Boasting in the Cross

At one time the apostle Paul was proud and boastful but an encounter with Jesus changed all of that assigns my identity. I find my sense of well-being in my relationship with Jesus and my union went communion with him. I am a crucified man I have dying to who I once was.

We read about Paul's conversion in your amazed at the radical change in his life. Christians have you ever considered that your conversion is no less dramatic. Remember what Paul, you and I were dead in our sins and trespasses. There was no hope for us apart from God's sovereign grace. So, like Paul, we discover there is no ground for our boasting, except in the cross of Christ. How should we respond well. Just like all lesson 14 and final lesson and Galatians and chapter 6 from verse 11 to the end of the chapter until it's picking up immediately in verse 11 C with what large letters I'm writing to with my own hands and that might give us a little clue as to what it is that Paul was afflicted with and that it has something to do this. I sent in the baby. He was writing in large letters because he couldn't see very well and had some kind of eye condition and that's as good a theory as any. And then in verses 12 and 13. He goes back to the issue that has preoccupied him throughout the entire epistle. Those who are insisting on circumcision and you remember earlier he had said to wish them to go all the way and emasculate themselves, but he also now gives us a little hint as to The motivation behind the Judaizers insistence on compliance with circumcision for Gentile Christians and that is to first of all free themselves from persecution in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ are part of the motivation was to make life easier for themselves, especially in Jewish circles that were had some antipathy towards certain Christianity, but also that they verse 13. Even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh that there was a measure of prying tender measure of Lordship of one upmanship involved in the motivation and not races now for Paul to show boasting. And Paul says, far be it for 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.

That's a wonderful, wonderful text by which Paul brings this Galatian epistle to a close, because it sums up everything that he wants to say about the gospel and what did means and who we are in dire identity in Christ. Far be it for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, the cross of courses become the symbol of Christianity, and this is something of a strangeness about that is in the cross for Romans was an instrument of execution of state punishment like her a rope like a syringe like her guests chamber would be strange pregnant if we were to carrier and little replica of a syringe around our necks to boast in the death penalty is for the Romans. That's what the cross meant this piece of graffiti from the second century and is now in the tertiary and Museum and was on the found on the Palatine Hill in Rome and it's a picture of a man who's looking up at the crucifixion and the person crucified has to head of a donkey and it's an antique Christian Roman propaganda piece of graffiti that in the eyes of the Romans. Christianity was foolish to process stupidity. What would you worship and the graffiti of the bottom says Celexa Manor subentity on the Alexa menace warships God and the goddess head of a donkey under Pers foolishness to them for the Jews. Crucifixion was Sir, a symbol that God's had abandoned them.

It was a depiction because it is everyone runs upon a tree so it didn't make sense to the Jews that Jesus was crucified and that you would worship somebody who was crucified for Paul admin something very different.

And for every Christian. The cross mean something very different.

The cross was the climax of Jesus's obedience as he sacked himself steadfastly to go to Jerusalem. He knew what the end would be the discerns what the consequences of going to Jerusalem would be on the team would be crucified. It come for this purpose I must go to Jerusalem and their be handed over to the Jews send to be tried and to be crucified, and on the third day rise again. Remember when Peter said to him now. This will never be in Jesus reacts as though he had touched a nerve. Jesus didn't react like this all the time but he says turn get behind me Satan because he had heard that voice once before and the temptation that if he were to spare the cross. All he would have to do was to bow down and worship Satan and all, but he could see would be his. He could have the crown without the cross. I need that suggestion before and now hearing it again and Peter. That's what the baptism signified was a water ordeal that spoke in the Old Testament of judgment. When Paul talks about baptism, he talks about the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians in first Corinthians 10 when Peter talks about baptism, he talks about no one they are, and how a people are saved and the rest of humanity are drowned in the waters. So there's a sense in which baptism is a picture of that conveys the idea of the judgment and costs of God's but what does the cross mean and here Paul doesn't explain it, but elsewhere he doesn't use his words to explain the cross. That's why a movie of the crucifixion of Jesus is wholly inadequate.

