Would you turn back to Galatians
chapter 6? Paul said in this 14th verse,
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ. I've entitled this message, What
Do You Glory In? What Do You Personally Glory
In? Now, you and I are going to glory
in something. The word glory is also translated
rejoice in. or boast in, and even joy. What we glory in is what we have
confidence in. It's what we feel proud of. It's what we feel good about.
That's what we glory in. Now, there's a bad kind of glorying.
We just read about it in Galatians chapter 6. If you took credit for something and
gloryed in something that you didn't do, and if you robbed
it from somebody else, that's not a good kind of glorying,
is it? There's a bad kind of glorying. Look here once again
in Galatians chapter 6 verse 12. And as many as desire to make
a fair show in the flesh, You know, that would summarize man's
religion, wouldn't it? A fair show in the flesh, showing
off, trying to impress people. As many as desire to make a fair
show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised only lest
they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For
neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but
they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. Now, that's not a good glory,
is it? Paul said to the Corinthians, your glory is not good. He also said, let no man glory
in men. And he said in first Corinthians
chapter four, verse seven, who make a fee to differ from another?
And what do you have that you didn't receive? Now, if you received
it, why do you glory as if you didn't receive it? Verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble
are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world.
to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things
of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen,
yea, and things which are not to bring to naught the things
that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. Now, you're going to glory in
something. I'm going to glory in something. In reality, there
are only two places where man can glory. Either in himself
or in Christ. Either in the flesh or in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Either in his own works or in
Christ's works. Turn to Romans 4. I want to show
you this in Scripture. Romans 4. Verse 1, What shall we say then
that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found? For if Abraham were justified
by works, by anything that he did, he hath whereof to glory. whereof to be proud of, to rejoice
in, to feel good about. But not before God. For what
saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was counted
unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is a
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that
worketh not, he can't glory in anything he does, but believes
on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Now, all unsaved men, all unregenerate
men, all men who know not the Lord Jesus Christ, glory in the
flesh. This is what they have confidence
in. This is what they boast in. This is what they feel good about,
something they have done. That's what they're proud of.
Now, you can't read the Bible and fail to see that God hates
pride. God hates human pride. If you did something that somebody
else did and took the credit for doing it, that person would
be angry with you, wouldn't they? If I did something and you said,
I did that, and you take the credit for it, and you glory
in it, and you boast in it, and you rejoice in it, I'd be wrong. Well, that's what pride does.
Pride tries to take the credit for what God does. And that is
why God hates pride. It's seeking to take the credit
for what God has done. Now, what is the first of the
six things that God hates? Six things does God hate. Yea,
seven are an abomination to Him. What's the first thing? A proud
look. The wise man said, pride goeth
before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Pride and arrogancy do I hate. I'm against thee, O thou most
proud, saith the Lord of hosts. God resists the proud. He's against the proud. And he
gives grace to the humble. As a sin, His holiness hates
it. As a treason, His sovereignty
detests it. As rebellion, His whole person
is going to put it down. God hates pride. Isn't pride good? No. God hates
pride. Pride was behind the fall of
Lucifer. He said, I'll be like the Most High. Pride was behind
the fall of our first parents in the Garden of Eden. They wanted
to be like God, be equal with him, me no longer completely
dependent upon him. You know, all sin has an element
of pride in it. And pride is so evil because
it's against God, it's seeking to rob him of the glory due his
name. And it's so evil because it's
such a lie. What do I have to be proud of? I mean, what am
I in and of myself? Do I have anything to be proud
of in and of myself? I am nothing but sin. There's nothing to be proud about
in and of myself. God hates pride. Now, if I think I did anything to contribute to
any part of my salvation, that means I'm glorying in the flesh. If I gain assurance from anything
I do, I must be saved because I did this. I'm glorying in the
flesh. If I gain assurance from what
I know, if I say, well, at least I know the right things. My doctrine
is orthodox. I'm not an Arminian. I don't
believe in free will. I must be saved because I believe
the right things. Listen to me, that's salvation
by works. That's just another form of salvation
by works. If I glory in anything that I
do that gives me assurance, I'm missing the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Turn with me to Romans chapter
3. Now, Paul has set forth the gospel
so clearly beginning in verse 19. Now, we know. That what things,
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law
that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become
guilty before God. Therefore. by the deeds of the
law, by what you do, there shall no flesh be justified in his
sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness
of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all them that believe, for there is no difference for all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by His grace, through the redemption that's in Christ
Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation, a sin atonement
through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for
the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness
that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus. Now, Paul asks a question. Where
is boasting then? That word boasting is the same
word translated glorying or rejoicing. Where is boasting then? It is
excluded. It is shut out. It is kicked out. Now I want to talk for a few
moments about God's salvation and where boasting comes in. What place does boasting have? Let's begin where God begins
in salvation. Let's begin with election. God
chose who would be saved before time began. Mr. Boasting says, well, I can take
some credit in that. It's true, God chose who would
be saved before time began. God foresaw that I would believe. Therefore, He chose me. Boasting, you're excluded. You see, according to the scriptures,
for the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said
unto her, the elder shall serve the younger as it's written.
