2 Corinthians 10:17-18
17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
The only bragging that counts is that done on your behalf. God asks us to brag about Him. Our chief end is tp give Him the glory and finding Him bragging about us.
The scandal of it all. God bragging about us? God cherishing us? How ridiculous! How unsophisticated of Him. It's a bit offensive to my good sense really. He should not gush over us. He's God in Heaven. I am here on earth. I sin. He is perfect.
If not for Jesus and His cross, God would not, could not, and should not (just like green eggs and ham) boast about us.
Because God rejoices over Jesus and gives Him all of the glory and worship and praise, He does so over us when we are found in Him and Him in us. The wisdom of God is in Christ and His plan of salvation accomplished by, through, from, to, and for Him.
God sees me as He sees Jesus: as perfect. That is scandalous and I blush at it. I resist it. I struggle to protect God from shaming Himself by investing so much in me. But it is not about me. It is about the One in whom I am seen and it would be wrong for God to make less of Jesus by not boasting about me, the fruit of Jesus' hard labors, faith and obedience.
Because He boasts of us, how can we not boast of Him? He who made the stars, the oceans, the human heart, the sunrise and holds them all in His hands in Christ does sing over us and allow us to wear white while ruling alongside Him. How can we who have been given so much boast of anything less?
PLEASE TAKE NOTE:
The one who commends himself is NOT approved. Do not seek to justify yourself. You cannot. You can seek it, but you cannot reach it. You can aspire toward it, but you cannot realize it. It is vain glory, pride or despair. Call it by any name your idol factory of a heart can create. If it is not faith in the finished work of Christ and Him as your only boast, it is a vapor, refuse, and filthy rags.
There are some truths that are only worth as much as the power and authority of the one saying them can enforce them. God alone can say "forgiven" and make it so. God alone can say "worthy" and seal it. We boast of so much that is so less than God's endorsement.
We often strive tirelessly to impress people we don't like to earn praise we don't deserve to hear flattery they don't mean while refusing to rest or "settle for" (what a vulgar word given the context) the endorsement and approval of God in Christ.
17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
The only bragging that counts is that done on your behalf. God asks us to brag about Him. Our chief end is tp give Him the glory and finding Him bragging about us.
The scandal of it all. God bragging about us? God cherishing us? How ridiculous! How unsophisticated of Him. It's a bit offensive to my good sense really. He should not gush over us. He's God in Heaven. I am here on earth. I sin. He is perfect.
If not for Jesus and His cross, God would not, could not, and should not (just like green eggs and ham) boast about us.
Because God rejoices over Jesus and gives Him all of the glory and worship and praise, He does so over us when we are found in Him and Him in us. The wisdom of God is in Christ and His plan of salvation accomplished by, through, from, to, and for Him.
God sees me as He sees Jesus: as perfect. That is scandalous and I blush at it. I resist it. I struggle to protect God from shaming Himself by investing so much in me. But it is not about me. It is about the One in whom I am seen and it would be wrong for God to make less of Jesus by not boasting about me, the fruit of Jesus' hard labors, faith and obedience.
Because He boasts of us, how can we not boast of Him? He who made the stars, the oceans, the human heart, the sunrise and holds them all in His hands in Christ does sing over us and allow us to wear white while ruling alongside Him. How can we who have been given so much boast of anything less?
PLEASE TAKE NOTE:
The one who commends himself is NOT approved. Do not seek to justify yourself. You cannot. You can seek it, but you cannot reach it. You can aspire toward it, but you cannot realize it. It is vain glory, pride or despair. Call it by any name your idol factory of a heart can create. If it is not faith in the finished work of Christ and Him as your only boast, it is a vapor, refuse, and filthy rags.
There are some truths that are only worth as much as the power and authority of the one saying them can enforce them. God alone can say "forgiven" and make it so. God alone can say "worthy" and seal it. We boast of so much that is so less than God's endorsement.
We often strive tirelessly to impress people we don't like to earn praise we don't deserve to hear flattery they don't mean while refusing to rest or "settle for" (what a vulgar word given the context) the endorsement and approval of God in Christ.
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