The cross has to be explained in the movie all you see is the person dying on the cross. Like other people died on the cross.

But to really answer the question, what does the cross mean there has to be a word to log off some of the crosses Paul says elsewhere is use words like redemption across his redemptive and it's the language of the market place. The payments made to release from bondage and from slavery.

The cross sets me free from bondage to sin and self is used words like propitiation in chapter 3 in verses 13 and 14 where the word specifically means the cross is where the judgment of God's descendents. The wrath of God descendents and we asked the question in an earlier lesson. Why did the wrath of God, descend here if Jesus is sinless.

Death is the wages of sin.

But if he hadn't sinned, why does he die, and the answer Luther gave was substitution at that point he was the greatest sin of the world had ever seen. Because our sins are being reckoned to his account. Elsewhere Paul will use the language of reconciliation.

The language that comes from broken relationships send that God's relationship with us is broken and needs to be restored on the cross reconciles us to God and here in Galatians again and again. He's used the language of justification that is the cross that enables us to be found in the right relationship and standing with God's closed with the obedience that is necessary. Our sins removed and rolled during the righteous robe of the obedience of Christ. All glorious in the cross because he sees the cross, not simply as a death, and therefore one to which we might render her sympathy but he sees it as redemptive and saving and reconciling and justifying feces.

The gospel in the cross, God's good news of eternal life for sinners through the satisfaction and substitution of the work of Christ on our behalf and so he says some by which the world has been crucified to me and I think he means this in the sense that the world nothing to offer him.

Not in the sense that Paul didn't have the world and life view, not in the sense that Paul couldn't appreciate our control, music, core architecture or sports or hobby. So whatever. Not in that sense, but in the ultimate sense the world had nothing to offer him the world and its fallenness the world's and its vanity had nothing to offer him there was something about even the beauty that there is in the world's would remind him of ruins castles swear the beauty faded and, in the sense that Mick Jagger would've put its I can find no satisfaction but which would satisfy the soul. That which would satisfy the sinner in need of redeeming grace. He cannot find it in the world's markets.

Profit is there if I gain the whole world's and I lose my soul. You know, do the math you if you have the world you have the world to have the whole world, but you don't have Jesus supportive you got and it's nothing. What if you don't have anything, but you have Jesus you've got everything the world is crucified to me is not living, ultimately for the world's plaudits of the world's approval what Chris profit to me once I know counters loss. Paul will say to the Philippians he had many things to boast about put what I once considered profit. I now consider loss account. The most dumb matter nice translation screwball he means done.

That's how he regards the world that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, but the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith is saying that to the Philippians anything out here in a much more compressed way, far be it for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world's has been crucified to me and then he says and I to the world's hundred the world look at Paul this great man.

This man had terrific education. This man who was destined to be one of the greatest minds in Judaism he would've taken Judaism by storm and he remained in Judaism and now what is he doing and he's wondering Heather and Jan through Europe and always doing is speaking about Jesus all the time and in the eyes of the world's Paul is a fool is a fool. I'm crucified to the world. Look at what he says in verse 17. From now on let no one cause me trouble for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. He's talking literally I think he say what am I to the world. What does the world think of millions. Imagine that you're going on trip with the use and they're going to the beach for the day and Paul goes along.

If you can imagine Paul is the youth pastor probably difficult to imagine, but imagine that Paul is the youth guy at the church and he's taking the young people to the beach and another playing in the salmonella suddenness of this current swimming ball," and he takes off his shirt and do just gas because five times. He received 39 lashes so his back is scar all over.

It's horrible to look correct. It's hard to imagine the sufferings that Paul went through on the half of the gospel because he loved Jesus and that's really saying I am crucified to the world. I bear on my body the marks of Jesus is a man whose sermon is out and out for Jesus he's out and out for the gospel.