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Boasting, you're
kicked out. You can't take any credit. Okay. Well, surely I can boast in justification,
then, because after all, I accepted it. I accepted justification.
Now, wait a minute. The judge doesn't stand before
somebody and say, do you want to accept or reject justification?
Justification is not something you accept. Justification is
something God declares you to be. You don't accept it. If you're
justified, it's because He justified you. You can't take any credit
for that. Why, that's ridiculous. You're kicked out. Boasting.
Well, surely, says boasting, I can rejoice and boast in my
redemption. His blood was applied to me because
of my faith. After all, if I wouldn't have
believed, His blood wouldn't have worked for me. That makes
your faith the Savior, not Christ Himself. That makes your faith
the Savior, not the blood of Christ. Remember what the Scripture
says. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, by grace are you saved. Through faith. And that, that
faith, it's not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. not of works, lest any man should
boast." And I can say this to every believer, everybody who
has faith. If you have faith, you know God gave it to you,
don't you? You know it didn't come from you. There was a time
when you didn't believe, and you do now. And the reason you
do now is because He caused you to, and you know that. I don't
have to convince you of that. Mr. Boasting says, well, I can
boast in my regeneration then. It's a man that believes, and
it's a man that repents. That's true. Then Mr. Boasting
says, well, the man who believes is rewarded over the man who
doesn't. It's his will that made the difference. It's his decision
that made the difference. No, that's glorying in the flesh. It's not man's will that makes
the difference. The scripture says it's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth. but of God that showeth mercy."
A man can't boast in his regeneration. If you're regenerated, if you're
born again, it's because He birthed you. How much cooperation is
involved in the physical birth? None. God does it. And it's the
same in the spiritual birth. He births us in the Kingdom of
Heaven. John 1.12.13 says, "...as many
as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons
of God, even to them which believe on His name, which were born,
not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will
of man, but of God." Somebody says, well, I received Him. Do
I get any credit for that? Can I boast of the fact that
I received Him? The others didn't receive Him and I did. Surely
I can boast there. No. of His fullness have we all
received, and grace for grace." You know, it took the grace of
God to enable you to receive Him. You wouldn't receive Him
unless God gave you the grace to receive Him. You can't glory
in that. Well, surely then I can glory
in my perseverance. I haven't fallen away. I come. Now unto Him that's able to keep
you from falling. and to present you faultless
before His presence. Well then, perhaps I can glory
in my growth. Surely, there are some believers
who are more mature than others. That's obvious. If I'm more mature
than somebody else, surely I can glory in that, and boast in that,
and find some credit in that. We grow in grace and the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Well, surely in heaven
I can do a little boasting by earning a higher reward. Surely
I can do some boasting there. I mean, after all, I mean, there's
some believers that are more obedient than other believers
on earth and have lives that seemingly are more blessed. And
surely they'll have a higher position in glory than the other
ones. Surely there's some room for boasting there. And for one
thing, that's just not so. Bible doesn't teach that. Read
Matthew chapter 20 about the parable of the workers in the
vineyard. What happened to the 11th hour worker and the one
who only worked one hour and the one that worked well? What'd
they get? The precise same thing. You see, if you're saved, you're
saved because of Christ's righteousness. Now, what can you add to that
to improve your standing? Your works? That's repulsive. That's repugnant to think that
something I did can give me a higher reward in heaven. And as far
as that goes, if you got a higher reward than me, if I loved you,
I'd be happy about it. I'd be glad. It'd be good news to me. You see that, where is boasting
then? I love the way Paul says, well,
can't it take the lowest seat? No, it's kicked out. It's excluded,
forever excluded. Where is boasting then? It's
excluded. By law, what law? Works? Nay,
but by the law of faith. Now, the gospel, listen to me
real carefully. The gospel in its very nature
is inclusive. It brings people into heaven
who would have been damned without it. That's the nature of the
gospel. It's inclusive. It brings people
in. You know, people talk about,
for instance, election. They say, well, it's a shame everybody's
not elected. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. If God didn't
elect the people, nobody would be saved. Election doesn't keep
people from being saved. It brings people in who would
have been damned. The gospel is inclusive in its
very nature, but that being said, it excludes all human glory. You believe that? Now, if you're
a believer, You know you don't have anything to glory in, in
yourself. You know that. I don't have to
convince you of that. You know, in and of yourself, you're nothing
but sin. Is that so? In and of yourself. What indeed could you glory in? Now, what is it that a believer
glories in? You know, you're going to glory in something.
