, because you're brought up in 
the church. You have a New King James Bible. You have a Confession 
of Faith. You have the mechanical pencil. 
You dress up on Sunday. You go through a certain degree 
of motions, and you might start to rely upon those things. That's 
worldly. That's in opposition to the spiritual 
kingdom of Christ. The only one, the only thing, 
the only person you should rely on is not what you're doing, 
it is about what Christ has done. That's why whenever I stand up 
here, or Pastor Porter stands up here, That's why, hopefully, 
whenever your parents talk to you about the Scripture, they 
press upon you the claims of Christ, the necessity to flee 
to Christ, the absolute crucialness of being in Jesus. This is something. And again, I'm not saying it's 
going to happen. But when you're brought up in 
an environment, your parents seek to put parameters and strictures 
in place, and they seek by the grace of God to direct you and 
to bring the law of God to bear upon you and cite Ephesians 6 
to you. I mean, I hope you kids know 
Ephesians 6. I hope your parents say, children, 
obey your parents and the Lord for this is right. That's what 
your parents ought to do. They ought to bring you up in 
the training and admonition of the Lord. but as well they ought 
to make sure they preach the gospel to you because that law 
is something that will ultimately crush you because you can't do 
it. Perfectly. Perpetually. Exactly. You see, 
this is a peculiar sin that is symptomatic of religious people. It's every bit as worldly as 
the crack dealer that's downtown. It's every bit as worldly because 
it stands in opposition to the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ. There's only one way to enter 
that spiritual kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. by grace through 
faith in Jesus Christ. I hope you hear that to the place 
where you dream about it. Grace through faith in Jesus 
Christ. Grace through faith in Jesus 
Christ. Grace through faith in Jesus 
Christ. That's everything. There might 
be another direction involved in this statement as well. God 
forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me. In the 
sense that the Apostle has been dealing in covenantal categories, 
specifically in chapters three and four. Might have the idea 
of the old world connected with the old man is now crucified. Paul and all believers are new 
creatures. and they're part of the new creation. Isn't this the teaching and the 
emphasis of the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 5.17? He says, therefore, if 
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. All things have passed 
away. Behold, all things have become 
new. Paul, based on the virtue of 
Christ's cross, The world as a system, the world as a whole 
has been crucified to Him. Why? Because old man Paul has 
been crucified. He no longer sees things the 
same way. He no longer desires things the 
same way. He no longer wants the same things. At one time that religious pedigree 
was very, very soothing to the Apostle. We read that in Philippians 
chapter 3. You think he just drummed that 
up? I'm sure he rehearsed that at some point in his unconverted 
life. Are you taking offense with me? 
I'm a Jew. I'm circumcised the eighth day. 
I'm of the tribe of Benjamin. I'm an Israelite. It's under 
the law of the Pharisee. Those things were special to 
him. Those things were blessings to him. Those things were accomplishments 
that he held dearly on to. Now he says, I count them rubbish. I count them donk. Old man Paul 
liked old things. New man Paul, everything is new 
in Christ Jesus. He is now a part of the new creation. And then he says that he is crucified 
to the world. by whom the world has been crucified 
to me and I to the world." I've said, he got five times the whip, 
39 lashes. Who gave that to him? Men at 
one time who would have prized the Apostle as a Benjamite, as 
a Pharisee. You don't whip Pharisees in first 
century Israel. You just don't do that. So as 
far as the world was concerned, one of their own was gone now. 
As far as the world was concerned, one of their own had become a 
traitor. As far as the world was concerned, he is fit for 
whipping, he is fit for persecution, he is fit for imprisonment. You 
see what the cross of Christ cost Paul? Nothing. Nothing in 
terms of things that are actually important. Rubbish. but something 
in terms of his own physical comforts, in terms of his own 
physical safety, in terms of his own physical security. It's 
a blessed statement and truly this is the trajectory of salvation. 
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of the Lord 
Jesus by whom the world has been crucified to me. We don't look 
at it the same way. they ought not to look at us 
the same way either. We are no longer on their team. We are no longer part and parcel 
of that system. We are no longer those committed 
to the works of the flesh in 519 to 521. We are those who 
are no longer committed to this feeble approach to try to earn 
our favor with God Most High. And then the theological summary 
in verse 15 deals well with the entirety of the context for in 
Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything." 
Isn't that a great statement? What do the Judaizers want? They 
want you to get circumcised. That's just strange to me, but 
I guess stranger things have happened. What's he saying? For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision 
nor uncircumcision avails anything. If you're in Christ, that external 
work in your body does not avail anything. It doesn't make you 
more saved. It doesn't make you more favored 
by God. It doesn't get you closer to 
the throne. It's not like when we get to 
heaven, there's going to be, you know, all the people outside 
that are, you know, they're believers, or they're in Christ Jesus, because 
that's what he says, but they're uncircumcised, so they're far 
away from the throne. but the circumcised, they're 
going to be surrounding the throne right before the Lamb. That's 
not anything. This is what Paul says. It doesn't 
matter whether you're circumcised or uncircumcised. He's talking 
spiritually. He's talking religiously. He's 
not talking about benefits and physical and health and the medical 
profession and all that. You say, well I read an article 
that circumcision doesn't do that. That's not his point. Circumcision 
religiously, circumcision spiritually does not matter. Uncircumcision, 
spiritually, doesn't matter. Still go to heaven. Gentiles, 
who by God's grace are in Christ Jesus, are going to go to heaven. 
