“Boasting In The Cross”
Galatians
SCRIPTURE
INTRO: Called sermon last week “Galatians Finale.”
We looked at Paul’s great argument in letter for
justification through faith alone.
Could have
ended last week, but want to look at one more verse—verse 14.
Two reasons:
1. This is one of the greatest verses in the
Bible. One of those
verses that contains the heart of Christian faith in just a few words. We ought to end Galatians with this ringing
in our ears.
2. This verse is an excellent introduction to
study of Gospel of Mark that we are going to begin next Sunday. That will take us through fall and
winter. Read earlier
in service a passage in Mark that is key to understanding the book of Mark.
Galatians
Galatians 6:14
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to
the world.
INTRO: It would be interesting to count the number
of times in a typical week—
that you see the
cross.
You
see the cross on people in the form of jewelry.
Rings, earrings, necklaces—
sometimes simple
silver, sometimes crusted with jewels.
Some
people also wear the cross on their bodies as a tattoo.
You
see the cross in many flags.
You might not think of the Alabama State
Flag as a cross, looks like a red X—
but it’s called the
Cross of St. Patrick.
Flag
of
Called St. Andrew’s Cross.
Early tradition says apostle was crucified
on an X shaped cross.
You
see this in the flags of many nations.
Of
course there are crosses on or inside many churches.
Sometimes on the steeple, inside on walls,
or stained glass windows—
or sometimes the
shape of the building itself—as this sanctuary.
It’s also embossed on the covers of Bibles
and hymnbooks.
There
are crosses in cemeteries.
Still some crosses in public places—like
government buildings, federal parks.
If
you are with a Catholic or Orthodox friend or neighbor,
or with certain
brands of Episcopalians or Lutherans and ask blessing at meal—
you will see them
make the sign of the cross.
And
of course, in some horror movies the cross is used to ward off evil creatures—
particularly effective
against either the vampire or werewolf—not sure which.
So
the cross is everywhere. And it means
different things to different people.
For
many people it is basically a meaningless, empty symbol.
Conversation among teenage
boys in
For
some people it is a good luck charm, treat it with superstition.
Others it is an object of religious devotion, treat it as a holy object.
But
for other people—and I hope all of you—
the crosses you see
point to something greater, to Someone greater.
Even
when you hear the phrase, “the cross” it does not just bring to mind
two pieces of wood
nailed together.
The
cross means Jesus Christ as he was crucified for us.
The
cross is simply a shorthand way for Christians to speak of
the great work of
substitution and suffering
that the Son of God
accomplished for our salvation.
J.C.
Ryle, 19th century Bishop of Liverpool
wrote a booklet called “The Cross.”
This is how it begins:
What do you think and feel
about the cross of Christ? You live in a
Christian land. You probably attend the
worship of a Christian church. You have
perhaps been baptized in the name of Christ.
You profess and call yourself a Christian. All this is well: it is more than can be said of millions in
the world. But all this is no answer to
my question, What
do you think and feel about the cross of Christ? . . . This is no mere question
of controversy; this is not one of those points on which men may agree to
differ, and feel that differences will not shut them out of heaven. A man must be right on this subject, or he is
lost forever. Heaven or hell, happiness
or misery, life or death, blessing or cursing in the last day—all hinges on the
answer to this question: What do you
think and feel about the cross of Christ?
Well
Paul made it clear what he thought and felt about the cross.
“May I never boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ.”
For
Him the cross was everything.
Nothing else in life worth
boasting about.
Nothing else to glory in.
Only Jesus Christ and what he has done.
You
should be able to say that as well.
As
we look at this passage three great truths about the cross emerge.
In order to boast in the cross of Christ,
you must both think and feel
these things—not
just know them, but experience them too.
Here
they are for you note-takers:
1. The cross is supremely important.
2. The cross is inherently offensive.
3. The cross is supernaturally powerful.
As
we look at these, let old bishop Ryle’s question to
ring in your ear:
“What do you think and feel about the cross
of Christ?”
MP#1 The cross is supremely important.
Paul’s
words show us first that the cross is supremely important.
Paul
says, “May I never boast.”
Other translations: “God forbid that I should boast.”
These
are attempts to translate a phrase in Greek that is a very strong negative.
This is Paul’s way of saying, “There is
nothing as important as the cross.”
Now
right away you realize that Paul is saying something that goes against
the grain of what
many churched, professing Christians believe.
Many
people believe that the most important thing is living like Jesus.
Loving your neighbor. Turning the other cheek. Doing unto others.
Jesus
came to show us a way of life.
Jesus came to teach us how to treat other
people.
Jesus came to tell us what we need to do to deal
with our troubles.
The
most important thing is living like Jesus.
Following his teachings.
But
Paul didn’t say:
God forbid that I should ever boast expect
in the Sermon on the Mount.
May it never be that I should boast except
the teachings of Jesus.
We
read part of Mark 8 earlier in the service.
As I said, this is a tremendously important
passage—right in middle of book.