Everybody's going to glory in something. You know, David said,
my soul shall make her boast in the Lord. You're going to
glory in something. What is it that a believer glories
in? Now, he doesn't glory in his flesh. Well, first turn to
Romans chapter 5. I'm going to look at several
scriptures here that lets us know what it is a believer glories
in, because we do glory. There's something we're proud
of. I'm proud of the gospel, I believe. It's worthy of God.
It's His gospel. I'm proud of it. I'm proud of
the Lord, what He's like. I glory in Him. Look here in
Romans chapter 5, verse 10. For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." I love
that. When was I reconciled to God?
Was it when I believed? Was it when I repented? Was it
when I called upon His name? No, it says, if when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.
When the Lord Jesus Christ died, I was reconciled. My sin was
put away. I was accepted by God. Now, if
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, much more being reconciled, we should be saved by His life,
His present intercession, His resurrection. And not only so,
but we also joy, and there's the word, that's the word glory.
We boast, we rejoice in God. through our Lord Jesus Christ
by whom we have now received the atonement. Turn to Philippians
chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. Now Paul says in verse 1, Finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. And to write the same things
to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you, it's safe. Beware
of dogs. And he's talking about false
prophets. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision. They
talk about circumcision, but this is a play on words. The
mutilators for we are the circumcision. He gives three marks of the true
circumcision of God. We worship God in spirit. We
rejoice. We find confidence in Christ
Jesus, and we have no confidence in the flesh. Now, here's a true
believer. First, he worships God in the
Spirit. That doesn't simply mean in a
spiritual manner. That means by the Holy Spirit. You know, the flesh has nothing
to do with worshiping God. If you worship God, if I worship
God, it's because of the Holy Spirit. It's impossible for a
natural man to worship God, and I've said this before. I don't
say, won't you come worship with us, because I don't know whether
you can worship or not, it takes the Spirit of God to worship.
Our Lord says in John 4, 24, God is Spirit, and they that
worship Him must worship Him in Spirit. and in truth according
to the truth of the gospel. We are the circumcision which
worship God in the Spirit. Secondly, we rejoice. That's the word. We glory in
Christ Jesus. Now here's what I feel good about. Here's what I have confidence
in. Here's what I can rejoice in. Here's what I'm proud of.
And that's the word, proud of. I'm proud of Christ. I'm proud. I'm proud that when he said it
is finished, everything that God required of me was accomplished. I feel good. that salvation is
utterly in Christ and not in my works. That makes me feel
good. That makes me rejoice. That gives me joy. That gives
me peace. I am proud of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the circumcision
which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and
what's he say next? We have how much confidence in
the flesh? None. Now the flesh is everything that's
natural to us. Everything I'm born with, anything about me,
I have no confidence in. All I have confidence in is the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself and the salvation that's in Him.
But let me tell you, my friends, I rejoice in this. It makes me
feel so happy to know that Christ is my salvation, that His precious
blood washed away all my sins, that I'm justified by His righteousness.
I rejoice in that. Look back in Galatians chapter
6. Now Paul is the man, I suppose,
that God used more than any other man to preach the gospel and
to define the gospel and expound the gospel. He was the chief
apostle. He was the man that God used
to write 13 books in the Bible. And I tell you, he's a very special
man. Lord blessed him in an unusual
way. But look what he said about himself in verse 14. He said,
but God forbid. That I should glory. Now, remember,
Paul's the man who was taken into the third heavens. And he
heard unlawful, which are not lawful for man to other unspeakable
things. He was brought into the very, into the very heavens,
into the presence of God. He was taught the gospel directly
by the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, this man, you could see
him glorying in something. I mean, that's the way we naturally
are. But what does he say? God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross. This is all I feel good about.