He has one thing on his mind and its Christ it's Jesus.

Jesus, Jesus, it's not about him. It's not about his advancement to it's not about his glory. It's not about his career.

It's not about wealth it's not about goods. It's not about the trinkets and baubles of this world. Paul is saying for one minutes that we don't have the rights of private ownership. That's not his point but what is it that you live for what is it that gets you up in the morning. What is it that gives you a sense of identity. What is it that makes you who you are and throughout the whole course of this epistle. The answer has been, I find my identity. I find my existence I find my satisfaction.

I find my sense of well-being in my relationship with Jesus in my union communion with him.

I am a crucified man I have dying to who I once was some no longer Adamic.

But I'm a man in Christ's and everything is changed I don't seek the approval of the world. I don't seek the approval of anyone I am already approved in the sense that time indwelt by the holy spirit who is producing now in me the calculus that leads to Jesus likeness as society identify the vices. The fruit of the flesh and put those to death and as I seek more and more to identify the fruit of the spirit and bring these to life and all of the test by the strength and power leading of the Holy Spirit, so that if I'm going to boast about anything. I can't even boast about my Christian achievements icon boast about those who have come to Jesus through me because all of it at the end of the day is God's work. It's by him. It's by the power of the holy spirit. Well, he ends socio-often ends with the little benediction.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers. Amen the very short little benediction but don't term that's not just a little farewell goodbye. This is a benediction and benedictions of blessings and blessings are what covenants give because covenants always have blessings and curses. He was cautious, that we might be blessed. The benediction is a sign of the gospel at the end of services in the church throughout the last 2000 years has concluded the service of worship with a benediction Sonata prayer, so it's appropriate to keep your eyes open and you receive it. It's God's word to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers. It's a reminder, once again, of who you are.

It's a reminder once again that you are within the circle of the gospel you are safe your blasts not then the trivial way put in the most profound way imaginable. We are blasts people because we have been given eternal life. That's what lies before us is to leave church on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening and that would blessings rings in your ears and it's a reminder that this you know to whatever lies before you are blessed person you have gospel privileges next time you're at the service in the blessings said just remind yourself this is gospel. This is good news in this. I stand in this. I go forward with the assurance that God has blessed me because he is cursed the Lord Jesus Christ in my stead in my room as my substitute well is always in the studies.

Whenever preachers preach through books. I was feeling so when I come to the end of now in a position to start again because now you see them big picture trust that Galatians 2 is a study together privilege to actually get your teaching fellow Dr. Derek Thomas wrapping up a series on the book of Galatians. You're listening to Renewing Your Mind. I believe Webb and I'm glad you could be with us today.

Over the past couple of days. We've learned about gospel stewardship and the cross of Christ. Paul's letter to the Galatian church teaches us that false gospels drive people to despair of the true gospel freezes to rest in Christ alone for salvation in 14 messages we see Paul's encouragement for Christians to stand firm and rest in Christ, we would like for you to have the series it's contained on two DVDs. When you give a donation of any amount of regular ministries will be glad to send it your way, you can make your request online@renewingyourmind.org or you can simply call us her number is 800-435-4343. You will also discover rich teaching like you heard today in table talk magazine. It's a monthly resource with articles on specific theological themes.

For example, this month the theology of Christmas also find daily guided Bible studies and subscribers have access to a growing library of back issues online. Just as an example, I typed Galatians into the search bar and their nearly 300 articles and Bible studies. It really is a rich resource to help you in your own Bible reading. You can learn more and subscribe and you go to table talk magazine.com is all the craze about three decades ago, bracelets and T-shirts emblazoned with the letters WW JD. They referred to the question what would Jesus do certainly a well-intentioned campaign but perhaps the first question we need to consider is what did Jesus do the crises probally that question to be so important that he devoted an entire teaching series to help us better understand the person and work of Christ will feature the first lesson of that series tomorrow, so we hope you'll join us for Renewing Your Mind