Everything before this builds up to this
point, everything after flows from it.
What
happened in this passage?
Jesus asked a question: “Who do you say I am?”
Peter responded: “You are the Christ.” The Anointed One. The Messiah.
Immediately
Jesus began to tell the disciples what the Christ must do.
Must suffer, be killed—and Peter took Jesus
aside and began to rebuke him.
That
was not what Peter wanted to hear.
Peter wanted the Christ to be the great
teacher who would tell them what to do.
He wanted the Christ to lead them to do
something, throw off Roman rule,
restore the
fortunes of
How
did Jesus respond to Peter?
Did he say, “Those things are important, but
not whole picture”?
No. Said, “Get behind me Satan!”
Peter,
you are in the grip of Satan if you don’t see that the reason I have come
is to suffer and
die. That is what the Christ must
do. Everything hinges on that.
It is Satanic to think that the reason I
have come is to tell you to do something.
As
we study Mark in coming months you will realize that Mark did a very
poor job of writing
a biography of Jesus’ life. Lots of missing details.
First half of book about last three years of Jesus’ life, second half
about last week.
True of all of the Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Gospels are about Jesus’ path to the
cross.
That’s the story. What Jesus came to do.
I
was in Books-A-Million several months ago and picked up best-seller
by a well-known
minister. Book promised to reveal secrets
of success, happiness.
I
read the first two chapters, then started to skim the
book—
and although God
mentioned often, Jesus some—not once did I see in the book
the cross of Christ
glorified. Couldn’t even find the word
“cross” or “crucifixion”
There was nothing about what Jesus had done.
The
message was: Do this and God will
respond with incredible blessings.
I said
to myself—if this is best-selling popular Christianity, God help us.
But then I wondered, am I any different from
this man?
In
my pastoral work with people at Christ Covenant—
do I show them the
cross, or do I just give them good advice?
Do
I say, “Look at what Jesus has done for you, take hope in that. Live in that.”
Or do I say, “This is what you need to do.”
What
about my parenting? Am I showing my kids
what Jesus has done,
or am I giving them
keepable standards for success.
What
about me. Does the cross really cast a
shadow over my life?
Do I live in gratitude and amazement at what
Jesus has done—
or am I more like
Peter, wanting Jesus to give me good advice to be successful?
What
about you? Is the cross supremely
important to you?
Is
the great reality of your life that Jesus has done something for you—
or is the great
reality that there are things you have to do?
Do
or Done? How do you view your life
before God?
You must think and feel that the cross is
supremely important.
MP#2 The cross is inherently offensive.
The
next truth that emerges from Paul’s statement
is that the cross
is inherently offensive.
It
is hard for us to grasp how startling it was for people in Paul’s day
to hear a man say
that his only boast is in the cross.
There
were so many cultural and religious and historical factors that made
crucifixion itself
repulsive to people. It’s hard to think
of a modern analogy.
But
it might be like a person saying:
My only boast is in death by AIDS.
My only boast is in death by the electric
chair.
For
Gentiles, crucifixion was regarded as the ultimate in a cruel, shameful death.
It was the supreme penalty imposed by Roman
law.
It was used for the execution of slaves,
criminals, and revolutionaries.
Roman
citizens sentenced to death could not be crucified because it was
such a horrible
death. Sophisticated Romans considered
it barbaric.
For
Jews, there were two reasons crucifixion viewed with revulsion and shame.
First,
crucifixion was used by the Romans in their conquest of
thousands of
captured Jews. So it was a symbol of
oppression.
Like the ovens of
Second,
the Jews connected crucifixion to Deuteronomy 21:23—
cursed is anyone
who hangs on a tree. Saw as sign of
God’s curse.
So
for both Jew and Gentile, the message of a crucified Savior was foolish,
shameful,
repulsive, and theologically impossible.
As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians—foolishness to Greeks, stumbling block
to Jews.
But
the offense of the cross goes much deeper than these historical facts
that were true in
the first century.
The
real offense of the cross is that it points to our sin.
Not just your sin but your
sinfulness—absolute moral depravity and impotence.
And
with that the cross points to the wonderful fact
that God has
reached down in grace to provide a way for your sins to be forgiven
and for you to have
life.
That
offends people in numerous ways.
Tim
Keller makes a fascinating observation in his sermon on this passage.
Just
as both Jews and Gentiles were offended by the cross in the first century—
liberals and
conservatives are offended by the cross today.
People
with a liberal mindset are offended by the cross
because they think
it is intolerant and exclusive.
What
do you mean that the cross of Christ is the only way?
Any person who is true to self can find his
way to God no matter what religion.
People
with a conservative mindset are offended by the cross
because they think
it is too open and inclusive.
What
do you mean there is no difference between people at the cross?
How can we who have upheld morality be in
same boat as those who have not?
Dr.
Keller says that the cross does indeed draw a line—
but it’s not the
line between those who are true to themselves, those who aren’t,
and the line is not
between the moral and the immoral.