What is absolutely imperative, what is of the utmost concern, 
is a new creation. You see, the only way that world 
is crucified to you, the only way that you're crucified to 
it, is by the regenerating power of God Most High, effectively 
working by His Spirit, applying the benefits of Christ's cross 
work to you, and bringing you to that place where you say, 
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord 
Jesus Christ." So it's not the physical, it is rather the spiritual 
that God does. So brethren, in summary, everyone 
boasts about something. You might be good at something 
and you might take a bit of pleasure in saying, yeah, I'm good at 
that. Now, I'm just speaking generically. If somebody says 
you're good at something, don't say, oh, I'm not. I'm terrible. 
That's not true either. If you're actually good at it, 
you can say thank you. You don't say, I'm a miserable 
worm and I'm really not good at baseball. I just watched you 
hit five home runs in a game. That's good. No it isn't. I'm 
terrible. There's a pseudo-piety involved 
there and that's not good. I'm the most miserable specimen 
on the face of the earth. That's boasting another way and 
that's not good either. But everyone does boast in something. 
What are you boasting in? It's kind of similar to our studies 
in Matthew's Gospel. Who do men say? that I the Son 
of Man am?" We might rework that question a little bit in light 
of Galatians 6.14 and say, who do you boast in? What is it that 
is most precious in your life? What is it that you prize above 
all other things? What is it that is chief among 
ten thousand and altogether lovely? Is it your accomplishments? Is 
it your religion? Is it your ability? Is it your 
fun? Is it your friends? Or is it 
Christ? You know, sometimes people boast 
about the weirdest things. Yeah, I did this and I'm really 
good. What? Or people boast because 
they're part of a particular social group. Yeah, I hang out 
with the cool kids. I hang out with them. Who cares 
who you hang out with if it isn't Jesus Christ? God forbid that 
I should boast except. There is one place that we, by 
God's grace, ought to boast in. Watts said it this way, when 
I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, 
my richest gain I count but lost and loss and poor contempt on 
all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should 
boast, save in the death of Christ my God. All the vain things that 
charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood." John Calvin said, 
where a man's highest good exists, there is his glory. Where a man's highest good exists, 
there is his glory. You don't have to wonder where 
Paul's glory is. You don't have to wonder what 
motivates Paul. You don't have to wonder what 
keeps Paul going in the face of great adversity, in the face 
of great persecution, in the face of great trial. It is Christ. Everything hangs on Christ for 
Paul. May God give us that. May God 
so move us that this is true of us. God forbid that I should 
boast except in this one. And if you're not a Christian, 
you'll never make this boast. If you're not a Christian, you 
will never express the glory of God in terms of Him receiving 
Lord. It's by grace, through faith 
in Christ. I hope the kids and the young 
people don't feel like we're picking on you. It's not like 
kids and young people are the only sinners here, the adults 
are all fine. No, I don't think that for a 
moment. Let's think about it though. 
You get reared in a home where there are some parameters and 
hedges. You get reared in a home where you're trotted off to church 
every Lord's Day. You've got to ask the hard questions. 
Who do I say the Son of Man is? What is the object of my boast? 
What would your friends say? What would your friends say if 
they said, what does so-and-so boast in? Well, they boast in 
their social crowd. They boast in their iPhone 6. 
They boast in their abilities with that latest game. Or they 
boast in their clothes. Who would boast in their clothes, 
man? Us, the kind of generation that 
we live in. I've got whatever amount of dollar 
jeans. Who cares? If circumcision and 
uncircumcision avail nothing, neither do your trousers. They 
certainly do not endear you to God one whit. Who do you boast 
in? Please come to the Lord Jesus 
Christ and boast in Him. Let us pray. Our Holy Father 
and our glorious God, we thank you so much for Jesus. We thank 
you so much for the gospel. We thank you so much that he 
is the one that brings deliverance, that he is the one that bore 
the curse on the tree so that he might redeem us from that 
curse. We thank you that it's justification 
by faith alone and Christ alone. For God, we confess and we know 
in our own strength in our own ability, in our own will, we 
would never come to you. If you had not sought us, we 
would have never sought you. So we give all glory and praise 
and honor to the triune God of our amazing salvation. We thank 
you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit And I pray the children and the 
young people and any adult here that perhaps is playing games 
or making a profession without having possession of Christ, 
I pray you would convict them and bring them to that place 
where they see their sin and they see Jesus as the only Savior. And we ask this in his most blessed 
name. Amen.