This is all I boast in. This is all I rejoice in. This
is all I have confidence in. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I have confidence. that
if he died for me because of who he is, I must be saved. Everybody that he died for because
of who he is, they must be saved. I rejoice in the cross of the
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and
I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many
as walk according to this rule." Here's the rule of the believer's
life. You want a rule of life? Here it is. Glory only in the
cross. That is my rule. of life. That's what a believer glories
in. And God forbid that we should
glory anywhere else and God forbid that we should not glory in the
cross. Turn to Romans 5 once again. Therefore, verse 1, being justified
by faith, we have peace with God. through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now here he's not just talking
about the subjective feeling of peace, he's talking about
the reality of it. We possess this peace because
we're justified, having been justified by God. We have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice,
there's the word, we glory, we boast in hope of the glory of
God. We glory, we rejoice in the glory
of God. You know what makes me happy?
That Christ is glorified. And if Christ is glorified, I
don't care what happens to me. Everything's fine. What is His
glory? It's His capacity to save sinners
by the sovereign grace of God. Now, I rejoice I boast in His
glory." You know, James said, let the brother of low degree
rejoice in that he's exalted. Are you a brother of low degree?
Rejoice. You've been exalted by the grace
of God. And let the brother of high degree, the rich, rejoice
in that he's made low. You know, if the Lord has taught
you that you're nothing, isn't that a great thing to learn?
It's so pleasant to be nothing and Christ to be everything.
It's something we rejoice in. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter
11, verse 16. He says, I say again, let no
man think me a fool. If otherwise yet as a fool, receive
me that I may boast myself a little. I'm a glory in myself a little
bit. I'm going to, he's comparing himself to these false prophets
who were glorying in themselves. And he says, well, let me, he
says in verse 18, seeing that many glory after the flesh, I'll
glory also. And he's speaking as a fool.
And he goes over and talks about all the things that he'd done
and what God had done with him. You can read that on your own,
but now start in chapter 12. It's not expedient for me, doubtless
to glory, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Now, I knew a man, he talks about his own experience, and he speaks
with such humility. He says, I knew a man in Christ
about 14 years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell, or whether
out of the body, I cannot tell, God knows, such a one caught
up into the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I can't tell, God knows, how
that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words,
which is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one will
I glory, yet of myself. I will not glory, but in mine
infirmities, my weakness, my powerlessness, my helplessness. I feel mighty helpful, helpless,
not helpful, helpless. Lord, help me. I'm poor and I'm needy. And I
need Him. For though I would desire to
glory, verse 6, I'm not going to be a fool, for I'll say the
truth. But now I forbear, lest any man
should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that
he heareth of me, and lest I should be exalted above measure through
the abundance of the revelations there was given to me. A thorn
in the flesh. The messenger of Satan debuffet
me, lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing.
I besought the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my
strength is made perfect. in weakness. Most gladly, therefore,
will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest on me." I glory my weakness in this sense.
When I'm weak, then am I strong. Now, turn with me to Hebrews
3. Let me wrap this up. Hebrews chapter 3. Verse 5, and Moses verily was
faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of
those things which were to be spoken after, but Christ as a
son over his own house, whose house are we if we hold fast
the confidence and the rejoicing, the glorying, the boasting of
the hope firm unto the end? Now, you know what that tells
me? I am to persevere in glorying only in the cross. I'm to continue
glorying only all the way to the end. And if I ever get past
this, I've missed it. I'm to persevere in this all
the way to the end. Now, what do you glory in, personally? What do you rejoice in? What
do you hope in? What do you find pleasure in
and joy in? You can't glory in the flesh
and in Christ. It's impossible. One excludes
the other. Romans 11, 6 says, and if by
grace it's no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if
it be of works, it's no more grace. Otherwise work is no more
work. You can only glory only in Christ
or only in the flesh. Now, if God has taught you anything,
he's taught you that you don't have anything to glory in. in
and of yourself. But here's what's good about
this, that we don't have anything to glory. Let me give you two
things that are really good about this. The fact that there's nothing
to glory and in the flesh opens wide the gate of grace. It gives
the very chief of sinners hope. I don't care how bad you are.
I don't care how sinful you are. I don't care how you're bound.
This opens the door of grace completely. The exclusion of
works opens the door for the chief of sinners. Isn't that
good news? I'm thankful. And secondly, the
exclusion of works opens up the door for true good works. You
see, if you know that salvation has nothing to do with your works, you do your works out of pure
gratitude for him. pure gratitude to Him. Not in
order to be saved, but because you are. And work is not good
unless it's understood that salvation is by grace. This opens up the
door for true good works. Listen to this, for by grace
are you saved, through faith. And that not of yourselves, it's
the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast, for We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. Now, this thing of having nothing to glory in but
the cross, that opens wide the door of mercy for the chief of
sinners. You come to Christ, He'll receive you. And this gives
us the true nature of good works done not to be saved, but out
of gratefulness to Him. May we truly glory only in the
cross. Let's pray together.