The
line the cross draws is between the proud and the humble.
It’s between those who are self-righteous
and those who know their sinfulness.
That’s
gracious, because it means that salvation is open to anyone
who humbles himself
before God.
The
cross is offensive because it is set against all schemes of self-salvation—
no matter if those
schemes take a liberal or conservative flavor.
It
says to all people: You are more sinful
and wicked than ever dared to admit.
And you are more loved and accepted in
Christ than ever dared to hope.
As
wonderful as that message is, it offends people. They resist it.
Could probably come up with many examples—
like the couple
told about last week who came to get child baptized.
But
it’s not other people you ought to focus on.
What about you?
Have
you ever felt the offense of the cross?
Have you ever felt your sin exposed so much
that you wanted to pull back?
I
hope so. Because it is only by feeling
the offense of the cross—
that you can come
out on the other side and taste the sweetness.
Don’t
resist the offense of the cross—wounds so it can heal.
If you have experienced it, you know what I
am talking about.
MP#3 The cross is supernaturally powerful.
That
brings us to the final truth that arises from Paul’s statement—
the cross is
supernaturally powerful.
The
cross of Christ, only the cross has the power to kill you—
but in killing you
make you more alive than you have ever been.
Paul put it like this:
Through the
cross the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
The world is dead to me and I’m dead to the
world.
That
doesn’t mean that Christians no longer enjoy things—eating, drinking—
and all the other
pleasures of life. Or that Christians
must wear gray clothes.
Remember Jesus himself was criticized for
his eating and drinking.
This
is not a death to sensation or pleasure.
Paul
means that a person who boasts in the cross has a new center of his person.
He has something new and powerful that he is
relying on.
That
new center, that new reliance, that new boast—
is Jesus Christ,
and what he has done.
Because
of that the world, and the things of this world are no
longer
your center, your
reliance, your boasting.
So
even though you use them, participate in them, enjoy them—
they no longer
control you.
Family,
marriage, business, money, success, reputation—
all of these are
still part of your life, but they are no longer your life.
Because there is something
bigger that you are boasting in.
JC Ryle put it this way:
For the Christian . . .
the great business
of life is a settled business, the great debt a paid debt, the great disease a
healed disease, and the great work a finished work; and all other business,
diseases, debts and works are then by comparison small.
Because
of the cross, if you have business troubles, business challenges—
you are able to
say, the big business of my life is settled to my advantage.
If
you are having money problems, debt problems—
able to say, the
big debt of my life has been paid.
If
you have a disease, able to say—
the big disease of
my life has been healed.
Then
why am I so worried when things don’t go well?
Why am I angry, or bitter, or afraid, or
despondent?
If
the cross is this powerful, why can’t I, as a Christian rise above
my present
circumstances—
problem in my
marriage, waywardness of children,
struggles in my
business, turmoil in my inner life?
Paul
says that through the cross the world was crucified to him.
Crucifixion
as a form of execution had three qualities:
First, it was slow—crucified people lingered
for days.
Second, it was painful—it was death by
torture, mental and physical, thirst.
Third, it was decisive—once nailed to a cross, you were as good as dead.
That
will be your experience as a Christian.
It
doesn’t happen overnight. It is
slow. Takes time. Takes years.
It takes experience. It takes time pondering the cross.
It’s
painful. It takes going through bitter
trials that force you to ask—
Why is this getting me down? Why am I in turmoil?
Is
it because I have been boasting in this and not in the cross?
Painful questions to ask. Painful answers for a Christian. But necessary.
It’s
decisive. Christ’s work in you will come
to completion.
One day you will be able to say in areas of
life never thought possible—
my boast is in
Christ. Not in what I have or do or
accomplish.
Not
in my reputation. But in Jesus and all
he has done for me.
When that happens, that’s powerful. That’s supernatural.
A
deacon in
Business facing some bumps,
asked for prayer—but had a remarkable calm.
Said: I wasn’t always like this. As a young man, business success his boast.
All that went along with it, right house and
things. Worried,
insomnia, solitaire.
Then became a Christian, all dreaded came true. Out of house, in apartment.
Still insomniac, but read Bible.
During
that slow, painful time—former boasting crucified, replaced by cross.
Like Job, God restored his fortunes—but
never looked at them the same way.
Enjoyed them yes. But not his boast. Not his center.
That’s
the power of the cross, crucify you, but make more alive and powerful.
CONC: What do you think and feel about the cross of Christ?
As
we come to the Table, going to sing one of the great hymns:
When I survey the wondrous
cross, on which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but
loss, and pour 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.
See from his head, His hands,
His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er
such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.
We’ve
surveyed the cross this morning—
barely scratched
the surface.
But
just a glimpse is enough to know that it is what Jesus has done—
is all you need as
the center of your life, your boast, your glory.
And
that all you do, try to do, want to do—your richest
gain—
must be laid at the
foot of the cross, so that you can glory in what lasts forever.